Robert S. Safi

ROBERT S. SAFI, born El Paso,Texas, admitted to Texas bar, 2005.

Since joining Susman Godfrey’s Houston office in 2006, Rob Safi has achieved excellent results for plaintiffs and defendants before judges, juries, and arbitrators, winning every case he has tried. Safi was selected by his peers as a “Rising Star” of the Texas bar in 2010, 2011, and 2012. He graduated with high honors from The University of Texas School of Law, where he served as Notes Editor of the Texas Law Review. Before joining the firm, Safi was a law clerk to the Honorable Vaughn R. Walker, then-Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

In February 2009, with Steve Susman, Safi obtained a unanimous jury verdict in favor of Northville Product Services in a suit for breach of a letter agreement for the sale of biodiesel. The defendant repudiated the agreement after one of its investors, Goldman Sachs, decided it didn't like the deal. Safi gave the opening statement at an initial trial on whether the letter agreement was binding. The jury found for Northville. Safi then single-handedly prosecuted Northville's claim against Goldman for interference with contract. He handled all depositions and briefed, argued, and defeated Goldman's motion for summary judgment. The case settled for a confidential sum on the eve of a second trial.

In June 2009, with Mark Wawro, Alex Kaplan, and co-counsel Barry Scheck, Safi obtained a unanimous jury verdict for George Rodriguez in a federal civil rights action against the City of Houston arising from the much-publicized scandal in the Houston Police Department crime laboratory. Mr. Rodriguez was wrongfully convicted in 1987 and spent 17 years in prison until he won his freedom in 2004, with pro bono assistance from Susman Godfrey and The Innocence Project. A federal jury returned a verdict for Rodriguez and the district court entered judgment in excess of $9 million. The case is now on appeal.

In October 2011, with Vineet Bhatia and Shawn Raymond, Safi defended an electric utility against claims asserted by one of the world’s “major” energy companies. The claims arose from curtailments at a wind farm that were ordered by the regional grid operator. The claimant sought millions of dollars for power production losses associated with the curtailments. The case was tried to a panel of three arbitrators. Safi cross-examined the claimant’s liability expert and presented most of our client’s witnesses on direct. In a unanimous decision, the panel rejected all claims asserted against our client.

Safi has also enjoyed winning for our clients before trial.

With Neal Manne and Johnny Carter, he represented the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County ("METRO") in a lawsuit arising from METRO's plan to build a light rail line in Southwest Houston. The plaintiff claimed that the route violated a voter referendum that authorized METRO to expand its light rail system. We persuaded the trial court to dismiss all of the plaintiff’s claims. The dismissal was affirmed on appeal. See Scarbrough v. METRO, 326 S.W.3d 324 (Tex. App. — Houston [1st Dist.] 2010, pet. denied).

Although Safi has had the privilege of representing a wide variety of plaintiffs and defendants in disputes of all shapes, sizes, and subject matters, the energy industry keeps him especially busy. He has successfully litigated disputes in all industry segments, ranging from the exploration and development of hydrocarbons, to wind power projects, to the trading of biofuels.

Safi also has substantial experience representing consumer classes in multidistrict litigations. In MDL 1840, In re Motor Fuel Temperature Sales Practices Litigation, Safi was tapped by lead counsel to brief and present oral argument on a key issue related to class certification. The district court certified a class for purposes of liability and injunctive relief. The court of appeals denied interlocutory review.

Safi currently is working with Susman Godfrey partner Marc Seltzer, who has been appointed co-lead counsel in MDL 2151, In re Toyota Motor Corp. Unintended Acceleration Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, currently pending in the Central District of California.