Litigators of the Week: How 3 Dallas Lawyers Nailed JPMorgan Chase With $4 Billion in Punitive Damages
Probate court trials usually involve fights between heirs over minor amounts of money and property. But three Dallas lawyers used a probate case to take on the largest bank in the U.S.—and won a stunning $4 billion punitive damage award against JPMorgan Chase for mishandling an estate.
September 27, 2017 at 03:00 PM
5 minute read
Probate court trials usually involve fights between heirs over minor amounts of money and property. But three Dallas lawyers used a probate case to take on the largest bank in the U.S.—and won a stunning $4 billion punitive damage award against JPMorgan Chase for mishandling an estate.
The case involved the estate of Max Hopper, a prominent information technology executive who pioneered American Airlines' SABRE reservation system. Hopper died from a stroke in 2010 and had accrued assets worth more than $19 million during 28 years of marriage to his second wife, Jo Hopper, but died without a will.
JPMorgan Chase was appointed as administrator over Hopper's estate and was responsible for collecting assets, paying debts and releasing assets to Jo Hopper and her stepchildren, Dr. Stephen Hopper and Laura Wassmer.
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