Biographies	vCard
Andrew J. Szygenda

Mr. Szygenda is a founding member of Lillard Wise Szygenda PLLC. After leaving his native Texas to attend Georgetown University, where he obtained both his bachelor’s degree and juris doctorate with honors, Mr. Szygenda returned home in 2001 to begin his litigation practice. He spent several years working for the international law firm of Hunton & Williams LLP and opened Lillard Wise Szygenda with Tom Lillard and Bob Wise to provide elite representation at economical rates. While he routinely handles complex commercial disputes involving misrepresentation, contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and tortious interference claims, Mr. Szygenda also has noteworthy experience litigating disputes involving ERISA, misappropriation of confidential information, construction defects, real property rights, and insurance coverage, as well as handling appeals. A sample of Mr. Szygenda’s accomplishments include the following:

• Successfully defended an appeal before the U.S. Sixth Circuit of a zero-liability judgment obtained after a bench trial of a $20 million claim for breach of contract.  See City of Detroit v. TXU Energy Retail Co., 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20588 (E.D. Mich. Sept. 21, 2005), aff’d, 221 Fed. Appx. 387 (6th Cir. Feb. 16, 2007).

• Won six-figure sanctions award against plaintiff for discovery abuse.  See City of Detroit v. TXU Energy Retail Co., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 91384 (E.D. Mich. Dec. 19, 2006).

• Obtained zero-liability jury verdict in seven figure nuisance action brought by homeowners abutting client’s new gas processing facility.

• Handled all briefing and was an integral member of trial team in a "bet the company" confidential arbitration proceeding related to a utility’s coal transportation contract.

• Obtained $2.5 million summary judgment award on railway’s indemnity claim against feed mill operator related to railroad crossing accident. See Kan. City So. Ry. v. Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30260 (W.D. La. March 29, 2010)

• Successfully defended claim for violation of ERISA and obtained award of attorneys’ fees against Plaintiff.  See Redman v. TXU Long-Term Income Disability Plan, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33998 (E.D. Tex. May 26, 2006).

• Defeated appeal brought by the Dallas Central Appraisal District before the Dallas Court of Appeals challenging the denial of a client’s plea to the jurisdiction.

• Participated in a week-long, temporary injunction hearing that resulted in an injunction enjoining client’s competitor from marketing product allegedly derived from client’s confidential information.

• Successfully handled a dispute regarding the fair value due a dissenting shareholder of a privately-held engineering company.

Professional and Civic Affiliations

• Admitted in all Texas state and federal courts, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, Eastern District of Michigan, and District of Colorado

• Member of the State Bar of Texas and Dallas Bar Association

Publications and Speeches

• Co-Author, First Refusal Rights Under Texas Law, 62 Baylor L. Rev. 433 (2010)
  

• Co-Author, Of Lies and Disclaimers – Contracting Around Fraud Under Texas Law, 41 St. Mary’s L.J. 119 (2009)

• Speaker/Author, Judicial Developments in Utility Law (2005), a presentation to the Edison Electric Institute

• Author, Judicial Developments in Utility Law (2004), a presentation to the Edison Electric Institute

• Author, The Coming Failure of Deterrence, 9 MSU-DCL J. Int’l Law 413 (2000)

• Co-Author, Financial Institutions Fraud, Am. Crim. L. Rev. 551 (2000)

Education

• J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, cum laude, 2001; Member, American Criminal Law Review

• B.S.F.S., Georgetown University, cum laude, 1998

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