Tillotson Patton secured a complete victory for its client, the State of Washington, when a unanimous Tarrant County jury returned a verdict in its favor on all counts in a judgment enforcement action. The jury found that more than $24 million is needed to satisfy the State's claim.
The case stems from a 2021 judgment Washington obtained against two Texas-based estate planning companies that ran a "trust mill" scheme targeting seniors. After Washington domesticated the judgment in Texas, the State alleged that the companies' owners moved business assets into affiliated entities to keep them out of the State's reach.
After a six-day trial in the 236th Judicial District Court, the jury found in the State's favor on every question. Those findings included:
The companies fraudulently transferred assets, including a client list the jury valued at $2.34 million, with intent to hinder, delay, or defraud the State as a creditor.
The individuals behind the companies are personally liable for the judgment under alter ego and veil-piercing theories.
Several affiliated companies controlled by those individuals are also responsible for the judgment.
The Tillotson Patton team of Jon Patton, Mollie Mallory, Sara Babineaux, and Nathaniel Buchheit was hired just two weeks before trial. They quickly mastered a complex factual record and developed the strategy that led to the verdict.
“I’m extremely proud of this win. It was a challenging test, but our team rose to the occasion, and it really shows how deep our bench is. Our mantra is, ‘Simple cases win,’ and this case exemplifies that. We had to cut through a lot of complexity and issues to develop a strategy focusing the jury on the core themes and claims.”