Tulsa GableGotwals Shareholder, Graydon D. Luthey, Jr., has become an elected life member of the American Law Institute.
On December 9, 2024, the Oklahoma Supreme Court, by unanimous vote of all justices participating, confirmed GableGotwals’ summary judgment victory obtained for its client David Qualls in a multi-million dollar lawsuit brought against him by the Peoria Tribe of Indians. A company owned in part by Mr. Qualls managed the Tribe’s casino. When external forces caused a decline in casino cash flow, an external CPA and lawyer, according to the Tribe, devised and implemented a casino accounting change that resulted in five million in additional cash flow to the Tribe and increased the company’s management fee by a substantially lesser amount. The Tribe sued Mr. Qualls in an Oklahoma State District Court in Shawnee, alleging that through the accounting change, Mr. Qualls embezzled, committed fraud, breached fiduciary duties, was liable for four other related claims, and owed the Tribe a $2 million fine previously imposed by the Tribe’s gaming commission. After all the discovery was completed and two oral arguments held, the District Court found that the fine was unconstitutional and that all of the Tribe’s claims failed as a matter of law. Summary judgment was awarded to Mr. Qualls. The Tribe appealed. The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals rejected all of the Tribe’s arguments and unanimously affirmed the summary judgment against the Tribe. The Tribe then filed a petition for certiorari seeking discretionary review by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The Supreme Court denied the petition, thereby making the judgment in favor of the Firm’s client final.
GableGotwals’ Co-Chair of its Native American Law practice, shareholder Dean Luthey, represented Mr. Qualls throughout the litigation.
Super Lawyers has named 33 GableGotwals attorneys in their 2024 "Super Lawyers" list for Oklahoma. Four of the Firm’s shareholders have been ranked in the 50 top attorneys for the state of Oklahoma, two were honored on the list of "Top 25 Women Lawyers" in the state, and eight attorneys were newly named as Rising Stars.
Benchmark Litigation, a guide that provides analysis of commercial and financial litigators and law firms in the United States, named GableGotwals as a "highly recommended" law firm for Dispute Resolution in their 2025 rankings. Ten GableGotwals attorneys were also recognized.
Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement, and selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis.
Benchmark Litigation, a guide that provides analysis of commercial and financial litigators and law firms in the United States, named GableGotwals as a "highly recommended" law firm for Dispute Resolution in their 2024 rankings. Ten GableGotwals attorneys were also recognized.
GableGotwals obtained a significant victory in the Oklahoma Supreme Court for its client, the Jackson County Emergency Medical Service District. In a unanimous, published opinion on a public law question of first impression, the High Court issued a writ against a Grady County District Judge prohibiting further proceedings in a personal injury case against the District. Neither the Oklahoma Constitution authorizing creation of the District nor the Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act, which protects counties and cities, expressly authorizes immunity for Districts from damage suits. The Supreme Court held, the District had sovereign immunity and prohibited the District Court from going forward in the suit against the District.