Chris Knight

Chris Knight is an appellate lawyer with substantial experience litigating — and winning — complex, high-stakes disputes in both state and federal courts. Chris has represented clients throughout the litigation process, from pre-suit analysis and strategy, to crafting the jury charge, to seeking (and obtaining) discretionary review in a court of last resort. And he has worked alongside clients in various industries, including oil and gas, news media, power generation, insurance, and finance.

Clients trust Chris to craft and deliver persuasive and focused arguments, no matter the medium or forum. He has led successful brief-writing efforts on a variety of cutting-edge legal issues — from the types of damages available in fraud cases, to the interpretation and application of Texas’ anti-SLAPP statute, to the nature and scope of the First Amendment’s church-autonomy doctrine. He also has considerable experience presenting oral argument, including to the Texas Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the Texas courts of appeals.

Chris’s recent work includes:

• Successfully led appellate briefing, presented argument, and opposed Texas Supreme Court review in a novel case involving the intersection of free speech and anonymity.
• Led briefing and presented argument to the Texas Supreme Court in a certified-question appeal dealing with a novel statutory interpretation question.
• Successfully led briefing and presented argument to the Fifth Circuit in a pro bono appeal concerning sleep deprivation — ultimately resulting in a published opinion clarifying Eighth Amendment standards in the Fifth Circuit.
• Successfully led briefing, from the post-verdict stage to the Texas Supreme Court, in securing the affirmance of a multimillion-dollar judgment in an oil-and-gas insurance dispute.
• Successfully led briefing, in both the court of appeals and the Texas Supreme Court, in securing the complete reversal of a $100 million trial court verdict on behalf of a major bank.

Chris is active in the bar and his community. He is the Vice President of the Fort Worth Chapter of the Federalist Society, and he recently completed stints as the Chair of the Tarrant County Bar Association’s Appellate Section and as a Barrister in the Eldon Mahon Inn of Court. He also serves on the Fort Worth board of a nonprofit that uses the civil justice system to combat urban blight and improve neighborhood safety. And he regularly writes and speaks on Texas Supreme Court practice and other appellate topics.

Chris graduated first in his class from SMU Dedman School of Law, and he clerked at both the Texas Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He has been recognized by Texas Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star,” by Best Lawyers as “One to Watch,” and by Fort Worth, Texas magazine as a “Top Attorney” in appellate practice.