Attorneys

Robert S. "Bob" Bennett - Resume

EDUCATION

J.D., 1974, University of Houston Law Center, Houston, Texas.
Order of Barristers, Moot Court Team

M.A., 1975, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Honors Program

B.A., 1971, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Dean's List

CERTIFIED LEGAL SPECIALTY

Board Certified in Consumer and Commercial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1995

EMPLOYMENT

1980 to Present Private Practice – Houston

1979 to 1980 General Counsel
COCA-COLA BOTTLING COMPANY, Guatemala

1976 to 1979 Assistant United States Attorney
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Western District of Texas

1974 to 1975 Trial Attorney
INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION

RECENT JURY VERDICTS:

$30,000,000, February 28, 1997, Honda ATV death case, Hipolito Ramos Sanchez, et al. v. Honda Motor Co., Ltd., et al.; 197th District Court, Cameron County, Texas, Plaintiffs' Attorney: Robert S. Bennett and Robert C. Hilliard; Defendants' Attorney: Richard T. McCarroll.

$10,400,000, May 1995, Honda ATV paraplegic case, Arcenio Barrera, et al v. Honda R&D Co., Ltd., et al.; 332nd District Court, Hidalgo County, Texas, Plaintiffs' Attorney: Robert S. Bennett; Defendants' Attorney: Richard T. McCarroll.

$3,600,000, August 3, 1991, Patient abuse - drug treatment center, Richard Anthony Wasson, et al v. Westbranch Residential Treatment Center, et al, 133rd District Court, Harris County, Texas, Plaintiffs' Attorney: Robert S. Bennett; Defendants' Attorney: Keith Weir, Hudgins, Hudgins & Warrick.

RECENT SETTLEMENTS:

$3,200,000.00 September 2001, Jacob Rohrer v. Yamaha, et. al. Four wheeler ATV products liability case, steering column snapped rendering client paraplegic, Mayfield, Graves Co. Kentucky; Plaintiff's Attorneys: Robert S. Bennett, Robert Sanders, and Jeff Roberts; Defendants' Attorneys Lynn West and Bob Littleton Case settled one week before trial.

Confidential Settlement November 6, 2000, Issac Black et. al v Kawasaki Motor Co. et al; Kawasaki three wheeler products liability case. Valencia Co., New Mexico. The settlement is one of the largest settlements or verdicts obtained in the State of New Mexico in 2000 and surpasses the largest verdict in the history of Valencia County, New Mexico. Plaintiff's Attorneys: Robert S. Bennett, Michael C. Rosenberg, and Robert Sanders.

$600,000.00 October 2000, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Wendell, Individually and as Natural Parents of and on Behalf of the Estate of Leann Denise Wendell v. Yamaha Motor Co. Inc. United States District Court for the Southern Dist. Of Texas, Yamaha three wheeler wrongful death case. Victoria, Texas. Plaintiffs' Attorney Robert S. Bennett and Rudolfo Davila Defense Counsel: Bob Littleton and Jeff Hawkins.

Confidential Settlement, November 1997, Lilia Garcia Sharp, et al. v. Honda Motor Company, Ltd., et al.; Honda three-wheeler Products Liability Rio Grande City, Texas Death Case, Plaintiff's Attorneys: Robert S. Bennett, Fritz Barnett, Rene P. Montalvo; Defendants' Attorneys: Richard T. McCarroll.

Confidential Settlement, November 1997, Craig and Nancy Smalley v. Honda, et al.; Honda three-wheeler Products Liability Death Case in Niagara Falls, New York, Plaintiff's Attorneys: Robert S. Bennett, Philip S. Gellman, Timothy J. Toohey; Defendants' Attorneys: Harold Schwab, Benjamin Hewitt. Defendants place in trust $500,000.00 to be used for attorneys fees and expenses.

$950,000, March 1997, Catalina Garcia, et al. v. Houston Northwest Medical Center, Inc.; Race Discrimination Class Action, Plaintiff's Attorney: Robert S. Bennett; Defendant's Attorney: Randall Speck.

