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Practice Area
Winston’s Environmental Practice brings decades of experience to our clients. Chaired by Eleni Kouimelis, former assistant regional counsel with USEPA Region 5, our Environmental Practice provides comprehensive services to clients around the globe.
Practice Area
Environmental Litigation & Enforcement
With today’s rapidly evolving rules of engagement, paired with the often contentious nature of environmental disputes, clients rely on Winston for our practical experience and substantive knowledge of the broad-ranging issues involved in environmental litigation, enforcement, and investigations.
Industry
Experience 1 result
Experience
|August 24, 2023
After a week-long trial that featured damaging admissions and changed stories from opposing party Halliburton’s fact and expert witnesses, a Waco jury took less than three hours to clear client U.S. Well Services of competitor Halliburton’s claims that it infringed certain patents involving use of hydraulic fracturing software as well as methods related to the operation and powering of U.S. Well Services’ fracturing sites, rejecting Halliburton’s position that U.S. Well Services’ commercial success arose from Halliburton technology. The jury also went a step further to invalidate two of the three asserted patents. During his opening statement, Tom Melsheimer told the jury Halliburton was not going to deliver on its burden of proof. Winston’s trial team then established, largely from Halliburton’s expert testimony, that Halliburton had no evidence to prove performance of the steps of the asserted method claims. With this testimony firmly established, Tom threw down the gauntlet in closing argument with the catchphrase, “Where’s the beef?” And the jury agreed. What’s more, the Winston team debunked Halliburton’s willful infringement allegations so effectively the judge granted judgment as a matter of law of no willful infringement in the middle of trial, so the jury never had to reach that issue. The consistent messaging of Halliburton’s failure to bring evidence to make good on its burden of proof, spanning from jury selection to closing argument, put the team in the position to win this first of three patent infringement cases with Halliburton and soundly reject Halliburton’s narrative that Halliburton, not U.S. Well Services, was the market innovator in electric fracking.
Insights & News 31 results
Recognitions
|September 1, 2023
|1 Min Read
Winston Team Led by Tom Melsheimer Highlighted in Litigator of the Week Column
A Winston & Strawn team led by Dallas Office Managing Partner Tom Melsheimer was featured in the Litigator of the Week column by The Am Law Litigation Daily on September 1, 2023.
In the Media
|August 28, 2023
|1 Min Read
Tom Melsheimer Discusses Win for U.S. Well Services in Patent Lawsuit
A Winston & Strawn team led by Tom Melsheimer secured a win on behalf of ProFrac’s U.S. Well Services in a patent lawsuit alleging that the company infringed three hydraulic fracturing patents owned by rival oilfield services company Halliburton Energy Services Inc.
WacoWatch
|June 1, 2022
|1 Min Read
Judge Albright Invalidates Claims for Indefiniteness
On May 24, 2022, in U.S. Well Servs., Inc., et al. v. Halliburton Co., et al., Judge Albright granted Defendants’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment of Invalidity for claims that include a term construed as indefinite by the Court.
Other Results 2 results
Location
Winston & Strawn’s Washington, D.C. office—the first outside of Chicago—opened its doors in 1970. The office is home to 75+ lawyers, many of whom are nationally recognized and award-winning, with experience navigating clients through regulatory and enforcement issues as well as complicated governmental processes. Located in the center of the nation’s capital, the D.C. office assists clients at the intersection of business, government, and law. We represent 75+ Fortune 500 companies and employ eight lawyers with prior government experience. The office also boasts a nationally ranked eDiscovery group known for providing a full-service practice.
Location
Founded in 1853, Winston & Strawn is one of the largest and oldest law firms in Chicago. The office is home to 290+ lawyers distributed across 20 practice areas. Our Chicago lawyers represent 90 companies in the Fortune 500 and are recognized in all the major directories and award competitions. They also are heavily invested in pro bono causes, having dedicated 19,000+ hours in 2024 to various pro bono organizations. Representing a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, they are hardworking, compassionate, and collaborative. Our Chicago office also takes immense pride in fostering a collegial atmosphere that influences every aspect of our culture. From weekly Starbucks Socials, where colleagues gather to connect over coffee and conversation, to ping pong tournaments that ignite friendly competition, to volunteer opportunities around the city, we celebrate the camaraderie and sense of community that unite us. This not only enhances collaboration and teamwork but creates a supportive environment that inspires us to excel in our professional pursuits.