Recent Significant Cases

Pipeline Explosion near U.S. 69 and 60th Street in Port Arthur
Ronnie Jones has been engaged to investigate and work on this case on behalf of a large number of residents that were adversely impacted by the subject explosion in the Port Arthur area.  Port Arthur Client Login

Litigation

On September 25, 2007 Ronnie Jones filed a lawsuit on behalf of a client seeking damages in excess of $750,000 against a federal contractor for breach of contract and other violations of state law.

Washington County Train Derailment
Mr. Jones filed a lawsuit against a railroad company and others seeking damages in excess of one million dollars for injuries to his client's real and personal property that she alleges resulted from a train derailment and the emergency response activities that were performed by the train company and its subcontractors. According to the information that was provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and other federal and state regulatory agencies, the train derailment resulted in the release of significant quantities of diesel fuel and hazardous material on and near the property owned by his client.
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Regulatory

Highland Club Village Neighborhood Association
Ronnie Jones successfully represented a group of exclusive private property owners and the Highland Club Village Neighborhood Association (HCVNA) in a contested administrative proceeding at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regarding a new wastewater discharge permit for a proposed high density residential development near their property.  The property owners and HCVNA had been fighting the proposed permit and the proposed development for the past five years.  The property owners and HCVNA were concerned that the proposed development would adversely impact the environment and adversely impact their property values.  The administrative law judge in the case recommended that the TCEQ grant the permit.  Based on the legal arguments that were raised by Ronnie at the hearing, the Commissioner's of the TCEQ rejected the recommendation of the administrative law judge and denied the permit.  Since that time, Mr. Jones has represented the HCVNA in its negotiations with a major developer and water control and improvement district regarding a proposed new residential development on an adjacent tract of land.
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Blueberry Hills Subdivision

Ronnie Jones represents a client in a significant water utility compliance and enforcement matter at the TCEQ.  The case concerns the water utility's alleged noncompliance with certain rules and regulations of the TCEQ.  Ronnie has successfully negotiated a compliance agreement between the client and the TCEQ.  He also represents the client in real estate and other water utility matters related to the existing development in the subdivision and a proposed development near the subdivision.

Recently, he filed an application with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to increase the water utility rates for the water Utility that serves customers in the subdivision. The water utility rates of the Utility had not been changed in approximately a decade and were inadequate to pay the Utility’s cost of service.

Real Estate

Real Estate - Austin
Mr. Jones represented a noted professional athlete in a contract dispute case against a custom home builder concerning real and personal property valued at over 2 million dollars. The case concerned the value of the real and personal property.

Mr. Jones was an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Austin’s Water and Wastewater Utility from March 1999 to October 2004. One of the significant projects that he worked on is known as the Austin Clean Water Program and it concerns noncompliance with federal regulations and the issuance of an administrative order against the City by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that requires the City to make approximately 300 million dollars worth of improvements to its wastewater collection system within a defined time period or pay approximately $30,000 per day for each day that it failed to complete the improvements within the permitted time period. Mr. Jones worked as a lead attorney on the project for several years. His job responsibilities included providing legal advice to the City Manager, City Council, and the Utility’s management on compliance issues related to the EPA’s Order and/or federal appropriations related to the EPA’s Order, providing legal advice to the City regarding approximately 300 construction projects related to the implementation of the EPA’s Order.

Additionally, Mr. Jones was part of the City of Austin’s legal team that negotiated and executed a one hundred million dollar water supply contract with the Lower Colorado River Authority.

Mr. Jones was an Assistant Attorney General for the Texas Attorney General from October 1996 to March 1999. During that time, he represented the State of Texas and several Texas state agencies in significant litigation in courtrooms throughout the state that concerned the imposition of fines and penalties for noncompliance with the regulations of Texas state agencies.

Mr. Jones was a Staff Attorney for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality from June 1993 to October 1996. During that time, he represented the Executive Director in significant administrative hearings regarding permitting and compliance and enforcement matters.

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