A Collin County jury delivered a $10.8 million verdict — one of the largest in Collin County history — on behalf of Plano surgeon Dr. Stephen Courtney in a lawsuit over theft of confidential, protected health information.
Dr. Courtney was represented by Hallett & Perrin shareholder Michael Alfred, who was assisted by Jess C. Rickman, associate Jesse Beck, and paralegal Stacey Goldfarb. The trial in Stephen Courtney, M.D., et al. v. Kelly Liebbe, et al., in Collin County’s 296th Judicial District Court lasted four days.
Dr. Courtney filed the suit against Dr. Cameron Carmody, a former spine surgeon in Dr. Courtney’s practice; Kelly Liebbe, a Dallas medical malpractice attorney; William McMurrey, a former federal prosecutor; and Jonathan Rute, the live-in boyfriend of Dr. Courtney’s ex-wife.
In its Sept. 23, 2021, verdict, the jury awarded Dr. Courtney $10,897,774. The jury found all four defendants liable for conversion, theft of trade secrets, and tortious interference based on the unlawful acts of barratry, violating HIPAA, and the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act.
Hallett & Perrin provides litigation and corporate legal services for its clients, and is based in Dallas, Texas.
