Winstead PC attorney Brad Monk on May 11, 2020 tried and won a personal guaranty case on behalf of a financial services client to the 95th District Court in Dallas, Texas. After trial, the Court signed a judgment in favor of Winstead’s client for more than $1.963 million, which included all amounts sought by the client, including all attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with the litigation and a related bankruptcy proceeding.

Judge Ray Wheless presided over the case from the courtroom, but the lawyers and witnesses were spread across various homes and offices in Dallas and Houston, joining the trial via the Zoom video conferencing platform. Winstead’s trial support team and IT department leveraged the firm’s first class technology resources to move the trial forward even as many parts of the country are still under stay-at-home orders and social distancing regulations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the conclusion of the trial, Judge Wheless announced that he would be entering judgment in favor of the firm’s client and against John Buttles, the former owner and president of Bailey Tool & Manufacturing, Inc. who executed personal guaranties in connection with loans provided by the firm’s financial services client to Bailey Tool. 

Although detailed statistics are not available, the case is believed to be one of the first cases to have been tried in Texas via Zoom. 

About Winstead

Winstead is a national business law firm with more than 300 attorneys who serve as trusted advisors to emerging, mid-market and large companies, both public and private. The Winstead team provides a range of core legal services that are critical to our clients achieving their business goals. Winstead’s business transactions and litigation practices serve key industries including aviation, financial services, healthcare, investment management/private equity, life sciences, real estate and sports business.