People / Victor Vital

 

"With depth and creativity underscoring his experience in complex, winner-take-all litigation, Victor Vital has established a reputation as being the epitome of coolness under pressure."

 

G. Steven Henry, founder, executive director and general counsel, Litigation Counsel of America

 

Biography

Victor Vital is the Global Chair of Haynes Boone’s Trials Practice Group and a nationally recognized trial lawyer trusted by general counsel, C-suite executives, and high-net-worth individuals to lead them in their most sensitive, high-stakes disputes. Known for his cross-industry fluency, Victor brings strategic insight, courtroom command, and ability to connect with judges, juries, and arbitrators in matters spanning a wide range of sectors—including automotive, energy, government, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, media, pharmaceutical, politics, power generation, telecommunications, sports and entertainment, and technology.

Victor’s ability to rapidly master complex subject matter enables him to both shape compelling trial narratives and drive successful dispute resolution in a wide range of disputes such as business and commercial matters, intellectual property disputes, family and estate disputes, securities fraud, white collar criminal cases, and catastrophic injury and death cases. Clients select Victor to lead their high-stakes matters because he brings fresh, strategic clarity without needing to be steeped in an industry for decades to quickly gain fluency, earn trust, and deliver results—whether in the courtroom or through resolution outside of the courtroom.

Victor is ranked Band 1 by Chambers USA (Litigation: Trial Lawyers, 2024-2025), which notes that he is “recognized for his trial abilities” and is “a strong performer in a range of commercial disputes and also has considerable experience handling high-stakes personal injury litigation.” His verdicts have been nationally recognized in the National Law Journal’s Top 100 Verdicts and Courtroom View Network’s Top 10 Most Impressive Defense Verdicts.

Clients report to Chambers that Victor is “unflappable,” “very versatile and can handle a lot of types of cases,” and “a team player,” with the rare ability to gain trust, master complex issues, and lead effectively—whether from day one or on the eve of trial. Frequently brought in during the final months or even weeks before trial, his “parachute trial” practice was profiled in a Texas Super Lawyers cover story, and Chambers USA highlights his ability to “jump in, understand the issues, think creatively, and gain trust in a short period of time.” Victor, however, is equally adept at driving long-term litigation strategy, shaping discovery and ordering evidence towards strategic, compelling themes, and advising companies as they navigate reputational and financial risks.

Victor is a member of the highly selective, invitation-only American Law Institute (ALI), an honor reserved for the country’s most respected legal minds shaping and refining the future of American law. He is a frequent speaker, author, and educator on trial strategy and high-stakes litigation, and he continues to be a sought-after voice on major courtroom developments and matters.

With a reputation forged in courtrooms across the country and across industries, Victor is the advocate and adviser clients call when the stakes are high, the pressure is real, and the outcome matters.

