Overview
Chanler Langham is an accomplished trial lawyer who has obtained many significant, precedent-setting legal victories for plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state courts throughout the country across a variety of practice areas including antitrust, intellectual property, construction, oil and gas, and complex breach of contract litigation.
Mr. Langham has tried and won several jury trials, bench trials, and injunctions and has also secured several appellate victories – both affirmances of favorable judgments he previously won and overturns of rulings a client hires him to defeat. Mr. Langham also possesses a keen ability to negotiate—he has successfully secured several multi-million-dollar settlements.
“I am constantly impressed with Chanler’s ability to take dozens of technical details and distill them into clear arguments that resonate with judges and mediators. He has also demonstrated complete mastery of cross examinations. He continually leads witnesses to confidently reveal information – only to realize later their testimony damages the core arguments of their case.”
Nathan Childress, CEO, Mobius Medical Systems
Recent Victories
Mr. Langham has won major courtroom victories for his clients, who vary from industry leaders to small businesses and individuals, against formidable opponents.
Mr. Langham has won major courtroom victories for his clients, who vary from industry leaders to small businesses and individuals, against formidable opponents.
In Jibe Audio LLC et al. v. Jimmy Iovine et al., Mr. Langham tried and won a jury trial and $40 million judgment for client, Steven Lamar, in a breach of contract dispute against Beats, Dr. Dre, and Jimmy Iovine over royalties owed for Lamar’s role in designing the iconic Beats headphones. The win was covered by The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Variety, Bloomberg, and Law 360. The verdict was also included on National Law Journal’s Top 100 Verdicts of the Year list.
In Alley Theatre vs. Hanover Insurance, Mr. Langham secured a plaintiffs-side summary judgment win and confidential settlement for Houston’s historic Alley Theatre in an insurance coverage lawsuit over claims that Hanover Insurance failed to properly reimburse Alley for business interruption losses sustained during Hurricane Harvey. In addition to $7 million in coverage for building and theatrical property losses, the Court determined that Hanover must cover $5 million in business interruption losses and rejected Hanover’s application of a flood limit that would have eliminated business interruption coverage.
Mr. Langham serves as co-lead counsel for a class of consumer plaintiffs in the largest group of price-fixing conspiracies ever uncovered, In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation. The actions, alleging anti-competitive conduct, were brought by indirect purchasers of component parts included in over 20 million automobiles. Mr. Langham, together with the Susman Godfrey team and its co-lead counsel, have reached settlements with certain defendants that total over $1.2 billion.
Service to the Community and Recognition
Mr. Langham serves as a Director on the Houston Bar Association (HBA) Board of Directors for its 2021/2022 term and as Chair of the HBA’s Lawyers for Literacy Committee. He previously served as Co-Chair of the HBA’s Communities in the Schools Committee.
Mr. Langham is also a Director on the Air Alliance Houston Board of Directors and is Vice Chair of the Trial Practice Committee for the American Bar Association’s Antitrust section. Mr. Langham previously served as a Board Member for Writers in the Schools, an organization that engages children in reading and creative writing.
A strong advocate of diversity and inclusion, Mr. Langham is a Trustee of the Huston-Tillotson University, a Historically Black College and University. Mr. Langham also co-founded Sweatt Equity Group, an organization of Black male lawyers in Houston. In addition, he mentors Black law students at the University of Houston Law Center and University of Texas Law School. In 2021 Langham was honored as Mentor of the Year by The American Lawyer (ALM).
Mr. Langham’s achievements and leadership have been recognized in the national legal community. He was recognized with the President’s Award by the Houston Bar Association in 2020 and as a Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyer in 2019 and 2020. He was recognized on Benchmark Litigation’s “Under 40 Hot List” in 2016 and 2017 and as a “Rising Star” by Texas Super Lawyers since 2012. Mr. Langham has been rated as a “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” by The National Black Lawyers group three years in a row and was named to Savoy Magazine’s 2018 list of The Most Influential Black Lawyers.
Notable Representations
- Moskowitz Family LLC v. Globus Medical Inc. Tried and won take-nothing jury verdict for Globus Medical in $86 million patent infringement dispute involving expandable spinal implants and static implant spacers with curved anchors.
- Jibe Audio LLC et al. v. Jimmy Iovine et al. (California) Tried and won a jury trial and $40 million judgment for client, Steven Lamar, in a breach of contract dispute against Beats, Dr. Dre, and Jimmy Iovine over royalties owed for Lamar’s role in designing the iconic Beats headphones. Beats designated the former head of the USPTO Design Patent Office as an expert on design patent issues. After a devastating deposition challenging his opinions, Mr. Langham successfully moved to exclude his testimony. Reports on the trial victory may be found in The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Variety, Bloomberg, and Law 360
- PMC v. Gemstar-TV Guide International (E.D. Tex.) Tried and won an arbitration of a licensing dispute on behalf of Personalized Media Communications (PMC) against Gemstar-TV Guide International (now Tivo). PMC’s victory ended a contract dispute that lasted nearly 15 years, including two trips to the Federal Circuit.
