REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

 

  • Plaintiff – Securities Fraud Claim – won, and upheld in the Texas Supreme Court, a $2.4 million judgment involving fraudulent bond funds sold to an investor, after winning in the trial court and in the Dallas Court of Appeals, for violations of the Texas Securities Act (2017).
  • Defendant – Civil – Reversed, in the U.S. Supreme Court,  the trial court and the U. S. 5th Circuit en banc (Pinter v. Dahl, 486 U.S. 622 (1988).  This  civil securities case was Sparks’s first federal trial and first appeal.   Sparks’ argument before the U. S. Supreme Court may be accessed at https://www.oyez.org/cases/1987/86-805
  • Plaintiff  – Civil – in state court – Commercial litigation – represented hi-tech firm in civil corporate raiding case involving claimed breaches of anti-competitive covenants and unfair competition (2012)
  • Plaintiff – Civil – FINRA arbitration – represented registered registered representative obtaining damage award against brokerage firm in FINRA Arbitration and defended motion to vacate in federal district court (2011)
  • Defendants – Civil – in state court and FINRA Arbitration – represented 12 South Carolina Registered Representatives in claims related to their departure from a Texas broker-dealer
  • Plaintiff – Civil – FINRA Arbitration – Appeal of Vacatur in 5th Circuit  – Successful reversal of federal court’s decision to vacate an arbitration award in favor of an investor, resulting in TEXAS LAWYER cover story (2010). (Download article)
  • Plaintiff – Civil – Contract Suit – Contract claim brought by Texas private businessman in Idaho federal court against Fortune 125 company (2007)
  • Defendant – Civil – cell phone technology case – Summary dismissal of $27 million civil damage claim (2006)
  • Defendant – Criminal and Civil – Securities – Represented co-founder of $70 million hedge fund in  state court litigation and S.E.C. investigation, resulting in no indictment (2003-’05)
  • Spouse – Marital Property Dispute – With co-counsel, represented spouse in favorable settlement of divorce action involving $100,000,000 marital estate. (2005)
  • Defendant and Cross-claimant – Federal – Professional Liability – Engineering Design and Defect -San Juan, Puerto Rico –  Defended engineering firm in litigation and settlement of $35 million damage claim involving design of $300 million gravity fed water pipeline. (2004)
  • Defendant – Criminal – Federal – Conspiracy Case –  Obtained federal order expelling 25 witnesses in criminal fraud investigation involving over 100 “target” defendants (2003) (reversed on appeal)
  • Defendant – Professional Liability (Attorney) – Obtained dismissal of multiple ethics complaints brought against a lawyer by two judges and several other attorneys. (2001-02)
  • Plaintiff – Civil – Breach of Fiduciary Duty – Obtained Plaintiff’s verdict of mismanagement of $26 million elk hunting ranch in New Mexico 
  • Defendant – Federal Criminal – Obstruction of Justice – Washington, D.C. – Reduction by U.S. Board of Pardons and Paroles of sentence rendered against former U.S. Under-Secretary of Defense
  • Prosecutor –  Dallas County D.A.’s Office – as a fledgling misdemeanor prosecutor, won 26 DWI jury trials in a row before being promoted to felony court; tried almost 300 jury trials to a verdict, over 200 of which were First Degree Felonies, including Murder, Capital Murder, Aggravated Robbery, Arson,Burglary, Rape, and drug offenses.

Results depend on the facts of each case.