© 2014 The Texas Lawbook.
By Natalie Posgate
Staff Writer for The Texas Lawbook
(January 22) – Three former Hogan Lovells attorneys are unpacking their boxes today on the 16th floor of the Bank of America Center in downtown Houston – also known as Arnold & Porter’s newest office.
The three complex litigators – Thad Thano Dameris, Trevor R. Jeffries and Christopher M. Odell – are part of Arnold & Porter’s newest additions and are leading the Washington, D.C.-based firm’s launch into Texas.
The complex litigation team has a fourth Hogan colleague who has joined Arnold & Porter’s Washington, D.C. office: David J. Weiner.
The group has significant experience representing international companies in major litigation, including several high profile mass tort cases. One major client is Airbus, the world’s leading commercial aircraft manufacturer. All four attorneys will be members of Arnold & Porter’s Business Litigation Practice Group.
Dameris represents energy and transportation companies in complex commercial and transnational litigation, including product liability and mass torts. He graduated with honors from The University of Texas School of Law and received his B.B.A. from Southern Methodist University.
Odell’s complex litigation practice focuses on the energy and aviation industries, and in addition to his jury trial experience, he has represented clients in appeals, arbitrations and internal investigations of alleged corporate misconduct. Odell graduated magna cum laude from Tulane University Law School, where he was also a member of Order of the Coif and Order of the Barristers. He received his B.A. from Rice University and M.A. from New York University.
Jeffries, who has also tried cases and argued appeals, represents clients in aviation, health care, insurance and e-discovery. He received his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif.
During a break from unpacking, Dameris said he and his colleagues joined the firm because it has “world class complex litigation practices” and a strong expertise in other areas such as international arbitration and government contracts – all of which are valuable to their clients.
“All of these things are practices that our clients both in energy as well as transportation are huge consumers of,” said Dameris, who is the heading the firm’s Houston office.
Dameris said the group became acquainted with Arnold & Porter through working on a project with one of the firm’s attorneys, Jeff Smith, who also represents Airbus. Dameris was quickly impressed with Smith as an attorney, and after learning more about Arnold & Porter and its practice area strengths, talks about teaming up began.
“Thad Dameris and his team are a tremendous fit for our firm and our clients,” Arnold & Porter Chairman Tom Milch said in a written statement. “They are outstanding litigators with strong practices that complement work we are already doing in the energy, transportation and defense sectors.”
The new office has plenty of space for new attorneys and has already heard from a good number of prospects, Dameris said. He suspects some more lawyers will soon join due to Arnold & Porter’s strong national reputation. He said he expects the office’s practice areas will grow in regard to litigation, internal investigations, international arbitration, M&A and energy finance.
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