Attorneys

SHANNON RANKIN

Shannon Rankin’s practice encompasses all facets of civil litigation. Her primary emphasis includes complex commercial litigation, personal injury defense, and insurance litigation. Over the past twenty years, she has represented clients nationwide, and she has handled numerous appeals.

Representative Experience

  • Represented one of the largest fitness club chains in the United States in matter involving franchise issues, leases, and vicarious theories of liability
  • Co-lead counsel in representation of Fortune 100 Company involving alleged traumatic brain injury
  • Successfully tried seven-figure third-party action involving complex U.C.C. issues and international parties
  • Defended supplier in significant products liability/breach of warranty case involving complex indemnity and insurance issues amongst manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and retailers
  • Extensive motion practice ranging from motions for summary judgment, federal dismissal motions, and Daubert motions
  • Defended one of the largest food processors in wrongful death case involving complicated choice of law issues and premises liability matters
  • Successfully defended transportation carrier regarding significant loss of pharmaceutical cargo with no limitation of liability and obtained complete insurance coverage
  • Handled numerous appeals in both state and federal courts.  Successfully appealed personal injury/ERISA case to the Fifth Circuit and obtained denial of writ of certiorari with United States Supreme Court
  • Handled transportation cases involving tractor-trailers and provided on scene investigations
  • Defended Fortune 100 Company in many non-subscriber, employee injury cases and obtained several summary judgments
  • Represented satellite television provider in nationwide litigation in state and federal courts in a variety of commercial and consumer matters including class actions. Prosecuted and defended numerous injunction cases
  • Handled complex procedural cases such as reversals of default judgments and jurisdictional issues involving foreign defendants
  • Represented seller and distributor of complex gas monitoring systems used in the oil and gas industry against buyer for breach of contract and U.C.C. violations and its parent company, one of the largest drilling contractors in the world
  • Defended Fortune 500 Company in mass tort (polybutylene) docket involving hundreds of plaintiffs

Qualifications

  • State Bar of Texas (admitted 1987)
  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit       
  • United States District Court for the Eastern and Southern/Bankruptcy Courts of Texas
  • Member, DRI The Voice of the Defense Bar

Education

  • South Texas College of Law (J.D., 1987)
  • Stephen F. Austin State University (B.B.A., magna cum laude, 1984)

Honors

  • Order of the Lytae
  • Member, South Texas Law Review
  • Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award for Federal Procedure
  • Beta Gamma Sigma
  • Scholarship Recipient, Federation Insurance Women of Texas

Select Presentations/Publications

  • “Multiplying Defendants – Piercing the Corporate Veil, Partnerships, and Guarantors”
  • “The Exclusive Contract – How Exclusive Can it Get?”
  • “Multidisciplinary Practice – What It Is and What It Might Mean in the Oil Patch”
  • “Avoiding a Media Disaster After the Disaster”