Mr. Jenks is a partner with the firm. His practice focuses on product liability litigation across Texas and the country. Before joining WTL, he practiced litigation at the international law firm Vinson & Elkins in Houston, and continued as a partner with the Houston litigation firm Harrison Bettis McFarland.
Much of Mr. Jenks’ career has focused on defending manufacturers in noteworthy product liability cases in both state and federal courts and in national and state multi-district litigation. This work included defending manufacturers involved in high-profile recalls in the pharmaceutical and tire industries. Mr. Jenks was on the trial team that obtained the first defense verdict in Texas or any federal court in an important recalled diet drug case — a win that was recognized on the National Law Journal’s Defense Hot List. Mr. Jenks’ involvement with the recalled tire litigation included a strong international component, with as many as half of those cases involving accidents, witnesses, and documents in Mexico.
Mr. Jenks also has significant experience with litigation in the construction industry, including representation of general contractors and subcontractors in residential and commercial construction projects. These cases involved various construction defect and delay allegations, personal injury claims, or contractual indemnity actions.
His practice has included a broad range of commercial litigation matters, including cases involving claims of breach of contract and warranty, deceptive trade practices, misappropriation of trade secrets, debt collection, contractual and statutory indemnity, and antitrust. Mr. Jenks has also worked on several patent and trademark infringement matters, including obtaining summary judgment and Fifth Circuit affirmance in a trademark infringement matter, a victory which led to the cancellation of a federal trademark registration for a symbol that many would recognize as the Texas star.
Mr. Jenks also has significant briefing experience, including dispositive motions, expert challenges, motions to exclude evidence, personal jurisdiction motions, and the following appeals:
- Theis v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., No. 03-16- 00266-CV, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 10336 (Tex. App.—Austin Nov. 3, 2017) (no pet.) (addressing exclusion of plaintiff’s tire expert’s testimony as unreliable and no evidence).
- In re Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 437 S.W.3d 923 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2014, orig. proceeding) and In re Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., No. 04-16- 00590-CV, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 3676 (Tex. App.—San Antonio April 26, 2017, orig. proceeding) (addressing demands for tire plant inspection).
- Amazing Spaces, Inc. v. Metro Mini Storage, 608 F.3d 225 (5th Cir. 2010) (involving cancellation of a federal trademark registration).
Education
J.D., Duke University School of Law, 1998 cum laude
B.A., Economics, Brigham Young University, 1995 cum laude
Admissions
State Bar of Texas
Pro hac vice admission in several states with sponsorship of local counsel
U.S. Supreme Court; U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas
Honors and Recognition
Named as “Texas Rising Star,” Texas Monthly magazine (2005-2009, 2011)
Named among “Lawyers on the Fast Track,” H Texas magazine (2004)
Presentations and Publications
CLE Co-Presenter, “FRE 803 Hearsay Evidence: Leveraging the Rules and Exceptions to Admit Evidence or Make Sustainable Objections,” Strafford Publications National Webinar, June 20, 2017
Author, A Proposed Pattern Jury Charge for Construction Cases, 11 Construction Law Journal 10 (2013)
CLE Co-Presenter, “Hearsay Rules Under the Federal Rules of Evidence: Leveraging the Rules and Exceptions to Admit Evidence or Make Sustainable Objections,” Strafford Publications National Webinar, September 10, 2013
CLE Presenter, “Multi-Party Litigation Tactics – Proportionate Responsibility,” Texas Bar CLE, Prosecuting and Defending a Trucking or Auto Accident Case, November 5, 2010 (San Antonio)
CLE Presenter and Co-Author, “The Hearsay Rule and Its Exceptions: Understanding and Applying It,” University of Houston CLE, Advanced Evidence and Discovery, July 11, 18, 2008 (Dallas and Houston)
CLE Presenter, “Offering and Excluding Hearsay Evidence Begins with Discovery,” University of Houston CLE, How to Offer and Exclude Evidence, March 6, 13, 2008 (Dallas and Houston)
Affiliations
J. Reuben Clark Law Society
Houston Bar Association