John S. “Jack” Edwards, Jr.
Partner
Pennzoil Place—South Tower
711 Louisiana, Suite 2150
Houston, TX 77002
E: jedwards@ajamie.com
vCard
Jack Edwards is an exceptional commercial litigator and a core member of the Ajamie LLP team. He handles a wide range of commercial disputes before state and federal courts, including antitrust, contracts, copyright, ERISA, fraud, insurance coverage, product liability, securities, trade secrets, toxic tort, and wrongful death cases.
Many of his cases involve allegations of fraud or self-dealing, such as securities fraud, investment fraud, or ERISA breach of fiduciary duty. Others involve highly technical industries, such as vehicle manufacturing or radio-communication systems. He has tried cases in Texas and Pennsylvania, and argued before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. He recently recovered $79 million on behalf of former Wells Fargo financial advisors whose deferred compensation was illegally forfeited in violation of ERISA.
Jack is active in the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation. He serves as the Co-Chair of the Social Media Committee. He has been awarded the Outstanding Subcommittee Chair award for his efforts on the Energy Litigation Committee. He has been honored for his pro bono efforts, including receiving the Harris County Bench-Bar Pro Bono Award, the Houston Volunteer Lawyers’ Roadrunner Award, and Special Recognition for Exceptional Pro Bono Representation from the Houston Bar Foundation. He is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.
EDUCATION
- University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 2003
- Princeton University, A.B., Economics, 1998
BAR ADMISSIONS
- Texas
COURT ADMISSIONS
- All Texas State Courts
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
Business Litigation
- Settled for $79 million a federal court class action lawsuit against Wells Fargo & Company on behalf of its former financial advisors who were wrongfully forced to forfeit their deferred compensation when they left the company.
- Member of the legal team that recovered over $173.8 million for investors in the Cobalt International Energy, Inc. securities class action litigation.
- Member of the legal team that recovered $22.5 million for investors in the Conn’s, Inc. securities class action litigation.
- Prosecuted fraud and breach-of-contract claims against a military contractor.
- Represented electrical utility in complex tort litigation arising from wildfire against claims brought by subrogating insurance carriers and individuals.
- Represented an excess carrier in primary and subrogation litigation, and recovered millions of dollars for our carrier client.
- Defended software companies in multibillion-dollar civil action and corresponding federal criminal complaint.
- Defended an engine manufacturer against multimillion-dollar fraud claims in Texas trial and appeals courts.
- Defended a refining company in rare antitrust litigation brought by the FTC to block a merger.
- Represented an energy company in prosecuting federal preemption claims against a state.
- Represented a drilling fluids company in prosecuting theft-of-trade-secret claims.
- Represented an oil and gas company in prosecuting breach-of-contract claims.
- Represented foreign defendant in successfully seeking dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction.
Personal-Injury Litigation
- Defended water-truck company against product-liability claims.
- Defended an oilfield services company against claims arising from the Gulf of Mexico’s deadliest offshore oil accident; case dismissed on forum non conveniens.
- Defended an agricultural grower in thousands of toxic-tort claims brought throughout the United States, including in forum non conveniens reinstatement proceedings.
- Defended a chemicals company against benzene product-liability claims.
- Defended a pharmaceutical company against prescription-drug product-liability claims.
Appeals
- Defended a civil rights organization in appealing a libel judgment to the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking certiorari on a unique First Amendment Petition Clause issue.
- Defended an agricultural grower in mandamus appeals to the Texas Supreme Court seeking to reverse forum-non-conveniens reinstatement of thousands of toxic-tort claims brought by foreign plaintiffs.
- Defended an engine manufacturer against fraud claims in Texas state courts, including reversing an anti-suit injunction and overturning a $93 million judgment.
- Argued before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of financial advisors seeking to recover deferred compensation that was illegally forfeited.
- Defeated petition for writ of mandamus seeking to block post-judgment discovery of judgment debtors’ assets.
Pro Bono
- Defended a civil rights organization in appealing a libel judgment to the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking certiorari on a unique First Amendment Petition Clause issue.
- Represented a client through the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program in obtaining a successful award in a landlord-tenant case after a two-day jury trial.
- Served as a volunteer prosecutor in Missouri City Municipal Court; prosecuted dozens of misdemeanors in first-chair bench and jury trials.
