Thomas R. Phillips

Since returning to private practice, he has represented scores of clients in appeals to state and federal appellate courts on a wide variety of commercial, personal injury, regulatory and constitutional issues. Among the cases he has successfully argued on appeal are:

• HouseCanary, Inc. v. Title Source, Inc., 622 S.W.3d 254 (Tex. 2021)
• Public Utility Comm’n of Texas v. Texas Industrial Energy Consumers, 620 S.W.3d 418 (Tex. 2021)
• Credit Suisse AG v. Claymore Holdings, LLC, 610 S.W.3d 808 (Tex. 2020)
• Pinto Technology Ventures, L.P. v. Sheldon, 526 S.W.3d 428 (Tex. 2017)
• Dacus v. Parker,466 S.W.3d 820 (Tex. 2015)
• Klumb v. Houston Municipal Employees Pension Systems, 458 S.W.3d 1 (Tex. 2015)
• Union Carbide Corp. v. Synatszke, 438 S.W.3d 39 (Tex. 2014)
• State of Texas v. Public Utility Commission, 344 S.W.3d 349 (Tex. 2011)
• BP America, Inc. v. Marshall, 342 S.W.3d 59 (Tex. 2011)
• TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. v. Combs, 340 S.W.3d 432 (Tex. 2011)
• Gonzalez v. Guilbot, 315 S.W.3d 533 (Tex. 2010)
• Houston Municipal Employees Pension System v. Ferrell, 248 S.W.3d 151 (Tex. 2007)
• Freyer v. Lyft, Inc., 2021 WL 5879188 (Tex. App.-Dallas Dec. 13, 2021, no pet. hist.)
• Sansom v. Texas Railroad Commission, 2021 WL 2006312 (Tex. App.-Austin May 20, 2021, no pet.)
• BBB Industries, LLC v. Cardone Industries, Inc., 2019 WL 2042233 (Tex. App.–Fort Worth May 9, 2019, pet. denied), cert. denied, 141 S. Ct. 559 (2020)
• Huff Energy Fund, L.P. v. Longview Energy Co., 482 S.W.3d 187 (Tex. App.–San Antonio 2015), aff’d, 533 S.W.3d 866 (Tex. 2017)
• Guillory v. Seaton LLC,470 S.W.3d 237 (Tex. App.–Houston [1st Dist.] 2015, pet. denied)
• ConocoPhillips v. Noble Energy, 462 S.W.3d 255 (Tex. App.–Houston [14th Dist.] 2015), aff’d, 532 S.W.3d 771 (Tex. 2017)
• XTO Energy, Inc. v. Smith Production, Inc., 282 S.W.3d 672 (Tex. App.–Houston [14th Dist.] 2009, pet. granted, cause dism’d)

Other cases in which he has represented a successful appellate party include:

