Attorneys

Mr. Pappas, a director of the Firm, practices in the Litigation Practice Area.  He is well known in legal circles, particularly when the discussions involve personal injury trial litigation, construction litigation and insurance defense matters. He has extensive courtroom experience and has successfully defended thousands of personal injury claims, construction claims, product liability claims, intellectual property issues, premises liability claims and insurance disputes. Additionally, he has successfully defended and tried numerous high exposure employment discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuits. Chris serves as Regional Counsel, Specialty Counsel and/or Panel Counsel for various corporations and insurers, including Atlas Copco Corp., Rental Service Corporation, Beazer Homes, Turner Construction, Liberty Mutual Insurance and American Safety. His practice also involves assisting with the implementation and designing of litigation management protocols/systems for corporations and insurers.

Personal injury trial law, construction, insurance, product liability, intellectual property, commercial litigation, mass tort litigation.

Selected by legal peers in field of trial law and advocacy as a Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.  Selected as one of Houston's "Top Lawyers for the People" by H Texas magazine (2005-2012).  Named in Texas Super Lawyers® and Texas Monthly magazines as one of the top business litigation attorneys in Texas selected by Law & Politics (2005-2012).  Special Counsel-Prosecutor for the State Bar of Texas.  Special Participant in the Houston Bar Association Mentor Program.  Marquis Who’s Who in American Law.  Who’s Who Among Practicing Attorneys.  Chairman, Selection Committee of the Texas Bar Foundation Fellows re: Outstanding Review Article Award.  Who’s Who Among Rising Young American in American Society (1992).  Who’s Who in Houston (1990).  Sustaining Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation (1988).  Fellow, Houston Bar Foundation (1982).  Recipient of President’s Award from the Houston Bar Association (1981-1984).  Editor, Co-Editor and Associate Editor of The Houston Lawyer magazine (1981-1984).

Lead prosecution counsel in case selected by National Law Journal as biggest verdicts in USA (1997).  Successfully defended and tried as legal counsel significant maritime personal injury case involving multiple claimants.  Successfully defended and tried as lead counsel high seven figure commercial case for Fortune 500 company and recovery on counterclaim affirmed by Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.  Successfully defended and tried as legal counsel high exposure trade secrets and infringement suit for Fortune 500 company involving well logging servicing technology.  Successfully prosecuted insurance bad faith/equitable subrogation case against primary insurer with seven figure plus recovery.  Successfully defended and tried as lead counsel significant liquor liability/dram shop litigation involving alleged wrongful death of mother with four surviving children and spouse.  Successfully prosecuted out-of-state theft of trade secrets case as lead counsel after unfavorable ruling involving prior counsel for Fortune 500 company.  Successfully defended products liability wrongful death suit involving electrocution of minor decedent.  Successfully defended as lead counsel construction site personal injury case involving general contractor.  Successfully defended as lead counsel general contractor in commercial construction litigation.  Successfully defended and tried as lead counsel multiple sexual harassment/discrimination involving company executive.  Successfully defended and tried as lead counsel sex discrimination/harassment suit against prominent privately held out-of-state corporation.  Successfully defended and tried as lead counsel multiple construction defect cases for residential homebuilders and contractors.  Successfully defended and resolved sexual molestation case involving religious entities and clergy.  Successfully defended and resolved various electrocution and severe burn cases for general contractors, property owners/managers, chemical plants/refineries, product manufacturers and equipment suppliers.  Successfully defended, tried and resolved as lead counsel various fire and property loss claims for insurers and insureds.

American Bar Association (Litigation Section); American Board of Trial Advocates; 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; International Association of Defense Counsel; State Bar of Texas (Construction Law Section); 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.

State Courts of Texas.  U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth and Seventh Circuits.  U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.  U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas.  Martindale Hubbell, AV Rated.

Panelist, "What Lawyers Like and Don't Like About Mediators," The 2013 Annual Conference on ADR (May 2013).  Speaker and panel moderator, “Legal Issues Affecting Architects,” American Institute of Architects Business and Practice Services (2009).  Participant as faculty member at Trial Academy, TADC Trial Academy Texas Association of Defense Counsel (2007).  Speaker, The Pro’s & Con’s of the Mediation Process, The Association of Attorney-Mediators Convention.  Speaker and author, Contractual & Resource Liability for Mortgage Lenders, Texas Association of Mortgage Brokers Convention.  Speaker and Author, The Art of Direct Examination, Houston Bar Association, HBA Serialized Institute.  Speaker and author, Construction Law Developments, Texas Association of Defense Counsel.  Speaker and panel moderator, Insurance Law & Recent Developments, Texas Lawyer Insurance Law Roundtable.  Speaker and author, When to Seek Legal Representation, AON Insurance presentation to business managers and insurance risk professionals.  Speaker and author, Trying the Wrongful Death Case in Texas, NBI Trial Institute.  Speaker and panel moderator, Mediation from the Mediator and Litigant Perspective, Houston Bar Association.  Speaker and panel moderator, What Works and Doesn’t Work at Mediation, Texas Association of Mediators Annual Conference.  Speaker and author, Litigating the Class Action Lawsuit in Texas, NBI Legal Seminar.  Speaker and author, Evidence in Trial Practice, presentation at NBI CLE Seminar.  Speaker, Insurance Coverage Law in Texas, CLE Seminar/NBI, Houston, Texas (August 31, 2004).  Speaker, Paralegals Guide to Admissibility of Evidence and Expert Testimony, NBI Seminar, Houston, Texas (February 24, 2004).  Speaker, Handling the Automobile Injury Claim in Texas, legal seminar in Houston, Texas (January 28, 2004).  Speaker, Strategizing for Minimizing Damages in Civil Cases, HBA/HLAA, Houston, Texas (August, 2003).  Speaker, Construction Law Developments and Update, Texas Association of Defense Counsel Seminar, Cancun, Mexico (July 2003).  Speaker, Damages in Texas Civil Trial Practice, legal seminar in Houston, Texas (June 2003).  Speaker, Trying the Automobile Injury Case in Texas, legal seminar in Houston, Texas (March 2003).  Speaker, Trial Advocacy in Texas, NBI CLE Seminar, Houston, Texas (July 2001).

Project-Lift-Houston, Advisory Director.  Pets Are Wonderful Support, Former Director.  America’s Heroes First Foundation, Founding Director.  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). Community National Bank, Board Member (2007).  Jewish Community Center Scholarship Gala, Honorary Chair.  Nominee, American Biographical Institute’s Man of the Year Award (1993).  Scenic Houston, Board Member.  South Texas College of Law - Frank Evans Center for Conflict Resolution, Advisory Director.  Super Chef Manufacturing Company, Board Member and President.  Team Captain and Participant - YMCA’s Partners of Youth Campaign.  TEX-PIRG Board of Directors, Travis County, Member/Director (1972).

University of Houston, Bates College of Law (J.D., 1977).  University of Texas at Austin (B.A., 1974).