
Graig Alvarez
Biography
Graig Alvarez concentrates his practice on catastrophic incident response, management and litigation as well as complex commercial litigation matters with a particular focus on the energy industry. With more than 28 years of legal experience, Graig serves clients in the energy industry on a wide array of litigation and arbitration matters.
Coupled with his legal acumen, Graig leverages his experience with a technical understanding of the energy industry based on his past experience as a design engineer and project manager for Houston-based Cameron Iron Works. He has utilized this experience to compliment his expertise in devising a legal strategy to advise his clients where a deep understanding of engineering can facilitate an efficient and successful resolution of catastrophic incidents.
Graig’s trial and arbitration experience includes arguing before both the Texas Supreme Court and the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. He notably argued and won a Texas Supreme Court case, which was named one of the Top 10 Insurance Opinions in the US in 2015 by Coverage Opinions. Graig is also admitted to practice before the US District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas.
Professional experience
Representative experience
Representative experience
- Lead trial counsel representing energy services contractor arising out of incident where several individuals received burn injuries.
- Lead trial counsel defending personal injury claim against a mid-stream pipeline company arising from a pipeline strike during construction.
- Lead counsel advising mid-stream company regarding insurance coverage and claim analysis arising from burn injuries of individual.
- Lead trial counsel representing energy equipment distributer in adversary proceeding in bankruptcy court, resulting in successful settlement of disputed claim.
- Lead counsel representing a major oil company in resolving surety bond dispute, including analysis supporting recovery of surety bond payment arising from default.
- Co-lead counsel in arbitration matter resulting in no award against client arising from an alleged breach of contract for supply of large expansion joints and other materials at 1.588MW combined-cycle natural gas power plant.
- Lead counsel for former NFL athlete against broker/dealer in FINRA arbitration for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and negligent supervision related to embezzlement of player salary. Continued representation against legal and accounting professionals in Texas state court asserting conspiracy, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and malpractice claims resulting in a successful resolution.
- Handled arbitration matter before AAA-Construction Industry for oilfield equipment distributor against chemical company resulting in settlement.
- Represented state agency with Texas AG’s office and resolved twelve wrongful death matters arising from Texas state prison system in 2011 and 2012.
- Resolved indemnity dispute for oil and gas company arising from personal injury action against contractor and contractor’s insurer.
- As lead trial and appellate counsel, briefed, argued and won appeal for an oil and gas component distributor before the US Fifth Circuit and the Texas Supreme Court establishing coverage and liability against Liberty Insurance Corporation. Reported Opinion: 490 S.W.3d 20.
- Lead counsel representing co-owner of a small business in a management dispute with multinational company over the operation of the business, including allegations of mismanagement and breach of fiduciary duty. Case settled after one day of trial.
- Lead counsel representing producer for breach of gas purchase agreement arising from shift in production balance caused by shale gas boom in the Permian basin between producers and purchaser.
- Represented an independent E&P company against water treatment vendor arising from its shale gas fracking operations in Pennsylvania.
- Lead counsel defending an oilfield equipment distributor in defective-product claim against refinery by obtaining favorable settlement of dispute. Subsequently handled distributor’s claim against insurance carrier for failure to defend and indemnify under CGL policy.
- Represented an international pipeline company regarding rupture of line pipe against the manufacturer of the pipe, receiving a favorable settlement.
- Represented an international oil and gas company regarding an multiple-fatality incident at its Texas City refinery, including primary responsibility for management of all discovery and trial support for four trials over the span of three years of litigation and thousands of personal injury claims.
Rankings and recognitions
Rankings and recognitions
- Texas Super Lawyer, Business Litigation, Thomson Reuters, 2016 – 2024
Education
Education
- JD, cum laude, South Texas College of Law, 1997
- BS, Texas A&M University, 1990
Admissions
Admissions
- Texas State Bar
Speaking engagements
Speaking engagements
- Speaker, Panel Discussion on Affinity Fraud Impacting Athletes at PIABA Conference, University of Oklahoma School of Law, March 2022
- Speaker, “Catastrophic Events: Assisting Your Client to Plan and Deal with a Crisis,” Advanced Oil & Gas Short Course, February 2009
- Speaker, Panel Discussion, “Catastrophic Events,” October 2008
Memberships and activities
Memberships and activities
- American Bar Association
- Houston Bar Association