Appellate Partner Jeff Oldham Rejoins Bracewell’s Houston Office

HOUSTON – Bracewell LLP announced today that Jeffrey L. Oldham has rejoined the firm’s Houston office as a partner in its appellate practice. Oldham originally joined Bracewell in 2008 and was a key appellate partner at the firm for over a decade.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Jeff back to the firm,” said Bracewell Managing Partner Gregory M. Bopp. “Jeff is an extraordinary appellate lawyer with a stellar reputation and long track record of success in state and federal appellate matters.”

Oldham has presented oral argument in the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Texas, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Federal Circuits (among other federal appellate courts), and state courts of appeals throughout Texas. He has experience handling significant appeals in a broad range of areas, with a particular emphasis on energy and complex commercial litigation. Oldham also regularly works with trial counsel to formulate pre-trial and trial strategy, write dispositive motions, prepare jury charges, preserve error at trial and handle post-trial proceedings.

Oldham previously served as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and to Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He also served as Counsel to the Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice. Most recently, Oldham served for more than three years as General Counsel in the Office of the Governor for the State of Texas.

“Jeff’s return strengthens our top-ranked appellate practice that continues its streak of handling significant appeals at the Texas Supreme Court and in federal courts throughout the United States,” said Stephen B. Crain, chair of Bracewell’s litigation section.

Bracewell is consistently recognized as a litigation powerhouse within the legal industry. Bracewell was named the Commercial Litigation Firm of the Year at the 2019 Chambers USA Texas Awards, Texas Lawyer’s Large Law Firm Department of the Year in 2017 and a Law360 litigation powerhouse in 2016. Law360 identified Bracewell as part of an “elite group” of five firms with fewer than 200 lawyers on its list of “litigation heavyweights.”

Bracewell’s appellate team, under the leadership of Warren W. Harris, regularly handles issues of first impression and landmark appeals in federal courts of appeals throughout the United States and in Texas state appellate courts, including the Texas Supreme Court. The team has notable expertise in complex appeals arising out of the energy sector, as well as in handling other high-stakes appeals.

Oldham is the fourth partner to laterally join Bracewell’s litigation team since the start of the year. Other recent hires include Seth D. DuCharme and Martin Gusy in New York, and Anne M. Termine in Washington, DC. In addition, Oldham is the 50th Bracewell lawyer within the last 10 years who has left and later rejoined the firm.

“I’m excited to return to Bracewell and its dynamic and growing litigation practice, which ranks among the best in Texas and the United States,” said Oldham.

Oldham graduated first in his class, magna cum laude, with a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 2003, and first in his class, summa cum laude, with a B.S.B.A. from University of Tulsa in 2000.