Chris Pappas has participated as lead counsel in jury trials throughout Texas, involving a broad spectrum of civil litigation for more than 30 years.
His practice encompasses the representation of major institutional clients, corporations, individuals, and insurers in a wide variety of complex legal disputes, including:
- Business/commercial litigation
- Construction claims
- Personal injury claims
- Oil/gas litigation
- First and third party Insurance disputes
- Labor/employment claims
- Hospitality/retail litigation
- Product/mass tort liability claims
- Professional liability disputes
A graduate of the University of Houston College of Law and the University of Texas-Austin, Chris has been recognized by his peers as an accomplished trial attorney, which recognition includes the highest professional and ethical rating of AV "Preeminent" by Martindale-Hubbell, his selection by Thomson Reuters to their list of "Texas Super Lawyers" (2005-2020); "Houston's Top Lawyers" by H TEXAS Magazine (2005-2020); and Best Lawyers in America (2019-2021).
Practice Areas
- Complex Commercial Litigation
- Construction
- Emergency Response
- Energy, Oil and Gas
- Insurance
- Labor & Employment
- Litigation
- Personal Injury
- Professional Liability
- Railroad & Transportation
- Retail, Restaurant & Hospitality
Credentials
Bar Admissions
- State Bar of Texas - Construction Law Section (1977)
- State Courts of Texas
- U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Education
- University of Houston, Bates College of Law, J.D., 1977
- University of Texas at Austin, B.A., 1974
Honors
- AV Preeminent®, Martindale Hubbell
- Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters (2005 - 2023)
- Best Lawyers in America©, U.S. News & World Report (2019 - 2023)
- Top Lawyers in Houston, H Magazine (2005 - 2021)
- Top Lawyers – Insurance, Houstonia Magazine (2016)
- Elected Member- American Board of Trial Advocate
- Elected – Fellow of the American Bar Foundation
- Top Rated Lawyer in Commercial Litigation, American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell (2013)
- Top 100 Super Lawyers – Houston Region, Thomson Reuters (2011)
- Top Lawyers, Houstonia Magazine (2019 – 2021)
Experience
- Successfully defended oil & gas drilling contractor in significant (8-figure damages) litigation;
- Successfully defended through trial apartment contractor in major construction litigation (8-figure damages) involving ten apartment projects across the State of Texas;
- Successfully prosecuted equitable subrogation action which included claims of professional negligence through trial, resulting in significant 7-plus figure verdict;
- Successfully prosecuted, as lead counsel, claims of professional liability which resulted in 8-figure verdict and was selected by the National Law Journal as one of the biggest verdicts in the U.S.A. (1997);
- Successfully defended and prosecuted claims in commercial dispute involving business partners which resulted in client's recovery of money damages and defense costs;
- Successfully defended through trial homebuilder in construction defects/commercial dispute through trial;
- Successfully defended through hearing/trial wrongful death action arising out of construction project;
- Successfully defended multi-national firm in complex commercial dispute through trial which involved substantial damages (high 9-figures) and prevailed on counterclaims;
- Successfully defended through trial wrongful death litigation involving gas pipeline incident;
- Successfully defended through trial multi-national company in complex commercial litigation involving claims of unfair competition, usurpation of trade secrets, infringement and other tort-related claims;
- Successfully defended through trial public company in significant commercial dispute (9-figure damages) brought by public energy company/refiner involving property and business interruption losses;
- Successfully defended through trial a large commercial insurer in first party litigation involving substantial commercial fire loss;
- Successfully prosecuted various commercial litigation claims and claims founded on equitable subrogation;
- Successfully defended through trial major privately-held company in employment discrimination lawsuit involving multiple management officials;
- Represented and successfully defended through hearing/trial major homebuilder in multiple employment discrimination claims;
- Successfully defended through trial private individual in substantial oil & gas commercial dispute (involving 8 figure plus damages);
- Successfully defended through trial wrongful death action involving dramshop claims against national retailer and numerous other dram shop lawsuits;
- Successfully defended through trial various significant fire loss claims involving contractors and other clients;
- Successfully defended publicly-held equipment retailer in dozens of personal injury lawsuits throughout the State of Texas;
- Successfully defended multiple Jones Act personal injury claims and maritime disputes involving various energy service and energy-related companies;
- Acted as lead counsel for major multi-national company in class action product liability action and as representative for all manufacturing defendants;
- Served as Regional Counsel for Fortune 500 retailer covering 10 states with litigation management and trial responsibility over thousands of lawsuits;
- Acted as Regional Trial Counsel for Fortune 500 Companies with responsibility over Mass Tort Civil Dockets.
Clients
- Chris serves as Panel Counsel, Regional Trial Counsel, and Specialty Counsel for numerous institutional clients, corporations and insurance companies. References and resume are available upon request.
Presentations
- "Veteran Insights on Effective Strategies for Private Dispute Resolution," HBA Litigation Section and HBA ADR Section Joint CLE, November 15, 2022.
- "How to Properly Use the Mediation/Arbitration Hybrid Dispute Resolution Process", Texas bar CLE Annual ADR Seminar, Austin, Texas, January 2017.
- How to Use the Mediation-Arbitration Hybrid in Dispute Resolution: Association of Attorney-Mediators/Advanced Attorney-Mediator Training and CLE Seminar (September 16, 2016/Houston, Texas)
- TexasBarCLE Webcast Presentation: How to Use the Mediation-Arbitration Hybrid in Dispute Resolution Process, Austin-Live, July 26, 2016.