• Signature Industrial Services, LLC v. International Paper Co., 2022 WL 128546 (Tex. Jan. 14, 2022)
• Landry’s v. Animal legal Defense Fund, 631 S.W.3d 40 (Tex. 2021)
• Carowest Land, Ltd. v. City of New Braunfels, 615 S.W.3d 156 (Tex. 2020)
• Conoco Phillips v. Ramirez, 599 S.W.3d 296 (Tex. 2020), cert. den., 141 S. Ct. 453 (2020)
• Mosley v. Texas Health and Human Services Comm’n, 2019 WL 1977062 (Tex. May 3, 2019)
• Texas Mutual Ins. Co. v. Chicas, 2019 WL 1495202 (Tex. Apr. 5, 2019)
• Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC v. Carduco, Inc., 583 S.W.3d553 (Tex. 2019)
• Sky View at Las Palmas v. Mendez, 555 S.W.3d 101 (Tex. 2018)
• City of Houston v. Houston Municipal Employees Pension System, 549 S.W.3d 566 (Tex. 2018)
• EXLP Leasing LLC v. Galveston County Central Appraisal District, 554 S.W.3d 572 (Tex. 2018)
• Texas State Bd. of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists v. Texas Medical Ass'n, 511 S.W.3d 28 (Tex. 2017)
• Ochsner v. Ochsner, 517 S.W.3d 717 (Tex. 2016)
• In re Longview Energy Co., 464 S.W.3d 353 (Tex. 2015)
• Texas Student Housing Authority v. Brazos County Appraisal District, 460 S.W.3d 137 (Tex. 2015)
• Waste Management of Texas, Inc. v. Texas Disposal Systems Landfill, Inc., 434 S.W.3d 142 (Tex. 2014)
• Paradigm Oil, Inc. v. Retamco Operating Co., 372 S.W.3d 177 (Tex. 2012)
• Enbridge Pipeline (East Texas) L.P. v. Avinger Timber LLC, 386 S.W.3d 256 (Tex. 2012)
• Hemyari v. Stephens, 355 S.W.3d 623 (Tex. 2011) (per curiam)
• Basic Capital Management v. Dynex Commercial, Inc., 348 S.W.3d 894 (Tex. 2011)
• Merck & Co., Inc. v. Garza, 347 S.W.3d 256 (Tex. 2011)
• Grohman v. Kahlig, 318 S.W.3d 882 (Tex. 2010) (per curiam)
• Grant Thornton LLP v. Prospect High Income Fund, 314 S.W.3d 913 (Tex. 2010)
• In re United Services Automobile Association, 307 S.W.3d 299 (Tex. 2010) (orig. proceeding)
• In re Southwestern Bell Tele. Co. L.P., 235 S.W.3d 619 (Tex. 2007) (orig. proceeding)
• In re Castillo, 201 S.W.3d 682 (Tex. 2006) (per curiam) (orig. proceeding)
• Hoover Slovacek LLP v. Walton, 206 S.W.3d 557 (Tex. 2006) (on rehr’g)
• Ex parte James Richard “Rick” Perry, 483 S.W.3d 884 (Tex. Crim. App. 2016)
• In re Volkswagen Clean Diesel Litigation, 516 S.W.3d 704 (Tex. Jud. MDL Panel 2016)
• Rancho Viejo Cattle Co., Ltd. v. ANB Cattle Co., Ltd., 2021 WL 4443709 (Tex. App.-San Antonio Sept. 29, 2021, no pet. hist.)
• Houston Professional Fire Fighters Assn., IAFF Local 341 v. Houston Police Officers Union, 2021 WL 3206056 (Tex. App.-Houston [14^th Dist.] July 20, 2021, pet. filed)
• Harris County Hosp. Dist. v. Public Utility Commission, 557 S.W.3d370 (Tex. App.-Austin 2019, pet. denied), cert. den., 142 S. Ct. 101 (2021)
• Gant v. Abbott, 574 S.W.3d625, (Tex. App.–Austin Apr. 24, 2019, no pet.)
• Grant v. Pivot Technology Solutions, Ltd., 556 S.W.3d 865 (Tex. App.–Austin 2018, pet. denied)
• Lee v. Dallas County Democratic Party, 2018 WL 4501448 (Tex. App.–Dallas Sept. 20, 2018, no pet.) (mem. op.)
• In re Eddins, 2017 WL 3634245 (Tex. App.–Dallas Aug. 24, 2017) (mem. op.) (orig. proceeding)
• Valentine v. Interactive Brokers LLC, 2017 WL 3597735 (Tex. App.–Houston [1st Dist.] Aug. 22, 2017, pet. denied) (mem. op.)
• Tractor Supply Co. of Texas, L.P. v. McGowan, 2016 WL 1722873 (Tex. App.–Waco Apr. 28, 2016, pet. denied) (mem op.)
• City of Houston v. Houston Firefighters’ Relief and Retirement Fund, 502 S.W.3d 469 (Tex. App.–Houston [14th Dist.] 2016, no pet.)
• Associated Air Center LP v. Tary Network Ltd., 2015 WL 970664 (Tex. App.–Dallas March 4, 2015, no pet.) (mem. op.)
• Teladoc, Inc. v. Texas Medical Board, 453 S.W.3d 606 (Tex. App.–Austin 2014, pet. denied)
• In re Choudhri, 2014 WL 2854875 Tex. App.–Houston [14th Dist.] June 3, 2014) (orig. proceeding) (mem op.)
• In re Sugarland Anesthesia PLLC, 2013 WL 6569026 (Tex. App.–Houston [14th Dist.] Dec. 12, 2013) (orig. proceeding) (mem op.)
• Hendrick Medical Center v. Tex. Podiatric Medical Assn., 392 S.W.3d 294 (Tex. App.–Eastland 2012, no pet.)
• 2055 Inc. and Coates v. McTague, 2009 WL 2506342 (Tex. App.–Dallas 2009, no pet.)
• Casserlie v. Shell Oil Co., 902 N.E.2d 1 (Ohio 2009)
• CenterPoint Energy, Inc. v. Miller County Circuit Court, 276 S.W.3d 231 (Ark. 2008)
• Sherwin-Williams Co. v. State, 951 A.2d 428 (R.I. 2008)

