Stephen Susman
Stephen Susman | |
---|---|
Born | Stephen Daily Susman January 20, 1941[1] Houston, Texas, US |
Died | July 14, 2020 Houston, Texas, US | (aged 79)
Alma mater | University of Texas School of Law (J.D.) Yale University (B.A.) |
Occupation | Attorney |
Years active | 1965–2020 |
Employer | Susman Godfrey LLP |
Known for | Won some of the largest cases in U.S. history, including a $1.1 billion settlement on behalf of Texas Instruments; and a $536 million jury verdict in El Paso Natural Gas Co. v. GHR Energy Corp. |
Spouses |
|
Children | 2 |
Stephen Daily Susman (January 20, 1941 – July 14, 2020) was an American
In 2020, Susman was seriously injured in a biking accident, which left him in a coma for more than a week. While rehabilitating from the injury, he contracted COVID-19 and died.[5]
Early and personal life
Susman was born in
His mother, Helene Daily Susman, was a 1934 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, and returned to her law practice and raised Susman and his brother after the death of their father when Susman was eight years old and his brother Tommy was six years old.[6][8] His mother became the first woman from Texas admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.[9] Susman said: "My mother and father were both lawyers, so I never even thought about doing anything else."[10]
He and his brother also attended the University of Texas School of Law, at the insistence of their mother.[8] In addition, his son Harry attended the University of Texas School of Law. He was editor-in-chief of the Texas Law Review and clerked for a Supreme Court Justice.[8][11]
His first wife, Karen Hyman Susman, from Austin, Texas, married Susman in 1965. She died in 1997 at age 55.[12] Susman and Karen had two children; Stacy and Harry.[13] He married Ellen Spencer Susman, at the time a television personality, in 1999.[4][11] They had homes in Aspen, Colorado, Houston, Napa, and New York City.[14]
Education
Susman attended
Susman earned his J.D. at the
Legal career
Returning to Texas, Susman joined the law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski (now Norton Rose Fulbright), becoming one of its first Jewish partners.[5] For the first eight years of his career he was a defense lawyer, before becoming a plaintiffs' lawyer.[18] After taking a leave of absence and teaching antitrust law at the University of Texas Law School, and considering becoming a full-time law professor (a notion nixed by his then-wife), in 1976 he joined a small plaintiffs maritime firm, Mandell & Wright of Houston, that had a contingency practice, to start a new commercial litigation practice there.[7][11][10][19]
Susman Godfrey
Susman founded Susman Godfrey LLP in 1980.
He won some of the largest cases in U.S. history, including a $1.1 billion ($2,100,000,000 in current dollar terms) settlement on behalf of
In 2010, Susman was among a team of attorneys that represented Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt in his divorce trial.[26][27]
Susman split his time between his firm's Houston and New York offices.[28]
Professional recognition
In 1994, Susman was one of 14 lawyers featured in America's Top Trial Lawyers: Who They Are & Why They Win, by Don Vinson.
