Opinion

in Re CVR Energy, Inc., CVR Partners, LP, CVR Refining, LP, Gary-Williams Energy Company, LLC

Court
Texas Court of Appeals, 1st District (Houston)
Filed
Oct 22, 2015
Status
Published
Cited by
0 cases

The opinion

ACCEPTED

01-15-00877-CV

FIRST COURT OF APPEALS

HOUSTON, TEXAS

10/22/2015 4:25:39 PM

CHRISTOPHER PRINE

CLERK

NO. 01-15-00877-CV

__________________________________________________________________

FILED IN

1st COURT OF APPEALS

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS HOUSTON, TEXAS

FOR THE FIRST DISTRICT OF TEXAS10/22/2015 4:25:39 PM

HOUSTON, TEXAS CHRISTOPHER A. PRINE

Clerk

__________________________________________________________________

IN RE CVR ENERGY, INC., CVR PARTNERS, LP, CVR REFINING, LP,

GARY-WILLIAMS ENERGY COMPANY, LLC

RELATORS

__________________________________________________________________

Original Proceeding

From the 434th Judicial District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas

Cause No. 2013-DCV-209679

The Honorable James H. Shoemake, Presiding

__________________________________________________________________

MOTION FOR ADMISSION PRO HAC VICE

__________________________________________________________________

Phillip D. Sharp Lee M. Smithyman

State Bar No. 18118680 Kansas State Bar No. 09391

MARTIN, DISIERE, JEFFERSON & SMITHYMAN & ZAKOURA, CHARTERED

WISDOM, L.L.P. 750 Commerce Plaza II Building

808 Travis, 20th Floor 7400 West 110th Street

Houston, Texas 77002 Overland Park, Kansas 66210-2362

(713) 632-1700 – Telephone (913) 661-9800 – Telephone

(713) 222-0101 – Facsimile (913) 661-9861 – Facsimile

sharp@mdjwlaw.com lee@smizak-law.com

Application for pro hac admission

pending

1

TO THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS:

Pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 82.0361 and in compliance

with Rule XIX of the Texas Board of Law Examiners, the relators, CVR Energy,

Inc., CVR Partners, LP, and Gary-Williams Energy Company, LLC respectfully

move for the admission pro hac vice of attorney Lee M. Smithyman of the Bar of

the State of Kansas. In support of this Motion, attorney Lee M. Smithyman

submits herewith the acknowledgment letter required by Rule XIX of the Texas

Board of Law Examiners and further states as follows:

1. Mr. Smithyman’s contact information is:

Lee M. Smithyman

SMITHYMAN & ZAKOURA, CHARTERED

750 Commerce Plaza II

7400 West 110th Street

Overland Park, Kansas 66210-2362

Telephone: (913) 661-9800

Facsimile: (913) 661-9863

Email: lee@smizak-law.com

2. Mr. Smithyman will be associated in this proceeding with:

Phillip D. Sharp

Texas State Bar No.18118680

MARTIN, DISIERE, JEFFERSON & WISDOM, L.L.P.

808 Travis Street, Suite 2000

Houston, Texas 77002

Telephone: (713) 632-1700

Facsimile: (713) 222-0101

Email: sharp@mdjwlaw.com

2

3. Within the last two (2) years, Mr. Smithyman has appeared or sought

leave to appear or participated in the following cases or causes in Texas courts:

a. In re CVR Energy, Inc. and CVR Refining, LP, Relators, No.

01-15-00715-CV, In the First District Court of Appeals,

Houston, Texas

b. Donald R. Collier, et al. v. CVR Energy, Inc. and CVR

Refining, LP, Cause No. 15-DCV-220330, In the District Court

of Fort Bend County, Richmond, TX, 268th Judicial District

c. Leanna Mann and Kari Smith vs. CVR Energy, et al., Cause

No. 13-DCV-209679, In the District Court of Fort Bend

County, Richmond, TX, 434th Judicial District

d. Unicorn HRO, LLC vs. Pro Pay, LLC, Cause No. 2012-22616,

In the District Court of Harris County, Houston, TX, 61st

Judicial District

4. Mr. Smithyman is licensed or admitted to practice law in, and is an

active member in good standing with the following state and federal jurisdictions:

Court: Admission date:

Kansas April 25, 1977

Missouri May 6, 1991

Oklahoma June 7, 2010

U.S. District Court – District of Kansas April 26, 1977

U.S. Court of Appeals- Tenth Circuit May 13, 1983

U. S. District Court – Western District of Missouri May 13, 1994

United States Supreme Court January 6, 1997

5. Mr. Smithyman has never been the subject of disciplinary actions by

the Bar of the courts of any jurisdiction in which he is licensed. Mr. Smithyman

3

has not been denied admission to the courts of any state or to any federal court

during the past five (5) years.

