In the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
ALBERT G. HILL, III, INDIVIDUALLY, AND AS A BENEFICIARY OF THE MARGARET HUNT TRUST ESTATE, DERIVATIVELY ON BEHALF OF THE MARGARET HUNT TRUST ESTATE, INDIVIDUALLY, AS A BENEFICIARY OF THE HAROLDSON LAFAYETTE HUNT, J R. TRUST ESTATE, AND DERIVATIVELY ON BEHALF OF THE HAROLDSON, Plaintiff-Appellant, v.
WILLIAM SCHILLING, INDIVIDUALLY AND IN HIS CAPACITY AS A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY BOARD M.H.T.E AND A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY BOARD OF THE H.H.T.E.; IVAN IRWIN, J R.; ALBERT G. HILL, J R.; ALINDA H. WIKERT; LYDA HILL; HEATHER V. WASHBURNE; ELISA M. SUMMERS; MARGARET HUNT TRUST ESTATE; HARDOLSON LAFAYETTE HUNT J R. TRUST ESTATE; WILLIAM HERBERT HUNT, IN HIS CAPACITY AS THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ESTATE OF TOM HUNT; BRETT RINGLE, INDIVIDUALLY AND IN HIS CAPACITY AS A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY BOARD OF THE M.H.T.E.; J OHN W. CREECY, INDIVIDUALLY AND IN HIS CAPACITY AS TRUSTEE OF THE H.H.T.E.; MARGARET KELIHER, INDIVIDUALLY AND IN HER CAPACITY AS TRUSTEE OF THE M.H.T.E. AND A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY BOARD OF THE H.H.T.E., Defendants-Appellees, V. STEPHEN MALOUF; LISA BLUE; BARON & BLUE; LAW OFFICES OF STEPHEN F. MALOUF, P.C.; ALDOUS LAW FIRM; CHARLA ALDOUS; CHARLA ALDOUS, P.C., Intervenors Plaintiffs Appellees, -------------------------------------- CAMPBELL HARRISON & DAGLEY, L.L.P.; CALLOWAY, NORRIS, BURDETTE & WEBER, P.L.L.C., Intervenors Appellees.
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On Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas No. 07-CV-02020-L, Sam A. Lindsay, J udge Presiding
BRIEF OF APPELLANT
Iian D. J ablon Aarti K. Wilson IRELL & MANELLA LLP 1800 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 900 Los Angeles, California 90067 [Tel.] (310) 277-1010 [Fax] (310) 203-7199
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANT
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CERTIFICATE OF INTERESTED PERSONS NO. 13-10939
ALBERT G. HILL III, INDIVIDUALLY AS A BENEFICIARY OF THE MARGARET HUNT TRUST ESTATE, DERIVATIVELY ON BEHALF OF THE MARGARET HUNT TRUST ESTATE, INDIVIDUALLY AS A BENEFICIARY OF THE HAROLDSON LAFAYETTE HUNT, JR. TRUST ESTATE, AND DERIVATIVELY ON BEHALF OF THE HAROLDSON LAFAYETTE HUNT, JR. TRUST ESTATE, Plaintiff-Appellant, v.
MARGARET KELIHER, BRETT RINGLE, J OHN CREECY, WILLIAM SCHILLING, IVAN IRWIN J R. WILLIAM HERBERT HUNT, ALBERT G. HILL, J R. ALINDA H. WIKERT, LYDA HILL, HEATHER H. WASHBURNE, AND ELISA H. SUMMERS, Defendants-Appellees.
The undersigned counsel of record certifies the following listed persons have an interest in the outcome of this case. These representations are made in order that the judges of this court may evaluate their possible recusal or disqualification. 1. Plaintiff/Appellant is represented in the Fifth Circuit by: Iian D. J ablon Aarti K. Wilson IRELL & MANELLA LLP 1800 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 900 Los Angeles, California 90067
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Additional counsel who represented the Plaintiff/Appellant Albert G. Hill III in the district court proceedings are: Eric Chenoweth Autry Ross YETTER COLEMAN LLP 909 Fannin, Suite 3600 Houston, Texas 77010
Gregory S. Coleman Christian J . Ward Richard B. Farrer YETTER COLEMAN LLP 221 West 6th Street, Suite 750 Austin, Texas 78701
Mark E. Smith R. Wayne Gordon TOUCHSTONE BERNAYS J OHNSTON BEALL Smith &Stollenwerck LLP 4040 Renaissance Tower 1201 Elm Street Dallas, Texas 75270
Alan Roy Struble ALSTON & BIRD LLP 2200 Ross Avenue, Suite 3600 Dallas, Texas 75201
Brent R. Walker Charla G. Aldous ALDOUS LAW FIRM 2311 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 2200 Dallas, Texas 75201
Dana B. Taschner DANA TASCHNER ATTORNEY AT LAW 2049 Century Park East, Suite 1940 Los Angeles, California 90067 David W. Evans LAW OFFICES OF DAVID EVANS 2811 Turtle Creek Boulevard Suite 1600 Dallas, Texas 75219
Dean D. Hunt Matt R. Raley Michelle D. Pector BAKER & HOSTETLER LLP 1000 Louisiana, Suite 2000 Houston, Texas 77002
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W. Mark Lanier Eugene R. Egdorf THE LANIER LAW FIRM PC 6810 FM 1960 West Houston, Texas 77069
J ames S. Renard Melissa S. Yost Michael J . Collins William A. Brewer, III BICKEL & BREWER 1717 Main Street, Suite 4800 Dallas, Texas 75201
J ohn C. Hueston Michael G. Ermer IRELL & MANELLA LLP 840 Newport Center Drive, Suite 400 Newport Beach, California 92660
Stephen F. Malouf J onathan Andrew Nockels THE LAW OFFICES OF STEPHEN F. MALOUF PC 3811 Turtle Creek Boulevard Suite 1600 Dallas, Texas 75219
J ustin M. Campbell, III Kenneth J . Fair Robin L. Harrison Suzanne E. Goss CAMPBELL HARRISON & DAGLEY LLP 4000 Two Houston Center 909 Fannin Street, Suite 4000 Houston, Texas 77010
Lisa A. Blue BARON & BLUE 5956 Sherry Lane, Suite 1616 Dallas, Texas 75225 Elizabeth A. Scully Mark A. Cymrot BAKER & HOSTETLER LLP 1050 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20036
Marshall A. Camp IRELL & MANELLA LLP 1800 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 900 Los Angeles, California 90067
R. Dean Gresham GRESHAM PC 2311 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 200 Dallas, Texas 75201
Evan M. J anush THE LANIER LAW FIRM PC 126 East 56th Street Tower 56, 6th Floor New York, New York 10022
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Counsel who represented Defendant/Appellee Tom Hunt in the district court proceedings are: George W. Bramblett, J r. Carrie L. Huff HAYNES & BOONE, LLP 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 700 Dallas, Texas 75219
J oseph W. Wagner HAYNES & BOONE LLP 901 Main Street, Suite 3100 Dallas, Texas 75202 Counsel who represented Defendant/Appellee William Schilling in the district court proceedings are: George W. Bramblett, J r. Carrie L. Huff David A. Dodds HAYNES & BOONE LLP 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 700 Dallas, Texas 75219
David J . Beck Murray Fogler BECK REDDEN & SECREST LLP 1221 McKinney Street, Suite 4500 Houston, Texas 77010
J oseph W. Wagner HAYNES & BOONE LLP 901 Main Street, Suite 3100 Dallas, Texas 75202
Counsel who represented Defendant/Appellee Ivan Irwin, J r. in the district court proceedings are: Harry M. Reasoner VINSON & ELKINS LLP 1001 Fannin Street, Suite 2500 Houston, Texas 77002
Michael L. Raiff GIBSON DUNN & CRUTCHER LLP 2100 McKinney Avenue, Suite 1100 Dallas, Texas 75201
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William D. Sims, J r. VINSON & ELKINS LLP 2001 Ross Avenue, Suite 3700 Dallas, Texas 75201
Counsel who represented Defendant/Appellee Albert G. Hill, J r. in the district court proceedings are: J . Keith Benedict A G HILL PARTNERS LLC 1601 Elm Street, Suite 5000 Dallas, Texas 75201
Amanda R. Tyler Eric W. Pinker Kent D. Krabill LYNN TILLOTSON & PINKER LLP 750 N. St. Paul Street, Suite 1400 Dallas, Texas 75201
C. Gregory Shamoun Dennis M. Holmgren J ames R. Tucker J onathan J . Cunningham SHAMOUN & NORMAN LLP 1775 Wittington Place Suite 200 LB 25 Dallas, Texas 75234
Michael L. Raiff J ames C. Ho GIBSON DUNN & CRUTCHER LLP 2100 McKinney Avenue, Suite 1100 Dallas, Texas 75201 Michael P. Lynn J eremy A. Fielding Richard A. Smith LYNN TILLOTSON PINKER & COX LLP 2100 Ross Avenue, suite 2700 Dallas, Texas 75201
Robert H. Thomas Peter M. J ung STRASBURGER & PRICE 901 Main Street, Suite 4300 Dallas, Texas 75250
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Counsel who represented Defendant/Appellee Alinda H. Wikert in the district court proceedings are: Donald E. Godwin Bruce W. Bowman, J r. Israel R. Silvas J enny L. Martinez Robert J . McGuire W. Ira Bowman GODWIN PAPPAS & RONQUILLO PC 1201 Elm Street, Suite 1700 Dallas, Texas 75270
Counsel who represented Defendant/Appellee Lyda Hill in the district court proceedings are: Frank N. Ikard, J r. Lauren K. Davis Laurie Ratliff Mary E. Haught IKARD GOLDEN PC 400 West 15th Street, Suite 975 Austin, Texas 78701
J ames D. Brown Michael P. Massad WINSTEAD PC 5400 Renaissance Tower 1201 Elm Street Dallas, Texas 75201
Russell A. Devenport MCDONALD SANDERS 777 Main Street, Suite 1300 Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Kirk Todd Florence J ennifer L. Graf CROUCH & RAMEY, L.L.P. 2001 Ross Avenue, Suite 4400 Dallas, TX 75202
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Counsel who represented Defendant/Appellee Heather V. Washburne in the district court proceedings are: Stewart H. Thomas Tom M. Dees, III HALLETT & PERRIN PC 2001 Bryan Street, Suite 3900 Dallas, Texas 75201
Counsel who represented Defendant/Appellee Elisa M. Summers in the district court proceedings are: Stewart H. Thomas Tom M. Dees, III HALLETT & PERRIN PC 2001 Bryan Street, Suite 3900 Dallas, Texas 75201
Counsel who represented Defendant/Appellee William Herbert Hunt in the district court proceedings are: B. Patrick Shaw WOODWARD & SHAW 4849 Greenville Avenue, Suite 1111 Dallas, Texas 75206
Counsel who represented Defendant/Appellee Margaret Hunt Trust Estate in the district court proceedings are: George W. Bramblett, J r. Carrie L. Huff HAYNES & BOONE LLP 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 700 Dallas, Texas 75219
David J . Beck Murray Fogler BECK REDDEN & SECREST LLP 1221 McKinney Street, Suite 4500 Houston, Texas 77010
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J oseph W. Wagner HAYNES & BOONE LLP 901 Main Street, Suite 3100 Dallas, Texas 75202
Counsel who represented Defendant/Appellee Haroldson Lafayette Hunt J r. Trust Estate in the district court proceedings are: George W. Bramblett, J r. Carrie L. Huff David A. Dodds HAYNES & BOONE LLP 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 700 Dallas, Texas 75219 David J . Beck Murray Fogler BECK REDDEN & SECREST LLP 1221 McKinney Street, Suite 4500 Houston, Texas 77010
