Biography
Cory Curtis focuses his litigation practice on complex business disputes in state and federal court, as well as arbitration, in Texas and throughout the United States. As lead counsel, Cory advises plaintiffs and defendants on corporate governance disputes, construction litigation, business torts, fiduciary litigation, real estate matters, oil and gas cases, and product liability defense. From pre-suit counseling to trial, Cory assists his clients in achieving both their business and legal objectives.
Education
- University of Denver Sturm College of Law – J.D., 2003
- Hope College – B.A., 1999
Representation Experience
- Secured jury verdict and $1M+ judgment plus $500K+ award for attorney’s fees on client’s breach of fiduciary duty claim against financial advisor after six-day trial in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Successfully defended verdict on appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Murphy v. Schaible, 108 F. 4th 1257 (10th Cir. 2024).
- Secured jury verdict for possession and awarded attorney’s fees against landlord in favor of Harris County microbrewery in commercial eviction case.
- Prevailed in a seven-day administrative law trial before the Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings for a Class 8 truck manufacturer by showing the manufacturer’s good cause to reduce the dealer’s area of responsibility based on the dealer’s poor sales and service performance. Successfully defended case on appeal. Sweeten Truck Center, L.C. v. Volvo Trucks North America, No. 03-16-00068, 2016 WL 4979826 (Tex. App.—Austin 2016).
- Secured jury verdict for $2.5M+ and awarded $500K+ in attorney’s fees against a publicly traded oil and gas operator on behalf of a drilling company on a claim for breach of International Association of Drilling Contractors’ contract in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.
- Lead counsel before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in a dealership termination dispute between an equipment manufacturer and dealer. The Sixth Circuit ruled in favor of the client that the dealer was not permitted to shield the federal case record from public access. Rudd Equip. Co., Inc. v. John Deere Constr. & Forestry Co., 834 F.3d 589 (6th Cir. 2016).
- Secured jury verdict for publicly traded engineering and manufacturing company in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado by arguing that the client’s carbon steel boat steering cable design was not defective, and the jury should decide that issue using the risk-benefit test, not the consumer expectation test. Defended the verdict on appeal. Kokins, et al. v. Teleflex Inc., 621 F.3d 1290 (10th Cir. 2010).
- Awarded summary judgment for component part supplier in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in a product liability and fraud case involving a failed micro tunnel boring machine. Nada Pacific Corp. v. Power Engineering & Mfg., Ltd., 73 F. Supp. 3d 1206 (N.D. Cal. 2014).
- Awarded summary judgment in favor of an engineering client in a case involving alleged failure of an aggregate storage silo. Lone Star Industries, Inc. v. Besser Company, Civ. Action No. 11-1481, 2013 WL (April 17, 2013, E.D. Pa.).
- Favorable settlement as lead defense counsel for directors of publicly traded oil & gas company in shareholder derivative suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.
- After nearly a decade of litigation in New York state court, secured agreement to transfer venue to arbitration and won a complete defense award for manufacturer facing claims by former partner over a failed joint venture to sell equipment to masonry factories in Greece.
- Awarded summary judgment for a publicly traded engineering and manufacturing firm in a catastrophic injury and quadriplegia products liability case in Maricopa County, Arizona, by defeating plaintiffs’ causation theory where plaintiffs sought more than $30M in damages.
- Awarded summary judgment in dispute between American equipment supplier and Russian sales agent in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
- Awarded summary judgment for equipment seller in warranty case in New York County, New York by arguing buyers’ claims were barred by the statute of limitations, and the court ordered buyers to pay the client for equipment installation services provided in China.
- Led defense of cross-border dispute in Harris County District Court, involving claims against Mexican dairy company client brought by U.S. and Mexican distributors over failed business venture in Texas. Secured settlement for the client that ended litigation and terminated the client’s U.S. and Mexican distributor agreements.
Speaking Engagements & Presentations
- Collignon and Curtis Speak on “Interviewing for Diversity Scholarships” at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law (11/1/2013)
Memberships & Affiliations
- American Bar Association
- Colorado Bar Association
- Texas Bar Association
Admissions
- State Bar of Texas
- State Bar of Colorado
- United States District Court: District of Nebraska
- United States District Court: Eastern District of Michigan
- United States District Court: District of Colorado
- United States District Courts: Northern, Eastern, and Southern Districts of Texas
- United States Courts of Appeals for the Sixth and Tenth Circuits
Community Involvement
- Board Member, Alumni Council, University of Denver Sturm College of Law (2016-present)
- Kingwood Forest Cove Baseball Coach (2017-2019)
- Chairman, Businesses of Thornton, Colorado Advisory Commission (2012-2014)