$31,750,000, November 1996, Johnny B. Tucker d/b/a H&M Grocery, et al., v. Mrs. Baird's Bakeries, Inc., et al., Price-Fixing/Antitrust Class Action, Plaintiffs' Attorneys: Robert S. Bennett, Richard A. Schwartz, Jeffrey W. Chambers, Barry C. Barnett; Defendants' Attorneys: Estil A. Vance, Jr., Roxanne E. Henry, Robert A. Sparks, Kent E. Mast.

$1,375,000, May 1996, Michael Pullman v. Honda Motor Co., Ltd., et al.; Products Liability Case, Plaintiffs' Attorneys: Don Keenan, Atlanta Georgia, Robert S. Bennett, Defendants' Attorney: Richard A. Brown, Jr.

$3,000,000, August 1996, Circle Plumbing Company, et al. v. Ferguson Enterprises, Inc., et al.; Price-Fixing/Antitrust Class Action, Plaintiffs' Attorneys: Robert S. Bennett, John H. Bannerman, Kenneth Marks, William T. Green III, William Boyd; Defendants' Attorneys: John Price, Stanley Binion, John Roady, Richard Sylvester.

Confidential Settlement, August 1993, Multi-party litigation involving exposure to formaldehyde in mobile homes. Mr. Bennett was able to achieve proper compensation for numerous mobile home owners. During the handling of these numerous formaldehyde cases, Mr. Bennett was able to discover an industry-wide conspiracy and documented a cover-up of the dangers of formaldehyde. Mr. Bennett's actions, and those of other consumer trial attorneys, led to a warning being placed on mobile home sales documents and changes in the manufacturing and use of formaldehyde in the wood industry. See Toxic Deception, Dan Fagin, Marianne Lavalle, and the Center for Public Integrity. (Carol Publishing Group, 1996) pp. 153-155.

HONORS AND AWARDS:

1995 Law Auction Award for Support of the
University of Houston Law Alumni Association

1995 Award from Justice for Children for outstanding leadership
and support to victims of child abuse

1992-93 President, University of Houston Law Alumni Association

1991 Pacesetter Award for KUHF Public Radio for
outstanding corporate support of public radio broadcasting

PUBLISHED WORKS:

1. "Mandatory Arbitration Hits Home", Texas Lawyer, June 3, 2002.

2. "BOLE Doesn't Appreciate Hast Or A Bad Memory", Texas Lawyer, May 13, 2002.

3. "A Debate Over How Lawyers Have To Operate", Texas Lawyer, July 24, 2000.

4. "Just What is Barratry, Anyway", Texas Lawyer, January 19, 1999

5. "DA, Bar Counsel Spar Over Dropped Barratry Charters:,
Texas Lawyer, September 7, 1998.

6. "Is the Fox Guarding the Chicken Coop - SBOT Special Assistant
Disciplinary Program," Texas Lawyer, July 1996

7. "The Small Law Firm and Strategic Alliances," Houston Lawyer, January, 1996

8. "The Definitive Employment Law Questionnaire," Firm Publication, 1996

9. "Commentary and Trial Highlights of a Landmark Case:
Arcenio Barrera, et al. v. Honda R&D Co., et al., #C-3212-92-F,"
Texas Law Reporter, Volume 1, Issue 3, July 1995, Houston Edition

10. Spotlight, Daily Court Reporter, Vol. 106 No. 35, June 19, 1995

11. "Formaldehyde Cover-Up Led to Record Settlement," Indoor Pollution Law Report,
Volume 4, Number 11, April 1991

12. Federal Criminal Law, Docket Call, (Contributing Editor), 1989 - 1990

13. "Criminal Corporate Liability and What the Texas Attorney Should Know,"
Texas Trial Lawyers Forum, Volume 22, Number 4, 1988

14. "Corporate Criminal Liability," Firm Publication, 1987

15. "Expunction" The Subpoena, San Antonio Bar Association Magazine, May, 1985

16. "Expunction: How Your Client Can Say He Wasn't Arrested - When He Was,"
22 Houston Lawyer 2, October 1984

17. "Mobile Home Syndrome in Texas," Texas Trial Lawyers
Forum, Fall, 1982

18. "Tapes and Transcripts in Federal Court," Texas Bar
Journal, April, 1979

SEMINARS AND PRESENTATIONS:

Past teaching experience includes the following:

"Taking and Defending Effective Depositions", September 25, 2002, Houston, Texas.

