Todd W Mensing

Practice Areas

Todd W. Mensing focuses on complex commercial litigation. Having tried more than 50 cases, Todd is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a distinction reserved for Texas trial lawyers with a high degree of trial experience and expertise. During the last ten years, an average of fewer than five attorneys per year statewide has earned the distinction.

Todd is recognized among the top lawyers in the nation for commercial litigation and construction litigation in The Best Lawyers in America. Todd is also recognized in Texas General Commercial Litigation in the 2014-2024 editions of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Clients reported to Chambers USA that Todd is “unequalled” among commercial litigators, “whip smart,” a “brilliant strategist,” and a “great trial lawyer.” Todd earned the highest possible AV Preeminent rating based upon peer reviews from Martindale Hubbell. He has also been named one of the top 100 lawyers in Houston and in Texas on the annual list of Super Lawyers. The IAM Patent 1000 ranked Todd as a leading Texas patent litigation litigator, and LawDragon has named Todd one of the country’s top 500 litigators.

Todd has tried cases in many areas, including complex commercial litigation; intellectual property and trade secrets; executive employment; catastrophic personal injury; as well as white collar criminal defense.

Prior to joining AZA, Todd graduated with honors and in the top five percent of his class at the University of Texas School of Law. He obtained his undergraduate degree with honors from Stanford University.

Work Highlights

COMMERCIAL AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LITIGATION

Obtained $44 million jury verdict for two upstream energy companies asserting trespass claims against a midstream entity for its injection of natural gas waste products into the subsurface. (SilverBow Resources Operating LLC et al. v. ETC Field Services LLC et al.)

Won a $28 million dollar jury verdict for the Port of Houston in a commercial property dispute with an international grain trader. (Port of Houston vs. Louis Dreyfus Company)

Obtained a defense verdict for a Houston petrochemical company in a two-week $10 million trademark infringement jury trial. Todd also convinced the jury to invalidate the trademark on which the plaintiff had sued the client. (Sentinel Integrity Solutions, Inc. v. MISTRAS Group, Inc.)

Won a defense victory after a four-week $50 million misappropriation of trade secrets jury trial. (MB Industries, LLC et al. vs. Hunter Buildings & Manufacturing, LLC et al.)

Won a jury verdict for an industrial gas company in a three-week multimillion dollar fraud and breach of contract trial. The jury rejected the plaintiffs’ claims, awarded the client millions of dollars on its counterclaims, and the Court issued a permanent injunction against the plaintiff. (Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP v. NRM Investments, Inc. et al.)

Achieved a defense victory for a fuel supplier in a one-week trial where the plaintiff alleged AZA’s client owed millions of dollars for breaching multiple purchase contracts. (Trafigura v. Texas Fueling Systems)

Defeated at trial claims of roughly $15 million for a refiner sued for fraud, trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract related to a fuel sales contract and prevailed on the client’s counterclaim. (Penthol, LLC v. Vertex Energy Operating, LLC.) Two months later won a second trial and obtained a complete defense victory for the same client facing multimillion dollar claims of fraud and breach of contract related to a marine fuel supply contract. (Martin Energy Services LLC v. Vertex Refining Alabama LLC)

Obtained a defense verdict in a two-week trial for a pipeline company sued for over $10 million dollars for breach of a shipping contract. (Sun Coast Resources, Inc. v. Plains Marketing, LP)

Achieved a plaintiff’s verdict against a media outlet in a two-week trial that included $1 million in punitive damages. The verdict represents one of the largest defamation verdicts against a media company in Texas history. (Brady v. Fort Bend Star)

Won a plaintiff’s verdict in a four-week trial relating to the negligent manufacture of components for a start-up aftermarket automobile technology company. (Innovative Truck Storage, Inc. v. Airshield, Inc.)

Lead trial counsel in a $100 million trade misappropriation lawsuit for the plaintiff, an international EPCI company. The case settled on confidential terms after a week of pretrial proceedings and the day before jury selection. (FMC Technologies, Inc. vs McDermott et al.)

Won a bench trial and obtained an injunction against a competing drilling company that shut down the competitor’s manufacture of infringing technology. (Conroe Machine, LLC, et al v. C&J Spec-Rent Services, Inc.)

Achieved a walk-away settlement for a Houston-based midstream company in a $100 million breach of contract lawsuit related to an offshore pipeline system. (Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company v. Columbia Gas Transmission)

Obtained a $25 million settlement for a natural gas company in a breach of contract and fraud lawsuit against a joint venture partner. (Holloman Corporation v. URSF Holdings, LLC)

Defended an oilfield services company against a $40 million oilfield technology patent infringement suit. The case settled on confidential terms. (Sandbox Logistics, LLC et al. v. Proppant Express et al.)

Successfully defended an international energy services provider in a $50 million earnout dispute. (Hudson et al. v. Weatherford Holdings et al.)

Also has cases in:

CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATE

EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT, CLASS ACTIONS, AND NON-COMPETERESTRICTIVE COVENANTS

CATASTOPHIC PERSONAL INJURY DEFENSE AND OSHA

ENVIRONMENTAL AND TOXIC TORT

Education