R.L. Florance handles cases in all areas of litigation with an emphasis on complex business, commercial, and construction matters. R.L. also heavily practices in banking, collection, and bankruptcy matters and represents local governmental entities in condemnation, litigation, and general business matters. R.L. further represents individuals, companies, homeowners, and property owners in real estate, construction, oil and gas, personal injury, and commercial disputes. Successful results R.L. has obtained for his clients include:
- Successfully obtained multi-million-dollar settlement in favor of client who held a minority membership interest in breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit.
- Successfully obtained summary judgment in favor of client in dispute over control of a limited partnership holding assets valued in excess of eight figures.
- Successfully obtained award of sanctions in favor of client and denial of relief the opposing party sought after week-long evidentiary hearing in bankruptcy court.
- Successfully obtained multi-million-dollar settlement in favor of industrial client in breach of warranty lawsuit.
- Successfully obtained multi-million-dollar settlement in favor of mineral owner in oil and gas royalty dispute.
- Successfully handled approximately 30 administrative appeals totaling nearly $40 million with opinions in client’s favor on nearly every appeal and awards to the appellants of less than $1 million.
- Successfully collected millions of dollars on behalf of individuals, creditors, and banks.
- Successfully obtained voluntary dismissal of multi-million-dollar claim asserted against client on eve of summary judgment hearing.
- Successfully obtained voluntary dismissal of nearly one-million-dollar preference claim asserted against client.
- Successfully obtained settlement for less than 1% of the original amount demanded on eve of summary judgment hearing in a multi-million-dollar contract and warranty dispute between a molecular diagnostic laboratory and supplier.
- Successfully obtained multi-million-dollar settlement in favor of bank client in breach of contract and tortious interference lawsuit.
- Lead drafter of an amicus curiae brief in the landmark Texas Supreme Court case In re State Farm Lloyds, 520 S.W.3d 595 (Tex. 2017), which provided new guidelines on e-discovery in the State of Texas.
- Successfully obtained affirmance of a trial court’s dismissal of claims asserted by a plaintiff’s former attorney against the settling defendant based on a lack of standing in Raub v. Gate Guard Services, L.P., No. 13–15–00097–CV, 2017 WL 2570042 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi Mar. 30, 2017).
- Successfully obtained Rule 91a dismissal of claims asserted against employer for “cyber-crimes” by a former employee and obtained affirmance of such dismissal in the court of appeals and Texas Supreme Court. Davis v. Motiva Enters., L.L.C., No. 09-14-00434-CV, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 3235 (Tex. App.—Beaumont Apr. 2, 2015) (holding that the federal Communications Decency Act shielded employers from liability for “cyber-crimes” committed by a former employee allegedly using the employer’s servers).
- Successfully obtained summary judgment dismissal of an employment race discrimination case brought against a Fortune 500 company.
- Successfully obtained the affirmance on appeal of a summary judgment dismissal of an employment race and disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit.
- Successfully obtained summary judgment dismissal in favor of oil and gas client in oil and gas royalty dispute.
- Successfully obtained summary judgment dismissal based on the doctrine of ferae naturae in favor of business client in a non-subscriber personal injury case.
- Successfully obtained trial verdict in apartment complex client’s favor on eviction case that had lasted four years before being retained.
- Successfully obtained reversal on ERISA appeal of denial of Long-Term Disability and Group Life Waiver of Premiums benefits.
With a 4.0 GPA, R.L. graduated summa cum laude from Texas A&M University in 2010 with a degree in sports management. While at A&M, he served as a bullpen catcher and student manager for the Texas A&M baseball team, which won three Big 12 championships, and graduated as an American Kinesiology Association National Scholar.
R.L. received his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2013. While in law school, R.L. served as the Notes Editor for the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law and received a Law & Business Certificate. He was a Chancellor’s Law Scholar and inducted into the Order of the Coif for finishing within the top 10% of his class.
R.L. is happily married to his wife, Elisse, and together they have six children on earth, Cecilia, Audrey, Genevieve, Robert, Lucy, and Timothy, and three in heaven, Mary Joseph, Gemma, and Paul.
