James H. Stilwell
Top rated Estate & Trust Litigation attorney in Conroe, Texas
Practice Areas:
Estate & Trust Litigation,
Business Litigation,
Estate Planning & Probate,
Trusts,
Wills
Education Qualification:
The University of Texas School of Law
Practice Areas:
Estate & trust litigation,
Business litigation,
Estate planning & probate,
Trusts,
Wills
128 Vision Park Blvd, Suite 140Conroe, Texas, 77384
First Admitted: 1995, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://woodlandstxlawfirm.com/attorneys/attorney-bio-james-...
Verdicts / Settlements:
- 33 Appellate Opinions (Beaumont, Houston 1st & 14th, Amarillo, Waco, and Texas Supreme Court cases)
- Parks v. Landfill Market Consultants, Inc., 2004 WL 1351545 (Tex.App.—Houston [1st Dist.] June 17, 2004)
- Paul v. Merrill Lynch Trust Co. of Texas, 183 S.W.3d 805 (Tex.App. — Waco, December 14, 2005)
- Lee v. Hersey, 223 S.W.3d 439, (Tex.App. — Amarillo, March 24, 2006)
- In re Estate of Hersey, 223 S.W.3d 457, (Tex.App. — Amarillo, April 25, 2006)
- Balakrishna v. Narayan, 14-07-00914-CV (Houston [14th] Court of Appeals, filed 10/24/2007)
- In re The Methodist Hospital; 09-08-00273-CV (Beaumont, filed 6/16/2008)
- Bryer v. The Woodlands Land Development Co., L.P., 090910 TXCA, 09-09-00326-CV (Tex.App. — Beaumont, September 9, 2010)
- McDuffee v. Miller, 102810 TXCA9, 09-10-00293-CV (Tex.App. — Beaumont, October 28, 2010)
- Smalley v. Smalley, 022411 TXCA9, 09-11-00023-CV (Tex.App. — Beaumont, February 24, 2011)
- Smalley v. Smalley, 042612 TXCA9, 09-11-00023-CV (Tex.App. — Beaumont, April 26, 2012)
- Harris County Fresh Water Supply District No. 61 v. FWO Development, Ltd., 012913 TXCA14, 14-12-00496-CV (Tex.App. — Houston [14th Dist.] January 29, 2013)(Writ denied, Texas Supreme Court, 2014)
- LaChina v. The Woodlands Operating Company, LP, et al, TX CA 14, 14-12-00066-CV (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] August 8, 2013)
- Vidrine v. The Woodlands Land Development Company, LP; 09-12-00378-CV (Beaumont, filed 12/2/2013)
- Kemp v. Neyman; 09-15-00178-CV (Beaumont, filed 5/12/2015)
- Kohlhausen v. Baxendale; 01-15-00901-CV (Houston [1st] Court of Appeals, filed 10/23/15)
- Benders Landing Estates HOA v. LGI Land LLC; 09-16-00183-CV (Beaumont, filed 5/25/16)
- Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, et al v. City of Conroe, Texas et al; 09-16-00201-CV;__S.W.3d__(Tex.App.-Beaumont, 2/2/17)
- Ng v. Morgan; 09-17-00402-CV (Beaumont, filed 10/23/17)
- In the Estate of Farmer, 09-18-00314-CV (Beaumont, filed 8/21/18)
- Eaker v. Mangiameli, et al; 09-19-00036-CV (Beaumont, filed 2/11/19)
- Wisch Leasing Group v. The Woodlands Land Development Company, LP; 09-19-00050-CV (Beaumont, filed 2/21/19); and 09-18-00461-CV (Beaumont, filed 12/11/18)
Representative Clients:
- The Howard Hughes Corporation and predecessor developers of The Woodlands, Texas
- Texas Children's Hospital
Pro bono / Community Service:
- 2013-2014: Vice Chairman, Leadership Montgomery County, Inc. 2015-2016: Chairman, Leadership Montgomery County
- 2023: District Leadership Team and Trustee, Central North District of the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
- 2019-2023: Director, The Woodlands Arts Council, Inc. 2021-2023: President, The Woodlands Arts Council, Inc. 2020-2023: President and Director, The Woodlands Arts Volunteers, Inc.
