Lawrence E. Henke

Lawrence E. Henke
Partner

Commercial Litigation
Anti Trust / Securities Litigation
Toxic Tort / Hazardous Substances Litigation
Products Liability
General Liability
FCPA Investigations
General Corporate and Transactional Counseling

Tel: 903-617-6202 | Fax: 646-349-2217 | lhenke@mgpllp.com | Download vCard

Larry Henke is a partner and trial attorney who focuses on commercial litigation. Mr. Henke specializes in representation and counseling of multi-national manufacturing companies. He is an experienced trial attorney who has tried multiple cases to successful jury verdicts for his clients. He handles all types of litigation matters, including international disputes, class action defense, securities fraud actions, mass tort and environmental litigation, products liability, coverage litigation, corporate and business law.

In addition, Mr. Henke was in-house counsel with two publically traded companies, most recently an Assistant General Counsel with a Fortune 500 company, where he guided the business through multiple types of commercial transactions and litigated disputes in the U.S., Europe, South America and the Asia Pacific region. He has advised boards on SEC investigations and performed multiple internal employee misconduct investigations and FCPA inquiries for companies. With his experience he can also fill the role of Virtual General Counsel for small and medium sized business.

Mr. Henke brings to his clients the experience of a trial attorney with the background and insight of an in-house counsel which uniquely positions him to provide value added services to his clients.

SIGNIFICANT ENGAGEMENTS

    Major Litigation
  • Management of 47 heritage product lines’ involvement in mass tort products liability litigation. Involved 11 different lines of coverage and management of over 100,000 cases in 34 states, plus the supervision of 8 National Coordinating Counsel teams and over 200 lawyers nationwide.
  • Carrier declaratory action and dispute involving $1.4 billion in insurance coverage. Successfully established coverage in disputed time periods and obtained fullest amount of coverage for company.
  • Investigated an internal leak of non-public information and a hostile take-over bid by a former officer and group of current employees from U.S. and France. Obtained TRO and successfully protected company’s interests in multi-national litigation.
  • Suit for indemnification of environmental and products liability against heritage brand seller involving interpretation of 1987 LBO transaction, partnership formation and letter agreement.

    • International
  • Litigated a product dispute between the French Transportation Authority and a German company related to tank car valve performance.
  • Foreclosure of Mexican property due to a German judicial determination of judgment involving a German contract between a German company and Mexican vendor.
  • Investigation of a Thai government gas line project involving a contract dispute between an Italian company and UK company with a catastrophic line failure in Thailand.
  • Litigated dispute involving several contracts for a Canadian subsidiary with vendors in Quebec, British Columbia and the U.S. for various services provided to manufacturing facilities.
  • Defended claim from former Argentine employee of Argentine subsidiary for commission due in South American transaction.
  • Shareholder dispute in Germany by owners of stock in German Gmbh company.
  • Coordinated the response to an investigation inquiry from the Moscow police regarding an abuse of power investigation related to a water facility construction project in Russia.

    • Securities and Compliance
  • Defended a consolidated shareholder class action merging four separate shareholder suits and involving allegations against the company, officers, underwriters and auditors.
  • Managed formal investigation by SEC into 2004 accounting restatement and announced 2005 restatement, resulting in a no-prosecution finding from SEC.
  • Defended shareholder derivative action against the Board of Directors and CEO regarding allegations of mismanagement resulting in a financial restatement of earnings.
  • SEC investigation into Reg FD violation by company CEO and Investor Relations director.

    • Intellectual Property
  • Theft of trade secret case involving former employees misappropriating trade secrets. Judgment obtained against defendants as well as post judgment sanctions for violating court order.
  • Lanham Act trademark infringement and trade secret case involving former distributor employees who misappropriated trade secrets and manufactured a counterfeit product. Injunction obtained and judgment received in settlement.
  • Breach of duty of loyalty and trade secret misappropriation case involving core group of employees who started competing business. Case is pending.
  • Negotiated the acquisition of product IP for component supplier to be utilized in a new product introduction.
  • Negotiated intellectual property rights and licenses for IP in jointly developed component part technology.

    • Human Resources, Benefits and Employment
  • NLRB labor arbitration involving training requirements and seeking pay adjustment for employee group for 2 years.
  • NLRB arbitration demand for review of shift assignments and discipline action taken against employee.
  • Dispute and lawsuit involving administration of company benefits plan and eligibility for coverage. Damages alleged exceed $1 million due to improper plan administration by vendor.
  • Dispute over application of life insurance policy exclusions and policy holder notification.
  • Lawsuit involving violation of severance agreement and claw back provision of severance agreement.
  • Claim by company against former employee for breach of duty of loyalty, breach of confidentiality agreement and computer fraud.

EDUCATION
University of Great Falls (Criminal Justice), BS, 1996
SMU School of Law, J.D., 1999 magna cum laude

BAR ADMISSIONS
State of Texas
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Texas State Bar Association
American Corporate Counsel Association
American Bar Association
Dallas Bar Association

PUBLICATIONS
Author, Reductions in Force, Can they be done legally and humanely, In-House Defense Quarterly Fall 2009
Author, It’s a Rough World Out There, DRI for the Defense, August 2009
Associate Editor, TADC Products Liability Newsletter, 1999-2000
Author, Is the Fair Labor Standards Act Really Fair?, SMU Law Review 1999