Christopher R. Cowan

Christopher R.

Cowan

Overview

Chris represents individuals and businesses in civil litigation involving claims of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, employment related discrimination and retaliation, product liability, deceptive trade practices, negligence, and misappropriation of trade secrets. He also has experience with government investigations and conducting internal investigations.

Experience

  • Counsel for administrator of the Texas Medicaid program in civil action brought by the Texas Office of Attorney General under the Texas Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act.
  • Counsel for oil and gas business in contract dispute before the London Court of International Arbitration, involving the manufacture of a multimillion-dollar piece of managed pressure off-shore drilling equipment.
  • Counsel for medical device manufacturer defending product liability claims.
  • Counsel for real estate brokerage firm and individual agents, defending claims of fraud, negligence, and breach of contract brought by former agent.
  • Counsel for officers of oil and gas business in multiple litigations and state investigations concerning claims under the Texas Securities Act and for common law fraud.
  • Counsel for roofing manufacturer in employment discrimination and retaliation litigation brought by former employee under the Texas Labor Code.
  • Counsel for corporate client in pursuing its claims under the Texas Theft Liability Act and for misappropriation of trade secrets against former employee.
  • Conducted internal investigations for numerous corporate clients, concerning potential civil and criminal violations of state and federal law.
  • Counsel for software company in contract dispute against its landlord concerning a multi-million-dollar office lease.
  • Counsel for energy transportation company as plaintiff and defendant in trucking accident litigations.

Distinctions

  • Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers®
    • Texas Rising Star, 2014-2017
    • Southern California Rising Star, 2012

Bar Admissions

  • Texas, 2013
  • California, 2007
  • U.S. District Courts
    • California: Central
    • Texas: Western, Southern, Northern
  • U.S. Court of Appeals
    • 5th Circuit
    • 9th Circuit

Education

  • University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, J.D., 2007
    • Order of the Coif
    • Senior Submissions Editor, Law Review
    • Shattuck Award: Recognizing Outstanding Contributions to the School and Legal Scholarship
  • Northwestern University, B.A., Theatre, 1997

Associations

  • Austin Bar Association
  • Austin Young Lawyers Association
  • Texas Association of Defense Counsel
  • American Bar Association

Papers, Presentations & Publications

  • Presenter, “Guiding the Employee Evaluation Process in the New Workplace,” Austin Association of Corporate Counsel, November 2018.
  • Presenter, “Bits and Bytes: Computer Related Evidence,” Texas Center for the Judiciary - Texas Civil Justice Conference, March 2018.
  • Presenter, “Discovery and the Leviathan:  Issues of Privilege when Dealing with the Government,” Texas Association of Defense Counsel Summer Lecture Series, July 2015.
  • Author, An Unworkable Rule of Law: The ADA, Education and Sovereign Immunity; An Argument For Overruling, Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida Consistent with Stare Decisis, 80 S. Cal. L. Rev. 347, 2007.

Christopher R.

Cowan

Overview

Chris represents individuals and businesses in civil litigation involving claims of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, employment related discrimination and retaliation, product liability, deceptive trade practices, negligence, and misappropriation of trade secrets. He also has experience with government investigations and conducting internal investigations.

Experience

  • Counsel for administrator of the Texas Medicaid program in civil action brought by the Texas Office of Attorney General under the Texas Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act.
  • Counsel for oil and gas business in contract dispute before the London Court of International Arbitration, involving the manufacture of a multimillion-dollar piece of managed pressure off-shore drilling equipment.
  • Counsel for medical device manufacturer defending product liability claims.
  • Counsel for real estate brokerage firm and individual agents, defending claims of fraud, negligence, and breach of contract brought by former agent.
  • Counsel for officers of oil and gas business in multiple litigations and state investigations concerning claims under the Texas Securities Act and for common law fraud.
  • Counsel for roofing manufacturer in employment discrimination and retaliation litigation brought by former employee under the Texas Labor Code.
  • Counsel for corporate client in pursuing its claims under the Texas Theft Liability Act and for misappropriation of trade secrets against former employee.
  • Conducted internal investigations for numerous corporate clients, concerning potential civil and criminal violations of state and federal law.
  • Counsel for software company in contract dispute against its landlord concerning a multi-million-dollar office lease.
  • Counsel for energy transportation company as plaintiff and defendant in trucking accident litigations.

Distinctions

  • Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers®
    • Texas Rising Star, 2014-2017
    • Southern California Rising Star, 2012

Bar Admissions

  • Texas, 2013
  • California, 2007
  • U.S. District Courts
    • California: Central
    • Texas: Western, Southern, Northern
  • U.S. Court of Appeals
    • 5th Circuit
    • 9th Circuit

Education

  • University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, J.D., 2007
    • Order of the Coif
    • Senior Submissions Editor, Law Review
    • Shattuck Award: Recognizing Outstanding Contributions to the School and Legal Scholarship
  • Northwestern University, B.A., Theatre, 1997

Associations

  • Austin Bar Association
  • Austin Young Lawyers Association
  • Texas Association of Defense Counsel
  • American Bar Association

Papers, Presentations & Publications

  • Presenter, “Guiding the Employee Evaluation Process in the New Workplace,” Austin Association of Corporate Counsel, November 2018.
  • Presenter, “Bits and Bytes: Computer Related Evidence,” Texas Center for the Judiciary - Texas Civil Justice Conference, March 2018.
  • Presenter, “Discovery and the Leviathan:  Issues of Privilege when Dealing with the Government,” Texas Association of Defense Counsel Summer Lecture Series, July 2015.
  • Author, An Unworkable Rule of Law: The ADA, Education and Sovereign Immunity; An Argument For Overruling, Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida Consistent with Stare Decisis, 80 S. Cal. L. Rev. 347, 2007.