Overview
Conrad J. Coutinho serves as Of Counsel in the Complex Litigation and Arbitration practice, specializing in litigation and dispute resolution across diverse industries such as energy, finance, and commercial lending. With more than a decade of experience, he provides counsel to large multinational, national, and regional companies on various legal matters, including traditional commercial disputes, securities issues, employment disputes, and oil and gas/energy disputes. Mr. Coutinho also represents companies, officers, and directors in internal and law enforcement investigations related to corporate conduct, compliance, and reporting, including representing special litigation committees of boards of directors where an independent investigation is required.
Mr. Coutinho earned his law degree from Columbia Law School, graduating as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.
Education
- Columbia Law School, J.D., 2012 (Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar)
- University of Texas at Austin, B.A., 2009 (with highest honors)
Representations
Mr. Coutinho’s recent representations include:
- Lead counsel in a complex Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) investigation of the U.S. headquarters of a billion-dollar international conglomerate under investigation by the DOJ and SEC; coordinated with other teams investigating six other domestic and international offices.
- Representation of a large financial institution in regulatory investigations, including SEC regulatory compliance and potential FCPA Books and Records violations.
- Lead counsel in commercial state court actions involving the enforcement of non-solicitation and non-competition provisions, with entire Texas divisions of large multinational entities at stake.
- Lead counsel in federal court cases defending a major healthcare insurer against the bankruptcy trustee and former executives of a bankrupt hospital system alleging a scheme to drive rural hospitals out of business.
- Lead counsel representing former executives of a liquidated oil and gas exploration company in a $100 million Texas state court lawsuit brought by the bankruptcy trustee for breach of fiduciary duty and aiding and abetting breaching of fiduciary duty.
- Representation of several commercial entities in internal accounting, securities, and FCPA investigations of oil and gas exploration companies and oilfield service companies.
- Representation of the largest mining corporation in Mexico in complex U.S. litigation in obtaining discovery for an ongoing lawsuit in Mexico; the case set a precedent for obtaining discovery in the U.S. about international third-party litigation financing of lawsuits in Mexico.
- Representation of the state-owned oil company of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago in a lawsuit against a top executive; obtained successful dismissal on jurisdictional grounds.
- Representation of one of the largest energy companies in Texas in complex Texas state court commercial litigation concerning an Indiana natural gas market regulatory scheme.
- Representation of the board of directors of a major global asset management company in a multijurisdictional FCPA investigation concerning potential corruption in the company’s Middle Eastern offices.
- Lead counsel representing a Chinese state-owned oil company in U.S. litigation and subsequent arbitration concerning a complex oil and gas contractual dispute; successfully obtained an order to arbitrate the dispute.
- Representation of a large financial insurance company in a $90 million dispute over tax credit generating funds.
- Representation of a large financial institution in its capacity as trustee in a mortgage-backed security class action.
PRO BONO
Mr. Coutinho is actively engaged in pro bono work, including longstanding participation in a capital death penalty appeal and veterans’ benefits projects.
Involvement
MEMBERSHIPS AND ACTIVITIES
- Houston Young Lawyer’s Association, Member
- American Bar Association, Member
- Houston Bar Association, Member