Paul Hastings Boosts Premier Litigation Offering With Houston Partner

HOUSTON – In a significant move that further fortifies both its leading litigation practice and its rapidly expanding Texas footprint, Paul Hastings LLP announces today the addition of first-chair trial lawyer Craig Stanfield as a partner in Houston.

Stanfield builds on Paul Hastings’ Texas strength, bolstering the firm’s ability to advise clients on their most high-stakes cases in both federal and state courts throughout the country, with a particular emphasis on courts in Texas. He represents companies across key industries, including manufacturing, automotive, energy, aviation, financial services, computer software and chemical. He joins from King & Spalding LLP.

“Craig’s arrival reinforces our continued commitment to the strategic expansion of our Texas offerings, including our premier litigation platform,” said firm Chair Frank Lopez. “Given his experience as a first-chair trial lawyer in high-profile cases, he is well-positioned to significantly enhance our ability to take complex matters through trial as we continue to gain market share at the top of the market locally and globally.”

Recognized as a “Future Star” by Benchmark Litigation, Stanfield has extensive first-chair trial experience in federal and state courts, as well as before arbitration panels. He litigates complex commercial, product liability, environmental, construction and insurance recovery matters nationwide. Prior to entering private practice, he clerked for Judge Wanda Fowler of the Texas Court of Appeals in Houston.

His clients have included ConocoPhillips, Daikin, EDF, International Paper, Shell Oil, Sunny Sky Products, Tenaska Power Services and Third Coast.

“It’s been hard to ignore Paul Hastings’ exponential growth in Texas,” said Stanfield. “I’m excited to be a part of the firm’s success story here and for my clients operating in and outside the Texas market to benefit from its robust litigation platform.”

Paul Hastings continues to build its leading litigation platform globally and in Texas, where the firm has more than tripled its headcount in the past year to more than 100 lawyers and is planning to move into new offices in both Dallas and Houston. This growth in the Lone Star State included the addition last March of a Chambers Band 1-ranked eight-partner, 25-lawyer finance team from Vinson & Elkins LLP in Dallas and Houston—the largest single practice group move in Texas history.

Stanfield follows two Chambers-ranked partners – environmental litigator Stephen Fitzgerald and data privacy, cybersecurity and securities litigator Michelle Reed – and accomplished trial and regulatory enforcement lawyer Manuel Berrelez in Dallas last November, July, and June, respectively, and Chambers-ranked complex commercial litigator and co-chair of the firm’s Dallas and Houston offices, Paul Genender, who joined in September of 2023, among others.

About Paul Hastings

With widely recognized elite teams across 17 core practices, Paul Hastings is a premier law firm with a culture of excellence focused on providing intellectual capital and superior execution globally to the world’s leading investment banks, asset managers and corporations.