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Texas Commercial Litigation, Media, and Appellate AttorneyJoel White focuses his practice on media law, commercial litigation, and appeals. Joel R White
Joel White has extensive trial, appellate and administrative experience representing news organizations, energy companies, financial institutions, broker-dealers and associated persons, insurance interests, and both publicly and closely held corporations. He has extensive experience in complex litigation, freedom of the press issues, libel, slander, and other matters of media law, wrongful termination and employment discrimination claims, complex commercial torts, habeas corpus and mandamus relief, access to courts and government documents and intellectual property matters. In addition to his litigation work he frequently serves as a consultant, on matters in his areas of specialization, to corporations, media companies, and other law firms and attorneys. He is a frequent speaker on libel, privacy and first amendment issues, serving as a member of the Media Law Resource Center and President of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. Mr. White is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He received his B.A. with highest honors and is a 1987 honors graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, where he served on the Texas Law Review. He is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and a Texas Monthly "Super Lawyer." Representative Cases Hearst Corp. v. Skeen,159 S.W.3d 633 (Tex. 2005). An elected district attorney and two prosecutors could not prove actual malice with evidence that they had refuted the defamatory allegations in letters to the newspaper before publication. Associated Press v. Cook, 17 S.W.3d 447 (Tex. App. - Houston [1st Dist.] 2000, no pet.). The Chief of the Texas Rangers law enforcement agency could not recover for libel when he was accused of “taking the Fifth” in a perjury investigation and being a “blight on law enforcement.” Houston Chronicle Pub. Co. v. Edwards, 956 S.W.2d 813 (Tex. App. – Beaumont 1997, orig. proceeding). Granted a writ of mandamus against a trial judge for sealing search warrant affidavits in a homicide case. Houston Chronicle v. Woods, 949 S.W.2d 492 (Tex. App.—Beaumont 1997, orig. proceeding). Mandamus granted against trial judge for refusing to grant access to search warrant affidavits. Houston Chronicle v. Crapitto, 907 S.W.2d 99 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1995, orig. proceeding). Mandamus granted to force trial judge to open jury selection to the public in a highly publicized criminal case. Barbouti v. Hearst Corp., 927 S.W.2d 37 (Tex. App. - Houston [1st Dist.] 1996, writ denied)(en banc). An article alleging that the plaintiff had been investigated by the Defense Intelligence Agency for exporting dual purpose technology to the Middle East was held to be substantially true, when in fact he had been investigated by a grand jury and had lost a civil trial. Lenhart v. Thomas, 944 F. Supp. 525 (S.D. Tex. 1996). Habeas corpus granted for a journalist who refused to disclose confidential sources, overturning her contempt sentence. Tackett v. KRIV-TV, 22 Med. L. Rptr. 2092 (S.D. Tex. 1994). Eliminated intentional infliction of emotional distress as a potential claim in defamation actions. Representative Clients
Some of his more significant commercial cases have included the successful defense of an $11,000,000 claim for change orders in building an offshore drilling rig and the recovery of a $5.7 million claim for the City of San Jose for their investment in a defectively built apartment complex. The City of San Jose received $5.25 million after payment of attorneys fees and expenses. He has successfully handled numerous multi-million dollar offshore construction claims for clients from Great Britain to Mexico. Serving clients across the state of Texas. Joel White & Associates Joel R. White is responsible for the content of this site. |  |
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