Hogan Lovells 2024 Election Impact and Congressional Outlook Report
Maria Wyckoff Boyce
Senior Counsel Emeritus Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment
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Overview
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Experience
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Credentials
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Insights and events
Chambers USAShe's very smart and very tenacious.
Maria Wyckoff Boyce prosecutes and defends complex commercial and intellectual property cases in the energy and technology industries throughout the United States. In 2021, she won a US$152,290,000 jury verdict in the Eastern District of Texas, which was the largest trade secrets verdict in the country that year. She has also secured several other plaintiff and defense victories for her clients in cases involving damages of eight, nine, and 10 figures.
Maria has tried fraud, trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, products liability, personal injury, and employment cases to Texas juries in state and federal court. She has tried patent infringement cases to juries in Delaware, California, and Texas. Maria also has handled several high-profile employee benefits cases. She has been named the "Litigator of the Week" by The American Lawyer and a Law360 MVP. Her trial results have also been highlighted in The National Law Journal, Law360, Texas Lawyer, and Texas Lawbook. She is also featured in Hogan Lovells' Proof in Trial podcast.
Maria is ranked by Chambers and is an elected member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). She has been named a "Woman on the Move" by Texas Executive Women, a "Premier Woman in the Law" by the Association of Women Attorneys, one of Texas' "Top 50 Women Lawyers," one of Houston's "50 Most Influential Women," and one of the "25 Most Powerful and Influential Women in Texas." Maria was also recognized in the Houston Business Journal's "Who's Who in Energy-Legal (2016–2017)."
Maria is proud that her United States senators have selected her to serve on the bipartisan committee that interviews federal judicial candidates for district court and Fifth Circuit vacancies in Texas. She was also appointed by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to the Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel in 2018.
An active speaker about legal developments in the areas of intellectual property damages, trends in energy litigation, and expert witnesses, Maria recently authored a chapter on expert witnesses in ALM's Texas Business Litigation (2022) and an article about expert communications and reports in the State Bar of Texas' The Advocate. She has spoken at the National Association of Women Judges annual conference and the Harris County Civil Judges annual conference. Maria is honored to have served on the board of directors and board of trustees of several educational, health, and religious organizations.
Within Hogan Lovells, Maria has led the Oil, Gas, and LNG sector of the Hogan Lovells global Energy and Natural Resources group and served as a member of the global leadership team of the firm's Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment practice.
Chambers USAShe's very smart and very tenacious.
Representative experience
Obtained US$152,290,000 jury verdict for ResMan, LLC for trade secrets misappropriation, breach of contract, and tortious interference with contract by the defendants.
Represented Tech Pharmacy Services, LLC in a jury verdict involving multimillion-dollar breach of contract claim, affirmed on appeal by the Federal Circuit.
Obtained dismissal with prejudice of complex fraud, RICO, and antitrust case for major health care provider, affirmed on appeal by the Fifth Circuit.
Represented pipeline company in multimillion-dollar commercial dispute involving midstream assets.
Obtained dismissal with prejudice of defamation and conspiracy claims against Radio Free Asia in complex federal court case.
Represent software company in federal court case involving breach of contract and trade secrets misappropriation claims.
Represent investment bank in state court securities lawsuit arising from sale of notes secured by deepwater drill ship.
Represented Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. in a jury verdict involving multimillion-dollar patent infringement claim.*
Represented Linn Energy, LLC in the arbitration of an environmental case involving multimillion-dollar breach of contract and fraud claims.*
Represented Sybase Inc. in a jury verdict involving multimillion-dollar commercial fraud claims.*
Won summary judgment for energy partnership sued for tort and contract claims arising from holdings valued at US$1.5bn,* affirmed on appeal by intermediate court of appeals and Texas Supreme Court.
Represented Reliant Energy, Inc. in lawsuits and jury verdicts involving commercial, trade secrets misappropriation, and ERISA class action claims.*
Represented CenterPoint Energy in multiple jury verdicts involving commercial and personal injury claims.*
Represented Dell Inc. in a patent infringement trial in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.*
Represented BASF in lawsuits and jury verdicts involving commercial and employment claims.*
Represented Fair Isaac Corporation in a lawsuit involving commercial fraud claims.*
Represented a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer as co-national counsel for litigation involving a major pharmaceutical product.*
*Matter handled prior to joining Hogan Lovells.
Related case studies
Fighting intellectual property theft – securing the largest trade secrets verdict in the U.S. in 2021
Credentials
Education
- J.D., Northwestern University School of Law, 1988
- B.A., Connecticut College, cum laude, 1985
Bar admissions and qualifications
- Texas
Court admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
- U.S. Supreme Court
Memberships
- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Member
- Connecticut College, Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees
- Episcopal Diocese of Texas, Constitution and Canons Committee, Chair
- Episcopal Health Foundation, Board Member
- Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee, Member
- The Rose, Board of Directors
- Night Court, Board of Directors
- St. John’s School, former Trustee
- St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Endowment Board member and former Vestry Member
- Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel (2018), Member
- Alley Theatre, former Director
- Leadership Texas (2005)
- United Way of Greater Houston Law Firm Initiative, former Co-Chair
- Women in Law Empowerment Forum, Houston Chapter, Board of Directors
- Attorneys' Liability Assurance Society, former Director
- Federal Bar Association, Southern District of Texas Chapter, former President
- Episcopal Diocese of Texas, Great Commission Foundation, former President