Office: 409.866.3318
Direct: 409.866.2800
Cell: 409.782.2051
Email: [email protected]
Address: 2195 Dowlen Rd
Beaumont, Texas 77706
The Heartfield Law Firm reflects the diverse legal experience of its owner and principal attorney, J. Thad Heartfield. Mr. Heartfield has practiced law in the State of Texas since 1988. He has focused his practice on general litigation, with more than 80 trials in Texas state and federal district courts. In 1988, he served as law clerk to Judge Joe J. Fisher, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas. Mr. Heartfield has been admitted to and is very active in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas since 1988. He is admitted to all federal districts in Texas as well as the United States Court of Appeals for
the Fifth Circuit. Mr. Heartfield has been admitted pro hac vice to other federal courts outside Texas. He has served on the Local Rules Advisory Committee for the Eastern District of Texas. He served as a director on the District 3A Grievance Committee for the State of Texas and has also been a director of the Jefferson County Young Lawyers Association and the Jefferson County Bar Association. Mr. Heartfield is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.
J.D., University of Tulsa, 1988
B.A., Texas A&M University, 1985
State Bar of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
2020 Eastern District of Texas Local Rules Advisory Committee, Member (Second Term)
3A Grievance Committee for the State of Texas, Director
Jefferson County Young Lawyers Association, Director
Jefferson County Bar Association, Director
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Law Clerk to the Honorable Joe J. Fisher
Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
James J. Flanagan Shipping and P.C. Pfeiffer & Company, Inc.
Successfully challenged the Port of Beaumont’s attempt to enforce unconstitutional provisions in its tariffs governing the payment of wages to employees performing stevedoring services.
902 Tyler Partners, L.P.
Represented 902 Tyler Partners in an action to recover cleanup costs under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act, and the Texas Water Code. See 902 Tyler Partners, L.P. v. Wood-Protection Co., E.D. Tex. (Schneider, J.).
Schindler Elevator Corporation
Represented Schindler in post-trial proceedings defending against motions for sanctions for alleged trial misconduct. See Darren Ceasar v. Schindler Elevator Corp., Judicial District Court, Jefferson County, Texas (Wortham, J.).
Script Care, Ltd
Represented Script Care in complex commercial breach of contract case involving prescription drug benefit components for health plans. See Script Care, Ltd. v. Express Scripts, Inc., E.D. Tex. (Crone, J.).
First Financial Bank, N.A.
Represented First Financial Bank in an action for injunction and monetary damages involving allegations of misappropriation of the bank’s confidential proprietary and trade secret information. See First Financial v. Vacek, Judicial Court of Orange County, Texas (Mehaffy, J., presiding by special appointment).
Jefferson County, Texas
Represented the County in numerous property condemnation actions
Jefferson County Drainage District No. 6
Served as lead counsel to the District for more than twenty years. Negotiated contracts, property acquisition, and handled all business of the District.
Represented the District in commercial breach of contract litigation involving marine waterway dredging contract. See Jefferson Cty. Drainage Dist. No. 6 v. Mid-County Land Co., 136th Judicial District Court of Jefferson County, Texas (Wortham, J.).
Handled several condemnation cases to verdict in Jefferson County Court at Law No. 1 (Eddins, J.).
Aetna Health Inc.
Represented Aetna in complex commercial litigation involving allegations of breach of insurance contract. See Baptist Hosp. of Se. Tex. v. Aetna Health Inc., Judicial District Court of Jefferson County, Texas (Sanderson, J.).
Conn Credit I, LP
Represented Conn Credit I in complex commercial litigation to verdict and through appeal involving breach of contract related to the purchase of consumer loans. See Conn Credit I, LP v. TF LoanCo III, LLC, E.D. Tex. (Clark, J.) and Conn Credit I, LP v. Sherman Originator III LLC, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit (Atlas, J.).
microDATA GIS, Inc.
Represented microDATA GIS, Inc. through trial in patent litigation involving 911 call technology. See Cassidian Commc’ns, Inc. v. microDATA GIS, Inc., E.D. Tex. (Gilstrap, J.).
Conn Appliances, Inc.
Represented Conn Appliances in a large complex breach of contract dispute at arbitration before a three-member tribunal (Chair Trey Bregman, Scott Link, and Sylvia Mayer). See Conn Appliances, Inc. v. US Transp. Corp.,
True Health Diagnostics, LLC
Represented True Health Diagnostics in an emergency action for temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction related to suspension of payment by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. See True Health Diagnostics, LLC v. Alex M. Azar, II, Secretary, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Servs., E.D. Tex. (Truncale, J.).
