Overview
Individuals and companies – large and small – trust Jarod Stewart to get the details right; be responsive; and out-brief, out-prepare, and out-work the opposition to help them succeed in their legal disputes.
Jarod, who serves as managing partner of the Houston office, has gone toe-to-toe with outstanding lawyers from across the United States and has won significant victories for his clients in court, arbitration, and administrative proceedings. Clients praise his ability to produce outstanding work product quickly and to help them navigate thorny legal issues whenever and wherever he is needed.
He focuses his practice on helping clients in the energy, health care, and automobile industries, providing sound legal advice and resolving disputes, where possible, before they become too expensive or burdensome. Jarod's clients know that they can call him at any time to provide guidance and direction on how to navigate disputes at an early stage or throughout hard-fought litigation. Jarod has served as lead counsel in numerous matters from start to finish, successfully taking cases from the first client phone call all the way through appeal and final judgment.
Jarod speaks fluent Spanish.
- Texas
- US District Court, Western District of Texas
- US District Court, Southern District of Texas
- US District Court, Northern District of Texas
- US District Court, Eastern District of Texas
- US Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- Hon. Lee H. Rosenthal, US District Court, Southern District of Texas, 2008-2009
- Duke University School of Law, 2008, cum laude, Duke Journal of Constitutional Law & Public Policy (Executive Editor), Moot Court Board
- B.A., Brigham Young University, 2004, University Scholar
Representative Matters
Energy Industry
- Obtained declaratory judgment for an oil and gas company declaring it the owner of disputed oil and gas assets located throughout Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, a judgment that was unanimously affirmed on appeal.
- Secured a temporary restraining order for a Top 25 oil and gas producer to stop collection on a prior default judgment related to a well in Brazos County, Texas.
- Defeated energy company's attempt to obtain a temporary injunction that would have prohibited individual clients from working for a competitor.
- Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of a Latin American power generation company in a multimillion-dollar negligence and breach-of-contract suit against a large international equipment transporter.
- Negotiated a favorable settlement for oil field services company in suit against international equipment manufacturer that had sold the company defective equipment.
- Obtained a temporary restraining order and temporary injunction in favor of an oil field equipment manufacturer against its former employees who left to form a competitor.
- Achieved favorable settlement on the eve of trial for a commercial transporter of crude oil in a multimillion-dollar contract suit it filed against a large energy company.
- Negotiated a favorable settlement for an offshore drilling rig broker in a breach-of-contract suit against rig purchasers for nonpayment of broker commission.
Health Care Industry
- Represented hospital system in numerous managed care and commercial disputes.
- Obtained favorable settlement for hospital system in suit against national insurance company for failure to pay for tens of millions of dollars in health care claims.
- Obtained summary judgment for health care clients in a suit filed by a national insurance company seeking $14.5 million in damages based on alleged fraudulent billing.
- On behalf of two physicians being sued by their former colleagues, obtained unanimous ruling from the Texas First Court of Appeals ordering the plaintiffs' claims to be resolved in arbitration.
- On behalf of hospital system sued for medical malpractice and wrongful death, won dismissal of all claims but one and subsequently resolved the case favorably for the client.
- Successfully defended a hospital against claims involving alleged burns from a laser used during surgery.
- Represented hospital system in two breach of contract and fraud cases against national insurance companies, where the hospital system alleged systematic underpayments; obtained favorable settlements in both cases.
Automobile Industry
- Represented several franchised dealers in relocation protest proceedings.
- Represented numerous franchised dealers in disputes with manufacturers concerning termination of the franchise, changes in dealer principal, and facility renovations and upgrades
- Represented franchised dealer in dispute with manufacturer concerning allocation of inventory.
Arbitration
- Represented several health care providers in multiple contract disputes with national insurance companies in American Arbitration Association (AAA) arbitrations.
Environmental
- Obtained summary judgment for oil and gas company in AAA arbitration, with the arbitrator ruling that client did not owe a duty to indemnify another energy company in connection with environmental liabilities in Louisiana.
Labor and Employment
- Defended business owner/executive against claims by former management team seeking additional bonus and an equity position following a nine-figure sale of the business.
- Defended business against claims by former employee seeking additional bonus.
Class Action/MDL
- Represented hospital system in defending against several putative class actions, none of which has been certified as a class.
- Obtained summary judgment for hospital system to defeat putative class action challenging hospital system's emergency room billing and charges.
Trustee-related Actions
- Represented bankruptcy trustee to recover millions of dollars in fraudulent transfers for the benefit of creditors of bankrupt oil and gas company.
Qui Tam
- Defended health care provider against allegations that false claims were submitted in connection with medical equipment used in certain procedures.
Other
- Obtained take-nothing jury verdict on behalf of nonprofit organization sued for alleged fraud.
- Obtained summary judgment, affirmed by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, dismissing federal and state trademark infringement claims brought against client.
News & Publications
Press Releases
Steptoe Opens an Office in Houston, Joining Forces with SKV
Move designed to capitalize on the firm’s extensive energy, transportation, investigations and trial practices
January 16, 2024
Noteworthy
- Super Lawyers, Texas, Business Litigation, General Litigation (2021-2024)
- Super Lawyers, Texas, "Rising Star" (2013, 2016-2020)
- Benchmark Litigation Under 40 Hot List (2016-2019)
- Benchmark "Future Star" (2015-2024)
Professional Affiliations
- Houston Chapter Chair, J. Reuben Clark Law Society
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation