Christopher Groves Partner​

Chris Groves focuses his practice on a variety of commercial litigation matters, including contract disputes, partnership disputes, business divorce, insurance coverage litigation, bankruptcy adversary proceedings, employment-related class actions, consumer class actions, corporate takeover litigation, shareholder derivative litigation, patent infringement litigation, and license agreement disputes. He has also handled mass tort litigation involving consumer, toxic tort, and product liability claims.

Chris has led Egan Nelson’s litigation practice since joining the firm in 2013. Among the victories Egan Nelson has achieved for its clients since then are the following:

$15,000,000 arbitration award in a construction case. Enjoining a memorabilia sale at a well-known auction house leading to the return of an iconic Master’s champion’s green jacket to the club that awards them each April. Compelling the largest software company in the world to cease its infringement of the registered trademark of an Austin based technology consulting company and obtaining damages related to the infringement.Favorable results in numerous real estate and commercial contract disputes. Prior to joining Egan Nelson, Chris was a partner at Jones Day.

Chris led Jones Day’s efforts on behalf of an international drilling rig company in response to the many congressional and Coast Guard factual inquiries related to the Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010.

He successfully argued an appeal at the 10th Circuit that affirmed the dismissal by the U.S. Court of the Northern District of Oklahoma of a putative class action alleging that a manufacturer breached its warranty on 800,000 air conditioning units due to an unmanifested defect. Chris has also been involved in a number of bankruptcy-related adversary proceedings.

Education

• Southern Methodist University (J.D. 1995; Editor, The International Lawyer)
• The University of Texas at Austin (B.A. 1992)

Bar Admissions

• Texas; U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas and the Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma; and U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Tenth Circuits

Honors and Distinctions

• Texas Super Lawyers (2011-2024) and “Texas Rising Star” (2009-2010)
• “Best Lawyers in Dallas” (2012, 2015 – 2023) and “Best Lawyers Under 40” (2006), D Magazine

Community Involvement

• Chris is a member of the Salesmanship Club of Dallas and is an alumnus of the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Dallas Program. He is a strong supporter of Children’s Medical Center, previously chairing The Children’s Trust, and participating in the Texas Tough 200-mile cycling fundraiser from Austin to Dallas as part of the Ambassador’s Club.

Publications

• Solving the Problems in Mass Tort Litigation, Jones Day Practice Perspectives: Product Liability & Tort Litigation (2007)
• In Silica Litigation, the Numbers Alone Dictate Careful Scrutiny of Injury and Causation, coauthor,Andrews, Toxic Chemicals, Vol. 21, Issue 21, p. 207 (2003)

Speaking Engagements

• Controlling Litigation Costs; Jones Day Dallas Litigation Breakfast Series (Dallas, Texas 2011)
• Admissibility vs. Sufficiency on Medical Causation (Las Vegas, Nevada 2006)
• Asbestos and Silica Case Management Orders (Houston, Texas 2006)
• Recent Docket Control Orders and Ohio Sophisticated User Rulings (Las Vegas, Nevada 2005)
• MDL Proceedings and Strategy Following Texas Senate Bill 15 (Houston, Texas 2005)
• Effective Docket Control Orders in Mass Tort Litigation (Houston, Texas 2005)
• Ethical Issues Involved in Claims Resolution (New Orleans, Louisiana 2004)