6. Mr. Smithyman attests that he is familiar with the State Bar Act, the

State Bar Rules, and the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct

governing the conduct of members of the State Bar of Texas. Mr. Smithyman

attests that he will at all times abide by and comply with these rules as long as the

Texas proceeding is pending and he has not withdrawn as counsel in the

proceeding.

7. Pursuant to Texas Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas,

Rule XIX(a), Mr. Smithyman has filed an application for admission pro hac vice

and has paid the filing fee. The Texas Board of Law Examiners’ letter

acknowledging the application is attached hereto as Exhibit A.

Mr. Smithyman has been retained by Relators to appear as additional

counsel in this proceeding before this Court. For the above reasons, Relators

respectfully request that this Motion be granted. This motion is supported by the

attached "Acknowledgment Letter" from the Texas Board of Law Examiners

showing Mr. Smithyman's application for pro hac vice admission to the Texas

Board of Law Examiners and proof of payment of the required fee (Exhibit A) and

the "Motion to Associate Counsel" from the Texas attorney with whom

Mr. Smithyman shall be associated in this proceeding with this Court (Exhibit B).

4

Respectfully submitted,

SMITHYMAN & ZAKOURA, CHARTERED

By: /s/ Lee M. Smithyman

Lee M. Smithyman

KS Supreme Court No. 09391

750 Commerce Plaza II

7400 West 110th Street

Overland Park, KS 66210-2362

Telephone: (913) 661-9800

Facsimile: (913) 661-9863

Email: lee@smizak-law.com

MARTIN, DISIERE, JEFFERSON &

WISDOM, L.L.P.

By: /s/ Phillip D. Sharp

Phillip D. Sharp

Texas State Bar No. 18118680

808 Travis, 20th Floor

Houston, TX 77002

Telephone: (713) 632-1700

Telefacsimile: (713) 222-0101

Email: sharp@mdjwlaw.com

ATTORNEYS FOR CVR ENERGY, INC.,

CVR PARTNERS, LP, CVR REFINING, LP

and GARY-WILLIAMS ENERGY

COMPANY, LLC

5

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

This is to certify that this computer-generated Motion for Admission Pro

Hac Vice contains 631 words.

/s/ Philip D. Sharp

Philip D. Sharp

Dated: October 22, 2015

CERTIFICATE OF CONFERENCE

This is to certify that my office has conferred David Medina, lead appellate

counsel for the real parties in interest regarding the relief requested in this motion.

Justice Medina advised that the real parties are unopposed to the relief requested.

/s/ Philip D. Sharp

Philip D. Sharp

Dated: October 22, 2015

6

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on this October 22, 2015, a true and correct copy of the

Motion for Admission Pro Hac Vice was sent by the method indicated to the

following individuals:

Gary M. Riebschlager via Email gary@riebschlagerlaw.com

THE RIEBSCHLAGER LAW FIRM

801 Congress, Suite 250

Houston, TX 77002

Richard L. Tate via Email: rltate@tate-law.com

Kristin Reis via Email: kreis@tate-law.com

TATE, MOERER & KING, LLP

206 South Second Street

Richmond, TX 77469

Timothy A. Hootman via Email: thootman2000@yahoo.com

2402 Pease St

Houston, TX 77003

713.247.9548; 713.583.9523 (f)

David M. Medina via email: davidmedina@justicedavidmedina.com

THE MEDINA LAW FIRM

5300 Memorial Dr., Ste. 890

Houston, TX 77007

/s/ Philip D. Sharp

Philip D. Sharp

7

A

Board of Law Examiners

Appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas

P.O. Box 13486 * Austin, Texas 78711-3486

Acknowledgment Letter

Non-Resident Attorney Fee

October 21, 2015

To: Lee M. Smithyman

Via: lee@smizak-law.com

According to Texas Government Code §82.0361, “a nonresident attorney

requesting permission to participate in proceedings in a court in this state shall

pay a fee of $250 for each case in which the attorney is requesting to

participate.”

This Acknowledgement Letter serves as proof that the Board of Law

Examiners has received $250 in connection with the following matter:

Non-resident attorney: Lee M. Smithyman

Case: 01-15-00877-CV

Texas court or body: First Court of Appeals Houston TX

After satisfying the fee requirement, a non-resident attorney shall file a

motion in the Texas court or body in which the non-resident attorney is

requesting permission to appear. The motion shall contain the information and

statements required by Rule XIX(a) of the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar

of Texas. The motion must be accompanied by this Acknowledgment Letter and

by a motion from a resident practicing Texas attorney that contains the

statements required by Rule XIX(b).