J oseph W. Wagner HAYNES & BOONE LLP 901 Main Street, Suite 3100 Dallas, Texas 75202
Counsel who represented Defendant/Appellee Brett Ringle in the district court proceedings are: Stephen D. Susman Thomas W. Paterson SUSMAN GODFREY LLP First Interstate Plaza 1000 Louisiana Street, Suite 1500 Houston, Texas 77002
George W. Bramblett, J r. Carrie L. Huff David A. Dodds HAYNES & BOONE LLP 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 700 Dallas, Texas 75219 David J . Beck Murray Fogler BECK REDDEN & SECREST LLP 1221 McKinney Street, Suite 4500 Houston, Texas 77010
Stephen Shackelford, J r. SUSMAN GODFREY LLP 901 Main Street, Suite 5100 Dallas, Texas 75202
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Counsel who represented Defendant/Appellee J ohn W. Creecy in the district court proceedings are: Stephen D. Susman Thomas W. Paterson SUSMAN GODFREY LLP First Interstate Plaza 1000 Louisiana Street, Suite 1500 Houston, Texas 77002
George W. Bramblett, J r. Carrie L. Huff David A. Dodds HAYNES & BOONE LLP 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 700 Dallas, Texas 75219 David J . Beck Murray Fogler BECK REDDEN & SECREST LLP 1221 McKinney Street, Suite 4500 Houston, Texas 77010
Stephen Shackelford, J r. SUSMAN GODFREY LLP 901 Main Street, Suite 5100 Dallas, Texas 75202
Counsel who represented Defendant/Appellee Margaret Keliher in the district court proceedings are: Eric T. Stahl Frank L. Branson Quentin Brogdon LAW OFFICES OF FRANK L. BRANSON 4514 Cole Avenue, Suite 1800 Dallas, Texas 75205
George W. Bramblett, J r. Carrie L. Huff David A. Dodds HAYNES & BOONE LLP 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 700 Dallas, Texas 75219 David J . Beck Murray Fogler BECK REDDEN & SECREST LLP 1221 McKinney Street, Suite 4500 Houston, Texas 77010
Gilbert I. Low ORGAIN BELL & TUCKER P.O. Box 1751 470 Orleans Street Beaumont, Texas 77704
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Counsel who represented Intervenor Plaintiff Stephen Malouf in the district court proceedings are: Stephen F. Malouf J onathan A. Nockels THE LAW OFFICES OF STEPHEN F. MALOUF, P.C. 3811 Turtle Creek Boulevard Suite 1600 Dallas, Texas 75219
Alan S. Loewinsohn Kerry F. Schonwald LOEWINSOHN FLEGLE DEARY LLP 12377 Merit Drive, Suite 900 Dallas, Texas 75251
David W. Evans LAW OFFICES OF DAVID EVANS 2811 Turtle Creek Boulevard Suite 1600 Dallas, Texas 75219
Counsel who represented Intervenor Plaintiff Lisa Blue in the district court proceedings are: Lisa A. Blue BARON & BLUE 5956 Sherry Lane, Suite 1616 Dallas, Texas 75225
Alan S. Loewinsohn Kerry F. Schonwald LOEWINSOHN FLEGLE DEARY LLP 12377 Merit Drive, Suite 900 Dallas, Texas 75251
Counsel who represented Intervenor Plaintiff Erin Nance Hill in the district court proceedings are: Charla G. Aldous Brent Walker ALDOUS LAW FIRM 2311 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 2200 Dallas, Texas 75201
J ohn H. Barr J ohn H. House, J r. Lucas Radney M. Forest Nelson BURT BARR & ASSOCIATES 203 East Colorado Boulevard Dallas, Texas 75222 Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 12 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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Counsel who represented Intervenor Plaintiff Baron & Blue in the district court proceedings are: Lisa A. Blue BARON & BLUE 5956 Sherry Lane, Suite 1616 Dallas, Texas 75225
Alan S. Loewinsohn Kerry F. Schonwald LOEWINSOHN FLEGLE DEARY LLP 12377 Merit Drive, Suite 900 Dallas, Texas 75251
Counsel who represented Intervenor Plaintiff Law Offices of Stephen F. Malouf, PC in the district court proceedings are: Alan S. Loewinsohn Kerry F. Schonwald LOEWINSOHN FLEGLE DEARY LLP 12377 Merit Drive, Suite 900 Dallas, Texas 75251 David W. Evans LAW OFFICES OF DAVID EVANS 2811 Turtle Creek Boulevard Suite 1600 Dallas, Texas 75219
Stephen F. Malouf J onathan Andrew Nockels THE LAW OFFICES OF STEPHEN F. MALOUF PC 3811 Turtle Creek Boulevard Suite 1600 Dallas, Texas 75219
Counsel who represented Intervenor Plaintiff Aldous Law Firm in the district court proceedings are: Alan S. Loewinsohn Kerry F. Schonwald LOEWINSOHN FLEGLE DEARY LLP 12377 Merit Drive, Suite 900 Dallas, Texas 75251
Charla G. Aldous Brent R. Walker ALDOUS LAW FIRM 2311 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 2200 Dallas, Texas 75201
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Counsel who represented Intervenor Plaintiff Charla Aldous in the district court proceedings are: Alan S. Loewinsohn Kerry F. Schonwald LOEWINSOHN FLEGLE DEARY LLP 12377 Merit Drive, Suite 900 Dallas, Texas 75251
Charla G. Aldous ALDOUS LAW FIRM 2311 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 2200 Dallas, Texas 75201
Counsel who represented Intervenor Plaintiff Charla Aldous, PC in the district court proceedings are: Alan S. Loewinsohn Kerry F. Schonwald LOEWINSOHN FLEGLE DEARY LLP 12377 Merit Drive, Suite 900 Dallas, Texas 75251
Charla G. Aldous Brent R. Walker ALDOUS LAW FIRM 2311 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 2200 Dallas, Texas 75201
Counsel who represented Intervenor Plaintiff Thompson-Huffman Limited Partnership in the district court proceedings are: J ason Poe Lee H. Ayres S. Todd Parks AYRES WARREN SHELTON & WILLIAMS, L.L.C. 333 Texas Street, 14th Floor Shreveport, LA 71101
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Counsel who represented Respondent The Aldous Law Firm in the district court proceedings are: Alan S. Loewinsohn Kerry F. Schonwald LOEWINSOHN FLEGLE DEARY LLP 12377 Merit Drive, Suite 900 Dallas, Texas 75251
Charla G. Aldous Brent R. Walker ALDOUS LAW FIRM 2311 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 2200 Dallas, Texas 75201
Counsel who represented Respondent R. Dean Gresham in the district court proceedings are: Alan S. Loewinsohn Kerry F. Schonwald LOEWINSOHN FLEGLE DEARY LLP 12377 Merit Drive, Suite 900 Dallas, Texas 75251 R. Dean Gresham GRESHAM PC 2311 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 200 Dallas, Texas 75201
Counsel who represented Movant Ellen Flowers in the district court proceedings are: Ryan K. McComber A. Erin Dwyer FIGARI & DAVENPORT, L.L.P. 3400 Bank of America Plaza 901 Main Street, LB 125 Dallas, Texas 75202
Counsel who represented Movant J oyce Waller in the district court proceedings are: Michael P. Lynn Richard A. Smith LYNN TILLOTSON PINKER & COX LLP 2100 Ross Avenue, Suite 2700 Dallas, Texas 75201
Kent D. Krabill LYNN TILLOTSON & PINKER LLP 750 N. St. Paul Street, Suite 1400 Dallas, Texas 75201
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Robert H. Mow, J r. Alison R. Ashmore Danny S. Ashby J ennifer B. Landry K&L GATES 1717 Main Street, Suite 2800 Dallas, Texas 75201 Counsel who represented Movant Michael V. Bourland in the district court proceedings are: David J . Goodman William R. Korb, J r. Eric J . Millner BOURLAND WALL & WENZEL PC 301 Commerce Street, Suite 1500 Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Counsel who represented Movant Stewart H. Thomas in the district court proceedings are: C. Shawn Cleveland Emily C. McCall Matthew D. Orwig SNR DENTON US LLP 2000 McKinney Avenue, suite 1900 Dallas, Texas 75201
Counsel who represented Movant Tom M. Dees, III in the district court proceedings are: C. Shawn Cleveland Emily C. McCall Matthew D. Orwig SNR DENTON US LLP 2000 McKinney Avenue, suite 1900 Dallas, Texas 75201
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Counsel who represented Movant Shamoun & Norman, LLP in the district court proceedings are: Daniel D. Tostrud COBB MARTINEZ WOODWARD PLLC 1700 Pacific, Suite 3100 Dallas, Texas 75201
C. Gregory Shamoun J onathan J . Cunningham Amanda M. Hoffmann SHAMOUN & NORMAN LLP 1775 Wittington Place Suite 200 LB 25 Dallas, Texas 75234
Angela M. Hough HERMES SARGENT BATES LLP 901 Main Street, Suite 5200 Dallas, Texas 75202
Counsel who represented Movant PBL Multi-Strategy Fund, L.P. in the district court proceedings are: Lawrence S. Fischman Troy David Phillips GLAST PHILLIPS & MURRAY PC 2001 Bryan Street, Suite 3900 Dallas, Texas 75201
The Guardian ad Litem in the district court proceedings is: Michael K. Hurst Dena DeNooyer Stroh GRUBER HURST J OHANSEN & HAIL LLP 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 2500 Dallas, Texas 75202
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Counsel who represented Interested Party Ron Cresswell in the district court proceedings are: William A. Barr Sara N. Copeland LOCKE LORD BISSELL & LIDDELL LLP 2200 Ross Avenue, Suite 2200 Dallas, Texas 75201
Counsel who represented Interested Party Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP in the district court proceedings are: William A. Barr Sara N. Copeland LOCKE LORD BISSELL & LIDDELL LLP 2200 Ross Avenue, Suite 2200 Dallas, Texas 75201
Counsel who represented Interested Party XTO Energy Inc. in the district court proceedings are: Mitchell M. Murphy J effrey C. King WINSTEAD PC 777 Main Street, Suite 1100 Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Counsel who represented Interested Party J onathan Nockels in the district court proceedings are: Alan S. Loewinsohn LOEWINSOHN FLEGLE DEARY LLP 12377 Merit Drive, Suite 900 Dallas, Texas 75251
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Counsel who represented Interested Party Brent Walker in the district court proceedings are: Alan S. Loewinsohn LOEWINSOHN FLEGLE DEARY LLP 12377 Merit Drive, Suite 900 Dallas, Texas 75251
Counsel who represented Interested Party David Evans in the district court proceedings are: Alan S. Loewinsohn LOEWINSOHN FLEGLE DEARY LLP 12377 Merit Drive, Suite 900 Dallas, Texas 75251
Counsel who represented Interested Party Gresham PC in the district court proceedings are: R. Dean Gresham GRESHAM PC 2311 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 200 Dallas, Texas 75201
