Experience

Mr. Doyen is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  He has maintained a broad and varied trial practice.  While working with a student bar card, Mr. Doyen briefed a case of first impression to the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Within three months of being licensed to practice law, Mr. Doyen argued that case to the Fifth Circuit and successfully reversed and remanded a dismissal of his client’s case by the trial judge.  That case resulted in the Fifth Circuit considering and adopting an exception to the Federal Tort Claims Act for negligent misrepresentation.  During the last 12 years, Mr. Doyen has tried in excess of 60 significant cases.  He has also handled numerous civil and criminal appeals.  

Mr. Doyen has been actively involved in commercial litigation and traditional insurance litigation, both first-party and third-party, throughout his career.  Mr. Doyen’s successful defense of health care professionals includes hospitals and their employees, doctors and other allied health professionals, chiropractors, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes.  As a result of his success in representing medical professionals, Mr. Doyen has also become involved in the defense of other professionals such as attorneys, engineers, stock brokers, and land surveyors.  Mr. Doyen brings to these cases an understanding of the stresses and pressures brought to bear on professionals when they are sued.

Mr. Doyen’s involvement in commercial litigation includes contract disputes, business and employment litigation, bankruptcy litigation, oil & gas litigation, and real estate litigation.  Mr. Doyen has spent many years involved in transactional work pertaining to real estate, oil & gas, contracts, and non-compete agreements.  Success in that transactional work led to a broad and active trial practice in all those areas.  

In addition to his extensive trial practice, Mr. Doyen has been actively involved in governmental law.  He has been retained to serve as the city attorney for a home rule city, and has been retained to advise and represent a number of other cities, economic development corporations, school districts, and other governmental entities.  Mr. Doyen has represented and advised both large and small entities in such areas as EEOC investigations, use of force cases, collective bargaining, employment issues, policy implementation, ordinance drafting, and special education law.  He has drafted and implemented zoning ordinances, including a complete re-write of the zoning ordinance of a home-rule city, as well as annexation plans.  Mr. Doyen has successfully represented Texas political subdivisions in personal injury and employment litigation, general civil litigation, zoning enforcement lawsuits, and lawsuits related to economic development projects.  Mr. Doyen is a frequent speaker on issues related to Texas municipal law, economic development, and education law.

Representative Cases

Russell Hudeck v. Memorial Hermann Hospital System, 127th District Court, Harris County, Texas, Cause No. 2003-29849 (tried in 2005).  Successfully represented local hospital sued for alleged medical negligence relating to the development and progression of a decubitus ulcer, which eventually measured six inches in diameter.  The jury found no negligence on the part of the hospital, which was the sole defendant at trial.

Michael & Sharon Gordon v. Little Rock Assemblies of God Church, South Texas District Counsel Assemblies of God, et al, 172nd District Court, Jefferson County, Texas, Cause No. E-162,269.  Premise liability sexual assault case against an Assemblies of God Church whose youth pastor pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and was sentenced to the penitentiary.  Successfully represented Little Rock Assemblies of God Church and obtained summary judgment dismissal of all claims against the church on the eve of trial.  The trial later resulted in a multi-million dollar judgment against defendant, South Texas District Counsel Assemblies of God, which was represented by other counsel.

NMTC Corp. d/b/a MATCO Tools vs. Conarroe, 88th District Court, Hardin County, Texas, Cause No. 42,567.  Successfully represented defendant in covenant not to compete case in which plaintiff sought enforcement of covenant not to compete, as well as injunctive relief.  The judgment, which was in defendant’s favor, was later upheld on appeal in an opinion published at 99 S.W.3d 865 (Tex. App. – Beaumont 2003, no writ).  

Saraw Partnership, et al vs. The United States of America, et al, 67 F.3d 567 (5th Cir. 1995).  Reversed and remanded a dismissal of plaintiff’s causes of action brought against the United States Veterans Administration for negligent misrepresentation.  

Budget Properties, LP vs. Beaumont Metropolitan Properties, Inc., 60th District Court; Jefferson County, Texas, Cause No. B-166151.  Wrongful foreclosure case where plaintiff sued for deficiency on a foreclosed note and defendant counterclaimed for $1.2 million in damages caused by wrongful foreclosure.  Successfully represented plaintiff in obtaining a judgment for the deficiency amount, attorney’s fees, and a finding of no liability on the wrongful foreclosure counterclaim.  

Louisiana Gas Development Corp. and Aspect Resources, LLC v. Shine & Johnston, Inc. and J. Gilbert Johnston, 172nd District Court; Jefferson County, Texas, Cause No. E-162088.  Successfully represented a registered professional land surveyor in a case involving alleged professional negligence.  It was alleged that the client’s staff mis-staked plaintiffs’ oil and gas well approximately 592 feet from its intended location.  Plaintiffs claimed to have discovered the mistake after having drilled to over 8,000 feet of depth and having incurred millions in claimed damages.  The Court granted summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs on negligence.  However, a careful analysis of the seismic data developed demonstrated the benefits to the plaintiffs of the fortuitous well placement and the case was resolved for a confidential amount very favorable to the client.

In the Estate of Earl Yarborough, Deceased, 356th District Court, Hardin County, Texas, Cause No. 36,759.  Successfully defended independent executrix of an estate in a will contest.  

Patrick Butcher vs. Diane Butcher, 279th District Court, Jefferson County, Texas, Cause No. F-136,121.  Successfully represented husband in equitable bill of review brought seven years after rendition of judgment.  The court found fraud in the prior rendition of the divorce and custody orders, vacated its prior orders, determined that the law of Trinidad applied, and recognized the divorce and custody orders granted in Trinidad as prevailing.  

Articles/Presentations

Litigating the Economic Development Project, Texas City Attorney’s Association; 2006, TCAA Semi-Annual Conference.

The FBI is on the phone?  Someone Telling me who I Represent! (Ethics presentation), Texas City Attorney’s Association; 2003, Texas Municipal League Conference.

Economic Development Corporations, Texas City Attorney’s Association; 2002, TCAA Semi-Annual Conference.

Independent Medical Examinations, State Bar of Texas Advanced Expert Witness Course; 2002.

When the FBI comes knocking at your door (Ethics presentation), State Bar of Texas Suing and Defending Governmental Entities; 2002.

The FBI is on the phone? (Ethics presentation), Texas City Attorney’s Association; 2001, TCAA Semi-Annual Conference.

How an Attorney Approaches Expert Testimony, International Association of Arson Investigators Expert Witness Courtroom Testimony Course; 2001.

Recent Federal Cases, Texas City Attorney’s Association; 1999, TCAA Semi-Annual Conference.