Professionals

LeElle B. Slifer

Partner

Co-Chair, General Litigation Practice

Overview
Experience
Credentials
Insights & News

LeElle is an experienced trial lawyer who serves as co-chair of Winston’s General Litigation Practice. Her clients describe her as a litigator who “provides time-critical business and strategic counsel that can make all the difference in high-stakes litigation.” With significant experience in a wide range of disputes—including complex commercial, breach of contract, oil and gas, breach of fiduciary duty, antitrust, patent and copyright infringement, non-competes, theft of trade secrets, class actions, and even the seizure of cargo barges and private jets—LeElle can efficiently and strategically tackle any issue. LeElle understands that getting the best result for her clients means more than just the legal outcome, it means keeping the client’s business goals in mind every step of the way.

Key Matters

Some of the experience represented below may have been handled at a previous firm.

LeElle’s representative experience includes:

Kosmos Energy Sao Tome and Principe v. ERHC Energy (BVI) Limited (International Chamber of Commerce (London); Harris County District Court, Texas 157^thJudicial District) – Represented Kosmos in a dispute over rights to conduct oil and gas exploration in the Exclusive Economic Zone off the coast of São Tomé and Príncipe. Oversaw dual-track litigation in the ICC and Harris County. Secured preliminary injunctions in both jurisdictions, summary judgment on liability in Harris County, and a complete victory at the ICC, including attorneys’ fees.
Torreya Partners LLC v. [Confidential] (American Arbitration Association) – Represented a pharmaceutical marketing firm in a dispute with a pharmaceutical manufacturing company over fees owed under a marketing agreement. After taking over for prior counsel within six months of arbitration, finalized a settlement two days before trial that far exceeded the client’s desired result.
Pizza Hut Inc. v. Accenture LLP (S.D.N.Y.) – Represented Pizza Hut in a breach of contract action against Accenture for failure to provide a software product. Filed suit immediately after pre-suit mediations ended at an impasse. The very next day, Accenture acceded to settlement demands and the parties executed a final agreement within four months. Obtained a settlement of the entire dispute with nothing more than filing a complaint.
DDR Holdings, LLC v. Hotels.com, L.P., et al. (E.D.T.X.) – Represented inventors and patent holders in a patent infringement suit against seven defendants involving third-party website design features. After a jury trial, won verdicts of infringement against the only two defendants who had not settled. Successfully defended the verdict on appeal to the Federal Circuit on a § 101 challenge—the first case to do so after the Supreme Court issued Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank Int’l.
Stonebriar Commercial Finance v. Zetta Jet et al. (Collin County District Court, Texas 380^thJudicial District) – Won complete judgements (including award of attorneys’ fees) against defendants and then pursued enforcement actions in five different states including managing several related actions in Colorado state court and bankruptcy court. Negotiated the exchange of a private aircraft as part of the settlement agreement.
Stonebriar Commercial Finance v. Griffin Barges (S.D.T.X. and E.D.L.A.) – Seized four multimillion-dollar cargo barges (two in the Houston Ship Channel, two docked in New Orleans) used as collateral to secure a loan. Facilitated the subsequent sale of the barges, the proceeds of which fully covered the entire outstanding debt, and all attorneys’ fees.
Black Stone Minerals v. Chesapeake, PXP Louisiana, et al. (DeSoto Parish, Louisiana 42^ndJudicial District) – Sued Chesapeake and PXP Louisiana (now Freeport-McMoRan) for underpaying royalties on minerals produced in the Haynesville Shale. Reached a favorable settlement with PXP within months of filing suit and with Chesapeake days before trial.
Black Stone Minerals v. Chesapeake, Total E&P, et al. (part of MDL in Tarrant County District Court, Texas 348^thJudicial District) – Sued Chesapeake and Total for underpaying royalties on minerals produced in the Barnett Shale as part of the leadership in multidistrict litigation in Texas involving similar claims made by other royalty owners. Briefed, argued, and defeated multiple case-specific and MDL-wide summary judgment motions which resulted in settlements with all defendants.
Dilworth v. Chesapeake (McMullen County District Court, Texas 343^rdJudicial District) – Sued Chesapeake for underpaying royalties on minerals produced in the Eagle Ford Shale. Secured favorable settlement for the Dilworth family.
Bell Textron Inc. v. Scott Drennan and Hyundai Motor America (Tarrant County District Court, Texas 96^thJudicial District) – Part of a team that obtained a swift settlement on behalf of Drennan, Hyundai, and all potential defendants in connection with allegations of theft of trade secrets and violations of a non-compete agreement.
Griffith v. Waters (Dallas County District Court, Texas 134^thJudicial District) – After parachuting in as trial counsel on the day of trial, obtained verdict for client through post-judgment briefing and oral argument in a real estate dispute valued over US$1M.