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  • Secured nationwide injunction for ExxonMobil against tortious conduct organized and perpetrated by Greenpeace and its affiliates. Greenpeace, Inc. et al. vs. Exxon Mobil Corp.,133 S.W.3d 804 (Tex. App. – Dallas 2004, pet. denied).
  • Secured a complete defense verdict from a New York federal jury in Manhattan for a multinational manufacturer of engine, filtration, and power products against plaintiff’s breach of contract claims seeking in excess of $86 million.
  • Secured a favorable verdict in a Pierce County, Washington trial for a leading home- and community-based healthcare services company against plaintiff’s wrongful death claims seeking in excess of $32 million.
  • Secured a complete defense verdict from a Texas jury for a medical device company in a catastrophic injury case in which plaintiff sought damages in excess of $28 million. Listed by the Courtroom View Network in its Top 10 Most Impressive Defense Verdicts of 2022.
  • Secured a verdict of over $30 million (including $16 million in punitive damages) from a federal jury for two entrepreneurs on claims of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference, conspiracy, and breach of contract against two other individuals involved in a YouTube venture. Listed as the number one verdict in the fraud category in the Texas Lawyer Top Texas Verdicts & Settlements in 2016 and also listed in the National Law Journal Top 100 list in 2016.
  • Defended a pharmaceutical company in a patent infringement case in which the plaintiff sought in excess of $200 million and ultimately secured a jury verdict in the damages range proffered by the defense’s patent-damages expert.
  • Secured a complete defense verdict from a federal jury for a national homebuilder against plaintiff’s allegations of non-compete violations, misappropriation of trade secrets, and defamation seeking millions of dollars.
  • Secured a complete defense verdict from a Texas jury for a health care company and its chairman/CEO against fraud and contract claims seeking millions of dollars while prevailing on a civil wiretapping counterclaim.
  • Secured a defense judgment for a national bank after a week-long bench trial of a dispute involving a borrower’s claims of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, deceptive trade practices, and other alleged statutory violations concerning the marketing and sale of a complex interest-rate swap.
  • Secured a revocation of discharge judgment and a multimillion award for a single-purpose investment venture after a week-long bench trial of a bankruptcy adversary proceeding involving a complex fraud, claims of alter ego, and veil piercing theories.
  • Prevailed in a bench trial for a high net-worth individual in a divorce matter, securing and establishing the enforceability of a post-nuptial property agreement.
  • Represented an individual in a white-collar criminal matter (tax evasion) and preserved error during the jury trial of the matter, resulting in a reversal for the client by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • Secured a multimillion-dollar arbitration award for a manufacturer and developer of air purification technology on claims of misappropriation of trade secrets, trademark infringement, and breach of contract.
  • Represented an entertainment client and secured a dismissal, immediately before jury selection, of a criminal charge alleging that an expensive piece of costume jewelry made for an album cover was a “prohibited weapon” and restored the forfeited jewelry to the client’s possession.
  • Substituted in as counsel for a major hospital system in a trial case pending in the Rio Grande Valley less than a month before trial, overturned a multimillion death penalty sanction, and then ultimately secured a favorable settlement through use of insurance funds.
  • Secured a favorable settlement for a client with the SEC; and then, through a series of pre-indictment proffer sessions, secured a declination by the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas of wire fraud and securities fraud charges.
  • Secured a favorable settlement in an SEC enforcement matter arising from a municipal bond offering related to the financing and development of an entertainment and events arena in Washington state.
  • Lead trial counsel for a major defendant in a three-month federal public corruption jury trial; secured judgment of acquittal on a significant count.

Some of these representations were handled by Victor prior to joining Haynes Boone.

  • Member, Klyde Warren Park Corporate Council
  • Member, Dallas Black Dance Theater Advisory Stakeholder Taskforce
  • Member, American Law Institute
  • Barrister, Order of Justitia, Litigation Counsel of America
  • Member, The Trial Law Institute, Litigation Counsel of America
  • Member, Diversity Institute, Litigation Counsel of America
  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, American Bar Foundation
  • Member, Dallas Bar Foundation
  • Member, Texas Bar Foundation
  • Board President, Dallas Education Foundation
  • Leadership Dallas, 2014 Class
  • Member, Leadership Dallas Alumni
  • Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
  • Fellow, American Bar Foundation
  • Fellow, Dallas Bar Foundation
  • Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
  • Recognized in Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2025 (listed for Complex Litigation)
  • Chambers USA, Chambers and Partners, 2021-2025 (currently ranked in Band 1, Litigation: Trial Lawyers (Texas))
  • Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2005-2024 (listed in the Top 100: 2024 Dallas/Fort Worth Super Lawyers Top List)
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc., 2016-2024
  • Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, D Magazine Partners, 2023-2025
  • Hon. Sam A. Lindsay Professionalism and Ethics Award, J.L. Turner Legal Association, 2024
  • Texas Lawyer, ALM, Texas Trailblazers, 2020
  • Franchise Times Legal Eagle, Franchise Times Corp., 2019-2020
  • Dallas Business Journal Minority Business Leader Award, 2015
  • Litigation Counsel of America Peter Perlman Service Award, 2013

Education

J.D., Thurgood Marshall School of Law, 1995, summa cum laude

B.S.W., Oakwood University, 1992, magna cum laude

Clerkships

Extern to the Honorable Calvin Botley, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Texas (Houston Division), 1995

Admissions

Texas

Court Admissions

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas