CPS International, Inc. v. Harris & Westmoreland

784 S.W.2d 538, 1990 WL 4503
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 23, 1990
Docket9785
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 784 S.W.2d 538 (CPS International, Inc. v. Harris & Westmoreland) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
CPS International, Inc. v. Harris & Westmoreland, 784 S.W.2d 538, 1990 WL 4503 (Tex. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

GRANT, Justice.

CPS International, Inc. and Creole Production Services appeal from the granting of a judgment non obstante veredicto for attorney’s fees to the law firm of Harris & Westmoreland. The firm sued CPS and Creole for attorney’s fees for services in a case styled CPS International, Inc. v. Dresser Industries, Inc.

CPS and Creole contend that the trial court erred in granting Harris & West-moreland’s motion for judgment n.o.v., in excluding evidence of Harris & Westmore-land’s failure to comply with discovery requests in the Dresser case, in restricting the scope of cross-examination, and in failing to condition the award properly to Harris & Westmoreland for attorney’s fees on appeal.

Harris & Westmoreland filed suit against CPS and Creole for attorney’s fees after Harris & Westmoreland had filed a motion for leave to withdraw from the Dresser case and the motion had been granted. CPS and Creole had refused to pay the balance of $31,089.98 which Harris & West-moreland contended was owed them for legal services. The jury awarded Harris & Westmoreland $18,500 in attorney’s fees for work on the Dresser case, $5,400 in attorney’s fees for trial in this case, $3,000 in attorney’s fees if the case is appealed to the Texas Court of Appeals, $2,000 in attorney’s fees if an application for writ of error is made to the Texas Supreme Court, and $2,000 in attorney’s fees if the writ of error is granted. Harris & Westmoreland then filed a motion for judgment n.o.v. which the trial court granted. The judgment n.o.v. awarded Harris & Westmoreland $31,089.98 for attorney’s fees in the Dresser case, $7,000 for attorney’s fees for the present case, $3,500 in the event that CPS and Creole appeal to the Court of Appeals, $2,000 if CPS and Creole file an application for writ of error with the Texas Supreme Court, and $2,000 if the writ of error is granted.

A judgment n.o.v. may be granted in any situation where a directed verdict could have been properly granted at the close of evidence. Tex.R.Civ.P. 301. The *541 purpose of a motion for judgment n.o.v. is to enable a trial court to enter judgment where a directed verdict would have been proper. McCay v. Brown, 483 S.W.2d 705 (Tex.Civ.App.-Waco 1972, writ dism’d). A motion for judgment n.o.v. and the judgment rendered must be predicated on either the presence of conclusive evidence which entitles the moving party to judgment as a matter of law or on the absence of any evidence of probative force to support an issue that the opposing party must prove in order to prevail. Dittberner v. Bell, 558 S.W.2d 527 (Tex.Civ.App.-Amarillo 1977, writ ref’d n.r.e.). A plaintiff is not entitled to judgment n.o.v. unless facts are conclusively established in plaintiffs favor. Morris v. Brown, 337 S.W.2d 759 (Tex.Civ.App.-Eastland 1960, no writ).

A judgment n.o.v. cannot be granted on the basis of no evidence in favor of a party who has the burden of proof. A party having the burden of proof who is complaining about a jury’s answer by a motion for judgment n.o.v. must do so on the basis that it is entitled to such an answer as a matter of law. See Cornelius, Appellate Review of Sufficiency Of the Evidence Challenges In Civil and Criminal Cases, 46 Tex.B.J. 439 (1983). The gist of Harris & Westmoreland’s argument for seeking a judgment n.o.v. was that the jury did not award them the amount of attorney’s fees which they were seeking.

On motion for judgment n.o.v., all evidence must be considered in a light most favorable to support the jury verdict, every reasonable intendment deducible from the evidence is to be indulged in favor of the verdict, and only evidence and inferences that support the jury finding should be considered with all contrary evidence and inferences being rejected. Dodd v. Texas Farm Products Co., 576 S.W.2d 812 (Tex.1979); Tex.R.Civ.P. 301.

CPS and Creole contend that the jury is the ultimate factfinder in determining the reasonable value of the services rendered and that the jury may consider various factors in determining the reasonable value of the services. The general rule is that it is the province of the jury to determine the reasonable value of the attorney’s services and that the jury may take into consideration facts before them in relation to services rendered, as well as the estimated value of the services. Gulf Paving Co. v. Lofstedt, 144 Tex. 17, 188 S.W.2d 155 (1945). In deciding a reasonable value of legal services, the factfinder may properly consider the time and labor involved, the nature and complexities of the case, the amount of money or the value of the property or interests involved, the extent of the responsibilities assumed by the attorney, whether other employment is lost by the attorney because of the undertaking, the benefits resulting to the client from the services, the contingency or certainty of compensation, and whether the employment is casual or for an established or constant client. Braswell v. Braswell, 476 S.W.2d 444 (Tex.Civ.App.-Waco 1972, writ dism’d). The testimony of expert witnesses regarding attorney’s fees is not conclusive. It is the province of the jury to weigh testimony of the attorneys as to the value of the services by reference to their nature, as to the time occupied in their performance and other attending circumstances, and by applying their own experience and knowledge of the character of such services. Gulf Paving Co. v. Lofstedt, 188 S.W.2d 155.

Paul E. Harris, a member of the law firm of Harris & Westmoreland, testified as to the type of work required in the Dresser case and as to the method used to determine the amount of attorney’s fees, which he described as having been based upon the value of services rendered. Harris testified that in a conference held at the end of each month, the attorneys of his law firm review the work that was done in each case and determine a fair fee for both the client and the firm. Harris further testified that the factors used in determining a fair and reasonable fee are those expressed in the canons of professional ethics. * He testi *542 fied that the fees charged to CPS and Creole were fair and reasonable.

Harris & Westmoreland contends that CPS’s and Creole’s failure to contradict Harris’s expert testimony constitutes corroboration of the testimony regarding reasonable attorney’s fees. The general rule is that evidence given by an interested witness or party cannot be the basis of an instructed verdict. Collora v. Navarro, 574 S.W.2d 65 (Tex.1978).

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Bluebook (online)
784 S.W.2d 538, 1990 WL 4503, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cps-international-inc-v-harris-westmoreland-texapp-1990.