SUMMARY JUDGMENT PRACTICE LYNNE LIBERATO Haynes and Boone, LLP Houston, Texas lynne.liberato@haynesboone.com To access the full materials please go to: http://www.haynesboone.com/summary_judgments_in_texas_2010/ State Bar of Texas 33 rd ANNUAL ADVANCED CIVIL TRIAL COURSE July 21-23, 2010 San Antonio August 25-27, 2010 Dallas October 20-22, 2010 Houston CHAPTER 7 See Judge David Hittner & Lynne Liberato, Summary Judgments in Texas: State and Federal Practice, 46 Hous. L. Rev. 1379 (2010). Available at www.houstonlawreview.org.
ARTICLE SUMMARY JUDGMENTS IN TEXAS: STATE AND FEDERAL PRACTICE * Judge David Hittner ** Lynne Liberato *** TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION... 1384 PART 1: STATE SUMMARY JUDGMENT PRACTICE... 1386 I. PROCEDURE... 1386 A. Motion for Summary Judgment... 1387 1. General Requirements and Uses... 1387 2. Traditional Motion for Summary Judgment 1389 3. No-Evidence Motion for Summary Judgment 1390 4. Combined Traditional and No-Evidence Motions for Summary Judgment... 1392 B. Pleadings... 1393 1. Amended Pleadings... 1393 2. Unpleaded Claims or Defenses... 1395 3. Pleading Deficiencies and Special Exceptions 1396 C. Time for Filing Motion for Summary Judgment... 1399 * The Authors acknowledge and thank Bryon Allyn Rice, J.D., University of Houston Law Center, 2008; M.B.A., University of Iowa, 2001; and DeBra Edwards of Haynes and Boone, L.L.P, for their assistance in the preparation of this Article. ** United States District Judge, Southern District of Texas. Formerly Judge, 133d District Court of Texas, Houston, Texas; B.S., New York University, 1961; J.D., New York University School of Law, 1964. *** Partner, Haynes and Boone, L.L.P., Houston, Texas; B.S., Sam Houston State University, 1974; M.S., Texas A&M Commerce, 1977; J.D., South Texas College of Law, 1980; President, State Bar of Texas, 2000 2001.
1380 HOUSTON LAW REVIEW [46:5 1. Traditional Summary Judgment... 1399 2. No-Evidence Motion for Summary Judgment 1399 D. Deadlines for Filing Motion for Summary Judgment 1401 E. Deadlines for Response... 1403 F. Movant s Reply... 1405 G. Service... 1405 H. Continuances... 1408 1. General Principles... 1408 2. Factors Considered in Granting Continuances 1409 I. Hearing... 1411 J. The Judgment... 1413 K. Partial Summary Judgments... 1415 L. Motions for Rehearing... 1416 M. Sanctions... 1417 II. SUMMARY JUDGMENT EVIDENCE... 1422 A. General Principles... 1422 1. Time for Filing... 1423 2. Unfiled Discovery... 1424 3. Objections to Evidence... 1425 4. Attach Evidence to Motion for/response to Summary Judgment... 1427 B. Pleadings as Evidence... 1428 C. Depositions... 1429 D. Answers to Interrogatories and Requests for Admissions... 1430 1. Evidentiary Considerations... 1430 2. Deemed Admissions... 1431 E. Documents... 1432 1. Attaching Documents to Summary Judgment Motion and Response... 1432 2. Evidentiary Considerations... 1433 3. Authentication of Documents... 1434 4. Copies... 1436 5. Judicial Notice of Court Records... 1436 F. Affidavits... 1437 1. Form of Affidavits... 1437 2. Substance of Affidavits... 1440 3. Effect of Improper Affidavits... 1441 4. Affidavits by Counsel... 1442
