Jonathan R. Childers

• Southern Methodist University, B.A., English and History, cum laude, 2002
• Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, J.D., 2005

Business Litigation

• Obtained joint $93.8 million jury verdict for Fort Worth based energy investment firm for breach of fiduciary duty and fraud (over $28 million for his clients).
• Obtained $7.86 million jury verdict on behalf of medical consulting and services company for breach of contract and tortious interference.
• Obtained $2.845 million arbitration award for a large Independent Sales Organization against an international payments company; award subsequently confirmed in the Northern District of Texas.
• Successfully defended major privately-held energy company against claims seeking approximately 15 years-worth of proceeds stemming from a West Texas oil and gas deal; case had been to the Supreme Court of Texas twice.
• Successful defense of international private equity firm and two of its executives in four-week jury trial over alleged breach of fiduciary duty and contracts.
• Secured summary judgment for owner of Houston Shipping Channel factory in large indemnity dispute.
  
• Obtained dismissals for internationally-renowned investor sued for alleged civil conspiracy.
• Successful defense of putative class action asserted against credit monitoring company for alleged violations of the Credit Repair Organizations Act.
• Victory for credit monitoring company against putative TCPA class action.
• Successful defense of technology manufacturer in major insurance dispute following fire at facility.
• Regularly pursues and defends cases involving temporary restraining orders and injunctions in state and federal courts.
• Defends and pursues partnership and business divorce disputes, often under Texas, Delaware, and New York law.
• Victory for private equity buyer against seller in earn-out dispute.
• Successful prosecution of trade secret and contract dispute for major FinTech company.
• Successful negotiation for limited partners against managing member in major commercial real estate project.
• Favorable result in derivative action pursued by legacy owners after a private equity investment.
• Win for prominent family in West Texas ranch dispute.
• Successful prosecution of derivative action against investment services firm.
• Victory for fitness club and owners accused of breaching fiduciary duties.
• Successful defense of national commercial real estate investor accused of breaching alleged fiduciary duties.
• Successful prosecution of FINRA suitability claim by prominent investor against national brokerage firm.
• Victory for family member in dispute over significant family assets.
• Successful defense of board member and removal of hostile board member.
• Successfully prosecuted a substantial finder's fee dispute concerning the introduction of M&A targets, including the defense of counterclaims for alleged securities violations.
• Favorable defense of an LLC and majority member in dispute involving a major mixed-use development project in North Texas; obtained an order cancelling lis pendens.
• Successfully prosecuted significant commercial real estate fraud litigation involving numerous parties and cross-claims.
• Obtained successful settlement of restrictive covenant dispute for major Dallas real estate developer.
• Favorable defense of national retailer in contract and bailment dispute.

Energy Litigation

• Obtained Number 15 Verdict in the Nation in 2015 by The National Law Journal on behalf of Fort Worth based energy investment firm.
• Successful defense of major privately-held energy company against claims seeking proceeds from significant overriding royalty interests in Reeves County.
• Successful pursuit of fraud claims by major non-operator against operator.
• Favorable defense of operator in well payout dispute.
• Victory for frac sand supplier in take-or-pay dispute.
• Win for mineral investor in dispute involving interests of unlocatable heirs.
• Successful defense of royalty owner in floating royalty dispute.
• Successful representation of oilfield services company in West Texas blowout dispute.
• Favorable defense of substantial litigation involving alleged fraud in a mineral sale.
• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of national pipeline company accused of alleged ground water contamination on private land in West Texas.
• Successful representation of oil and gas investor in tag-along rights dispute.
• Victory defending mineral buyer in Eagle Ford Shale
• Successful prosecution of securities actions pursued by mineral buyer in Barnett Shale.
• Handles oil and gas catastrophic matters and environmental contamination cases.
• Represents an international oilfield services company in indemnity disputes.

• Successful defense of offshore operator concerning an ownership and insurance proceeds dispute; involved litigation in three federal forums.
  

Trade Secret Litigation & Executive Employment Litigation

• Victory for executive accused of stealing trade secrets and allegedly breaching his fiduciary duties; defeated request for TRO.
• Obtained temporary restraining order and successfully negotiation for fitness industry business.
• Negotiated numerous successful departures of executives from Fortune 50 companies.
• Multiple victories for FinTech company in trade secret and restrictive covenant disputes.
• Negotiated buyout on behalf of female executive of national financial services company.
• Obtained severance for female executive from major private company.
• Successfully represented employee against affiliated entities of major investment bank, involving Sarbanes-Oxley and Sabine Pilot issues.
• Represented digital graphics industry CEO in litigation over an employment agreement; successfully collected compensation from foreign company.
• Defended international employer against claims of negligent hiring and wrongful death; obtained favorable settlement.

• Named one of the 500 "Leading Litigators in America” by Lawdragon, 2023
• Named one of the 500 “Leading Energy Lawyers,” by Lawdragon, 2024
• Recognized as a “Future Star” by Benchmark Litigation, 2024
• Recognized as a "Texas Super Lawyer" by Super Lawyers, 2021-2024
• Recognized as a "Best Lawyer in Dallas" in Business Litigation by D Magazine, 2018-2020, 2022-2024
• Recognized as a "Rising Star" by Texas Monthly and Law and Politics magazines, 2010-2020
  • Top 100 Up-and-Coming Texas Rising Stars, 2017-2020
• Recognized as one of the “Top 20 Lawyers on the Rise” by Texas Lawyer, 2016
• Recognized as a “Best Lawyer Under 40” by D Magazine, 2017-2018
• Recognized on the "40 & Under Hot List" by Benchmark Litigation, 2018-2020

• Dallas Bar Association
  • First Vice President, 2024
  • Board of Directors, Member, 2016-present
  • Business Litigation Section, Chair, 2019
  • Energy Section, Member of Advisory Council
  • Trial Skills Section
• Dallas Association of Young Lawyers
  • President, 2015
  • Fellow, DAYL Foundation
• Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation, 2013-present
• American Bar Association
  • Dallas Regional Chair, Judicial Intern Opportunity Program, 2020-2023
  • Litigation Section
• Barrister, William “Mac” Taylor Inn of Court, 2011-present
• Southern Methodist University Alumni Board
  • Board of Directors, Member, 2013-2016
  • Volunteer Engagement Committee, Chair, 2014-2016
• SMU Dedman College Executive Board, 2016-present
• SMU Dedman School of Law Emerging Leader Board, 2019 - present
• SMU Young Alumni Board, Chair, 2010-2011
• T. Boone Pickens Downtown Dallas YMCA
  • Board of Management, 2013-2021

• Highland Park Presbyterian Church
• Pegasus Aquatic Masters Swim Team

• Not-So Boilerplate Contract Provisions, State Bar of Texas Advanced In-House Counsel, August 2021
• Practical Tips and Strategies for Litigating Energy Disputes in Texas Courts, Texas Lawyer, January 2021
• It’s a Secret: Trade Secrets are Becoming a Mainstream Issue in the Midstream, Midstream Business, Jan/Feb 2018
• State of Texas Legal Market: Oil & Gas Litigation Trends, Law360, 10.29.16
• Trends in Texas Oil & Gas Litigation, 08.15.14
• Effective Depositions of Business Organizations, December 2011 DBA Headnotes, 12.01.11
• Demonstrating Lost Profit Damages with Reasonable Certainty, 08.28.07

• Trade Secrets: An Overview, Business Law, University of North Texas – Dallas, November 2022
• Enforcing and Exploiting Contract Provisions, State Bar of Texas Advanced In-House Counsel, August 2022
• Visualizing Case Themes and Generating Dynamic Presentations, N.D. Tex. Bench Bar Conference, February 2022
• Not-So Boilerplate Contract Provisions, State Bar of Texas Advanced In-House Counsel, August 2021
• Implicit Bias in Jury Selection, Dallas Bar Association, April 2021
• Opening Statements, DAYL Boot Camp, 08.15.18
• Protecting the In-House Attorney Client Privilege, DBA Energy Law Section CLE, 08.2.18
• Protecting the In-House Attorney Client Privilege, Ernest E. Smith Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Conference, 04.19.18
• Texas Oil & Gas Litigation Update, DBA Energy Symposium, 08.18.16
• Mission Creep: Anti-SLAPP Issues for the Business Litigator, DBA Business Litigation Section CLE, 11.10.15
• Legal issues and Litigation Concerning Horizontal Drilling and Fracking, DBA Energy Section CLE, 06.17.15
• Legal issues and Litigation Concerning Horizontal Drilling and Fracking, DBA North Dallas Friday Clinic, 05.08.15
• Texas Fracking Ban Litigation and Regulation, Texas A&M University School of Law's 7th Annual Energy Symposium, 04.02.15
• DBA Labor & Employment Section - Trade Secret Claims Under the Texas Uniform Secrets Act ("TUTSA"), 11.17.14
• William 'Mac' Taylor Inn of Court: Trends in Texas Oil & Gas Litigation, 11.11.14
• DBA Energy Section - Trends in Texas Oil & Gas Litigation, 08.15.14
• 14 DBA Business Litigation Section – Pursuing and Defending Trade Secret Claims under the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act (“TUTSA”), 05.13.14

• State Bar of Texas, 2005
  
• United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas
• United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals