Alex Wolf

Commercial Litigation

• Won motion to dismiss in federal court for clients, a major academic publisher and leading academic journal, in a case alleging violations of securities and employment laws. 
• Won motion for summary judgment for client in the financial sector, defeating multibillion dollar claims of fraud and related business torts.
• Favorably resolved State Attorney General investigation into client company in the fintech industry.
• Won motion to compel arbitration in federal court for client Class I railroad. The contract at issue did not contain an arbitration clause, but the district court agreed that it was intertwined with a contract between the parties that required arbitration.  
• Represented Class I railroad in a series of arbitrations against one of the largest US electric power generation corporations; resulted in a favorable global settlement on the first day of the initial arbitration hearing.
• Won summary judgment for a client surgery center against a contractual counterparty in a dispute concerning the parties' rights to pursue unpaid claims against a health insurance company.
• Secured favorable settlements for a natural gas and crude company in two separate breach of contract cases against different defendants based on deficient contractor work that caused leaks in storage tanks.
• Won summary judgment for client health care corporation against an insurance company that refused to advance costs of defense.
• Secured favorable settlement for a contractor client in multimillion dollar construction dispute against factory.

Public Corruption, Bribery, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)

• Conducted internal investigation into alleged misconduct in US company’s China operations. 
• Represented former officers of energy industry company in parallel DOJ and SEC investigations into foreign corruption; resolved with no charges filed against officers.
• Represented former Citgo employee in FCPA investigation and indictment.

Higher Education and Nonprofit

• Conducted internal investigation for a university into allegations that a Division I coach engaged in misconduct; investigation included university’s athletics program, Title IX office, and Human Resources department. Assisted university with implementing recommendations.
• Advised university on issues involving student misconduct, staff misconduct, litigation matters, and updating policies and procedures.  
• Conducted risk assessment for university and consulted on implementing risk mitigation recommendations. 
• Advised a major religious denomination on risk mitigation issues and updating policies and procedures.
• Counseled client on student discipline issue involving student’s alleged use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to write a final paper.
• Represented Division I coach indicted in “Varsity Blues” investigation; secured resolution through a Deferred Prosecution Agreement.
• Represented regional nonprofit hospital system in multiple litigation matters and investigations.
• Advised multiple nonprofit clients on risk mitigation issues and updating policies and procedures.

 Trade Secrets and Intellectual Property

• Represented energy industry company in trade secrets and breach of contract dispute; resolved case favorably. 
• Represented multiple former employees in trade secrets and breach of contract action; resolved case favorably.
• Won multimillion dollar jury verdict in favor of client, a high-frequency trading firm, on claims for theft of trade secrets and copyright infringement. Affirmed by the Fifth Circuit. Secured multimillion dollar award of attorney and expert fees.

Financial Misconduct

• Represented foreign national in Commodities Future Trading Commission (CFTC) investigation into alleged financial misconduct; resolved with no charges or lawsuit filed. 
• Represented multiple individuals in tax fraud investigations by the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division with no charges filed.
• Won jury acquittal for client charged with insider trading arising from the merger of the Shaw Group and Chicago Bridge & Iron. Following jury acquittal, secured voluntary dismissal of related charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Environmental Crimes

• Represented energy-industry client in criminal investigation into offshore leak; resolved with no charges filed against client or its employees.
• Won jury acquittal for client, BP Well Site Leader on board Deepwater Horizon, charged with Clean Water Act violations stemming from rig explosion and oil spill.
• Won dismissal of felony Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act charges against client, an offshore contractor, based on offshore rig explosion in Gulf of Mexico. Affirmed by the Fifth Circuit. Secured favorable settlement on misdemeanor charges.

Appeals

• Filed amicus briefs on behalf of clients in the US Supreme Court, multiple federal courts of appeals, and the Texas Supreme Court.
• Briefed and won appeal in Fourteenth Court of Appeals, affirming grant of summary in judgment in favor of client in the financial sector, and defeating claims of fraud and related business torts.
• Briefed and won request for mandamus relief in Fourteenth Court of Appeals in case involving the scope of the protections afforded by the Fifth Amendment act-of-production doctrine; affirmed by the Texas Supreme Court.
• Briefed and won Fifth Circuit appeal in criminal matter arising from rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Briefed and won Fifth Circuit appeal in civil matter involving theft of trade secrets from client in financial sector.

• "The New Reality for Food Manufacturers in Texas: Investigations, Enforcement, and Compliance," Steptoe Webinar, November 2025
• "Adapting to Sweeping Changes in Higher Education," Steptoe Webinar, April 2025
• "International Trade and Cross-Border Enforcement: U.S. Trends and Priorities," Client CLE, October 2024
• "Forum Selection Issues: Federal Agencies, Courts, and Arbitration," Client CLE, September 2024
• "Advising Clients on Liability Issues in a Post-Dobbs World," Houston Bar Association, March 2023
• "Defending a Federal White Collar Criminal Case," Southern District of Texas Federal Bar Association, May 2018
• "FCPA Enforcement in the Trump Administration," Houston Bar Association, March 2018
• "Not Guilty: The Roberts Insider Trading Acquittal," Houston Bar Association, October 2017
• "The 5 Biggest Problems in Criminal Law Today," Houston Bar Association, November 2016

• Super Lawyers, Texas, "Rising Star" (2019-2024)
• Lawdragon, 500 X – The Next Generation (2023-2025)
• Benchmark Litigation, Future Star (2025)
• Benchmark Litigation, 40 & Under Hot List (2021, 2023, 2024)

Authored Articles

• Alex has co-authored more than 30 Steptoe client alerts and year-in-review publications on a range of topics. Click here to view his publications.
• "Addressing Employer Concerns Regarding Employee Misconduct and Crime," The Houston Lawyer, May 2023, with D. Isaak and C. Harvey
• "Abortion Restrictions Aren’t Just a Red-State Issue," Inside Higher Ed, October 11, 2022
• "The Problems with Payouts: Assessing the Proposal for a Mandatory Distribution Requirement for University Endowments," Harvard Journal on Legislation, 2011
• "Introduction to Alternative Dispute Resolution," Los Angeles Daily Journal, August 30, 2010, with the Honorable Helen Bendix

Editorial and Research Work

Alex provided editorial or research support for four books. These include:

• Kimberly Wolf, Talk with Her: A Dad’s Essential Guide to Raising Healthy, Confident, and Capable Daughters (Penguin 2022)
• Bruce Kimball and Daniel Coquillette, The Intellectual Sword: Harvard Law School, the Second Century (Harvard University Press 2020)
• Alison Lurie (Pulitzer prize-winning author), The Language of Houses (Delphinium 2014)
• Tom Olding, editor and translator, The Common and Piepowder Courts of Southampton, 1426-1483 (Ames Foundation 2011)

• National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA)
• Garland R. Walker Inn of Court
• Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
• American Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• Young Professionals Council, Houston Urban Debate League
• Alumni interviewer, Cornell University
• Volunteer mentor, Emerge Fellowship