Ian is a Director with Coats Rose and a member of the firm’s Litigation, Construction/Surety Law, and Real Estate Law sections. He has been on the Board of Directors for the Bay Area Builders Association, a Division of the Greater Houston Builders Association, since 2004, and was also recognized and honored as the “2005 Associate of the Year” by the Bay Area Builders Association for his outstanding dedication and support.
Ian lectures and has authored/co-authored several articles on a variety of topics concerning the construction industry for the State Bar of Texas and the University of Texas Continuing Legal Education Program. He served as Co-Chair of the Planning Committee and presiding officer for the University of Texas CLE 2006 program entitled “The Use of Experts in Construction Law and Litigation”, and authored a column entitled “Legal Lines” that was published monthly in the Houston Builder Magazine by the Greater Houston Builders Association from 2005 to 2008. Additionally, Ian was named a Texas Super Lawyer Rising Star in 2012.
Ian’s law practice consists predominately of litigation, with broad experience in business/commercial litigation and real estate litigation, (with an emphasis on construction defects litigation). He has had extensive courtroom experience having represented clients in both jury and bench trials, and having argued cases on appeal. Ian has represented various companies, lending institutions, homebuilders, brokers, general contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers, homeowners, business owners and individuals in corporate, business and real estate disputes. Such disputes have been varied and include issues such as lender liability, wrongful death, breach of contract, warranty, error and omission, indemnity, various insurance coverages, and a multitude of issues in the oil and gas/energy industry. He also practices before the American Arbitration Association.
Ian’s oil and gas/energy law practice is extensive, especially in the oil field services sector. Ian has handled down-hole failure litigation, pipeline rupture litigation, wrongful death litigation, operating agreement litigation (master service agreements for drilling and workover services), and oil and gas lease litigation. Typically involved in the handling of such matters are major catastrophic loss investigations, evaluations of safety programs and protocols, and OSHA and PHMSA investigations and hearings. Ian has handled these disputes in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Colorado, Arkansas, Wyoming, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania.
St. Lawrence University (B.A., 1995)
South Texas College of Law (J.D., 1999)
2000, Texas
2009, Oklahoma
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
U.S. District Court of Texas, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts
U.S. District Court of Colorado
U.S. District Court of Oklahoma, Western District
State Bar of Texas (Litigation and Construction Law Sections)
Houston Bar Association (Litigation and Construction Law Sections; Chair of the Section, 2010-2011; Chair-Elect, 2009-2010; Treasurer, 2008-2009; Construction Law Section Council Member, 2006-2008)
Defense Research Institute
Texas Bar Foundation (Fellow)
Institution for Energy Law (Advisory Board)
Bay Area Builders Association (Director/Board of Directors, 2008-present; Vice President/Board of Directors, 2006-2008)