Alan S. Loewinsohn Kerry F. Schonwald LOEWINSOHN FLEGLE DEARY LLP 12377 Merit Drive, Suite 900 Dallas, Texas 75251
Counsel who represented Receiver Daniel L. J ackson in the district court proceedings are: Talmage Boston WINSTEAD PC 5400 Renaissance Tower 1201 Elm Street Dallas, Texas 75270
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Counsel who represented Trustee Larry E. J acobs in the district court proceedings are: Larry E. J acobs BOYER J ACOBS SHORT Nine Greenway Plaza, Suite 3100 Houston, Texas 77046
Counsel who represented Trustee Peggy Allison in the district court proceedings are: Carrie L. Huff HAYNES & BOONE LLP 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 700 Dallas, Texas 75219
Counsel who represented Trustee Danny Bowlin in the district court proceedings are: Carrie L. Huff HAYNES & BOONE LLP 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 700 Dallas, Texas 75219
Counsel who represented Trustee Chester Donnally in the district court proceedings are: Carrie L. Huff HAYNES & BOONE LLP 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 700 Dallas, Texas 75219
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Counsel who represented Intervenor Campbell Harrison & Dagley LLP in the district court proceedings are: Robert W. Calloway Mary C. Burdette CALLOWAY NORRIS BURDETTE & WEBER 3811 Turtle Creek, Suite 400 Dallas, Texas 75219
Kenneth J . Fair Robin L. Harrison Suzanne E. Goss CAMPBELL HARRISON & DAGLEY LLP 4000 Two Houston Center 909 Fannin Street, Suite 4000 Houston, Texas 77010
Counsel who represented Intervenor Calloway, Norris, Burdette & Weber, PLLC in the district court proceedings are: J ustin M. Campbell, III Kenneth J . Fair Robin L. Harrison Suzanne E. Goss CAMPBELL HARRISON & DAGLEY LLP 4000 Two Houston Center 909 Fannin Street, Suite 4000 Houston, Texas 77010
Robert W. Calloway Mary C. Burdette CALLOWAY NORRIS BURDETTE & WEBER 3811 Turtle Creek, Suite 400 Dallas, Texas 75219
Counsel who represented Counter Claimant Lyda Hill in the district court proceedings are: Frank N. Ikard, J r. Laurie Ratliff Mary E. Haught IKARD GOLDEN PC 400 West 15th Street, Suite 975 Austin, Texas 78701
J ames D. Brown Michael P. Massad WINSTEAD PC 5400 Renaissance Tower 1201 Elm Street Dallas, Texas 75201
Russell A. Devenport MCDONALD SANDERS 777 Main Street, Suite 1300 Fort Worth, Texas 76102
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Counsel who represented Counter Defendant Albert G. Hill, III in the district court proceedings are: Mark E. Smith R. Wayne Gordon TOUCHSTONE BERNAYS J OHNSTON BEALL SMITH & STOLLENWERCK LLP 4040 Renaissance Tower 1201 Elm Street Dallas, Texas 75270
Alan Roy Struble ALSTON & BIRD LLP 2200 Ross Avenue, Suite 3600 Dallas, Texas 75201
Brent R. Walker Charla G. Aldous ALDOUS LAW FIRM 2311 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 2200 Dallas, Texas 75201
Dana B. Taschner DANA TASCHNER ATTORNEY AT LAW 2049 Century Park East, Suite 1940 Los Angeles, California 90067 David W. Evans LAW OFFICES OF DAVID EVANS 2811 Turtle Creek Boulevard Suite 1600 Dallas, Texas 75219
Dean D. Hunt Elizabeth A. Scully Matt R. Raley Michelle D. Pector BAKER & HOSTETLER 1000 Louisiana, Suite 2000 Houston, Texas 77002
Eugene R. Egdorf Evan M. J anush W. Mark Lanier THE LANIER LAW FIRM PC 6810 FM 1960 West Houston, Texas 77069
J ames S. Renard Melissa S. Yost Michael J . Collins William A. Brewer, III BICKEL & BREWER 1717 Main Street, Suite 4800 Dallas, Texas 75201
J ohn C. Hueston Michael G. Ermer IRELL & MANELLA LLP 840 Newport Center Drive, Suite 400 Newport Beach, California 92660 Stephen F. Malouf J onathan Andrew Nockels THE LAW OFFICES OF STEPHEN F. MALOUF PC 3811 Turtle Creek Boulevard Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 22 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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Suite 1600 Dallas, Texas 75219
J ustin M. Campbell, III Kenneth J . Fair Robin L. Harrison Suzanne E. Goss CAMPBELL HARRISON & DAGLEY LLP 4000 Two Houston Center 909 Fannin Street, Suite 4000 Houston, Texas 77010
Lisa A. Blue BARON & BLUE 5956 Sherry Lane, Suite 1616 Dallas, Texas 75225 Mark A. Cymrot BAKER & HOSTETLER LLP 1050 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20036
Marshall A. Camp IRELL & MANELLA LLP 1800 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 900 Los Angeles, California 90067
R. Dean Gresham GRESHAM PC 2311 Cedar Springs Road, Suite 200 Dallas, Texas 75201
Gregory S. Coleman Christian J . Ward Richard B. Farrer YETTER COLEMAN LLP 221 West Sixth Street, Suite 750 Austin, Texas 78701
Counsel who represented Counter Claimant Alinda H. Wikert, III in the district court proceedings are: Donald E. Godwin Bruce W. Bowman, J r. Israel R. Silvas J enny L. Martinez Robert J . McGuire W. Ira Bowman GODWIN PAPPAS & RONQUILLO PC 1201 Elm Street, Suite 1700 Dallas, Texas 75270
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Counsel who represented Counter Claimant Heather V. Washburne in the district court proceedings are: Stewart H. Thomas Tom M. Dees, III HALLETT & PERRIN PC 2001 Bryan Street, Suite 3900 Dallas, Texas 75201
Counsel who represented Counter Claimant Elisa M. Summers in the district court proceedings are: Stewart H. Thomas Tom M. Dees, III HALLETT & PERRIN PC 2001 Bryan Street, Suite 3900 Dallas, Texas 75201
/s/ Aarti K. Wilson Aarti K. Wilson Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 24 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT Appellant believes that oral argument will assist the Court in resolving this case. The core issue in this appeal is straightforward: whether the district court erred in ruling that successor trustees for a trust that was partitioned for Appellants benefit in 2010 as part of the parties settlement in this action have no right to obtain copies of the archives and permanent records of the original trust. However, because the underlying litigation involved numerous parties and non- party participants, was complex and protracted, and has generated a lengthy and complicated record, oral argument will significantly benefit the Court in applying the law on the complex record of this case. Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 25 Date Filed: 01/29/2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 2953072 - xxvi -
Certificate of Interested Persons ............................................................................ iii Statement Regarding Oral Argument ................................................................. xxv Statement of J urisdiction ......................................................................................... 1 Statement of Issues for Review ............................................................................... 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 Statement of Facts and of the Case ......................................................................... 5 A. The Articles of Agreement of the Margaret Hunt Trust Estate ......... 5 B. The Underlying Litigation .................................................................. 6 C. The District Court Refuses to Order the Former Trustees to Provide the Archives and Permanent Records of the MHTE to the Successor Trustees ................................................................... 9 Standard of Review ............................................................................................... 13 Summary of the Argument .................................................................................... 13 Argument............................................................................................................... 14 I. The Successor Trustees of the Sub-Trusts Created From the MHTE Are Entitled to Copies of the Archives and Permanent Records of the MHTE. .................................................................................................. 14 A. The MHTEs Articles of Agreement Provide that a Successor Trustee Shall Have the Same Rights as the Prior Trustee. ............... 14 B. Texas Law Is Fully Consistent with the MHTEs Articles of Agreement with Respect to the Successor Trustees Rights. ........... 19 C. Hill III Presented Undisputed Evidence that the Successor Trustees Have a Legitimate Need to Access the Permanent Records of the MHTE. ..................................................................... 20 Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 26 Date Filed: 01/29/2014 Page 2953072 - xxvii -
D. The Prior Trustees Are Not Being Asked to Provide a Trust Accounting. ..................................................................................... 24 E. The Other Objections Raised by Appellees Lack Merit. ................. 27 II. At a Minimum, J udge Soliss J uly 30, 2013 Order Should Be Vacated or Remanded to the District Court, Because He Was Apparently Operating under an Undisclosed Conflict. ................................................. 29 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 31
