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Quentin L. Smith
Quentin L. Smith
Partner — Commercial & Business Litigation
Partner — Commercial & Business Litigation

Quentin L. Smith

Quentin L. Smith
Houston

Texas Tower
845 Texas Avenue
Suite 4700
Houston, Texas 77002

start quote symbolHe's a really talented lawyer. [Chambers USA, 2023]end quote symbol
Quentin L. Smith

Experience Highlights

  • (La. Dist. – Orleans Parish) — Secured $125 million judgment following a jury verdict for Huntsman Corporation in its contract dispute with gas supplier, Praxair, Inc.

  • (Tex. Dist. − Harris Cnty.) — Secured $17 million (net) verdict in a breach of contract dispute

  • (Tex. Dist. – Harris Cnty.) — As plaintiff’s counsel for a major petrochemical company, won partial summary judgment on contractual interpretation issues under the Texas UCC and won a plaintiff’s verdict as second chair lawyer in a three-week jury trial

  • (S.D. Tex.) — As counter-plaintiff’s counsel, represented an aviation company in a suit brought by its former maintenance service provider in a breach of contract case; in a bench trial, successfully defeated plaintiffs’ claims and prevailed on a counterclaim, winning $1 million dollars (net) on the counterclaim

  • (Tex. Dist. – Harris Cnty.) — Representing transmission and distribution utilities (TDUs) in over 100 cases in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) involving various claims arising from Winter Storm Uri

  • (Tex. Dist. – Harris Cnty.) — Representing various natural gas related entities and financial institutions in a dozen cases in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) involving various claims arising from Winter Storm Uri

  • (Tex. Dist. – Harris Cnty.) — Representing mineral interest owners in a multi-million dollar commercial dispute

  • (Tex. Dist. – Harris Cnty.) — Representing commercial property owners in ad valorem tax litigation

  • (Tex. Dist. – Fort Bend Cnty.) —  Represented a civil contractor in a theft of trade secrets dispute; won a motion to dismiss the opposing party’s claims under the Texas Citizen’s Participation Act (TCPA) with prejudice and obtained six figures in attorneys’ fees

  • (S.D. Tex.) — Obtained a partial summary judgment victory for a publicly traded consumer goods company in a breach of contract dispute with an international distributor, leading to a favorable settlement

  • (Tex. Dist. – Harris Cnty.) — As plaintiff’s counsel, represented various commercial property owners in property tax litigation, obtaining millions of dollars in refunds

  • (Tex. Dist. – Harris Cnty.) — As lead plaintiff’s counsel, prosecuted a breach of contract claim for failure to pay for services on various construction projects that led to a favorable settlement for a construction company client

  • (S.D. Tex.) — As plaintiff’s counsel, prosecuted breach of warranty claims under Article 2 of the Texas UCC concerning the failure of a warranted good that led to a favorable settlement for the client

  • (Tex. Dist. – Harris Cnty.) — Achieved favorable resolution on breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty claims asserted against a publicly traded energy company by a former employee

  • (Tex. Dist. – Harris Cnty.) — Obtained settlement where client received exact dollar amount of requested relief after drafting and filing a Rule 91a motion to dismiss the opposing party’s counterclaim

  • (Tex. Dist. − Harris Cnty.) — Argued and prevailed on a motion for summary judgment, winning a full judgment in favor of a client defending against libel per se and invasion of privacy claims

  • (Tex. Dist. − Harris Cnty.) — Obtained dismissal of a lawsuit in Texas state court based on improper venue

  • Advised private equity company on litigation risks arising from portfolio company

  • Represented a large construction company in matters involving alleged Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations

  • (American Arbitration Association [AAA]) — Representing publicly traded upstream energy company in a contractual dispute with its raw materials provider

  • Achieved favorable resolutions for gas marketing companies on force majeure and Article 2 UCC disputes under NAESB gas supply agreements arising from Winter Storm Uri

  • (Del. Ch.) — Drafted motions and pleadings on behalf of a midstream energy company in merger challenges in Delaware Chancery Court

  • (Tex. Dist. − Harris Cnty.) — Prompted the voluntary dismissal of a lawsuit, without any subsequent refiling, in Texas state court by drafting and filing a Rule 91a motion

  • (International Centre for Dispute Resolution [ICDR]) — As respondent’s counsel, represented a major oil and gas company in a breach of contract arbitration arising from oil and gas interest in Papua New Guinea

  • (International Chamber of Commerce [ICC]) — Represented an international drilling company in a multi-million dollar dispute involving claims for breach of contract and breach of warranty related to drilling rigs in an arbitration; the arbitration team’s filings caused the opposing party to file for bankruptcy on the eve of the tribunal hearing and drop its claims against our client

  • (International Chamber of Commerce [ICC]) — Represented an international oil and gas company as the claimant in a breach of contract case involving oil and gas interests in Argentina; helped to guide the client to a favorable confidential settlement

  • (International Chamber of Commerce [ICC]) — Represented an international construction company in a breach of contract case involving a services contract stemming from a multi-billion-dollar construction project in Qatar; obtained a favorable settlement for the client

Credentials

  • University of Michigan Law School, J.D. cum laude, 2010 (Phi Kappa Phi; Executive Editor, Michigan Journal of Race & Law; Student Tutor, Administrative Law and Enterprise Organizations)
  • Morehouse College, B.A., Political Science magna cum laude, 2007 (Phi Beta Kappa)
  • Judicial clerk to The Honorable Lavenski R. Smith, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 2011–2012
  • Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial (Houston), 2023
  • Selected to the Texas Rising Stars list, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2023 and 2024
  • Selected to the 500 Leading Energy Lawyers, Lawdragon, 2023 and 2024
  • Selected to the 500 Leading Litigators in America, Lawdragon, 2023 and 2024
  • Texas Lawyer, Texas Legal Awards, “On the Rise,” 2022
  • Bloomberg Law, Top 40 Under 40, 2021
  • National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, 2015, 2019–2023
  • Lawyers of Color (On Being A Black Lawyer), Hot List Honoree, 2014
  • Board Member and General Counsel: Theatre Under the Stars
  • Trustee: Houston Symphony
  • Member: Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee
  • Member: Houston Symphony, Young Associates Council
  • Steering Committee Member: Texas Minority Counsel Program
  • Fellow: Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD)
  • Life Fellow: Texas Bar Foundation, Membership Committee
  • Fellow: Houston Young Lawyers Foundation
  • Board Member: Houston Bar Association, Houston Lawyer Referral Service
  • Board Member: Houston Bar Foundation
  • Former Co-Chair: Houston Bar Association, Communities in Schools Committee (2016–2017 bar year); Member: (2014–2020 bar years)
  • Former Member: Houston Bar Association, Membership Committee Houston Bar Association (2017–2018 bar year)
  • Former Ambassador: Houston Bar Association (2019–2020 bar year)
  • Member: University of Michigan Alumni Association
  • Member: Morehouse College Alumni Association
  • Texas
  • Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern District of Texas
  • “Removing Securities Act Class Actions to Federal Court,” V&E Securities Litigation Insights, October 2, 2012 (co-author)