In 2015, the 50th anniversary of Susman's election as editor-in-chief of the Texas Law Review, the Texas Law Review Association established a scholarship in his name.[29]
In 2016, Susman was one of six lawyers recognized by the
Related work
Susman developed trial agreements with the purpose of reducing litigation costs for both sides and bringing cases to trial more efficiently.[33] As a result of Susman's belief in a contingency-fee model and the law firm efficiency necessary to make it work, in 2012 he launched "Trial by Agreement" as a repository of pre-trial and trial agreements that lawyers can use to reduce the expense of unwarranted discovery and associated motions.[34][35]
Among his professional affiliations (2013–16) were
Susman founded and was executive director of the Civil Jury Project, dedicated to studying civil jury trials and trying to stem their decline, at the New York University School of Law. He was an Adjunct Professor there, occasionally teaching the course, "How to Try a Jury Case Intelligently."[14][38][39][40]
Charitable giving
In May 2010, the University of Texas announced a $5 million gift from alumnus Susman in support of the university's law school. In recognition of this gift, the board of regents, the governing body for The University of Texas System, established the Stephen D. Susman Academic Center, which opened in August of the same year, and which Dean Lawrence G. Sager described the center as "the heart of the UT Law Enterprise."[15]
In December 2011, Yale University announced an $11 million gift from alumnus Susman in support of new exhibition space at the Yale University Art Gallery. The newly renovated art gallery re-opened on December 12, 2012.[41]
Along with his wife
Death
On April 22, 2020, Susman sustained serious head injuries in a bicycling accident in Houston's
Dick Sayles of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, who faced him at trial, said: "I've known a lot of lawyers and I've been around a long time, and Steve is a legend and he deserves to be known as a legend. He was a terrific lawyer, he was the most formidable adversary, and he was a terrific friend."[14] Tom Melsheimer of Winston & Strawn described Susman as "almost indisputably the smartest trial lawyer who ever lived," and a "Shakespeare when it came to the use of the F-word."[14]
See also
References
- ^ "Stephen Susman, '65, gives $5 million to University of Texas School of Law". The University of Texas at Austin Texas Law. May 13, 2010. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-984270-4. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ "Lecture Programs", Bulletin of Yale University, Series 105, Number 9, p. 74, August 10, 2009.
- ^ a b c Danny Biederman (March 6, 2017). "Appointments and Resignations - Director of the Art in Embassies Program: Who is Ellen Susman?". AllGov. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Curriden, Mark (July 15, 2020). "Houston lawyer loses 'valiant battle' to coronavirus after bike accident". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ a b c Curtis, Tom (July 1989). "On the Defensive". Texas Monthly – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c Dewey, Katrina (September 9, 2015). "Lawyer Limelight: Stephen Susman on NYU Law's Civil Jury Project". Lawdragon. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Stephen Susman, '65, Gives $5 Million to University of Texas School of Law". UT News. May 13, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Samuels, Jeanne F. (December 20, 2012). "Activist on Two Continents Being Honored by AJC". Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, TX) (1 ed.). p. 6 of 24. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c Alison Macor (September 16, 2016). "Texas Lawyers - A Little More Than Luck; An oral history with a half-dozen attorneys who got their start back when a lawyer could cut his or (occasionally) her teeth on trials". Texas Super Lawyers Magazine. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Jim Walsh (October 2005). "The Laundryman Cleans Up; Stephen Susman keeps winning and winning and winning". Super Lawyers. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ^ "Deaths; Susman, Karen Hyman". The New York Times. December 5, 1997. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Hon. Ken Bentsen (January 28, 1998). "Honoring Karen Hyman Susman". Congressional Record, Volume 144, Issue 2. Govinfo.gov. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Brandon Lowrey (July 15, 2020). "Trial Icon Susman Wasn't Done Winning, Laughing, Teaching". Law360.
- ^ a b c d "Stephen Susman, '65, gives $5 million to University of Texas School of Law". The University of Texas at Austin. 13 May 2010. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ^ "Global Justice Forum Speaker Biography; Stephen Susman" "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 17, 2011. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Leading Commercial Litigator to Discuss Case Against Texas Utility", Yale News, October 3, 2008. Retrieved on January 8, 2013.
- ^ "Reform of Class Action Litigation Procedures: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Judicial Machinery of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Ninety-fifth Congress, Second Session ... November 29 and 30, 1978 - United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on Improvements in Judicial Machinery". U.S. Government Printing Office. 1979. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ a b c Mcallister, Jimbo (December 4, 2012). "The Joy of Lawyering: Stephen D. Susman delivers 2012 Segal Lecture". University of Pennsylvania Law School. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
- ^ "About the firm". Susman Godfrey. Archived from the original on November 29, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ^ "Top Litigation Boutique Susman Godfrey Plans to Open New York Office". Houston Chronicle. April 5, 2006. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ^ "2020 Rankings". Vault. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
- ^ Brenda Sapino Jeffreys (July 15, 2020). "Stephen Susman, a Father Figure in His Firm and Dean of the Litigation Bar, Revolutionized Trial Work". Texas Lawyer.
