Texas Lawyer Interviews Christopher Joralemon and David Kusnetz on Vale S.A. Victory

In the Media  |  June 25, 2026

Texas Lawyer

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Partners Christopher Joralemon and David Kusnetz were interviewed by Texas Lawyer (subscription required) after leading a case-ending victory for mining giant Vale S.A. A Texas appellate court dismissed a $500 million lawsuit brought by Itabiriçu Nacional de Pesquisa Mineral over mineral rights in Brazil.

“It was crystal clear that under governing Texas law and U.S. constitutional law and the well-developed evidentiary record, there was no scenario in which a court could find a substantial connection between the challenged conduct, the conversion of ore in Brazil, and Vale’s conduct in Texas,” Christopher said.

David added that foreign companies facing similar claims should “[t]rust in what the business arrangement originally was. Because that is the hallmark of international jurisprudence: respecting the contracted rights between sophisticated parties.”