San Antonio court returns "take nothing" judgment in suit against law firm. The San Antonio Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of Houston-based law firm Baker Botts in the Cailloux Estate case, delivering a "take nothing" judgment.

The three-judge panel found that there wasn't enough evidence to support the tenet that Baker Botts' estate planning advice had harmed Kathleen Cailloux, a client of the law firm. The Court also determined that the trial court "had no power to create an 'equitable trust'" of $65.5 million under the circumstances presented at trial.

P.R. squabble

"This ruling by the Court is a complete vindication for Baker Botts," says Joe Cheavens, senior counsel for the firm. "Contrary to assertions made in a public relations campaign by the plaintiffs' lawyers, Baker Botts did nothing wrong with respect to our representation of Kathleen Cailloux."

No award was made to Ken Cailloux, who had brought suit against Baker Botts and Wells Fargo Bank. Ken Cailloux contended that Baker Botts had caused damages to his ailing mother Kathleen Cailloux's $100-million estate. Ken Cailloux's late father Floyd Cailloux made his fortune running industrial valve maker Keystone Valve Company, now part of Tyco. After his retirement, Floyd and Kathleen Cailloux engaged Baker Botts to help them with their estate planning.

Baker Botts has about 750 attorneys in three offices in Texas, one in New York, one in Washington, D.C., and international branches in Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Moscow, and Riyadh. -FWR

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