The decision to grant or deny a non-resident attorney’s motion for permission

to participate in the proceedings in a particular cause is made by the Texas court

or body in which it is filed.

For more information, please see Rule XIX of the Rules Governing Admission

to the Bar of Texas and §82.0361 of the Texas Government Code, which can be

found on the Board’s website.

Sincerely,

Susan Henricks

Executive Director

B

NO. 01-15-00877-CV

__________________________________________________________________

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIRST DISTRICT OF TEXAS

HOUSTON, TEXAS

__________________________________________________________________

IN RE CVR ENERGY, INC., CVR PARTNERS, LP, CVR REFINING, LP,

GARY-WILLIAMS ENERGY COMPANY, LLC

RELATORS

__________________________________________________________________

Original Proceeding

From the 434th Judicial District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas

Cause No. 2013-DCV-209679

The Honorable James H. Shoemake, Presiding

__________________________________________________________________

MOTION TO ASSOCIATE COUNSEL

__________________________________________________________________

Phillip D. Sharp

State Bar No. 18118680

MARTIN, DISIERE, JEFFERSON & WISDOM, LLP

808 Travis, 20th Floor

Houston, Texas 77002

(713) 632-1700 – Telephone

(713) 222-0101 – Facsimile

sharp@mdjwlaw.com

Lee M. Smithyman

Kansas State Bar No. 09391

SMITHYMAN & ZAKOURA, CHARTERED

750 Commerce Plaza II Building

7400 West 110th Street

Overland Park, Kansas 66210-2362

(913) 661-9800 – Telephone

(913) 661-9861 – Facsimile

lee@smizak-law.com

Application for pro hac admission pending

1

TO THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS:

Come now the relators, CVR Energy, Inc., CVR Refining, L.P., and Gary-

Williams (collectively, “CVR”), who hereby file this motion to associate counsel

and move this Court for an Order permitting Lee M. Smithyman, a non-resident

attorney for the State of Texas to practice in the above styled and numbered cause

pursuant to Rule XIX, “Requirements for Participation in Texas Proceedings by a

Non-Resident Attorney of the Texas Board of Law Examiners. As indicated in the

style of the motion and in the certificate of conference below, this motion is

unopposed.

I, Philip D. Sharp, CVR’s Texas counsel in this proceeding find Mr.

Smithyman, a non-resident attorney for the State of Texas to be a reputable

attorney and recommend that he be granted permission to participate in the above-

referenced proceeding before this honorable Court.

MARTIN, DISIERE, JEFFERSON &

WISDOM, L.L.P.

By: /s/ Philip D. Sharp

Phillip D. Sharp

Texas State Bar No. 18118680

808 Travis, 20th Floor

Houston, TX 77002

Telephone: (713) 632-1700

Facsimile: (713) 222-0101

Email: sharp@mdjwlaw.com

COUNSEL FOR RELATORS

2

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

This is to certify that this computer-generated Motion to Associate Counsel

contains 139 words.

/s/ Philip D. Sharp

Philip D. Sharp

Dated: October 22, 2015

CERTIFICATE OF CONFERENCE

This is to certify that my office has conferred David Medina, lead appellate

counsel for the real parties in interest regarding the relief requested in this motion.

Justice Medina advised that the real parties are unopposed to the relief requested.

/s/ Philip D. Sharp

Philip D. Sharp

Dated: October 22, 2015

3

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on this October 22, 2015, a true and correct copy of the

Motion To Associate Counsel was sent by the method indicated to the following

individuals:

Gary M. Riebschlager Via Email gary@riebschlagerlaw.com

THE RIEBSCHLAGER LAW FIRM

801 Congress, Suite 250

Houston, TX 77002

Richard L. Tate Via Email: rltate@tate-law.com

Kristin Reis Via Email: kreis@tate-law.com

TATE, MOERER & KING, LLP

206 South Second Street

Richmond, TX 77469

Timothy A. Hootman via Email: thootman2000@yahoo.com

2402 Pease St

Houston, TX 77003

713.247.9548; 713.583.9523 (f)

David M. Medina via email: davidmedina@justicedavidmedina.com

THE MEDINA LAW FIRM

5300 Memorial Dr., Ste. 890

Houston, TX 77007

/s/ Philip D. Sharp

Philip D. Sharp

4

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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