For over forty-six years, Steve Watkins has been actively engaged in the trial of general civil and business litigation matters. In 1992, Steve was appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas to the Supreme Court of Texas Board of Disciplinary Appeals. Steve served as a member of the Board until his term expired in 2000. While a member of the Board, he participated in deciding several thousand classification appeals. Mr. Watkins served as Chairman of the Board during the years 1994 through 1999. While Chairman, Steve presided over several hundred compulsory, reciprocal, probation revocation and disability cases.
Steve has been ranked in the 2017, 2018 and the 2019 Benchmark Litigation Guide as a Local Litigation Star in the area of general commercial litigation. As the only publication focusing exclusively on litigation in the U.S., Benchmark rankings result from the culmination of a six-month rigorous research period which includes interviews with litigators, clients and examination of case work.
- He has been “AV” rated by Martindale-Hubbell for thirty-six consecutive years.
- He holds a Certificate from the State Bar of Texas in Guardianship Law.
- He is a Certified Mediator.
- He is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the International Society of Barristers.
Representative Experience:
- Successfully representing, as lead counsel, an international oil company in a seven-week jury trial where plaintiff sought substantial damages concerning a complex real estate transaction.
- Obtaining a substantial jury verdict, as co-counsel, for an international corporation in a dispute involving a damaged generator that was part of a CT-Unit.
- Successfully representing a large metropolitan school district in a lawsuit concerning its losses sustained as a result of Tropical Storm Allison.
- Successfully representing an international oil company at trial and on appeal where the plaintiff sought substantial damages concerning a maintenance of interest provision in a joint operating agreement.
- Successfully defending a cable-splicing company in a case brought by the United States Department of Labor to recover overtime compensation alleged to be due to numerous cable splicers. A judgment in favor of the client was rendered by the Trial Court and affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
- Successfully defending a delivery service company against claims that drivers were employees rather than independent contractors.
- Successfully obtaining an arbitration award against two doctors enforcing a covenant not to compete and establishing amounts to be paid by the two doctors in a buy out of the covenant.
- Achieving a favorable result for a founder and former executive asserting a breach of an employment contract against an international engineering firm.
- Successfully representing at trial and on appeal, as co-counsel, an international oil company in a dispute concerning a detrimental activity provision in a restricted stock plan.
- Successfully representing at trial and on appeal, as co-counsel, an international oil company in a dispute concerning a detrimental activity provision in a restricted stock plan.
Last updated September 2019