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Cases Goldin v. Bartholow, 166 F.3d 710 (5th Cir. 1999) ............................................................................... 13 Hill v. Schilling, 495 Fed. Appx. 480 (5th Cir. 2012) ................................................................... 10 Hoenig v. Texas Commerce Bank, N.A., 939 S.W.2d 656 (Tex. App. San Antonio 1996) .............................................. 23 Huie v. DeShazo, 922 S.W.2d 920 (Tex. 1996) ................................................................................ 28 In re Bradley, 501 F.3d 421 (5th Cir. 2007) ............................................................................... 28 Interfirst Bank-Houston, N.A. v. Quintana Petroleum Corp., 699 S.W.2d 864 (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist.] 1985) .................................... 28 Liljeberg v. Health Servs. Acquisition Corp., 486 U.S. 847 (1988) ............................................................................................. 30 Rohrbach v. AT&T Nassau Metals Corp., 915 F. Supp. 712 (M.D. Pa. 1996) ....................................................................... 31 Statutes 28 U.S.C. 1291 ......................................................................................................... 1 28 U.S.C. 1441(a) .................................................................................................... 1 Tex. Prop. Code 112.054 ...................................................................................... 19 Tex. Prop. Code 112.057 ...................................................................................... 19 Tex. Prop. Code 113.084 ...................................................................................... 19 Tex. Prop. Code 113.151 ...................................................................................... 25 Tex. Prop. Code 113.152 ...................................................................................... 25 Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 28 Date Filed: 01/29/2014 Page(s) 2953072 - xxix -
Rules Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b) ................................................................................................ 11 Fed. R. Civ. P. 72 ..................................................................................................... 11
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STATEMENT OF JURISDICTION Defendants-Appellees invoked the district courts jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1441(a), which allows the removal of any civil action brought in a State Court of which the district courts of the United States have original jurisdiction. This Court has jurisdiction over this appeal pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1291. STATEMENT OF ISSUES FOR REVIEW 1. Whether the district court erred in ruling that the successor trustees of a 1935 trust that was partitioned in 2010 for Appellants benefit are not entitled to obtain copies of the archives and permanent records of the partitioned trust. 2. Whether the district courts order refusing to grant the successor trustees access to the permanent records of the trust should be vacated and remanded because the district court judge recused himself without explanation shortly after entering the order, and thus was apparently operating under a conflict of interest at the time he entered the ruling. INTRODUCTION The underlying litigation was a bitter intra-family dispute over an inheritance exceeding $1 billion, a significant part of which was held in the Margaret Hunt Trust Estate (the MHTE), a trust that had been established in 1935 by legendary oil tycoon H.L. Hunt. After nearly two-and-a-half years of litigation, the parties entered into a written settlement agreement in May 2010, which was implemented by the district court in a final judgment entered in November 2010. Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 30 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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Among other things, the final judgment divided the MHTE into several separate and independent sub-trusts, including one such sub-trust for the benefit of Appellant Albert G. Hill, III 1 (the MHTE-Albert G. Hill III Trust, hereinafter the MHTE-Hill III Trust), and another such sub-trust as to which Appellant is the remainder beneficiary (the MHTE-Albert G. Hill, J r. Income Beneficiary/Hill III Termination Beneficiary Trust, hereinafter the Hill III Termination Trust). The final judgment also appointed successor trustees to administer each of the various sub-trusts. The sub-trusts, with three limited exceptions described in the final judgment, continue to be governed by the original 1935 Articles of Agreement and Declaration of Trust that established the MHTE, and are expressly continuations of the original 1935 trust. The MHTEs Articles of Agreement provide that a successor trustee inherits all of the rights and responsibilities of the former trustee. Among the rights and responsibilities of the trustee are the duties to keep accurate records and books of account regarding the trust, and to maintain the archives and permanent records of the trust. (ROA.17765) (Record Excerpts (RE) Tab 5).
1 Appellant is referred to herein as Hill III. Hill III is sometimes referred to in materials filed in the district court proceedings as Al III. Likewise, Hill IIIs father, Albert G. Hill, J r., is referred to herein as Hill J r., but is sometimes referred to in materials filed in the district court as Al J r. Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 31 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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After the MHTE was partitioned as required by the final judgment in 2010, the successor trustees of the MHTE-Hill III Trust and the Hill III Termination Trust requested that Appellees make the books and records of the MHTE available for copying by the successor trustees. Appellees refused, contending that the successor trustees for the sub-trusts affiliated with Hill III have no right to obtain copies of the archives and permanent records of the MHTE. With the support of the successor trustees, Hill III thereafter moved the district court for an order compelling Appellees to either make the books and records of the MHTE available for copying by the successor trustees, or to make the records available for copying by Hill III personally. The district court denied that motion, reasoning that (1) nothing in the final judgment or in the MHTEs Articles of Agreement specifically requires that the former trustee of the MHTE provide copies of the trusts books and records to a successor trustee, and (2) Hill III had agreed in the parties settlement agreement that the former trustees would not be required to furnish any trust accounting in connection with the settlement, and thus Hill III was precluded from obtaining the books and records of the trust. As explained more fully below, the district courts ruling on Hill IIIs motion is erroneous. Under the terms of the Articles of Agreement and under Texas law, a successor trustee inherits all of the same rights, powers, duties, and obligations of his or her predecessor. In this case, such rights necessarily include Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 32 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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reasonable access to the archives and permanent records of the trust materials that the Articles of Agreement clearly state belong to the trust, and not to the trustee personally. Moreover, neither Hill III nor the successor trustees have requested that the prior trustees provide an accounting the successor trustees have simply requested copies of the permanent records of the trust, which is entirely different than requesting that the prior trustee prepare a trust accounting. Further, there is no support whatsoever for the district courts implicit ruling that successor trustees for some of the sub-trusts created from the MHTE are entitled to complete copies of the books and records of the original trust, but successor trustees for other sub-trusts (i.e., those affiliated with Hill III) are not entitled to those same materials. For all of these reasons, and as discussed more fully below, the district court erred in denying Hill IIIs motion to compel Appellees to produce copies of the MHTEs books and records to the successor trustees. In the alternative, this Court should vacate the order at issue and remand Hill IIIs motion for consideration by the new district court judge assigned to hear this action based upon the fact that the district court judge who decided the motion that gives rise to this appeal recused himself, without explanation, shortly after entering the order that is being appealed from, and was thus apparently operating under a Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 33 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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conflict of interest at the time the order at issue which is intemperate and disparaging of Hill III was entered. STATEMENT OF FACTS AND OF THE CASE A. The Articles of Agreement of the Margaret Hunt Trust Estate In 1935, oil tycoon H.L. Hunt, then reportedly the wealthiest man in the United States, established irrevocable trusts for six of his children, including Margaret Hunt Hill (Margaret, the original beneficiary of the Margaret Hunt Trust Estate (MHTE)) and Hassie Lafayette Hunt J r. (the original beneficiary of the Haroldson Hunt Trust Estate (HHTE)). The Articles of Agreement and Declaration of Trust establishing each of the MHTE and HHTE were substantively identical and set forth guidelines for the administration of the trusts. The Articles of Agreement of the MHTE establish the duties of the trustee. Among other things, the trustee is required to keep, or cause to be kept, faithful records and books of account, reflecting at all times the true conditions of the affairs of said Trust Estate, which said records and books of account shall at all times be open for the inspection of the other two members of the Advisory Board, and as near after the close of each calendar year as is reasonably possible the Trustee shall have said books and records audited by a Certified Public Accountant and a report of said audit filed as a part of the archives and permanent records of said Trust Estate . . . .
