Burford Perry recently prevailed in an appellate decision in a complex business dispute, underscoring the value of having experienced and knowledgeable lawyers in high-stakes commercial litigation. A February 12, 2026, opinion by the Ninth Court of Appeals in Beaumont reversed an earlier Montgomery County trial court ruling and dismissed all claims against the firm’s client, a Singapore resident.

At issue was a Montgomery County district court’s denial of a jurisdictional challenge. The denial implied that filing and obtaining a ruling on a Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 91a motion to dismiss waived a defendant’s special appearance. On interlocutory appeal, the Ninth Court of Appeals disagreed and reversed the trial court’s denial. The Court then rendered judgment that plaintiffs failed to establish that the firm’s client had sufficient Texas contacts to be subject to personal jurisdiction here and ordered dismissal. In dismissing the case, the Ninth Court also held that the plain language of Rule 91a.8 preserves a defendant’s special appearance.

Burford Perry attorneys Brent Perry, Matt Parks and Erica Fauser handled the appeal. The decision underscores how experienced commercial litigators recognize that an adverse trial-court ruling may be only the first stage of a longer legal fight. The case is Vinson v. Civelli and Aster Capital S.A. Panama, No. 09-24-00182-CV in the Court of Appeals for the Ninth District of Texas at Beaumont.