Bell Nunnally Trial Team Secures Full Dismissal of $27M Negligence, Premises Liability Suit

A Bell Nunnally trial team secured the dismissal of a $27 million suit brought against three Dallas based nightclub investors, including a high-profile former professional athlete. The suit alleged negligence, negligence per se and premises liability related to alleged criminal activity that occurred in a location proximal to a nightclub venue. Bell Nunnally Partner R. Heath Cheek led the firm team and Senior Associate Saba F. Syed and Associate Mason G. Jones both played critical roles. The Bell Nunnally trial team asserted, among other defenses, that established Texas law mandates that individual investors do not owe a legal duty to prevent the criminal acts of third parties and therefore were not individually liable for the alleged torts in question. In late 2020, the claims against one of the investors was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice, and Bell Nunnally obtained two favorable summary judgment orders wherein the other investors were dismissed from the suit. The plaintiffs’ claims against the individual investors were found to be baseless, with each claim failing as a matter of law.