The Articles of Agreement further provide that when the trustee is replaced, the successor trustee shall succeed to the same rights and powers and be subject to the same duties and liabilities as his predecessor, with such rights vesting immediately upon being elected as successor trustee. (ROA.17761) (RE Tab 5). B. The Underlying Litigation The factual background of this litigation has been summarized at length for this Court in connection with Hill IIIs original appeal from the final judgment. See Hill v. Schilling, Case No. 11-10348, Appellants Br. at 3-15 (5th Cir., filed Oct. 17, 2011). In brief: In 2005, Hill IIIs father, Albert G. Hill, J r. (Hill J r.), signed an irrevocable disclaimer of a portion of his interest in the MHTE in favor of his children. When Margaret died in 2007, Hill J r.s interest in the MHTE vested and, by virtue of the disclaimer Hill J r. had signed in 2005, Hill J r.s children (including Hill III) became vested, current beneficiaries of the MHTE. Apparently hoping to avoid certain tax consequences that would result from the 2005 disclaimer, shortly after Margarets death in 2007, Hill J r. executed an updated but substantially similar disclaimer in favor of his children (including Hill III). Soon thereafter, however, Hill J r. took the position that the disclaimer he had signed in 2005 was invalid based on the contention that Hill J r. had purportedly been incompetent when he signed it. (See ROA.10746). Hill J r. also took the position that his 2007 disclaimer had been signed in 2005, at a time when he was Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 35 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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purportedly incompetent. (See ROA.10748). In late 2007, Hill J r. filed pleadings in state court in Texas seeking to establish that the disclaimers he had signed were invalid, and that Hill III was therefore not a beneficiary of the MHTE. (ROA.11587-94). In response, on November 8, 2007, Hill III filed a suit in the 14th J udicial District of Dallas County, alleging that his father and others had committed violations of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and other torts in connection with the MHTE and the HHTE. (ROA.186-231). Hill IIIs lawsuit, which the Defendants removed to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas on December 3, 2007, sought various forms of relief, including a declaration that Hill III was a beneficiary of both the MHTE and the HHTE. (ROA.155-61, 229-30). After nearly two and a half years of litigation, the parties entered into a written Global Settlement and Mutual Release Agreement (the GSA or Settlement Agreement) that was filed with the district court in May 2010. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.879). Among the agreed-upon settlement terms was that the MHTE would be divided pro rata into separate sub-trusts for each of the current beneficiaries, including Hill III. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.879 at 7, 17) (RE Tab 10). The parties agreed that each sub-trust would be separately administered by new successor trustees in accordance with the 1935 Articles of Agreement of the Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 36 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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MHTE. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.879 at 17, 23) (RE Tab 10). The parties also agreed that the outgoing trustees of the MHTE would be released for failure to furnish any trust accounting for either of the MHTE or the HHTE, for time periods before and including the resignation dates of the trustees and advisory board members. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt. 879 at 24-25) (RE Tab 10). On November 8, 2010, after the parties had submitted lengthy briefing concerning implementation of the Settlement Agreement, the district court entered its final judgment (the Final J udgment) that purported to implement the Settlement Agreement. As required by the Settlement Agreement, the Final J udgment divided the MHTE into several sub-trusts as of the date of Margarets death (J une 14, 2007), and appointed successor trustees to oversee each of the sub-trusts. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.999 at 7-20). One such sub-trust was created for the benefit of Hill III (the MHTE-Hill III Trust) and another such sub-trust was created as to which Hill III is the remainder beneficiary (Hill III Termination Trust). (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.999 at 7-8, 12-14, 20) (RE Tab 9). The Final J udgment provides that, with three minor modifications that are not relevant to this appeal, each of the sub-trusts created from the MHTE shall be governed by the terms and provisions of the [1935] Articles of Agreement and Declarations of Trust establishing the MHTE . . . . (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.999 at 2, 24-25) (RE Tab 9). Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 37 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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C. The District Court Refuses to Order the Former Trustees to Provide the Archives and Permanent Records of the MHTE to the Successor Trustees Due to the passage of time between the parties settlement in May 2010 and the district courts entry of the Final J udgment in November 2010, shortly after the Final J udgment was entered, Hill III filed a motion requesting that the district court alter or amend the Final J udgment to require the former trustees of the MHTE to provide him with a trust accounting for the period between May and November 2010. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.1050 at 14-15). The district court rejected that request, citing the provision of the Settlement Agreement which states that the former trustees are released for any failure to furnish any trust accounting for either the MHTE or the HHTE. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.1099 at 11 (RE Tab 8); see also ROA.Sealed, Dkt.879 at 24-25 (RE Tab 10)). Hill III then filed an appeal to this Court relating to certain provisions of the Final J udgment that deviated from the parties Settlement Agreement. (See ROA.17486-87; Hill v. Hunt, et al., 5th Cir. Case No. 11-10348). While that appeal was pending, Hill III learned that the district court judge who had been presiding over the action since 2007 (the Honorable Reed OConnor) apparently had an undisclosed conflict of interest both at the time the Settlement Agreement had been signed and when the Final J udgment had been entered. In March 2012, Hill III unsuccessfully moved to recuse J udge OConnor, and then appealed the Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 38 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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denial of his motion to recuse to this Court. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt. 1257, ROA.17829- 83; Hill v. Hunt, et al., 5th Cir. Case No. 12-10620). Hill IIIs two appeals were consolidated, 2 and this Court ultimately ruled against Hill III. Hill v. Schilling, 495 Fed. Appx. 480, 483 (5th Cir. 2012). Soon after the mandate issued, however, J udge OConnor abruptly recused himself without explanation and was eventually replaced by the Honorable J orge A. Solis. (ROA.149, 18112-13). Meanwhile, in December 2010, the MHTE had been divided into sub-trusts as required by the parties Settlement Agreement and the Final J udgment. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt. 1053). After the division took place, the successor trustees of the MHTE-Hill III Trust and the Hill III Termination Trust requested that the predecessor trustees of the MHTE provide the successor trustees with copies of (or access to) the books and records of the MHTE. (ROA.17786-99). Those requests were rejected. (ROA.17788, 17794-95) (RE Tab 7). Accordingly, on March 5, 2012, Hill III filed a motion to compel the former trustees of the MHTE to make the books and records of the trust available either to the successor trustees or to Hill III personally, which motion was supported by declarations submitted by the
2 Hill III also filed a separate appeal in a related case (Campbell, Harrison & Dagley, et al. v. Hill, et al., 5th Cir. Case No. 12-10417), which appeal was also consolidated with his two appeals in this action. See Hill v. Hunt, et al., 5th Cir. Case No. 11-10348, Order (entered J uly 25, 2012). Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 39 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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successor trustees. 3 (ROA.17738-99). Hill IIIs motion to compel was joined by the guardian-ad-litem who had been appointed by the district court to represent the interests of Hill IIIs minor children. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt. 1281 at 2-4). The magistrate judge who was assigned by the district court to consider Hill IIIs motion to compel found that it is common practice for trustees to willingly provide the trusts books and records to successor trustees in the usual circumstances, and that [i]n all likelihood, the drafters of the MHTE trust agreement contemplated that such books and records would naturally be given to any successor trustees. (ROA.17980-81) (RE Tab 4). Nonetheless, the magistrate entered an order on J anuary 15, 2013 denying Hill IIIs motion. (ROA.17982) (RE Tab 4). Thereafter, Hill III timely filed objections pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 72 seeking review of the magistrate judges ruling by the district court. 4
(ROA.Sealed, Dkt.1343). On J uly 30, 2013, J udge Solis entered his first and only substantive order in the action, overruling all of Hill IIIs objections to the
3 The Final J udgment appointed Hill III as an Advisory Board member of the MHTE-Hill III Trust. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.999 at 20) (RE Tab 9). Hill III therefore had standing to bring the motion to compel in his own right, as the MHTEs Articles of Agreement provide that Advisory Board members have unfettered access to the records of the trust. (ROA.17765) (RE Tab 5). 4 A party is entitled to have the district court review a magistrate judges ruling pursuant to Rule 72. Here, however, the magistrate judges ruling at issue was entered after the Final J udgment. Accordingly, Hill III objected to the magistrates ruling both under Rule 72 and under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b). Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 40 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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magistrates order. (ROA.18175-85) (RE Tab 3). The district court ruled that [t]he MHTE Articles of Agreement do not provide successor trustees an absolute right to inspect, view, see, peek at, peruse, skim, scan, gaze upon, or otherwise examine an outgoing trustees books and records. (ROA.18181) (RE Tab 3). Likewise, the district court ruled that the MHTE Articles of Agreement contain no express provision which directs an outgoing trustee to confer even a single book, record, or leaf of paper to any successor trustee. (ROA.18180) (RE Tab 3). The district court further reasoned that even assuming the former trustees might otherwise have had an obligation to turn over the books and records to a successor trustee, the provision of the Settlement Agreement that released the former trustees from providing a trust accounting effectively obviated any such requirement. (ROA.18180-81) (RE Tab 3). Hill III timely filed notice of this appeal from the district courts order denying his motion to compel. (ROA.18186-87) (RE Tab 2). Approximately one month following Hill IIIs notice of appeal, J udge Solis recused himself from the underlying litigation without providing the parties with any explanation for his decision to recuse. (ROA.18192).