Finally, he has successfully represented Amici in several important cases, including:

• Corpus Christi Liquefaction, LLC, in In re Occidental Chemical Corp. 561 S.W.3d 146 (Tex. 2018)
• Conference of Chief Justices in Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co., 556 U.S. 868 (2009), ODonnell v. Harris County, Texas, 882 F.3d 528 (5th Cir. 2018), and Kansas Judicial Watch v. Stout, 562 F.3d 1240 (10th Cir. 2009)
• Texas Association of Business in Texas Commission on Environmental Quality v. Bosque River Coalition, 413 S.W.3d 403 (Tex. 2013), and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality v. City of Waco, 413 S.W.3d 409 (Tex. 2013)
• Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in Texas Mutual Insurance Co. v. Ruttiger, 381 S.W.3d 430 (Tex. 2012)
• Texas Association of Realtors in Wind Mountain Ranch LLC v. City of Temple, 333 S.W.3d 580 (Tex. 2010)
• Shell Oil Company and Motiva Enterprises LLC in ExxonMobil Corp. v. Gill, 299 S.W.3d 124 (Tex. 2009)
• NextEra Energy Resources, LLC in Public Utility Comm'n v. City of Harlingen, 311 S.W.3d 610 (Tex. App.–Austin 2010, no pet.)

Academic Appointments

• Spurgeon E. Bell Distinguished Visiting Professor at South Texas College of Law, Houston, 2004-2005 (Supreme Court Seminar, First Amendment, and State Constitutional Law)
• Distinguished Visiting Professor, Dedman School of Law, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Fall 2004 (Supreme Court Seminar)
• Visiting Lecturer, South Texas College of Law Summer Abroad Program, Durham, England, Summer 2003 (ADR, Recent Constitutional Issues)
• Visiting Lecturer, South Texas College of Law Summer Abroad Program, Istanbul, Summer 2001 (Comparative Evidence)

  International Judicial Exchanges

• Visit of Members of the European Court of Justice to the Supreme Courts of the United States and Texas, Austin and Dallas, April 2000, Host
• Visit of Members of the Supreme Court of the United States to European Courts and Institutions, July 1998, Delegation Member
• Visit of Justices of the Supreme Court of Texas to the Supreme Court of Veracruz, July1993, Delegation Leader

  Publications, Speeches, and Presentations

• Judicial Selection Policy Summit, Panelist, Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute, February 2020
• Texas Supreme Court Update, 36th Annual State Bar of Texas Update Institute, January 2020
• Independence of the Judiciary: The Future of Judicial Selection in Texas, Panelist, Dallas Bar Association, June 2019
• Judicial Selection Reforms are Long Overdue in Texas, Austin American-Statesman, April 2019
• Reforming Judicial Selection of Texas, Panelist, Civil Justice Reform Group, February 2019
• Supreme Court of Texas Update, State Bar of Texas Webinar, February 2019
• Judicial Election Update, Texas Civil Justice League Board Meeting, November 2018
• Top Business Cases in the Texas Supreme Court, State Bar of Texas Business Disputes Course, September 2018
• Judicial Deference to Agency Interpretations of Statutes, University of Texas Advanced Texas Administrative Law Seminar, August 2018
• Electoral Threats to Judicial Independence, State Bar of Texas Symposium: The Independence of the Judicial Branch, August 2017
• Voting Rights in Texas, Harvard Law School, April 2017
• Summary and Synthesis: Conversation with the Three Chiefs, Panelist, The Philosophical Society of Texas, February 2017

International Judicial Exchanges

• Visit of Members of the European Court of Justice to the Supreme Courts of the United States and Texas, Austin and Dallas, April 2000, Host
• Visit of Members of the Supreme Court of the United States to European Courts and Institutions, July 1998, Delegation Member
• Visit of Justices of the Supreme Court of Texas to the Supreme Court of Veracruz, July 1993, Delegation Leader