2010] SUMMARY JUDGMENTS IN TEXAS 1381 G. Other Evidence... 1443 H. Expert and Interested Witness Testimony... 1444 1. Expert Opinion Testimony... 1444 2. Nonexpert, Interested Witness Testimony... 1453 III. BURDEN OF PROOF FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENTS. 1454 A. Traditional Summary Judgments... 1455 1. Defendant as Movant... 1455 2. Plaintiff as Movant on Affirmative Claims... 1456 3. Affirmative Defenses... 1457 4. Counterclaims... 1459 B. No-Evidence Summary Judgments... 1459 1. Reasonable Juror Test Applied to No-Evidence Summary Judgments... 1460 2. Historical Development... 1462 C. Both Parties as Movants... 1464 IV. RESPONDING TO AND OPPOSING A MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT... 1465 A. Responding: General Principles... 1466 B. Responding to a Traditional Motion for Summary Judgment... 1467 C. Responding to a No-Evidence Summary Judgment Motion... 1468 D. Inadequate Responses... 1470 V. APPEALING SUMMARY JUDGMENTS... 1471 A. Exception: Both Parties File Motions for Summary Judgment... 1472 B. Exception: Government Immunity; Media Defendants... 1473 C. Exception: Permissive Appeal... 1474 D. Likelihood of Reversal... 1475 E. Finality of Judgment... 1475 F. Standard of Review... 1480 G. Appellate Record... 1483 H. Appellate Briefs... 1483 I. Judgment on Appeal... 1486 J. Bills of Review... 1487 VI. ATTORNEY S FEES... 1487 A. Fixed Percentage Fees... 1490 B. Reasonable Percentage Fees... 1490
1382 HOUSTON LAW REVIEW [46:5 VII. TYPES OF CASES AMENABLE TO SUMMARY JUDGMENT... 1491 A. Sworn Accounts... 1491 1. Requirements for Petition... 1492 2. Answer/Denial... 1493 3. Summary Judgment... 1494 B. Suits on Written Instruments... 1496 1. Application of the Parol Evidence Rule... 1498 2. Exception to the Parol Evidence Rule... 1498 C. Statute of Limitations/Statutes of Repose... 1499 D. Res Judicata/Collateral Estoppel... 1502 E. Equitable Actions... 1503 F. Medical Malpractice... 1504 1. Negation of Elements of Medical Malpractice 1504 2. Statute of Limitations... 1507 G. Defamation Actions... 1508 1. Applicable Law... 1509 2. Questions of Law... 1510 3. Plaintiff s Burden of Showing Actual Malice 1510 4. Qualified Privilege... 1511 H. Governmental Immunity... 1512 I. Family Law Cases... 1513 1. Enforceability of Premarital and Marital Property Agreements... 1513 2. Interpretation of Divorce Decrees... 1514 3. Interpretation or Application of Law... 1514 4. Res Judicata/Collateral Estoppel... 1515 5. Characterization of Property... 1515 6. Existence of the Marital Relationship... 1516 PART 2: FEDERAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT PRACTICE.. 1516 I. PROCEDURE FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENTS... 1516 A. Timing... 1517 B. Notice and Hearing... 1517 C. Deadline to Respond... 1519 D. Discovery... 1520 II. STANDARDS OF PROOF FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTIONS... 1522 A. When the Movant Bears the Burden of Proof... 1522
2010] SUMMARY JUDGMENTS IN TEXAS 1383 B. When the Movant Does Not Bear the Burden of Proof... 1522 1. Movant s Initial Burden... 1522 2. Respondent s Burden... 1524 III. RESPONDING TO THE SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION... 1525 A. Supreme Court Precedent... 1525 B. Items in Response... 1528 IV. SUMMARY JUDGMENT EVIDENCE... 1529 A. Declarations and Affidavits... 1529 B. Documents... 1530 C. Discovery Products... 1531 D. Pleadings... 1532 E. Expert Testimony... 1533 F. Objections to Evidence... 1537 V. RULE 12(B)(6) MOTION TO DISMISS TREATED AS RULE 56 MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT. 1537 VI. APPEALING SUMMARY JUDGMENTS... 1539 A. When Summary Judgments Are Appealable... 1539 B. Standard of Review on Appeal... 1540 C. The District Court s Order on Summary Judgment 1542 CONCLUSION... 1543