Resume

Michael Kuhn

KuhnArbitrator@gmail.com

Education

University of Texas at Austin, 1968-1972 B.A. with Honors
Plan II honors program

University of Houston, Bates College of Law, 1972-1975
Law Review, 12th Editorial Board
Hutchison & Grundy Best Case Note Award

Licenses and Admissions
STATE BAR OF TEXAS (May 1975)

Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Civil Trial Law (1991)

Association of Attorney Mediators

STATE BAR OF NEW YORK (July 2005)

United States Supreme Court

United States Courts of Appeal 5th Circuit 1975

7th Circuit 1994

8th Circuit 1982

10th Circuit 1981

11th Circuit 1981

FEDERAL DISTRICT COURTS S.D.Tex. 1975; N.D. Tex. 1984: W.D. Tex. 1989; E.D. Tex. 1993; C.D. Ill.1994

OTHER
United States Tax Court 1988

Employment

August 1975-August 1976:  Law Clerk, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit Honorable Joe Ingraham

September 1976-September 1977:  Lapin Totz Mayer–Associate

October 1977-October 1979:  Harris County District Attorney’s Office–Assistant District Attorney

November 1979-January 2020: Bracewell LLP (a/k/a Bracewell & Patterson; Bracewell & Giuliani)–Associate, November 1979-November 1984; Partner, November 1984-January 2020)

January 2020-present: Michael Kuhn, Mediator-Arbitrator

Nature of Practice

1976-77:

As an associate at Lapin Totz & Mayer, I had a junior level real estate and small business practice under supervision of Jack Lapin and Clarence Mayer. I tried my first jury trial in county court while at Lapin Totz & Mayer.

1977-79:

As an assistant district attorney, I handled numerous appeals (including the first Texas capital cases following reinstatement of the death penalty); habeas corpus proceedings (including the high profile Garth Bates judicial bribery proceedings before Judge McDonald); and, felony jury trials.

• Bates v. State, 587 S.W.2d 121 (Tex. Crim. App. 1979).
• Bates v. Estelle, 483 F. Supp. 224 (S.D. Tex. 1980).
• Rummel v. Estelle, 587 F2d. 651 (5th Cir. 1978), 590 F.2d 103 (5th Cir. 1979).• McManus v. State, 91 S.W.2d 505 (Tex.Crim.App. 1979).

1979-1983:

As an associate at Bracewell, I handled first and second chair civil and criminal trial responsibilities.

• duPont v. Southern National Bank of Houston, 575 F.Supp. 849 (S.D. Tex. 1983); 771 F.2d 874 (5th Cir. 1985); cert. denied, 475 U.S. 1085 (1986).
• duPont, v. Brady & Tarpey, 646 F. Supp. 1067 (S.D.N.Y. 1986), 828 F.2d 75 (2d Cir. 1987).

• Houston Pipeline Co. v. Oxy Petroleum Inc., 597 S.W.2d 57 (Tex.App.—San Antonio 1980).
• Bleier v. Meineke Discount Muffler Shops, Inc., No. H-80-2495 (S.D. Tex. October 21, 1981); rev’d No. 81-2496 (5th Cir. June 23,1983).

• United States v. Missouri Valley Construction Co., 704 F.2d 1026 (8th Cir. 1983).

1983-2005:

As a partner at Bracewell, I tried a number of state and federal cases. The subject matter included insurance coverage disputes; franchise disputes; and, school law employment discrimination and First Amendment cases.

• Garcia v. Allstate Ins. Co., No. C-2288-87-B, 93rd District Court of Hidalgo County, Texas; rev’d No. 13-91-00149-CV (Tex App.—Corpus Christi, February 18, 1993); petition denied, No. D-360 (Tex. March 11, 1994).
• New Era of Networks, Inc., v. Great Northern Ins. Co., 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14259 (S. D. Tex. August 1, 2003).

• Plattenberg v. Allstate Ins. Co., (918 F.2d 562 (5th Cir. 1990).
• Memorial Hospital System v. Northbrook Life Ins. Co., 904 F.2d 236 (5th Cir. 1990).
• Aguillard v. Harris County Texas, 207 F.3d 226 (5th Cir. 2000): cert. denied, 531 U.S. 877 (2000).
• Meineke Discount Muffler Shops, Inc. v. Jaynes, H-89-3872 (S.D. Tex. October 31, 1991), aff’d 999 F.2d 120 (5th Cir. 1993).
• Allied Bank of Texas v. Plaza DeVille Associates, No. 85-CI-05364 (45th District Court, Bexar County, Texas), 733 S.W.2d 566 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1987);writ ref’d n.r.e, (Tex. 1987).
• Pelto v. CSX Oil & Gas, No. 01-89-00768-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist] 1991); writ denied (Tex. 1990).
• Nichols v. Collins, 802 F. Supp. 66 (S.D. Tex. 1992); rev’d, 69 F.3d 1255 (5th Cir. 1995); cert. denied, 518 U.S. 1022.
• Right to Life Advocates, Inc. v. HISD, No. 5-86-CV-03245 (S.D. Tex. 1986).
• King v. HISD, 1987 WL 12262 (S.D. Tex. June 4, 1987).
• Roberts v. HISD, 788 S.W.2d 107 (Tex. App.—Houston (1st Dist. 1990).
• Leija v. Canutillo Independent School Dist., 887 F. Supp. 947 (W.D. Tex. 1995); 101 F.3d 393 (5th Cir. 1996), 106 F.3d 399 (5th Cir. 1997).
• In re Clarence B. Jackson, 62 F.2d 1419 (7th Cir. 1995).

• Day v. Allstate Insurance Co., 788 F.2d 1110 (5th Cir. 1986).
• Daughters of the American Revolution v. Estate of Julia Hubbard, 768 S.W.2d 858 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 1989).
• Neely v. Commission for Lawyer Discipline, 976 S.W.2d 824 (Tex. App. Houston {1st Dist.] 1998).

2005-2015:

Serving as Bracewell’s General Counsel, I represented the firm in the matters of ethics, risk management, client relations, professionalism, conflicts, lateral hiring, partner disputes and general legal advice on firm internal business issues.

In addition to firm management responsibilities, I handled several civil and regulatory matters.

• In Re Enron Power Marketing Inc., 119 FERC ¶63,009 (2007), 2007 WL1578095.

• Roberson v. Lonzo McShan, 2005 WL 2673516 (5th Cir. 2005); on remand,No. 02-CV-4356 (S.D. Tex.) (final judgment March 7, 2007).

2015-present:

independent practice specializing in arbitration, mediation and alternative dispute resolution.

disputes including insurance coverage, property damage, interstate commerce, premises liability, breach of contract, employment and negligence.

Illustrative Clients/Matters

Health Care: arbitration panels in Texas, Virginia and Colorado, resolving disputes between Health Plans and Providers/Facilities over the reasonable cost of medical care and services.

Insurance Companies: first party insurance defense involving coverage issues.

Public School Districts: defense of claims relating to employment practices and statutory and constitutional violations.

Municipalities: defense of excessive force claims.

Energy Companies: defense of take-or-pay litigation, pricing and regulatory matters; and internal investigations and advice regarding corporate compliance.

Law Firms: defense of matters relating to professional liability.

Manufacturing Companies: defense of cases involving product distribution, dealer relationships, and unfair termination.

Franchise Companies: defense of cases involving dealer termination, breach of contract, and covenants not to compete.

Criminal Defense: defense of white collar and routine criminal matters.