"Professional Responsibility: Understanding the Grievance Process (and how to avoid it) University of Houston Law Foundation. Advance Business Litigation Seminar, August 15 - 16, 2002. Houston, Texas

"Trial Demonstration: Direct and Cross of Legal Malpractice Expert", Advanced Expert Witness Course II, February 6, 2002.

"Professional Responsibility: Understanding the Grievance Process (and how to avoid it) University of Houston Law Foundation. Advance Business Litigation Seminar, August 13 - 14, 2001. Houston, Texas

"Professional Responsibility: Understanding the Grievance Process (and how to avoid it) University of Houston Law Foundation. Advance Business Litigation Seminar, August, 2000. Houston, Texas

"Law for Social Workers, Counselors, and other Helping Professionals in Texas." Lorman Educational Services. July 9, 1999. Houston, Texas

"One Million ATV Injuries Later...Will the End of the Consent Decree Bring More Consumer Litigation?" Presented by Professional Education Systems Inc. and Attorneys Information Exchange Group - December 2 and 4, 1998

"The Faces of the Future Seminar" - "How To Be a Better Lawyer For Children" presented by the Keenan Kids Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia. May 13, 14, 1998. Topic: "Recreational Vehicles - Sports Equipment Injuries to Children"

"Professional Responsibility" presentation. University of Houston Law Foundation, Advanced Business Litigation Course. October 2-3, 1997. Houston, Texas.

"Trying an Auto/ ATV Products Liability Case" Hot Tips for Hot Times. Texas Trial Lawyers Association Seminar. August 1-2, 1997 Radisson Resort, South Padre Island, Texas

Attorneys Information Exchange Group – Spring Seminar '97, May 8, 9 & 10, 1997, Atlanta, Georgia. Presentation on Current Product Liability Issues

1997 Consumer Product Safety Commission – Chairman's Forum on ATV Consent Decree, May 6, 1997, Bethesda, Maryland. Presentation on the Continuing Problems with ATVs.

The "Grief-Ance" System and What You Should Know San Antonio Bar Association – 34th Annual Criminal Law Institute April 4-5, 1997, San Antonio, Texas

Demonstrative Evidence Presentations, 1994-1995
Fort Bend Bar Association
Houston Bar Association
Houston Northwest Bar Association
Houston Trial Lawyers Association
Mexican American Bar Association of Houston (MABAH)
North Harris County Bar Association

Host, Justice in Texas Public Television Series, 1993-1995, Houston, Texas

Law and Media Presentation Houston Bar Association, Trial Practice and Procedure Institute, 1993, Houston, Texas

Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Presentation Houston Bar Association, Trial Practice and Procedure Institute, 1993, Houston, Texas

Recent Developments in Evidence, San Antonio Criminal Law Institute, 1978, San Antonio, Texas

Federal Evidence Law, State Bar of Texas Advanced Criminal Law Course, August 1977, Dallas, Texas

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Mr. Bennett, having played high school football, college club rugby, and adult ice hockey, now swims with the Houston H2O Masters Club at Lamar High School in Houston and is a Masters Swim Team participant. He holds various records in his age groups and especially excels when no one else enters his bracket! He formerly served as little league baseball coach for the West University League and as a youth ice hockey coach and currently holds a USA Hockey Intermediate Coaching Certificate. In his spare time Mr. Bennett can be found at KTRH as a Legal Radio Commentator. He and his family are members of the First Presbyterian Church of Houston, Texas.