Stephen Crain advocates for clients in high-stake and complex commercial disputes. He has tried cases throughout the United States and arbitrated cases under every significant domestic and international arbitration regime. He has also argued appeals in several federal circuits and in the Texas Supreme Court.
Stephen is the chair of the firm’s litigation section and serves on the firm’s management committee.
Stephen’s approach is summarized by sources quoted by Chambers USA: “he’s diligent, he’s on top of things, he’s pragmatic; he takes complex situations and boils them down to their fundamentals and provides practical advice on how to move forward.” Other sources say he is “one of the smartest” and have highlighted Stephen’s courtroom presence: “His understanding of the law and how receptive judges will be to different arguments is uncanny” (Chambers USA).
Stephen focuses predominately on disputes in the energy sector. His diverse energy practice ranges from oil and gas royalty class actions to power trading disputes to claims involving carbon capture credits. He has litigated numerous cases involving NAESB and ISDA contracts. Stephen also represents officers, directors, and corporations in securities matters and has tried and arbitrated large-scale construction disputes.
Stephen is a frequent speaker on contract damages, indemnity law, and the attorney client privilege.
Stephen is ranked Band 1 by Chambers USA in Nationwide: Oil & Gas Litigation. He is also listed as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America and one of the 500 Leading Litigators in America (Lawdragon, Inc.). In 2025, Forbes named Stephen to its inaugural list of “Best In State” lawyers in Texas. He is also ranked by Chambers USA in General Commercial Litigation in Texas. In the Legal 500 US City Elite, Stephen is ranked for Energy Disputes. In the Legal 500 United States, he is recognized in Energy Litigation: Electric Power; Energy Litigation: Oil and Gas; General Commercial Disputes; and Securities Litigation: Defense. Stephen is also recognized by Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal) and Benchmark Litigation (Texas Litigation Star, 2010–2026).
