Michael Kalis

Commercial Litigation

• Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. (DPSU) — Trial counsel for DPSU, a wholly owned affiliate of Keurig Dr Pepper, in a dispute pending in Collin County, Texas, against its former distributor, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, L.L.C. Obtained summary judgment on DPSU’s declaratory relief claim, a multimillion dollar attorney fee award, and a complete dismissal of Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling’s counterclaims seeking approximately $1 billion in damages. This win was one of two cases nominated for the 2025 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Business Litigation of the Year by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter and The Texas Lawbook.
• Enable Oklahoma Intrastate Transmission (EOIT) et al. — Trial counsel for various Energy Transfer affiliates, including EOIT, in action brought by Oklahoma Attorney General asserting numerous claims, including antitrust, breach of contract, negligence, and fraud, related to alleged manipulation of natural gas supply and prices during Winter Storm Uri.
• Constellation Energy — Trial counsel for Constellation in lawsuit filed by the City of San Antonio seeking to block Constellation’s $1.75 billion purchase of NRG Energy’s ownership interest in the South Texas Project nuclear plant.
• Ryan Specialty — Trial counsel for Ryan Specialty in action brought by CRC Insurance Services asserting trade secret, tortious interference, and conspiracy claims for which it sought nearly $30 million in damages. Argued and won summary judgment hearing at the conclusion of which the Court dismissed with prejudice all claims against client.
• AMLI/BPMT Towne Square Partnership — Trial counsel for AMLI/BPMT Towne Square Partnership and related entities concerning real estate transaction dispute in which the plaintiff sought in excess of $40 million in damages before the 295th District Court of Harris County, Texas. Successfully defeated several claims prior to trial with dispositive motions, and secured a favorable, unanimous jury verdict on the remaining claim after a two-week trial, along with a unanimous jury verdict awarding the company its reasonable attorney’s fees incurred in litigating the case.
• Confidential Client — Defended private equity portfolio company and CEO in arbitration against former executive suing for, among other things, breach of contract and wrongful termination and seeking in excess of $50 million in damages. Obtained full defense award, after being retained just weeks prior to the final hearing.
• JCPenney — Trial counsel for JCPenney in suit against Sephora. Won temporary restraining order preventing unilateral termination of a decade-long agreement, leading to favorable contract renegotiation for client.

Multidistrict Litigation

• Winter Storm Uri Litigation — Trial counsel for multiple power generators and midstream companies in Texas Multidistrict Litigation involving claims arising from Winter Storm Uri.

Corporate Governance/Securities Litigation

• Equipmentshare.com (EQS) — Trial counsel for EQS and its Board in their dispute in Texas Business Court against a now-former Board member and minority shareholder who, on the eve of the company’s IPO, sought reinstatement to the Board following his removal. Defeated preliminary injunction, after being retained just days before the evidentiary hearing. Shortly after, moved for summary judgment seeking to dismiss the entire case as a matter of law, causing the plaintiff to nonsuit its claims shortly before the hearing.
• Howard Energy Partners — Trial counsel for co-founder and various directors in expedited litigation in Delaware Court of Chancery over control of company. Achieved favorable settlement.
• Former Directors of ProPetro Holding Corp. — Trial counsel for former directors of ProPetro Holding Corp. in shareholder derivative litigation. After filing motion to dismiss, Plaintiffs voluntarily non-suited claims against clients.

Restructuring

• Cineworld Group plc — Litigation counsel for Cineworld Group plc and 104 of its debtor affiliates in their Chapter 11 cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange, Cineworld, the parent company of Regal Entertainment Group, is the second-largest cinema chain in the world, operating over 9,100 screens at nearly 750 cinemas in 10 countries worldwide.

Associate, Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst, LLP

Summer Intern, General Counsel of the Pittsburgh Pirates