Samantha Jarvis

Samantha Jarvis has successfully litigated cases in federal and state courts and in arbitrations, winning multi-million dollar judgments for clients on the plaintiff’s side and defeating multi-million dollar claims on the defense side.  Sam’s civil practice spans a wide range of complex commercial disputes – including breach of contract, trade secret misappropriation, financial fraud, unfair business practices, and breach of fiduciary duty.  Sam also maintains an active white-collar criminal defense and internal investigations practice.

Sam has been chosen as a Rising Star by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers from 2020 to present, and has been recognized by “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.”

Sam joined SKV after clerking for Judge Gregg Costa on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She graduated with honors from The University of Texas School of Law.

Born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, Sam is fluent in Spanish.

• Won jury verdict and $3.3 million judgment for operator in dispute over unpaid joint interest billings for Eagle Ford well.  Affirmed on appeal.
  
  Practice Area(s): Commercial Disputes, Appeals, Energy
• Obtained jury verdict and $6.48 million dollar judgment for property owner client, in dispute involving defendants’ unauthorized sale of client’s lots in exclusive Lake Conroe subdivision and breach of prior settlement agreement.
  
  Practice Area(s): Commercial Disputes

• Defeated application for preliminary injunction in the Southern District of Texas in breach of contract and trade secret misappropriation case against manufacturer of oilfield equipment and obtained order compelling arbitration of claims.Practice Areas: Commercial Disputes, Intellectual Property

• Secured dismissal of all claims against Texas bank in qui tam action in the Southern District of Texas alleging violations of the Stark Amendment, the Anti-Kickback statute, and the Texas Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act.Practice Areas: Commercial Disputes, Qui Tam

• Successfully represented the nation’s largest railroad in a series of arbitrations against one of the country’s largest electric power generation corporations that resulted in a favorable global settlement on the first day of the first arbitration hearing.Practice Areas: Commercial Disputes, Arbitration

• Represented former manager of a U.S.-based logistics and freight forwarding company at every stage of a five-year Federal Corrupt Practices Act investigation related to Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), including handling the sentencing hearing.
  
  Practice Areas: White Collar/Internal Investigations

• Obtained a complete dismissal for one of the industry’s largest and most recognized residential housing providers after it was accused of criminal water pollution, resulting in no criminal conviction of any kind.  The State initially sought to file over a dozen felony water pollution charges alleging a significant unlawful sewage discharge into a Texas waterway over the course of several days.Practice Areas: White Collar/Internal Investigations

• Obtained partial dismissal of negligence and invasion of privacy claims against Houston hospital by former hospital employee and an award of attorneys’ fees and costs under Chapter 74 of the Texas Medical Liability Act (TMLA).  The matter later settled confidentially.Practice Areas: Commercial Disputes, Healthcare

• Represented leading musical instrument manufacturer in defending against claims of trademark infringement and trade dress infringement in the Southern District of Texas by major industry competitor.  The matter later settled confidentially.Practice Areas: Commercial Disputes, Intellectual Property