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STANDARD OF REVIEW The primary issue presented on this appeal is whether the district court properly interpreted the MHTEs Articles of Agreement with respect to the successor trustees rights to obtain copies of the archives and permanent records of the trust. A trust instrument is interpreted as a contract, and like the interpretation of a contract the construction of a trust instrument is a question of law. Therefore, the interpretation of a trust instrument is reviewed de novo. Goldin v. Bartholow, 166 F.3d 710, 715 (5th Cir. 1999).Accordingly, the appropriate standard of review with respect to Hill IIIs appeal from the district courts J uly 30, 2013 order is de novo. SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT This appeal raises a straightforward issue of law: Do the successor trustees of the sub-trusts created from the MHTE pursuant to the parties Settlement Agreement and the Final J udgment have a right to obtain copies of the archives and permanent records of the MHTE? As a matter of logic and plain English, the answer to that question is clearly yes. Moreover, there is no justification whatsoever for the district courts implicit ruling that successor trustees for certain of the sub-trusts that were created from the MHTE are entitled to complete copies of the books and records of the MHTE, but that successor trustees for other sub- trusts created from the MHTE (i.e., those sub-trusts of which Appellant is a Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 42 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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beneficiary) are not entitled to those same records. Simply put, the district courts ruling was erroneous as a matter of law, and should be reversed. In the alternative, this Court should vacate the order at issue and remand Hill IIIs motion for consideration by the new district court judge assigned to hear this action because the district judge who decided the motion that gives rise to this appeal was apparently operating under a conflict of interest when the order at issue was entered. That judge recused himself, without explanation, shortly after entering the order that is being appealed from, and the order itself is replete with statements that are disparaging of Appellant. ARGUMENT I. The Successor Trustees of the Sub-Trusts Created From the MHTE Are Entitled to Copies of the Archives and Permanent Records of the MHTE. A. The MHTEs Articles of Agreement Provide that a Successor Trustee Shall Have the Same Rights as the Prior Trustee. The May 2010 Settlement Agreement and November 2010 Final J udgment in this action required that the MHTE be divided into separate sub-trusts for the benefit of the then-existing beneficiaries of the trust. (See ROA.Sealed, Dkt.879 at 17; ROA.Sealed, Dkt.999 at 7-20). In connection with that division, the assets of the MHTE were required to be divided pro rata between the sub-trusts according to the proportional interests of the beneficiaries. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.879 at 17; ROA.Sealed, Dkt.999 at 7-20). The Final J udgment further required that the sub- Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 43 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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trusts would continue to be governed by the MHTEs original Articles of Agreement, with three very limited (and irrelevant, for purposes of this appeal) exceptions. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.999 at 24-25) (RE Tab 9). In other words, the parties Settlement Agreement and the Final J udgment provide that the sub-trusts are simply continuations of the MHTE, and will be treated for tax and other reasons as though the original 1935 trust had remained intact and undisturbed. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.879 at 23-24 (RE Tab 10); ROA.Sealed, Dkt.999 at 7-8 (RE Tab 9). The MHTEs Articles of Agreement require the trustee to maintain archives and permanent records of the trust, which records and books of account shall at all times be open for the inspection of the other two members of the Advisory Board. 5 (ROA.17765) (RE Tab 5). The Articles of Agreement further provide that the trustee shall continue to serve until replaced by a successor trustee, and that immediately upon election, the successor trustee shall step into the shoes of the prior trustee with respect to all rights and duties, including duties relating to the administration of the books and records of the trust. (ROA.17761 (Article I, Section 2 noting that his successor shall succeed to the same rights and powers and be subject to the same duties . . . as his predecessor.)) (RE Tab 5).
5 The Articles of Agreement provide that the MHTE shall have a three-member Advisory Board, consisting of the Trustee and two other members. (ROA.17765) (RE Tab 5). Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 44 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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Notwithstanding the clear and unambiguous language cited above, the district court ruled that the successor trustees of the two MHTE sub-trusts for which Hill III is either a current or future beneficiary are not entitled to obtain copies of the archives and permanent records of the MHTE from the predecessor trustees. The district court reasoned that (a) the MHTEs Articles of Agreement do not specifically mention a former trustee delivering the records of the trust to a successor trustee, and (b) the successor trustees duty with respect to trust records is purportedly limited to maintaining permanent records henceforth i.e., commencing after the successor trustee is appointed. (ROA.17980-81, 18180) (RE Tabs 3 & 4). Respectfully, the district courts ruling is flatly inconsistent with the Articles of Agreement, Texas law, and common sense. As noted above, the Articles of Agreement require the trustee to maintain archives and permanent records of the trust. (ROA.17765) (RE Tab 5). The terms archives 6 and permanent 7 are
6 For example, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an archive as a place in which public records or historical materials (such as documents) are kept. Merriam Webster Dictionary, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archive (emphasis added). Likewise, the American Heritage Dictionary defines an archive as [a] place or collection containing records, documents, or other materials of historical interest. http://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=archive. Similarly, the Oxford Dictionary defines archive as a collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people. Oxford Dictionaries, http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/archive?q=archive. Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 45 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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commonly used words with well-established definitions. Applying those well- established definitions, the plain language of the Articles of Agreement requires the acting trustee which would include any successor trustee to maintain permanent, historical records of the trust, which records must at all times be open for the inspection of the trusts three-member Advisory Board. (ROA.17765) (RE Tab 5). The successor trustees duty to maintain and make available for inspection the archives and permanent records commences immediately upon the successor trustee being elected. (ROA.17761) (RE Tab 5). The Articles of Agreement are equally clear that the archives and permanent records belong to the trust, not to the trustee. Indeed, that is expressly what Article I, Section 10 of the Articles of Agreement provides when it requires the acting trustee to have the books and records of the trust audited annually, and have the report or said audit filed as part of the archives and permanent records of said Trust Estate. (ROA.17765) (RE Tab 5).
7 The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines permanent as lasting or continuing for a very long time or forever; not temporary or changing. Merriam Webster Dictionary, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/permanent. The American Heritage Dictionary defines permanent as [l]asting or remaining without essential change. American Heritage Dictionary, http://ahdictionary.com/ word/search.html?q=permanent. The Oxford Dictionary defines permanent as lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely. Oxford Dictionaries, http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/permanent?q=permanent. Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 46 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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Nothing in the Articles of Agreement suggests, or could be read to imply, that when a successor trustee is elected, the archives and permanent records of the trust shall be abandoned, and that the successor trustee shall only maintain records henceforth. Indeed, the term henceforth does not appear anywhere in the relevant provisions of the Articles of Agreement the district court simply inserted this limitation of its own accord. (ROA.17980-81, 18180) (RE Tabs 3 & 4). Equally importantly, nothing in the Articles of Agreement or in the parties Settlement Agreement supports the conclusion that successor trustees for certain of the sub-trusts created from the MHTE shall have access to the permanent records of the trust, but that successor trustees for other sub-trusts shall be denied access. But that is exactly the unwarranted and unprecedented dichotomy that the district court created by ruling that the successor trustees for the two sub-trusts of which Hill III is a current or remainder beneficiary are not entitled to copies of the MHTEs records since it is undisputed that successor trustees for other sub-trusts created under the Final J udgment do have those very materials. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.1359 at 7; see also ROA.Sealed, Dkt.1288 at 8 n.6). Both the trust agreement itself and basic fairness dictate that the successor trustees for the sub-trusts affiliated with Hill III must be given the same access to the records of the trust as the successor trustees for the other sub-trusts created from the MHTE. Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 47 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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B. Texas Law Is Fully Consistent with the MHTEs Articles of Agreement with Respect to the Successor Trustees Rights. The conclusion that a successor trustee is entitled to copies of the historical records of the MHTE is not only clear from the Articles of Agreement, but is also amply supported by the Texas laws that the district court relied upon in creating the sub-trusts. (See ROA.Sealed, Dkt.999 at 7) (RE Tab 9). For example, Texas Property Code section 112.057 permits a trustee to divide a trust only if the terms of the separate trusts [are] identical to the terms of the original trust. Likewise, Texas Property Code section 112.054 permits a judicial modification of an existing trust provided that it conforms as nearly as possible to the probable intention of the settlor. Consistent with these statutory provisions, the Final J udgment makes clear that the sub-trusts are simply proportionate divisions of the existing trust estate governed, with very limited exceptions, by the original 1935 Articles of Agreement. (See ROA.Sealed, Dkt.999 at 7-20, 24-25). In other words, the sub-trusts constitute a continuation, not a termination, of the MHTE. Moreover, as with the Articles of Agreement, the Texas Property Code provides that a successor trustee has the same rights, powers, authority, discretion, and title to trust property as was conferred on the prior trustee. Tex. Prop. Code 113.084. Simply put, under Texas law, a successor trustee steps into the shoes of the former trustee. Thus, if the former trustee had access to the archives and Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 48 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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permanent records of the MHTE, the successor trustee must have the same right to access those archives and permanent records. The district court faulted Hill III for failing to cite any Texas case in which a predecessor trustee was ordered to turn over the books and records of the trust to a successor trustee. (ROA.18182) (RE Tab 3). However, it is unsurprising that Hill III was unable to locate any such case given that, as the magistrate judge acknowledged, the turnover of the trusts records to the successor trustee would be expected to happen as a matter of course. (ROA.17980) (RE Tab 4). Hill III respectfully submits that it is far more significant that there is no Texas authority that supports the district courts troubling conclusions that (a) a prior trustee has no obligation to provide the trusts books and records to a successor trustee, and (b) when a trust is divided into separate sub-trusts, successor trustees for some sub- trusts but not others are entitled to copies of the trusts records. Given the lack of any Texas state court cases supporting the obviously flawed conclusions reached by the district court, this Court would be setting a perilous and unfortunate precedent if it were to affirm the district courts ruling. C. Hill III Presented Undisputed Evidence that the Successor Trustees Have a Legitimate Need to Access the Permanent Records of the MHTE. As discussed above, the plain language of the MHTEs Articles of Agreement require the trustee (including a successor trustee) to maintain historical Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 49 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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records of the trust. This requirement makes perfect sense. The MHTE was established in 1935 and was written to continue until the Death of Margaret Hunt . . . and for twenty-one years after . . . her death that is, the trust was intended to last (and has lasted) for decades. (ROA.17767-68) (RE Tab 5). Maintaining permanent trust records throughout the life of the trust would therefore be important, if not essential, to simply by way of example establish the trusts tax basis in property acquired over time, and to keep track of the trusts various different investments and their performance. 8
Nothing in either the Articles of Agreement, the Final J udgment, or Texas law requires the successor trustees, or Hill III personally, to make any showing of need in order for the successor trustees to obtain access to the records of the MHTE. Nonetheless, Hill III and the successor trustees presented largely uncontested evidence to the district court that the successor trustees ability to effectively administer the sub-trusts is being hampered by their lack of access to the permanent records of the MHTE. (ROA.17786-99). For example, the successor trustees testified by declaration that they would not be able to definitively ascertain the tax basis for a significant portion of the assets of the sub-
8 The magistrate judge who initially denied Hill IIIs original motion acknowledged that the original intent of the drafter of MHTEs Articles of Agreement was likely to provide copies of the books and records to the successor trustee. (ROA.17980 (In all likelihood, the drafters of the MHTE trust agreement contemplated that such records and books would naturally be given to any successor trustees.)) (RE Tab 4). Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 50 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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trusts at issue namely, the MHTEs ownership of Exxon Mobil securities without access to the MHTEs historical books and records. 9 (ROA.17788, 17795) (RE Tab 7). Separately and additionally, Hill III submitted evidence showing that having access to the permanent records of the trust was critical in order for the successor trustees, and for Hill III personally, to ascertain whether the sub-trusts had been correctly funded as required by the Settlement Agreement and Final J udgment. In this regard, Hill III offered uncontested evidence that in connection with dividing certain illiquid assets among the sub-trusts as required by the Final J udgment, the former trustees had failed to disclose certain assets that Hill III had subsequently managed to locate himself by reference to secondary sources such as public records. (ROA.17756) (RE Tab 6). Confronted with the secondary evidence unearthed by Hill III, the former trustees later admitted that certain of the information they had provided about the assets that were being divided among the
9 The district court found that the successor trustees concerns on this point are unfounded because the prior trustees had produced a single document, prepared by a non-party, purporting to state the MHTEs tax basis in the Exxon securities. (ROA.18181) (RE Tab 3). However, the successor trustees were aware of the document referenced by the district court when they testified that additional information was needed in order to definitively ascertain the tax basis of assets valued in the tens of millions of dollars. (ROA.17790, 17797). Accordingly, the district courts finding on this issue was not supported by the record, and is clearly erroneous. Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 51 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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sub-trusts had been inaccurate. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.1207 at 2, 4-8; ROA.Sealed, Dkt.1215 at 2, 4-8). Simply put, access to the archives and permanent records of the MHTE is important, and likely essential, in order for the successor trustees to properly carry out their obligations with respect to the sub-trusts. (ROA.17786-88, 17794-95) (RE Tab 7). In this regard, the case of Hoenig v. Texas Commerce Bank, N.A. is instructive. 939 S.W.2d 656 (Tex. App. San Antonio 1996, no writ). In that case, a successor trustee obtained the records of the trust from the outgoing trustee, and subsequently determined from those records that the prior trustee had negligently failed to collect rents for more than ten years on properties owned by the trust. Id. at 658-59. Ironically, the former trustee then contended that the successor trustee should be held jointly liable to the beneficiary on the theory that the successor trustee should have immediately spotted the error. The court rejected this theory for various reasons, including that the successor trustee had promptly spotted and taken steps to address the issue. Id. at 662-63. Hoenig is illustrative both of the fact that a successor trustee necessarily has access to the records of the trust, and also of the reasons why a successor trustees access to trust records is vitally important. Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 52 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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In short, here the record more than amply shows that the successor trustees of the sub-trusts created from the MHTE have a legitimate need for access to the permanent records of the trust. D. The Prior Trustees Are Not Being Asked to Provide a Trust Accounting. In its order denying Hill IIIs motion to compel, the district court reasoned that even if the successor trustees would otherwise be entitled to the records of the MHTE, here Hill III has supposedly waived any right to obtain those records because he agreed in the Settlement Agreement to release the prior trustees for any claim relating to failure to furnish any trust accounting for either of the MHTE or the HHTE, for time periods before and including the resignation dates of the trustees and advisory board members. (ROA.18182 (citing ROA.Sealed, Dkt.999 at 26); ROA.Sealed, Dkt.879 at 25 (emphasis added)) (RE Tabs 3, 9 & 10). The issue before the district court on Hill IIIs motion to compel, and the issue before the Court on this appeal, is not whether the former trustees should be required to provide a trust accounting, since neither Hill III nor the successor trustees are seeking a trust accounting. Rather, the issue before this Court is whether the successor trustees should be permitted to copy the archives and permanent records of the MHTE. A trust accounting is defined under the Texas Property Code as a specific written statement of accounts encompassing five distinct categories of Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 53 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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information, which must be generated and delivered by a trustee in response to a beneficiarys demand. See Tex. Prop. Code 113.151, 113.152. Thus, a beneficiarys right to a trust accounting is defined by law, and is entirely distinct from a successor trustees right under the MHTEs Articles of Agreement to obtain the existing archives and permanent records of the trust. In this regard, the portion of the Settlement Agreement cited by the district court does not state or imply that the successor trustee is somehow precluded from obtaining the existing records of the trust, nor was such a result ever intended by the parties. 10
In concluding that Hill IIIs motion to compel was foreclosed by the Settlement Agreement, J udge Solis also incorrectly concluded that J udge OConnors March 4, 2011 order denying Hill IIIs motion to alter or amend the Final J udgment (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.1099 at 11 (RE Tab 8)) otherwise provided . . . by order of the court that the successor trustees should not be permitted to access, inspect, and copy the MHTE books and records. (ROA.18182-82) (RE Tab 3). This conclusion wholly misconstrues the prior order.
