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(713) 485-7202
Chris Reynolds
Chris Reynolds focuses his practice exclusively on complex commercial and business litigation and arbitration. Chris’ experience includes high-stakes disputes of every description, including the defense and prosecution of cases involving claims of breach of contract, patent infringement, trade secret theft, antitrust violations, legal malpractice, directors’ and officers’ liability, securities fraud, engineering and construction errors and omissions, trade name infringement, copyright infringement and trust and estate-related litigation.
Among the businesses and industries with which Chris has become very familiar during more than 26 years of litigation are the following: oil and gas exploration, technology, production, transportation and accounting; software development and licensing; semiconductor design and manufacturing; process plant engineering, design and construction; the generation, transmission and marketing of electricity; clinical trials and exploitation of pharmaceuticals and bio-medical devices; the transmission and marketing of natural gas, including LNG; project-based financing; risk management; asset-based lending and securitizations; hedge fund management and financing; and all aspects investment banking.
Upon graduation from law school, Chris joined Wood, Campbell, Moody & Gibbs, PC and was an original associate with Gibbs & Ratliff, L.L.P. when it was formed in October of 1983. Gibbs & Ratliff became Gibbs & Bruns LLP in 1993. Chris withdrew from Gibbs & Bruns in September of 2009 in order to be one of the founding partners of Reynolds, Frizzell, Black, Doyle, Allen & Oldham, L.L.P.
Chris is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and an Associate of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Education
University of Texas, J.D., with honors, 1982
Order of the Coif
Texas Law Review
University of Texas, B.S. (Civil Engineering), with honors, 1980
Tau Beta Pi
Chi Epsilon
Recognition
Listed in Chambers USA America's Leading Lawyers for Business, 2005-2010
Named a "Leading Individual" in the areas of Commercial Litigation and Energy & Natural Resource: Dispute Resolution
Listed in Best Lawyers in America, 2007-2009
Named in the area of Commercial Litigation and “Bet-the-Company” litigation.
Named Client Service All-Star by BTI Consulting, 2009
Named a “Texas Super Lawyer” by Law and Politics, 2003-2009
Named to the Top 100 Super Lawyers List – Houston Region, 2007
Named three times as one of Houston’s “Best” by H Texas Magazine
Significant Cases
Neon Systems, Inc. v. New Era of Networks
Along with Jean Frizzell, my partner, I represented Neon in a three-week jury trial of a common-law trade name infringement claim in Fort Bend County, Texas. David Beck represented the defendant. The jury returned a verdict for $14,000,000 in actual damages, and $25,000,000, in punitive damages. After trial, the judge entered judgment in the full amount of the verdict, and enjoined further use of the trade name “Neon.” Subsequent to judgment, and prior to appeal, the case settled favorably.
Lonestar Inventions Patent Cases
For more than 5 years, I served as co-lead counsel on a number of patent infringement actions brought by Lonestar Inventions against a series of defendants. The invention involved a multi-layered interdigitated capacitor on a semi-conductor substrate. Most of the cases were prosecuted in the Tyler division of the Eastern District of Texas. Some of the cases settled only after a favorable Markman order that was entered in the spring of 2009. Cumulative settlements exceeded $35,000,000. The list of parties with whom Lonestar settled includes (among others): Analog Devices; Texas Instruments; Toshiba; Broadcom; Marvell; Advanced Micro Devices; Kodak; Freescale; Agere and Xilinx. The most recent settlements funded in mid-2009.
Burns v. FundsXpress
I served as co-lead counsel for Plaintiffs, with Tommy Jacks of Austin, Texas, in a case brought in Travis County District Court by persons who owned shares of stock in a privately held internet banking service provider. The case was defended by a “who’s who” of the Travis County bar, including Gary Lewis, Jim George, Russ Horton and David Whittlesey. The Plaintiffs sought damages and disgorgement of profits arising from a merger in which the shares of common stock were cancelled, and the merger proceeds ($134,000,000) were split only among the preferred shareholders and management. The case settled in early 2009, following the court’s denial of about a dozen motions for summary judgment.
ExxonMobil v. Doosan Heavy
I served as lead counsel to Doosan Heavy, a Changwon-based construction company, in defending claims brought by ExxonMobil with respect to allegedly defective welding on 6 reactors to be used in hydro-desulfurization projects for ExxonMobil’s refineries in Baytown, Texas, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The case also involved cross-claims asserted against Doosan by Fluor Daniel, the general contractor on the projects. After obtaining a partial summary judgment in favor of Doosan on the tort claims, and after uncovering defenses to large portions of the damages claims, the case settled favorably. Opposing counsel included Lee Haag, of Fulbright & Jaworski, and Rusty Hardin (for ExxonMobil) and Gib Walton and Ferg McNeil of Vinson & Elkins (for Fluor Daniel). The case settled in mid-2006.
PGET Energy Trading
In connection with its bankruptcy, PGET Energy Trading terminated two, long-term “tolling” agreements with two affiliated project developers. Each contract provided for a “termination payment” in the event that the termination was not permitted. Both of PGET’s adversaries sought termination payments and expenses in excess of $500,000,000. One claim settled favorably on the eve of arbitration, and the other resulted in an award that was substantially less than had been sought by the creditor.
Arbors of Houston v. Guardian Savings
I successfully defended Guardian Savings against a tying claim brought in connection with a failed real estate project. The jury found no tying violation.
Sunrise Gas Marketing v. Northwest Pipeline
Along with Jean Frizzell, my partner, I represented Sunrise Gas Marketing in prosecuting claims against Northwest Pipeline for breach of the obligation of good faith and fair dealing in connection with a firm transportation services agreement. The court found that Northwest had breached the obligation, terminated the contract and cancelled the obligation to make further payments for “demand” charges, and awarded $6,000,000 in lost profits damages. On appeal, the amount of the damages award was increased. The case ultimately settled, just as we were about to go forward on claims against Williams field Services, an affiliated entity.
