Brent Coon's cases usually involve explosions — oil refinery disasters or drilling platform tragedies that hook juries with the kind of drama that registers big verdicts for his clients. So what would happen if the Beaumont plaintiffs lawyer took on something as dry as a construction contract dispute?

Not only did Coon end up with a $7 million final judgment against the Houston Independent School District (HISD) over its failure to pay his contractor client for renovating six of its campuses on July 24, he helped defeat a $13 million contract counterclaim the school district lodged against his client and two other parties.

Coon admits he's never tried a contract dispute before.