DIRECTV
Represented DIRECTV in patent infringement litigation involving satellite broadcast technology. See Finisar v. DIRECTV, E.D. Tex. (Clark, J.).
McAfee, Inc.
Represented McAfee in patent litigation involving unified threat management software. See Deep Nines v. McAfee, E.D. Tex. (Clark, J.).
Blackboard, Inc.
Represented Blackboard in patent litigation involving internet-based education support system and methods. See Blackboard v. Desire2Learn, E.D. Tex. (Clark, J.).
Paradox Security Systems, Ltd.
Represented Paradox in patent litigation involving electronic security systems. See Paradox v. ADT Security, E.D. Tex. (Ward, J.).
Cummins-Allison Corp.
Represented Cummins-Allison in patent litigation involving currency handling technology. See Cummins-Allison v. SBM and Amro-Asian, E.D. Tex. (Clark, J.).
Blue Coat Systems, Inc., Packeteer, Inc.
Represented Blue Coat, Packeteer, 7-Eleven, Build-A-Bear, and ABM through jury selection and settlement in patent litigation involving systems and methods for accelerated data storage and retrieval. See Realtime v. Packeteer, E.D. Tex. (Davis, J.).
BSN, Inc.
Represented BSN in patent litigation involving nutritional supplements. See Iovate v. BSN, E.D. Tex. (Clark, J.).
Boston Scientific
Represented Boston Scientific in patent litigation involving balloon catheters and stint delivery systems. See SCICO v. Boston Scientific, E.D. Tex. (Clark, J.).
Verizon and MCI
Represented Verizon and MCI in patent litigation involving calling card technology. See TGIP v. Verizon, E.D. Tex. (Clark, J.).
Microsoft Corporation
Represented Microsoft in patent litigation involving electronic gaming controllers. See Anascape v. Microsoft, E.D. Tex. (Clark, J.).
CooperVision Inc.
Represented CooperVision asserting patents involving contact lens technology. CooperVision v. CIBA, E.D. Tex. (Clark, J.).
Toyota
Defense of patent litigation relating to product configuration software. See Orion v. Staples, E.D. Tex. (Davis, J.).
Honeywell International Inc.
Defense of Honeywell in asserted litigation related to indoor air quality. See Purechoice v. Honeywell, E.D. Tex. (Ward, J.).
Nike, Inc.
Represented Nike in shoe design technology, E.D. Tex. (Clark, J.).
American Express
Defended American Express in action challenging loyalty card patent methods. See Source v. Am. Express, E.D. Tex. (Ward, J.). Defended American Express in litigation alleging patent infringement of value-added cards. See Alexsam v. Am. Express, E.D. Tex. (Ward, J.).
Motorola, Inc.
Represented Motorola asserting patent infringement of technology related to computer chip manufacturing processes and circuitry. See Motorola v. Winbond, Motorola v. TSMC, and Motorola v. STMicro, E.D. Tex. (Clark, J.).
Dow Chemical Co.
Defended Dow Chemical Co. in trial of a chemical method patent. See Exxon Corp. v. The Dow Chem. Co., E.D. Tex. (Fisher, J.).
IDT Corporation
Defended IDT Corporation in patent infringement litigation involving prepaid calling card activation technology. See Alexsam, Inc. v. IDT Corp., E.D. Tex. (Ward, J.).
Unitedhealth Group Incorporated
Defense of Unitedhealth in a patent infringement litigation involving prepaid insurance debit card technology. Alexsam, Inc. v. Unitedhealth Grp. Inc., E.D. Tex. (Everingham, J.).
Softlayer Technologies
Defense of Softlayer through jury selection and settlement in patent infringement litigation involving software technology. See Bedrock Computer Techs. LLC v. Softlayer Techs., Inc., E.D. Tex. (Davis, J.).
Red Hat, Inc.
Represented Red Hat in a patent litigation involving complex computer server technology. See Red Hat, Inc. v. Bedrock Computer Techss, LLA., E.D. Tex. (Love, J.).
Hyundai and Kia
Represented Hyundai Motor America and Kia Motors America in a patent litigation involving the System and Method for Connecting a Portable Audio Player to an Automobile Sound System. See Affinity Labs of Texas, LLC v. BMW N. Am, LLC, E.D. Tex. (Clark, J.).
Apple, Inc.
Defended Apple in a patent infringement litigation involving portable audio/video system architecture. See Personal Audio, LLC v. Apple Inc., E.D. Tex. (Clark, J.).
Mock Trial and Focus Group
Frequent presenter for several Fortune 500 companies during litigation to develop strategies through mock trial and focus group.
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