Shawn L. Raymond

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Overview

My Perspective

"Whenever we have potential litigation issues, the first and only person I call is Shawn. I trust Shawn and his judgment, and as a client confidently rely on him."

Tripp Wommack, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sagebrush Oil & Gas

I enjoy focusing on all types of heavyweight litigation. I bring a can-do attitude and a work ethic that never quits. My clients describe me as "a passionate advocate," "a skilled tactician," and "meticulous" in my preparation.

I've been fortunate enough to catch the attention of others.

This year I was elected as President of the Federal Bar Association's Southern District of Texas Chapter, which serves federal practioners and the federal judiciary in all seven divisions of the Southern District of Texas.
Last year I was selected by my peers for inclusion in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. I also was chosen to be listed in the 2012 inaugural edition of Benchmark Plaintiffs: The Definitive Guide to America’s Leading Plaintiff Firms and Attorneys.
For the past eight years I have been recognized by Texas Monthly as a "Texas Rising Star" and in 2008 was featured as the cover story titled "How One Man Is Changing the U.S." H Texas Magazine also has named me a "Top Professional on the Fast Track" five years running.

In 2011, the Houston Business Journal named me to its "40 Under 40" list for being among Houston's next 40 leaders who excel in their industry, are respected business leaders, and show dynamic leadership in their community.

In 2010, The Texas Young Lawyers Association presented me with the "I Am a Lawyer" Award in connection with a public service television campaign in which I was one of six featured attorneys.

The year before that, I received the 2009 Woodrow B. Seals Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. Named in honor of a well-known federal judge, this award is given annually to one Houston attorney under the age of 38 who best represents professional excellence and service to clients, the community and the Bar.

I am also humbled that recognition has come from outside the courthouse. Most recently, the Houston Astros honored me with the title “Hometown Hero” for April 2012. Given to one Houston-area citizen each month during the Major League Baseball season, this award recognizes those who have “gone over and beyond and performed extraordinary acts within their communities.” Winning this award was memorable enough, but trotting out to the mound at Minute Maid Park with my five-year-old son to throw out the ceremonial first pitch – an iffy strike – made the experience all the more special.

Values

"Shawn exhibits all the traits you would expect from a partner in one of the nation's leading litigation boutique firms — zealous advocate, strategic thinker, charismatic and quick on his feet."

Douglas L. Lawing, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Copano Energy

We do not often talk about our values — those things that guide our lives. Let me share a few of mine.

When I was growing up, my Dad used to say to me, "There are two kinds of people in the world — problem finders and problem solvers. Which kind of person are you going to be?" He taught me never to identify a problem without finding a solution. I think about that when I am deciding whether to take on a new case. Can I solve the problem presented? I take only those cases to which the answer is a solid "yes."

I got my passion for the law from my Dad, too. When I was in high school, he went bust because he did not have legal counsel. I vowed to become the best advocate I could be for those around me. When I do that today — whether it is in the skyscrapers of New York or Houston or in a classroom in Sunflower County, Mississippi — I bring to the fray cutting-edge knowledge and a passion for righting wrongs. That is what makes me feel good, and that is why I get results.

Work Ethic

"I have never seen anyone work as hard as Mr. Raymond did on our behalf . . . His involvement and credibility were both cited by the jury as one of the most effective and positive aspects of our case."

Alfred J. Brothers, Jr., Chief Executive Officer, Cavalry Investments, LLC

I'd like to think that my successes in and out of the courtroom are a product of my unyielding commitment to working hard. I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and grew up in Golden, Colorado. I attended The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and graduated magna cum laude from GW's Elliott School of International Affairs. During my senior year, I was elected Phi Beta Kappa and received the Wilbur J. Carr Prize in International Affairs.

Fresh out of GW, I joined the Teach for America program, which placed me in Sunflower County, Mississippi — perhaps best known for Fannie Lou Hamer and B.B. King — where I taught high school special education and social studies and coached the varsity football team to the state playoffs. Later, during law school, I co-founded the Sunflower County Freedom Project, which offers educational and leadership enrichment opportunities to teenagers living in the Mississippi Delta. It was my way of leaving a small legacy to the community that had taught me so much.

After finishing my two-year teaching commitment, I enrolled at the University of Texas School of Law. I was fortunate to be judged a champion of the Thad T. Hutcheson First-Year Moot Court Competition, and in my second year of law school my partner and I won the Gibbs & Bruns Moot Court Competition. In the meantime, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation awarded me a Child Welfare Fellowship, and I spent a summer working at the Mississippi Attorney General's Crimes Against Children Division. My assignments included drafting a lengthy brief to the Mississippi Supreme Court seeking to uphold the capital rape conviction of a couple who had molested a girl in a town located about fifty miles from where I had taught in Sunflower County.

Back at UT, I became Managing Editor of the Texas Law Review. My Note, Where Are the Reasonable Efforts to Enforce the Reasonable Efforts Requirement?: Monitoring State Compliance Under the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980, was published by the Texas Law Review.

After graduating from law school with honors, I journeyed to Galveston, Texas, where I clerked for a United States District Judge. Following my clerkship, I joined Susman Godfrey in 2000 and was elected partner a short four years later.

Education

The George Washington University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1994)
The University of Texas School of Law (J.D., with honors, 1999)

Judicial Clerkship

United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Galveston Division

Honors and Distinctions

For the past five years I have been recognized by Texas Monthly as a "Texas Rising Star" and in 2008 was featured as the cover story entitled "How One Man Is Changing the U.S." H Texas Magazine also has named me a "Top Professional on the Fast Track" five years running.

This year I was selected by my peers for inclusion in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. I also was chosen to be listed in the 2012 inaugural edition of Benchmark Plaintiffs: The Definitive Guide to America’s Leading Plaintiff Firms and Attorneys.

In 2011, the Houston Business Journal named me to its "40 Under 40" list for being among Houston's next 40 leaders who excel in their industry, are respected business leaders, and show dynamic leadership in their community.

In 2010, The Texas Young Lawyers Association presented me with the "I Am a Lawyer" Award in connection with a public service television campaign in which I was one of six featured attorneys.

The year before that, I received the 2009 Woodrow B. Seals Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. Named in honor of a well-known federal judge, this award is given annually to one Houston attorney under the age of 38 who best represents professional excellence and service to clients, the community and the Bar.

Articles and Speeches

Where Are the Reasonable Efforts to Enforce the Reasonable Efforts Requirement?: Monitoring State Compliance Under the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980, was published by the Texas Law Review.

Tackling E-Discovery on a Budget, The Advocate, State Bar Litigation Section Report, Volume 51, Summer 2010. Click here to read the article.

Audio files