- ^ "Susman Godfrey LLP | Company Profile". Firsthand. Vault. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ^ Terry Carter (February 1, 2008). "The G-Man", ABA Journal; accessed July 15, 2020.
- ^ Shaikan, Bill (June 26, 2010). "Frank McCourt adds to his team -- of lawyers," Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ^ Dewey, Katrina (December 3, 2017). "Don't Mess with Texas: How Lawyers at Susman Godfrey Formed America's Leading Trial Law Firm". Lawdragon. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ^ Sapino, Brenda (May 14, 2020). "Susman Godfrey Founder Steve Susman Is Out of Coma, In Recovery After Bicycle Accident". Texas Lawyer. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ "Texas Law Review Creates Scholarship in Honor of Susman Godfrey Founder Stephen Susman". Susman Godfrey. March 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ^ "Faculty/Author Profile | Stephen D. Susman". PLI - Practising Law Institute. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
- ^ "Stephen Susman honored with Torch of Learning Award; UHLC Foundation Board Member recognized for exceptional leadership and scholarship". University of Houston Law Center. February 12, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ^ Dewey, Katrina (February 20, 2019). "Lawdragon 2019 Hall of Fame Inductions Announced". Lawdragon.
- ^ Fisher, Daniel (March 7, 2012). "Litigator Pushes Mutual-Disarmament Pacts To Cut Costs," Forbes. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ^ "Trial By Agreement | Agreements for Opposing Counsel". Archived from the original on 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
- ^ Susman, Stephen D. and Carter, Johnny W. (Fall 2011). "Better Litigation through Pre-Trial Agreements", ABA Journal of Section of Litigation. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
- ^ "Stephen Susman". University of Texas Law School Foundation. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ^ "Stephen D. Susman - Commercial Litigation Capital Funding". www.benthamimf.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
- ^ "Faculty". NYU School of Law. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ^ "Lawyer Limelight: STEPHEN SUSMAN ON NYU LAW'S CIVIL JURY PROJECT". Law Dragon. 9 September 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ^ "Stephen D. Susman". uscourts.gov.
- ^ Grayce West, Melanie (January 6, 2012). "Gallery Gift Inspired by Free Drinks," The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
- ^ "Blanton Museum of Art - National Leadership Board". Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ "2015 Transparency Report" (PDF). Aspen Institute. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ^ "PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES FOUR MEMBERS TO THE UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL COUNCIL," The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, June 29, 2000.
- ^ a b Brandon Lowrey (June 23, 2020). "Susman Godfrey Founder Diagnosed With COVID-19". Law360.
- ^ Caroline Spiezio (June 24, 2020). "IN BRIEF: Susman Godfrey founder diagnosed with COVID-19". Reuters.
- ^ Patrice, Joe (June 15, 2020). "Stephen Susman Recovers From Coma And Leaves Hospital". Above the Law.
- ^ Terry Carter (July 15, 2020). "Steve Susman, Pioneering Trial Attorney (1941-2020)". The Texas LawBook.
External links
- Twitter page
- "Ethics Charges Against House Speaker Wright," C-span, May 23, 1989 (video)
- "Speaker Wright & Atty. Stephen Susman," C-span, May 23, 1989 (video)
- "Executive Power and the Constitution," The Aspen Institute, C-span, July 17, 2014 (video)
- "The Right to Civil Jury Trials," The Aspen Institute, C-span, July 9, 2015 (video)
- "Risky Business; Stephen D. Susman on contingency fees and the new wave of litigation funding for law firms," The Practice, Volume 5 • Issue 6 • September/October 2019, Center on the Legal Profession, Harvard Law School (interview).