10 At a May 12, 2010 conference concerning the Settlement Agreement, Frank Ikard, then-counsel for Appellee Lyda Hill, discussed the provision of the Settlement Agreement cited by the district court, explaining that [t]his is standard language to get a successor corporate trustee, you have to have an agreement because a successor trustee has to go back and investigate everything that a prior trustee did and so no one is going to serve as a successor trustee with all these allegations unless this language is in the instrument. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.1267-1 at 223-24). Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 54 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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As discussed above, soon after the Final J udgment was entered in November 2010, Hill III filed a motion to alter or amend the judgment in which he argued that due to the passage of time between the Settlement Agreement and the Final J udgment, the district court should order that Hill III, as a beneficiary of the MHTE, had a right to a complete, updated accounting and right of inspection as to the MHTE. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.1050 at 14). The district court denied Hill IIIs motion to alter or amend, finding that there was no basis to add a provision to the Final J udgment entitling Hill III to an updated accounting in light of the language in the Settlement Agreement providing that the former trustees were absolved from liability for failure to furnish any trust accounting. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.1099 at 11) (RE Tab 8). Whether or not the district courts ruling on Hill IIIs motion to alter or amend was correct, that ruling involved a totally separate issue than the one presented here. Specifically, the motion to alter or amend raised the issue of whether Hill III, in his capacity as a beneficiary, was entitled to an updated accounting because of the passage of approximately six months between the settlement and the entry of judgment. By contrast, the issue raised here is whether the successor trustees are entitled to copies of the archives and permanent records of the trust. Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 55 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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In concluding that J udge OConnors prior order had addressed this issue, J udge Solis incorrectly treated the successor trustees as if they are merely agents of Hill III. They are not. To the contrary, a trustee is the owner of the legal title to the trust corpus and the administrator of the trust, with a set of established rights and obligations that are separate and distinct from the rights and obligations of the beneficiary. (See ROA.17761-67) (RE Tab 5). Accordingly, the fact that the prior district court judge found that Hill III was not entitled to a post-settlement accounting in his role as a beneficiary is not relevant to the question of whether the successor trustees are entitled to copies of the archives and permanent records of the trust. E. The Other Objections Raised by Appellees Lack Merit. In their briefing before the district court, Appellees raised various additional objections to Hill IIIs motion to compel the MHTEs records to be produced to the successor trustees. None of those objections is meritorious. For example, the former trustees objected that they should not be required to transfer the trusts records to the successor trustees. However, Hill IIIs motion did not seek to compel the transfer of the records rather, it sought merely to obtain copies of the records for the successor trustees, and the successor trustees offered to pay for those copies. (ROA.17743-44). Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 56 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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The former trustees also argued that Hill III has already received voluminous document productions during the course of the underlying litigation, and that those records should be deemed sufficient. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.1266 at 12-13). However, the former trustees offered no evidence supporting the conclusion that the trust records produced to Hill III during the litigation constitute the complete archives and permanent records of the MHTE. The fact that some trust records were previously produced to Hill III is irrelevant. The former trustees likewise argued to the district court that production of the MHTEs books and records would require substantial time and expense, including a privilege review and withholding of particular documents based on a discovery agreement with a third party. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.1350 at 12 n.6). These arguments are specious. As noted above, the successor trustees offered to pay for making copies of the trust records, so the prior trustees faced no copying expenses whatsoever. (ROA.Sealed, Dkt.1343 at 8-9 n.6; ROA.17790 (RE Tab 7)). Moreover, there is no legitimate need for the prior trustees to conduct a privilege review with respect to the archives and permanent records of the trust, since the successor trustees are in legal privity with the former trustee. See In re Bradley, 501 F.3d 421, 433 (5th Cir. 2007) (citing Huie v. DeShazo, 922 S.W.2d 920, 926 (Tex. 1996) (an attorney represents the trustee in his capacity as trustee)); see also Interfirst Bank-Houston, N.A. v. Quintana Petroleum Corp., 699 S.W.2d 864, Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 57 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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879 (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist.] 1985) (a successor trustee is in privity with their predecessors as trustees, with respect to legal claims or rights that may be asserted). Thus, even assuming for the sake of argument that the permanent records of the trust contain privileged materials, the successor trustee not the former trustee is now the holder of that privilege. Simply put, Appellees have never articulated any objection to the production of the MHTEs records to the successor trustees that is sufficient to outweigh the successor trustees fundamental right to access those materials. II. At a Minimum, Judge Soliss July 30, 2013 Order Should Be Vacated or Remanded to the District Court, Because He Was Apparently Operating under an Undisclosed Conflict. This case was assigned to J udge Solis on May 23, 2013. Two months later, on J uly 30, 2013, J udge Solis entered his one and only substantive ruling in this action, which is the order at issue on this appeal. (ROA.18175-85) (RE Tab 3). In addition to being erroneous for the reasons discussed above, J udge Soliss order is also loaded with intemperate language and disparaging descriptions of both Hill III personally (who is accused of, e.g., tilt[ing] at yet another windmill) and the legal positions advanced by Hill III and his counsel (e.g., Nothing in the express language of the MHTE Articles of Agreement directs a trustee to confer the permanent records of the MHTE to successor trustees as though it were the family Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 58 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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Bible, handed down from generation to generation.). (See ROA.18176-77, 18180-81) (RE Tab 3). Hill III timely appealed J udge Soliss ruling, and then on September 26, 2013, less than two months after entering his solitary substantive ruling J udge Solis voluntarily recused himself without explanation. (ROA.18192). The United States Supreme Court has held that when a district court recuses itself after entering one or more substantive orders, an appropriate remedy under certain circumstances is to vacate any orders and judgments entered after the point when the court should have recused itself. See Liljeberg v. Health Servs. Acquisition Corp., 486 U.S. 847, 864 (1988) (listing factors to be considered, including: (1) the risk of injustice to the parties in the particular case, (2) the risk that the denial of relief will produce injustice in other cases, and (3) the risk of undermining the publics confidence in the judicial process). In this action, between the time that J udge Solis was appointed to hear the matter on May 23, 2013, and the time that J udge Solis recused himself on September 26, 2013, no new parties or causes of action were added. It is therefore highly probable, if not certain, that whatever conflict caused J udge Solis to recuse himself existed at the time he was appointed, and at the time he entered the order that is being appealed from. There is a high risk of injustice to the parties and specifically to Hill III as well as a risk of undermining the publics confidence in Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 59 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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the judicial process, when a judge who was apparently operating under a conflict renders an important order that disparages ones party and then promptly recuses himself thereafter. Rohrbach v. AT&T Nassau Metals Corp. is instructive. 915 F. Supp. 712 (M.D. Pa. 1996). In that case, the district judge recused himself after presiding over a case for four years and after entering a number of substantive rulings. In order to minimize the risk of injustice in that case, the new district court judge fashioned an appropriate remedy independently reviewing every prior ruling for bias to address the undisclosed conflict. Id. at 717. Here, if J udge Soliss one and only substantive order is reviewed for bias, the order cannot withstand scrutiny indeed, seldom does a district court judge, and particularly one that has only presided over a matter for a short period, enter such a vitriolic and disparaging order against a party. Accordingly, at a minimum, J udge Soliss order should be vacated, and Hill IIIs original motion to compel should be remanded for consideration by the new district judge who has been assigned to this action. CONCLUSION Under the MHTEs Articles of Agreement and Texas law, the successor trustees of the sub-trusts created pursuant to the parties Settlement Agreement are entitled to copies of the archives and permanent records of the MHTE. Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 60 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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Accordingly, the district courts order denying Hill IIIs motion to compel should be reversed. In the alternative, in light of the district court judges subsequent and unexplained recusal, this Court should vacate the order at issue and remand Hill IIIs motion to compel for consideration by the new district court judge assigned to this action.
Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Iian D. Jablon (w/p AKW) Iian D. J ablon Aarti K. Wilson Irell & Manella LLP 1800 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 900 Los Angeles, California 90067 [Tel.] (310) 277-1010 [Fax] (310) 203-7199
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANT Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 61 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE 1. This brief complies with the type-volume limitations of Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 32(a)(7)(B) because this brief contains 7,620 words, excluding the parts of the brief exempted by Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 32(a)(7)(B)(iii). 2. This brief complies with the typeface requirements of Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 32(a)(5) and the type-style requirements of Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 32(a)(6) because this brief has been prepared in a proportionally spaced typeface using Microsoft
Office Word 2010 in 14-Point
Times New Roman font.
Date: J anuary 29, 2014 /s/ Aarti K. Wilson Aarti K. Wilson Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 62 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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CERTIFICATION 1. The electronic submission is an exact copy of the paper document, 5th Cir. R. 25.2.1; and, 2. The document has been scanned for viruses with the most recent version of a commercial virus scanning program and is free of viruses.
Date: J anuary 29, 2014 /s/ Aarti K. Wilson Aarti K. Wilson Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 63 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I certify that the foregoing Brief of the Appellant was filed with the Court via the courts electronic filing system on the 29 th day of J anuary 2014, and an electronic copy of the Brief of the Appellant was served on all counsel of record, as listed below, via the courts electronic filing system on the same date: Carrie L. Huff HAYNES & BOONE LLP 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 700 Dallas, Texas 75219
Attorneys for Defendant William Schilling
Harry M. Reasoner VINSON & ELKINS LLP 1001 Fannin Street, Suite 2500 Houston, Texas 77002
Attorneys for Defendant Ivan Irwin, Jr. Michael L. Raiff GIBSON DUNN & CRUTCHER LLP 2100 McKinney Avenue, Suite 1100 Dallas, Texas 75201
J . Keith Benedict A G HILL PARTNERS LLC 1601 Elm Street, Suite 5000 Dallas, Texas 75201
Attorneys for Defendant Albert G. Hill, Jr.
Donald E. Godwin Bruce W. Bowman, J r. Shawn McCaskill Israel R. Silvas Robert J . McGuire W. Ira Bowman GODWIN RONQUILLO PC 1201 Elm Street, Suite 1700 Dallas, Texas 75270
Attorneys for Defendant Alinda H. Wikert Frank N. Ikard, J r. IKARD GOLDEN, PC 400 West 15th Street, Suite 975 Austin, Texas 78701
Kirk Todd Florence J ennifer L. Graf CROUCH & RAMEY, L.L.P. 2001 Ross Avenue, Suite 4400 Stephen D. Susman SUSMAN GODFREY, LLP First Interstate Plaza 1000 Louisiana Street, Suite 1500 Houston, Texas 77002
Carrie L. Huff HAYNES & BOONE, LLP 2323 Victory Avenue, Suite 700 Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 64 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
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Dallas, TX 75202 Attorneys for Defendant Lyda Hill
Dallas, Texas 75219
Attorneys for Defendants Brett Ringle and Margaret Keliher
B. Patrick Shaw WOODWARD & SHAW 4849 Greenville Avenue, Suite 1111 Dallas, Texas 75206
Attorney for Defendant William Herbert Hunt
Stewart H. Thomas Tom M. Dees, III HALLETT & PERRIN, PC 2001 Bryan Street, Suite 3900 Dallas, Texas 75201
Attorneys for Defendants Heather V. Washburne and Elisa M. Summers
Thomas C. Wright Howard Louis Close Patrick Boone McAndrew Kathleen Sheila Rose WRIGHT & CLOSE L.L.P. 1 Riverway, Suite 2200 Houston, TX 77056 Attorneys for Intervenor Campbell Harrison & Dagley, L.L.P. Thomas C. Wright Howard Louis Close Patrick Boone McAndrew Kathleen Sheila Rose WRIGHT & CLOSE L.L.P. 1 Riverway, Suite 2200 Houston, TX 77056
Attorneys for Intervenor Calloway, Norris, Burdette & Weber, P.L.L.C
/s/ Aarti K. Wilson Aarti K. Wilson
Case: 13-10939 Document: 00512516055 Page: 65 Date Filed: 01/29/2014
Falsification of Daily Time Records of Ma. Emcisa A. Benedictos, Administrative Officer I, Regional Trial Court, Office of The Clerk of Court, Malolos City, Bulacan