Overview

Chris serves as Head of Vinson & Elkins’ Complex Commercial Litigation practice and is a member of the firm’s Management Committee. Chris is a trial lawyer who practices before courts and arbitration panels across the United States. He has tried and litigated a range of commercial cases involving merger disputes, environmental matters, antitrust, corporate governance, intellectual property, tax, constitutional rights, Internet media, class actions, and other commercial matters. He has earned recognition for his practice from leading legal publications, including Chambers USA, Legal 500, Lawdragon, and Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers.

Experience

  • (Tex.) – Obtained 8-0 ruling that local taxing unit did not have statutory authority to retain private attorney on contingent fee to pursue a taxpayer for an alleged $60 million in unpaid property taxes

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

  • (W.D. Tex.) — Defended a Fortune 500 company against federal and state antitrust claims involving the allergy testing and allergy immunotherapy markets

  • (AAA Arbitration) — Represented an international oil and gas production and exploration company in an arbitration related to an indemnity dispute arising from extensive property damage caused by a collapsed well

  • (AAA Arbitration) — Obtained a $15.6 million (net) arbitration award for a global biotechnology tools company against a major competitor in connection with a breach of a licensing agreement involving DNA-based identity testing; we were lead trial lawyers

  • (U.S.); (5th Cir.); (W.D. Tex.) — Obtained the complete dismissal of a landmark suit filed against a social networking website involving a sexual assault committed against one of its users; successfully defended the trial court’s dismissal in the Fifth Circuit and United States Supreme Court

  • (AAA Arbitration) — Obtained complete defense award on behalf of a global biotechnology tools company in a $300 million dispute involving a shareholder dispute over earnout provisions in a merger agreement

  • (AAA Arbitration) – Won a complete defense award for the owner of a midstream bulk liquids terminal after a two-and-a-half week arbitration against the former operator of the terminal; the operator sought $27 million in lost profits damages, plus attorneys’ fees, after our client terminated its contract for performance issues. The operator recovered nothing on its claims, and was ordered to pay damages our client incurred in connection with the operator’s performance.

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Credentials

Education

  • The University of Texas School of Law, J.D. with high honors, 2001 (Chancellor; Order of the Coif; Texas Law Review)
  • Louisiana State University, B.S., Economics summa cum laude, 1998 (University Medalist)

Admissions

  • Texas
  • United States Supreme Court
  • U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

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Recognitions

  • Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial (Houston), 2022–2026
  • Legal 500 U.S., Energy Litigation: Oil and Gas, 2018 and 2023; Dispute Resolution: General Commercial Disputes, 2022–2026; Dispute Resolution: Securities Litigation: Defense, 2024, Dispute Resolution: M&A Litigation: Defense, 2024; Energy Litigation: Electric Power, 2026
  • Selected to the 500 Leading Litigators in America, Lawdragon, 2023−2026
  • Selected to the 500 Leading Lawyers in America, Lawdragon, 2022–2026
  • Selected to the 500 Leading Energy Lawyers, Lawdragon, 2023–2026
  • Selected to the 500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers, Lawdragon, 2025 and 2026
  • Selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2020–2025
  • Selected to the Texas Rising Stars list, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2005, 2008–2016
Insights

Event Recaps

Data Center Disputes – What We’ve Seen and What is Around the Corner

This presentation surveyed the rapidly expanding landscape of data center disputes, highlighting the breadth of litigation already underway and the emerging risks on the horizon.

July 29, 2026

July 29, 2026 • 1-minute read

Client Alerts

Texas Business Court Quarterly Update – 2026 Q2 Summaries

In the second quarter of 2026, the Texas Business Court continued to build on the progress of its first two …

July 29, 2026

July 29, 2026 • 31-minute read

Client Alerts

Texas Business Court Quarterly Update – 2026 Q1 Summaries

In the first quarter of 2026, the Texas Business Court continued to make progress through the ever-growing number of lawsuits appearing on its dockets. 

April 23, 2026

April 23, 2026 • 20-minute read

Client Alerts

Texas Business Court Quarterly Update – 2025 Q4 Summaries

In the final quarter of 2025, the Texas Business Court closed its first calendar year of operation with a full slate of notable opinions. The Business Court continued to release opinions clarifying its jurisdiction, including on removal requirements and recent changes enacted by House Bill 40.

January 27, 2026

January 27, 2026 • 25-minute read

Client Alerts

Texas Business Court Quarterly Update – Q3 2025

In the third quarter of 2025, the Texas Business Court has continued to release opinions that impact businesses operating in Texas and beyond.

October 20, 2025 • V&E Texas Business Court Quarterly Update

October 20, 2025 • 15-minute read

News & Achievements