- Appleseed Hurricane Katrina Project, Pro Bono Volunteer
- Houston Bar Association, Legal Lines, Volunteer
- Volunteered at the Virginia Capital Representation Resource Center, representing death row inmates in their state and federal habeas corpus appeals.
PUBLICATIONS, SPEECHES & PRESENTATIONS
- “Why RIAs who left deferred comp on the table back at the wirehouse may yet make a claim for what might be, rightfully, their money,” RIABiz (March 2021)
- “Force Majeure in a Pandemic,” Ajamie LLP Website (April 2020)
- “Fraudulent Transfers: Tips, Tricks & Pitfalls Under Texas Law,” HBA CLE Presentation (March 2019)
- “Colorado High Court Affirms Award of Expert Fees in Water Case,” ABA Environmental & Energy Litigation Website (June 2017)
- “Too Much Tequila? How to Enforce an Invalid Mexican Arbitration Award in the United States,” HBA CLE Presentation (September 2017)
- “Ohio Supreme Court Deals Blow to Fracking Foes,” Ajamie LLP Hot Issues Blog (September 2016)
- “Department of Labor Issues Rule to Address Conflicts of Interest in Retirement Advice, ” Ajamie LLP Hot Issues Blog (June 2016)
- “EPA Proposes New Methane Regulations,” ABA Energy Litigation Website (October 2015)
- “The In-House Attorney-Client Privilege: The Scope of the Privilege for Businesses and Law Firms,” HBA CLE Presentation (November 2014)
- “Texas High Court Rules Overriding Royalty Not Subject to Postproduction Expenses,” ABA Environment & Energy Litigation Website (August 2015)
- “New York High Court Says Municipalities May Ban Fracking,“ ABA Energy Litigation Website (July 2014)
- “ Virginia Creates Rail-Safety Task Force Following Oil Spill,” ABA Energy Litigation Website (June 2014)
- “North Carolina Moves Closer to Issuing Fracking Permits,“ ABA Energy Litigation Website (June 2014)
- “ DOT Issues Emergency Order to Trains Carrying Bakken Crude Oil,” ABA Energy Litigation Website (June 2014)
- “Colorado First to Regulate Methane Emissions from Oil & Gas Operations,“ ABA Energy Litigation Website (May 2014)
- “Texas High Court Rules for Energy Company in Accommodation-Doctrine Case,” ABA Energy Litigation Website (July 2013)
- “North Carolina Passes Fracking Legislation, Overrides Veto,” ABA Energy Litigation Website (July 2012)
- “Fracking Unlikely to Cause Earthquakes, Says NRC Study,” ABA Energy Litigation Website (July 2012)
- “Ohio Passes Fracking Legislation,” ABA Energy Litigation Website (June 2012)
- “Interior Department Proposes Fracking Regulations,” ABA Energy Litigation Website (May 2012)
- “Government Studies May Determine the Future of Fracking Regulation,” ABA Energy Litigation Journal (November 2011)
- “The Impact on Electronic Discovery of the December 1, 2006 Amendments of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,” Presentation (October 2006)
- “The Nuts and Bolts of Electronic Discovery: Litigating Under the December 1, 2006 Amendments of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,” Presentation (December 2006)
OTHER ATTORNEY EXPERIENCE
- Jones Day
- Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP
MEMBERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY
- Member, ABA Social Media Committee
- Member, Editorial Board, American Bar Association’s Environmental & Energy Litigation Committee
- Co-Chair,American Bar Association’s Environmental & Energy Litigation Social Media Subcommittee
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, State Bar of Texas (Litigation and Appellate Sections)
- Member, Houston Bar Association
- Member, College of the State Bar of Texas
DISTINCTIONS
- Texas Rising Star, Texas Super Lawyers (2013, 2014, 2015)
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rating – An AV certification is a testament to the fact that a lawyer’s peers rank the individual to be at the highest level of professional excellence.
- Top Lawyer, Houstonian Magazine (2013, 2014)
- Roadrunner Award, Houston Volunteer Lawyers (2014)
- Special Recognition for Exceptional Pro Bono Representation, Houston Bar Foundation (2014)
- Harris County Bench-Bar Pro Bono Award – Individual (2013)
- Outstanding Subcommittee Chair, ABA Energy Litigation (2012-2013)