After taking on Credit Suisse in back-to-back trials that netted his client a $211 million damage judgment in a fraud and breach-of-contract case three years ago, Austin attorney Bill Reid didn’t want to hand over the defense of his biggest verdict ever to just any appellate lawyer. So he argued the case himself.

That move paid off on Feb. 20 when Dallas’ Fifth Court of Appeals affirmed his client’s win against the Swiss investment bank in Credit Suisse v. Claymore Holdings.