- 2017-2019: Founder, The Woodlands Charities, Inc.
- 2012-2013: Chairman, The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce
- 2009-2018: Director, Leadership Montgomery County, Inc.
- 2009-2013: Leadership Mentor, Annual LMC Classes
- 2008-2013: Wills for Heroes program of WBA; Lead Drafting Attorney
- 2006-2016: Director, The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce
- 2008-2011: Trustee, Board of Trustees, Wildwood United Methodist Church
- 2007-2012: Vice President, The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce
- 2010-2011: Two Terms as Chairman, Board of Trustees, Wildwood United Methodist Church
Honors:
- 2008-present, AV Rated (Highest Ethical and Professional Rating)), Martindale-Hubbell
- Articles Editor, The Review of Litigation
- Constitutional Law Precept
- Director, Vice President; then President Woodlands Arts Council, The Woodlands Arts Council, Inc.
- Chairman, Leadership Montgomery County, Inc., LMCTX.org
- Recipient of the 2011 Volunteer of the Year Award, Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce
- Martin & Stilwell LLP was named the 2012 Small Business of the Year for Lone Star Montgomery College, by the Lone Star College System Small Business Development Center
- 2012-2013 - Received for Estate & Trust Litigation, and Commercial Litigation, Texas Top Lawyers
- Recipient of the 2005 Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman's Award
Educational Background:
- Baylor University, B.A. Double Degree - Economics and Political Science, Honors: Top Political Science Graduate, 1992; Baylor Honor Council Presidential Scholarship; 1988 National Youth of the Year; Lyndon Baines Johnson Intern to Congressman Bill Archer, 1988-1992
- J.D. University of Texas, School of Law, 1992-1995
Scholarly Lectures / Writings:
- "The Chicken or the Egg - Insurance and Indemnification Clauses in the Same Contract." Corporate Counsel publication (2007).
- “Opening Statements for the 21st Century,” The Jury Trial 2007 CLE, Houston & Dallas (August 2007).
- “Creditor Exempt Assets: When You Can’t Take it With You, and the Creditors Can’t Take it Either,” Wills & Probate Institute, South Texas College of Law CLE (2007).
- “What Every Lawyer Should Know about Wills and Powers of Attorney” – Presentation to Woodlands Bar Association (July 2009, 2010 and 2011).
- Opening Statements: This is not your Father’s Oldsmobile; Oral Advocacy CLE - Lone Star Corporate College (September 2010).
- Pursuing Attorneys’ Fees (Presentation for “Lawyers Who Stare at Goats” CLE Sponsored by WBA and M.C. 9th District Court – 2010).
- Rainmaking Panel (Presentation for Woodlands Bar Association, Small Firm Section 2012).
- Business Planning for Uncertain Times: Dealing with the Killer D’s – Death, Disability, Divorce, Departure and Downturn. Presented to Woodlands Chamber of Commerce, seminar series (July 2013, August, 2009).
- OMG not LOL: Employer Liability for Employee’s Who Text/Talk While Driving; Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce, Annual Employment Law Update (October 2013, October 2010).
- Business Owner Overview of the Texas Open Carry Law (Presentations to Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce – 2016; and M.C.B.A. – Law Day 2016).
- FOF & COL, not BFF LOL (Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law presentation for M.C. CCL#2 Brown Bag CLE – 2016).
- What Happens When I’m Gone? (Presentations at multiple venues in 2011-2018)
- Coordinating Client Assets (presentation at Financial Advisors Compliance meeting, Montgomery County, 2019).
- “Straddling the Wire: Electromagnetic Fields and Personal Injury Suits,” 14 Rev. Litig. 545 (1995).
- “Walking the High Wire: Practical Possibilities for Regulatory Responses to the Electromagnetic Field Quandary,” 15 Rev. Litig. 141 (1996).
- “Texas Premises Liability Jury Definitions, Instructions, and Questions for Criminal Actor Cases – A Pattern to Ease the Madness?,” 17 Rev. Litig. 259 (1998).
- “When Actions Speak Louder Than Words: The Case for a Quasi-Estoppel Exception to the Statute of Frauds.” 22 Rev. Litig. 69 (2003).
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