Rachel Palmer Hooper

Experience

Administrative and Regulatory Matters

• Represented a retail electric provider in a regulatory proceeding before a state utility commission.
• Provides counsel to various companies on compliance issues related to Texas statutory and administrative regulations.
• Provides counsel to various companies on responses to criminal investigative demands and subpoenas.

Civil and Complex Commercial Litigation

• Represents a restaurant owner and operator in Texas state court multidistrict and federal litigation arising out of a confrontation between police and motorcycle clubs.
• Represents a business owner and land owner in Texas state court litigation arising out of a murder that occurred on the premises.
• Represented an energy company in case in which Plaintiff landowners sought $100 million resulting from alleged antitrust violations and fraudulent inducement of oil and gas leasing contracts. After multiweek trial, jury rejected each of Plaintiffs’ claims and court awarded the E&P company more than $1.7 million in attorneys’ fees on its contractual counterclaim.
• Represented a restaurant owner and operator in a commercial lease dispute. The case settled on favorable terms.
• Represented an operator and working interest owner of an East Texas oil field in an arbitration proceeding against another working interest owner in a dispute concerning joint operations of the field. The case settled on favorable terms during the arbitration proceeding.
• Represented a construction equipment manufacturer in a case alleging tortious interference with prospective business relations and conspiracy. The case settled on favorable terms.
• Represented a telecommunications company in seeking a declaratory judgment concerning the validity of certain restrictive covenants encumbering property. The case settled on favorable terms.
• Represented an energy company in a breach of contract claim concerning overriding royalty interests. The case settled on favorable terms.
• Represented a boat manufacturer in a dispute concerning manufacturer rebates. The case settled on favorable terms.
• Represented a land services company in a dispute concerning an alleged breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets. The case settled on favorable terms.
• Member of the BakerHostetler legal team serving as court-appointed counsel to Irving H. Picard, Securities Investor Protection Act (SIPA) Trustee for the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC (BLMIS).

White Collar Matters

• Represented a large retailer in response to criminal investigative demands and a subpoena.
• Represented a man accused by the government of using identifying information to submit false invoices for counseling services that were not rendered. Despite third-degree felony charges, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine, negotiated with the state and secured a deferred adjudication (community supervision) and an order to pay restitution to the state.
• Represented a large manufacturing company that received a grand jury subpoena. Provided enough background information and successfully communicated with the prosecutor to prevent the client from appearing before the grand jury.
• Represented an elected official in a removal proceeding, which was dismissed by the Court.
• Represented a health services company in response to criminal investigative demands and a subpoena.

Prosecution Work

• Prosecuted a woman who embezzled more than $100,000 from employers over a period of two years. She is now serving a 15-year sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division.
• Completed the investigation and prosecuted three individuals regarding the theft of more than $200,000 of construction materials from a Fortune 500 international manufacturer and marketer of petrochemical products.
• Prosecuted a security guard who fatally shot a newly hired guard, provoked by termination of his personal employment. He is presently serving a 55-year sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division.
• Prosecuted a man who stabbed his girlfriend more than 20 times and is now serving a 30-year sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division.
• Prosecuted a man for murder in which he and his girlfriend orchestrated a drug deal with the victim and ambushed him, shooting him five times. The incident occurred after the defendant was released from prison following a 15-year sentence for a previous murder in 1996. He is now serving a 50-year sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division.
• Prosecuted a defendant who shot a man multiple times and fled to New York. He is now serving an 80-year sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division.
• Prosecuted a cold case murder that went unsolved for more than 10 years. Defendant is now serving a 20-year sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division.
• Prosecuted a woman for failing to seek medical assistance after her 4-year-old daughter ingested her drugs, resulting in her daughter’s death. She is presently serving a life sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division. 
• Prosecuted three juveniles for aggravated sexual assault and aggravated robbery after the three defendants approached the victim in his apartment complex and proceeded to assault and rob the complainant, then forced the complainant to take them back to his apartment where they raped the victim’s girlfriend. All three juveniles were certified to be tried as adults.

Memberships

• American Bar Association: Litigation Section
• Houston Bar Association: Appellate Section
• Independent Petroleum Association of America
• The Sedona Conference
• Texas Supreme Court Historical Society
• Institute for Energy Law: Advisory Board
• The Federalist Society

Community

• The Junior League of Houston, Inc.
  • Sustaining Member
  • Board of Directors (former)
• M.D. Anderson Cancer Center’s Health Adventures Program: Volunteer Mentor (former)
• South Texas College of Law Alumni Association: Board of Directors (former)

Pro Bono

• Assists crime survivors and the families of crime victims in navigating the criminal justice system.