Capabilities

Litigation/Trials

Commercial Litigation & Disputes

Antitrust/Competition

Intellectual Property

Patent Litigation

Trade Secrets, Non Competes & Restrictive Covenants

Trademark Litigation, Prosecution & Brand Protection

Advertising Litigation

Appellate & Critical Motions

Class Actions & Group Litigation

International Arbitration

Product Liability & Mass Torts

Securities, M&A & Corporate Governance Litigation

Financial Services

Technology, Media & Telecommunications

Oil & Gas

Key Matters

Some of the experience represented below may have been handled at a previous firm.

LeElle’s representative experience includes:

Kosmos Energy Sao Tome and Principe v. ERHC Energy (BVI) Limited (International Chamber of Commerce (London); Harris County District Court, Texas 157^thJudicial District) – Represented Kosmos in a dispute over rights to conduct oil and gas exploration in the Exclusive Economic Zone off the coast of São Tomé and Príncipe. Oversaw dual-track litigation in the ICC and Harris County. Secured preliminary injunctions in both jurisdictions, summary judgment on liability in Harris County, and a complete victory at the ICC, including attorneys’ fees.
Torreya Partners LLC v. [Confidential] (American Arbitration Association) – Represented a pharmaceutical marketing firm in a dispute with a pharmaceutical manufacturing company over fees owed under a marketing agreement. After taking over for prior counsel within six months of arbitration, finalized a settlement two days before trial that far exceeded the client’s desired result.
Pizza Hut Inc. v. Accenture LLP (S.D.N.Y.) – Represented Pizza Hut in a breach of contract action against Accenture for failure to provide a software product. Filed suit immediately after pre-suit mediations ended at an impasse. The very next day, Accenture acceded to settlement demands and the parties executed a final agreement within four months. Obtained a settlement of the entire dispute with nothing more than filing a complaint.
DDR Holdings, LLC v. Hotels.com, L.P., et al. (E.D.T.X.) – Represented inventors and patent holders in a patent infringement suit against seven defendants involving third-party website design features. After a jury trial, won verdicts of infringement against the only two defendants who had not settled. Successfully defended the verdict on appeal to the Federal Circuit on a § 101 challenge—the first case to do so after the Supreme Court issued Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank Int’l.
Stonebriar Commercial Finance v. Zetta Jet et al. (Collin County District Court, Texas 380^thJudicial District) – Won complete judgements (including award of attorneys’ fees) against defendants and then pursued enforcement actions in five different states including managing several related actions in Colorado state court and bankruptcy court. Negotiated the exchange of a private aircraft as part of the settlement agreement.
Stonebriar Commercial Finance v. Griffin Barges (S.D.T.X. and E.D.L.A.) – Seized four multimillion-dollar cargo barges (two in the Houston Ship Channel, two docked in New Orleans) used as collateral to secure a loan. Facilitated the subsequent sale of the barges, the proceeds of which fully covered the entire outstanding debt, and all attorneys’ fees.
Black Stone Minerals v. Chesapeake, PXP Louisiana, et al. (DeSoto Parish, Louisiana 42^ndJudicial District) – Sued Chesapeake and PXP Louisiana (now Freeport-McMoRan) for underpaying royalties on minerals produced in the Haynesville Shale. Reached a favorable settlement with PXP within months of filing suit and with Chesapeake days before trial.
Black Stone Minerals v. Chesapeake, Total E&P, et al. (part of MDL in Tarrant County District Court, Texas 348^thJudicial District) – Sued Chesapeake and Total for underpaying royalties on minerals produced in the Barnett Shale as part of the leadership in multidistrict litigation in Texas involving similar claims made by other royalty owners. Briefed, argued, and defeated multiple case-specific and MDL-wide summary judgment motions which resulted in settlements with all defendants.
Dilworth v. Chesapeake (McMullen County District Court, Texas 343^rdJudicial District) – Sued Chesapeake for underpaying royalties on minerals produced in the Eagle Ford Shale. Secured favorable settlement for the Dilworth family.
Bell Textron Inc. v. Scott Drennan and Hyundai Motor America (Tarrant County District Court, Texas 96^thJudicial District) – Part of a team that obtained a swift settlement on behalf of Drennan, Hyundai, and all potential defendants in connection with allegations of theft of trade secrets and violations of a non-compete agreement.
Griffith v. Waters (Dallas County District Court, Texas 134^thJudicial District) – After parachuting in as trial counsel on the day of trial, obtained verdict for client through post-judgment briefing and oral argument in a real estate dispute valued over US$1M.