Craig Smyser

• Lead counsel for McKesson Corporation in the Texas opioid litigation; Texas multidistrict litigation liaison counsel for entire distributor defendants' group.
• Lead counsel for BNSF Railway Co. as plaintiff in multiple arbitrations with an integrated retail and power generation company.
• Lead counsel for Shell Offshore, Inc. in accounting and contract disputes with other major oil companies over operation of offshore drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Lead counsel for Cheniere Energy, Inc. as plaintiff and defendant in a dispute with Parallax Enterprises, Inc., Tellurian, Inc., and certain related individuals regarding breach of a note and tortious interference with a contract.
• Lead counsel for Black Elk Litigation Trustee as plaintiff in multiple lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions to recover, among other damages, more than $100 million fraudulently transferred to Platinum Partners and others.
• Counsel for individual defendant in the Travis Scott/Astroworld multidistrict litigation.
• Lead counsel for former Enron CFO Andrew Fastow in more than 100 civil cases around the United States.
• Lead counsel for Yukos International UK B.V., the international arm of the former Russian oil company, Yukos Oil, dismantled by the Russian government after Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorovsky became a political opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, in various matters in the United States.
• Lead trial counsel for Schlumberger Technology Corp in action against former in-house counsel for breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, misuse of confidential information, and breach of fiduciary duty.
• Co-lead counsel for David’s supermarkets case against a Fortune 50 company. Obtained a $450 million jury verdict.
• Lead counsel for the City of Houston in multiple matters, including obtaining a mandatory injunction of behalf of the City in state district court, reversal of a temporary injunction entered in federal court against the City, defeating a request in federal court for a temporary restraining order against the City's "Safe Clear" ordinance, and representing the City and Houston Sports authority in negotiating a confidential settlement related to construction of the Toyota Center.

• "AI at Trial – Recent Developments and Practical Effects,"  Webinar, April 23, 2025

• "How to Conduct a Reasonably Competent Voir Dire,"  Zoom CLE, November 14, 2024

• "Federal and State Court Issues," University of Texas Law School Austin, January 2012
• "Expert Opinions, Practices and Issues," Harris County Summer CJE Conference, 2009
• "White Collar Crime and Civil Litigation," State Bar of Texas, Advanced Trial Course, 2008-2009
• "Criminal Issues in Civil Cases," State Bar of Texas 29th Annual Advanced Civil Trial Course Dallas, August 2006
• "New Chapter 74 and Old 4590i Compared," State Bar of Texas Advanced Medical Malpractice Course, March 2005
• "Caps and Credits: A Comparison of the Old and the New," State Bar of Texas Advanced Medical Malpractice Course, 2004
• "The Ultimate Trial Notebook – Preparing for Jury Selection in Advance: Focus Groups and Other Jury Research," State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting, 2004
• "Discovery Update and Rule 202 – The Latest on the New Texas Rules," Advanced Civil Trial Course 2002, 2003, and 2004
• "Advanced Business Litigation – 'Fraud and Related Claims'," University of Houston Law Foundation, October 1997, September 1998, September 1999, September 2001
• "Post Judgment Motions," South Texas College of Law Advanced Litigation, February 1998
• "Class Actions – (Plaintiff's View)," Houston Bar Association Seminar, December 1997
• "Voir Dire: A Discussion, Demonstration and Workshop," State Bar of Texas Seminar, August 1994
• "Advanced Issues in Evidence and Discovery," Advanced Civil Discovery Seminar, 1994-1995
• "Cross-Examination of the Enemy Expert," Medical Malpractice Conference, 1993
• "Advanced Strategies in Obtaining and Using Evidence," 1992, 1993
• "Selected Discovery Problems," Medical Malpractice Conference, April 1992
• "Discovery Issues – Defense Perspective," Advanced Medical Malpractice Conference, 1991
• "Summary Judgments – Defense Perspective," Advanced Medical Malpractice Litigation, November 1990
• "Piercing the Corporate Veil," State Bar of Texas Seminar, August 1990
• "Advanced Settlement Techniques," State Bar of Texas, 1990
• "Civil Discovery," University of Houston Advanced Civil Discovery Seminar, June 1988
• "Personal Injury and Wrongful Death," State Bar of Texas, Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Institute, 1984

• Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business
• Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial (2024)
• Best Lawyers in America
• Benchmark Litigation, for high quality of litigation work
• Benchmark Plaintiff, "Local Litigation Star"
• Super Lawyers, Texas (2003-2023)
• Super Lawyers, Texas, Top 100 Houston Super Lawyer
• Super Lawyers, Texas, Top 100 Texas Super Lawyer
• Super Lawyers, selected as one of the top attorneys in business litigation in a nationwide corporate counsel edition
• H Texas Magazine, Top Lawyers of Houston

Authored Articles

• Texas Contract Law, co-authored with Professor David Dow, 2005

• Chair, Attorney Admissions Committee for the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas 
• American Law Institute (2017-2021)
• International Society of Barristers
• Past president, Texas Association of Board Certified Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
• Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law
• Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law
• Past president Houston Chapter, American Board of Trial Advocates
• Board of directors, Houston Urban Debate League
• Board of directors, Houston Tennis Association (2007 Board of Directors)
• Past chair of the Board of Directors of the Houston City/Harris County Cultural Arts Council
• Past president of the Board of Directors of Inprint
• Texas Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• American Bar Foundation
• Houston Bar Association