ANAHUAC, Texas – A Chambers County jury found for AZA client Brown & Root Industrial Services in a more than $200 million claim that it improperly obtained Exxon facility maintenance contracts formerly held by CAM Industrial Solutions.  

Brown & Root prevailed on all questions as the jury refused to award CAM any money on its claim that its contract worth more than $7 million a year for work at Exxon facilities in Baytown and Mont Belvieu was stolen by use of confidential trade secrets and through fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. 

CAM claimed four of its employees went to Brown & Root before Exxon switched providers and that those employees emailed themselves confidential information that they had promised not to divulge. But AZA showed the jury that the information was not confidential, the employees had not breached any duties and they had not signed any confidentiality agreements. 

“Our client is relieved to put this hard-fought case behind them. There were 30 depositions taken around the country and in Canada. Though they did nothing wrong, the accusations and the amounts requested were serious,” said lead lawyer and AZA co-founder Joe Ahmad.  

Mr. Ahmad tried the case with partners Weining Bai and Daryl Moore, of counsel Chris Hackerman, and associates Brittainie Zinsmeyer, Davis Metzger and Grace Darrah. Billy Shepherd of Shepherd Prewett in Houston represented the four accused employees, two of whom were dropped from the case before the jury verdict.

Media coverage of the case includes Texas Lawyer’s “30 Depositions: Jury Sides With Brown & Root in $200M Dispute” (subscription required) and Texas Lawbook’s “Chambers County Jury Clears Brown & Root in $258M Trade Secrets Case” (subscription required.)

The case is CAM Industrial Solutions LLC v Brown & Root Industrial Services LLC in the Chambers County 334th District Court, case number 24DCV0263.  

AZA, or Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing, is a Houston-based law firm that is home to true courtroom lawyers with a formidable track record in complex commercial litigation, including energy, healthcare, intellectual property and business dispute cases. AZA was recognized again by Chambers USA 2025 as among the best in Texas in commercial law and intellectual property; the firm has been listed by Best Lawyers’ Best Law Firms as one of the country’s best commercial litigation firms for 13 years; has been named Litigation Department of the Year by Texas Lawyer three times; and was dubbed a Texas Powerhouse law firm by Law360.