- Preservation of Evidence in Texas, Gallagher Bassett/Atlanta, Georgia (April, 2016).
- "What Attorneys Like/Don't Like About Mediators," 2013 Annual Conference on ADR (May 3, 2013)
- "Texas Construction Law – Overview," Republic Insurance Group, Dallas, Texas (March 6, 2013)
- "Communication and Documentation to Avoid Construction Disputes," Legal Presentation, Houston, Texas (August 21, 2012)
- "Ethics and Professional Responsibility for Design Professionals," Legal Presentation, Houston, Texas (August 21, 2012)
- "Mediation – From the Mediator and the Litigant," Houston Bar Association Seminar (October 23, 2008)
- "Update on Texas Law/Continuing Education Seminar," The Midland Companies/Cincinnati, Ohio (January 14-15, 2008)
- "When to Seek Legal Representation," AON Risk Management Seminar (September 14, 2007)
- "Trial Preparation for Paralegals Seminar," National Business Institute/Institute for Paralegal Education (January 29, 2007)
- "Texas Lawyer Insurance Law Round Table" Panelist, Bar Members and Public at Belo Mansion and Pavilion (May 25, 2006)
- "Effective Selection and Management of Counsel," AON Risk Management Seminar (September 16, 2005)
- "Paralegals Guide to Admissibility of Evidence and Expert Testimony," NBI Seminar, Houston, Texas (February 24, 2004)
- "Handling the Automobile Injury Claim in Texas," Legal Seminar, Houston, Texas (January 28, 2004)
- "Strategies for Minimizing Damages in Civil Cases," HBA/HLAA, Houston, Texas (August 2003)
- "Construction Law Developments and Update," Texas Association of Defense Counsel Seminar, Cancun, Mexico (July 2003)
- "Trying the Automobile Injury Case in Texas," Legal Seminar, Houston, Texas (March 2003)
- "Trial Advocacy in Texas," NBI CLE Seminar, Houston, Texas (July 2001)
- "Litigation Management and Working with Your Attorney," Second Annual General Practice Institute Seminar, South Texas College of Texas, Houston, Texas (October 2000)
- "Litigating the Class Action Lawsuit in Texas," NBI CLE Seminar, Houston, Texas (October 2000)
- "Paralegals and the Litigation Team in Texas," Institute for Paralegal Education, Houston, Texas (October 1999)
- "Paralegals and the Litigation Team in Texas," Institute for Paralegal Education, Houston, Texas (October 1998)
- "Trying the Wrongful Death Case in Texas," NBI Trial Institute, Houston, Texas (September 1998)
- "Discrimination in the Workplace," Homebuilder's Annual Meeting
- "Evidence in Trial Practice," NBI Texas Institute, Houston, Texas (July 1997)
- "The Pros and Cons of the Mediation Process as a Tool for Dispute Resolution," The Association of Attorney-Mediators Convention, Houston, Texas (March 1996)
- "Contractual and Recourse Liability for Mortgage Lenders," Texas Association of Mortgage Brokers Convention, Houston, Texas (May 1993)
- "The Art of Direct Examination from a Defense Perspective," Houston Bar Association Serialized Institute – Trial Practice and Procedure (March/April 1993)
- "Punitive Damages After Pacific Mutual Life Vs. Haslip; Liability of Primary Insurers to Excess Insurers in the Claims Process," National Litigation Conference, Lake Buena Vista, Florida (March 1992)
- "Punitive Damages After Pacific Mutual Life Vs. Haslip; Liability of Primary Insurers to Excess Insurers in the Claims Process," Fourth Annual Civil Litigation Conference, Vail, Colorado (January 1992)
- "Presentation of Evidence, Impacting the Jury; Expert Witnesses and Their Testimony," Evidence and Trial Practice in Texas Institute, Houston, Texas (July 1991)
Associations
- American Board of Trial Advocates, Member
- American Bar Association, Life Fellow
- American Bar Association (Litigation Section)
- Associations of Trial Lawyers of America (Civil Sections)
- Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
- College of the State Bar of Texas; Defense Research Institute
- Houston Bar Association, Life Fellow
- Houston Lawyer Magazine, Editor, Co-Editor & Associate Editor
- Institute for Responsible Dispute Resolution, Charter Member
- Texas Association of Defense Counsel
- Texas Bar Association, Life Fellow
- Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism
- Texas Commission for Lawyer Discipline, Special Assistant Disciplinary Counsel
- American Bar Association - Life Fellow
Community
- Former Director, Community National Bank-Bellaire
- Project-LiftHouston, Advisory Director; Pets Are Wonderful Support, Former and Founding Director
- America's Heroes First Foundation
- Houston Urban Debate League, Advisory Director
- Scenic Houston Board of Directors, Vice-Chairman (2008)
- Appointed Member of Mayor Lee Brown's Houston Challenge Committee (2000)
- Former Founder, President/CEO and Chairman-Southern Continental Mortgage Corporation Founder, President/CEO and Chairman of Super Chef Corporation
- President/CEO-Pappas Energy
- Jewish Community Center Scholarship Gala, Honorary Chair
- Nominee, American Biographic Institute's an of the Year Award (1993)
- Scenic Houston, Board Member
- South Texas College of Law-Frank Evans Center for Conflict Resolution, Advisory Director; Team Captain and Participant – YMCA's Partners of Youth Campaign;
- TEX-PIRG Board of Directors, Travis County, Member/Director (1972)
Houston Office