Susman Godfrey L.L.P.

View the profile as it appeared in Washington Super Lawyers 2008 (PDF)

Since 1980, Susman Godfrey has represented clients in a broad range of high-stakes commercial litigation matters throughout the country. Originally based in Houston, the firm also has offices in Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas and New York. Representing plaintiffs, the firm has won verdicts cumulatively exceeding $2 billion, and in just the past decade, has reached settlements of more than $2.7 billion. It has achieved similarly impressive results in substantial defense cases. In 2005 The American Lawyer named Susman Godfrey one of the nation’s top two litigation boutiques.

Parker C. Folse III, named to the Top 100 Super Lawyers® list for the last four years running, founded the firm’s Seattle office in 1995 after practicing in Houston for more than 10 years. The office has grown to 14 lawyers who handle lawsuits both within the region and nationally. The office’s practice spans a wide spectrum of litigation and includes accounting malpractice, intellectual property, antitrust and contract disputes. “But in everything we do, we are first and foremost trial lawyers,” says Folse. “From day one of every case, we are planning and preparing for trial.”

ACADEMIC ADVANTAGE

Every one of the firm’s Seattle office attorneys excelled at the nation’s top law schools, and all clerked for at least one federal judge before beginning practice. “The talent in this office is exceptional,” says Folse, “and that’s been a significant factor in our success.”

REFERRALS MEASURE SUCCESS

“The majority of our cases come to us as referrals from other attorneys who have conflicts or who know we have the resources and the experience to handle large plaintiff cases under contingent fee agreements,” says Folse. “But corporate clients also seek us out to represent them in defense cases that demand sophisticated, experienced trial lawyers. Even in those cases, we offer alternatives to traditional fee arrangements, such as flat fees and arrangements that tie compensation to results instead of hours.”

Parker Folse was editor-in-chief of the Law Review at the University of Texas School of Law, and served as law clerk to the Honorable Joseph T. Sneed, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, and U.S. Supreme Court Justice William H. Rehnquist. Folse has extensive experience on both sides of the docket in complex commercial litigation. He has held numerous leadership positions in the ABA Antitrust Section and is an officer of the WSBA Antitrust Section’s Executive Committee. Folse has also appeared on the faculty of the Sedona Conference on Patent Litigation.

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