Leah B. Nommensen

Leah is an experienced trial lawyer in the Litigation section of the Firm’s Houston office. Leah’s practice includes complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on energy litigation, landlord/tenant litigation, banking litigation, construction litigation, insurance recovery, and business disputes. Leah’s litigation experience includes trial (jury and bench), arbitration, mediation, motion practice (drafting and arguing), amicus briefing, all aspects of discovery (including taking depositions, arguing discovery hearings, and responding to subpoenas), conducting white collar and FCPA investigations, and managing large-scale discovery projects. Leah has represented and advised clients in state and federal court, as well as in alternative dispute resolution settings.

In her most recent bench trial win, the judge praised Leah’s trial skills in his opinion awarding attorneys’ fees, stating: “The Court will specifically note the representation of Leah B. Nommensen, one of the plaintiff’s trial counsel, who did a particularly expert job in this case.”

• Six-month secondment for major international oil and gas company.

Trial Experience

• Successfully prosecuted breach of contract, trespass, and unfair practices dispute on behalf of leading global technology research and advisory firm as second chair in bench trial.
• Trial counsel for largest Texas municipality in action to validate city ordinance adopting increase in water and sewer service rates pursuant to the Texas Expedited Declaratory Judgment Act.
• Successfully defended publicly traded national retailer as second chair in landlord/tenant dispute involving property damaged by casualty in two-week jury trial.

Representative Experience

• Trial and appellate counsel for global social media company in actions alleging statutory and common law liability for content published by user of platform.
• Trial counsel for Texas county in Section 1983 action alleging sexual harassment, sexual battery, violation of equal protection for loss of bodily integrity, and retaliation.
• Lead trial counsel for national bank in fraudulent wire transfer dispute. Lead trial counsel for international chemical supplier and distributer in breach of contract dispute.

• Trial counsel for oilfield services client in lawsuit alleging breach of contract and aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty.
• Trial counsel for national retailer in trademark infringement dispute.
• Trial and appellate counsel for municipal police officers’ union in action to invalidate unconstitutional city charter amendment requiring “parity” between the compensation of fire fighters and police officers, in conflict with state law.
• Advising and litigating numerous COVID-19 business interruption insurance claims.
• Counsel for publicly traded petroleum and natural gas exploration and production company in title dispute.
• Advised and settled insurance coverage lawsuit on behalf of financial institution that incurred significant business interruption losses and extra expense resulting from Hurricane Maria.
• Obtained summary judgment and settled insurance coverage lawsuit on behalf of law firm that incurred significant business interruption losses and extra expense resulting from Hurricane Harvey.
• Trial counsel for a hospital in a dispute regarding breach of contract, products liability, and DTPA claims arising out of the construction of a hospital facility.
• Coverage counsel for manufacturer in products liability disputes.
• Trial counsel for property owner in materialman’s lien dispute.
• Trial counsel for the board of directors in a shareholders litigation dispute.
• Trial counsel for an oil and gas investment firm in arbitration concerning breach of a joint operating agreement.
• Negotiated settlement in DTPA dispute.
• Represented property and casualty insurer in multiple coverage disputes under commercial general liability policies with insureds and related disputes with co-insurers over allocation, contribution and subrogation.

• Houston Young Lawyers Association
  • Board of Directors (2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020)
• Houston Young Lawyers Foundation
  
  • Board of Trustees
• Garland R. Walker Inn of Court
• University of Houston Law Center Young Alumni Committee Member
• Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program
• Crime Stoppers of Houston Young Professional Group
  • Board of Directors (2019-2020