Ruth A. Brenton
Of Counsel
Ruth Brenton graduated from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 1998 in the top 10% of her class. Prior to Law School, she double majored in Finance and International Business at the University of Texas at Austin. Before joining Ellington & Associates in the summer of 2021, Ms. Brenton worked in the Houston offices of several regional full-service business law firms, focusing her practice in complex commercial, environmental, insurance coverage, and oil and gas matters. Ms. Brenton’s colleagues relied on her to establish the legal foundations for her clients’ claims and defenses and take primary responsibility for presenting written motions and briefing to the trial courts, and appellate briefing to state and federal courts of appeal.
Ms. Brenton is licensed to practice before all Texas state courts as well as the United States District Courts for the Southern District of Texas and the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.
In addition to her case load, Ms. Brenton also co-authored a few publications, see below.
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- Represented a Texas/California joint venture in enforcement of arbitration award determining title to California oil & gas interests. Primary responsibility for legal research and analysis, trial court petition, and motion practice. Primary responsibility for drafting notice of appeal and appellate brief. Management of claims and monitoring of opposing party’s bankruptcy plan during bankruptcy stay.
- Representation of royalty interest holders in lease’s right of first refusal dispute against Lessee. Primary responsibility for drafting pleadings, legal research and analysis, and extensive summary judgment practice.
- Primary responsibility for supervision of operations, management, and maintenance of mature Superfund Site in Bridge City, Texas. Coordinated Site activities with Site contract providers, Environmental Protection Agency employees and counsel, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and property owner. Managed post-Hurricane Harvey activities at the Site.
- Assisted major oilfield client with response to EPA allegations of RCRA reporting violations.
- Assisted manufacturing client in defending criminal charges stemming from alleged violation of TEX. WATER CODE § 7.145.
- Primary responsibility for trial court motion practice and court of appeals briefing for claims brought against client bank; obtained summary judgment for client on claims of breach of fiduciary duty, civil conspiracy, and tortious interference with contract. Successfully defended summary judgment in client’s favor on appeal. Immobiliere Jeuness Establissment v. Amegy Bank, N.A., 525 S.W.3d 875 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist. 2017], no pet.).
- Successful Appellee’s briefing in Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on claims brought by insured directional drilling company against insurer client on a novel coverage issue. Downhole Navigator, L.L.C. v. Nautilus Insurance Company, 686 F.3d 325 (5th Cir. 2012) (Appellee).
- Obtained favorable mandamus on client’s forum non conveniens argument. In re: SXP Analytics, L.L.C., 2012 WL 1357696 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2012, orig. proceeding) (Relator).
- Obtained summary judgment in slip-and-fall case against big-box retailer. After briefing, upheld per curiam by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Veta Garvey Farmer v. Home Depot USA, Inc., et al.; Cause No. 11-50744 (Appellee).
- Primary drafting responsibility for Amicus brief filed in the Supreme Court of Texas. Shepard v. Cypress Texas Lloyds; Cause No. 11-0873 (Amicus Curiae).
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- All Good Things Must End – Decommissioning Oil and Gas Facilities and Bankruptcy Impacts, Institute for Energy Law of The Center for American and International Law’s Annual Institute on Oil and Gas Law (with Koks, Mary)
- Contaminated Property and Bankrtupcy, 28th Annual Texas Environmental Superconference (with Koks,Mary and Wielebinski, Joseph)
- Environmental Claims in Bankruptcy, Mealy’s Environmental Litigation Conference, 2005 (with Koks, Mary)