Janis Detloff’s practice is geared to technology-related issues and she has utilized her scientific education in trying cases on drilling blowouts, pipeline explosions, crane accidents, ship collisions, foundation failures, chemical exposures, industrial fires, and refinery injuries. With these types of cases, commercial disputes are prone to arise over trade secret or insurance and indemnity issues, including the defense of insurance coverage disputes that typically involve millions of dollars in claims. Janis’ clients include manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of chemicals, equipment and machinery as well as insurance companies. Her litigation experience includes disputes related to contract, tort, products liability, intellectual property, and construction issues.

Janis has an affinity for the oil and gas industry, having experience as a petroleum geologist with Amoco Production Company, Monsanto Company, and Amerada Hess Corporation, prior to attending law school. With those companies, Janis was involved in wildcat, appraisal, and exploitation drilling for oil and gas in the Texas Gulf Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, offshore Western Africa, Northern Europe, and the North Sea.

• Represented oil and gas drilling company in 1996 Dimebox, Texas explosion and obtained favorable settlement for operator by proving co-defendants’ equipment failure.
• Represented insurance company at trial of declaratory judgment action and obtained take-nothing judgment against insured industrial dry cleaners under qualified pollution exclusion by proving negligent contamination of Uvalde aquifer.
• Represented local bank at trial of lender liability suit and secured take-nothing judgment against accountholder by proving manipulation of accounts.
• Represented chemical solvent manufacturer against claims by salon workers and secured dismissal by proving product misuse.
• Represented casino owner in contract dispute and secured dismissal of claims by proving contract was forged.
• Represented drilling contractor at arbitration of soil contamination claims and obtained take-nothing judgment by proving pre-existing contamination.

• Dress for Success, Houston Chapter (2008-present)

• June 2008 “The Duty to Defend, Including Reservation of Rights, Denial of Coverage, and Declaratory Judgment Actions” at the University of Houston Law Center CLE Advanced Insurance and Tort Claims seminars in Houston and Dallas.
• November 2007 “Understanding the Basics of Product Liability Law” at a seminar offered by HalfMoon, Texas Product Liability Law for Engineers: Understanding and Reducing Risk, Houston Texas.

• “AV” Peer Review Rated by Martindale Hubble