- CafeX Communications Inc. v. Amazon Web Services, Inc. (S.D.N.Y.) Defeated a preliminary injunction request on behalf of Amazon Web Services in a trademark infringement and unfair competition suit concerning the “Chime by CafeX” web collaboration tool and released by CafeX, and the “Amazon Chime” web conferencing solution released by Amazon.
- Personalized Media Communications, LLC v. Echostar Corp. and DISH Network (E.D. Tex.) Won a confidential multi-million dollar settlement on behalf of Personalized Media Communications (PMC) in a patent infringement action against DISH/EchoStar. PMC alleged DISH infringed patents related to the encryption and decryption of satellite signals.
- Mobius Medical Systems, LP v. Sun Nuclear Corporation (S.D. Tex.) Won a permanent injunction and settlement on behalf of Mobius Medical Systems, LP, a radiation oncology software company, against its exclusive distributor Sun Nuclear, for trade secret misappropriation.
- High Island Health, LLC and Jiro Takashima v. Libertybelle Marketing, Ltd. (S.D. Tex.) Won a confidential settlement in a patent infringement action against Libertybelle Marketing, Ltd. After Libertybelle’s motion for summary judgment of invalidity failed, it agreed to exit the U.S. market and enter additional confidential settlement terms.
- Individual Networks v. Apple (E.D. Tex.) Secured confidential settlement in patent infringement lawsuit against Apple on behalf of Individual Networks. The Individual Networks patent involved the algorithm used in Apple’s iTunes store’s customized advertising process.
- Dig Tech v. Star Operations (Texas) Tried and won a breach of contract lawsuit on behalf of Dig Tech for construction work on the State Highway 130 Tollway. Star Operations claimed it did not have to pay for the work because Dig Tech did not secure a signed contract. The jury ruled unanimously in favor of Dig Tech and the appellate court affirmed.
- El Dorado Ammonia et. al. v. Benham Constructions (Arkansas) Represents Benham Constructors in $400 million breach of contract and fraud action involving engineering, procurement, and construction contract for an Ammonia Plant in El Dorado, Arkansas
- Lone Star Transmission v. Pelco Structural (S.D. Tex.) Represents Pelco Structural in $15 million breach of contract and fraud action involving manufacture of steel transmission poles for ERCOT’s Competitive Renewable Energy Zone (CREZ) Project
- In Re: Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation (E.D. Mich.) Serves as co-lead counsel for a class of consumer plaintiffs in multidistrict price-fixing cases. The actions, alleging anti-competitive conduct, were brought by indirect purchasers of component parts included in over 20 million automobiles. The Susman Godfrey team, together with its co-lead counsel, reached settlements with certain defendants for over $1.2 billion.
- Bernstein et al Cengage (S.D.N.Y) and Flynn et al v. McGraw Hill (S.D.N.Y.) Serves as lead counsel representing authors of higher education textbooks against their respective publishing companies for failure to pay contractual royalties owed on textbooks sold on the Cengage MindTap, Cengage Unlimited, and McGraw Hill Connect online platforms.
- McManaway, et al. v. KBR, Inc. (S.D. Tex.) Won summary judgment against all claims asserted by over 160 National Guard combat troops who sought over $1 billion in damages based on alleged chemical exposure during the Iraq War while deployed by the U.S. Army to provide force protection at an Iraq-owned water treatment plant.
- Texas Instruments (Nationwide) Managed, litigated, and obtained dismissals of over 30 products liability cases for Texas Instruments. These 30+ cases were spread out over 12 states and involved 3 wrongful death and survivor claims.
- Brossard et. al. v. Chevron et. al. (Louisiana) Represents Chevron in $15 million breach of contract and royalties action involving oil and gas wells drilled in Vermillion Parish, Louisiana
- Apollo Energy, LLC, and ATEC Energy Ventures, LLC vs. Noble Energy, Inc. (Arbitration) Settled an oil and gas breach of contract arbitration against Noble Energy on behalf of ATEC Energy Ventures, LLC and Apollo Energy, LLC. The contract involved an area of mutual interest provision for exploration and development in the Piceance Basin of Western Colorado.
- Rebellion Energy v. Liberty Resources (Texas Court of Appeals) Secured a significant win and settlement for Liberty Resources when the Texas Court of Appeals for the First District ruled that Liberty could not be forced to arbitrate a dispute over a bill in its $106 million energy deal with Rebellion Energy. Read more (subscription required).
- Cernosek Enterprises, Inc. v. City of Mont Belvieu and Enterprise Products Operating, L.P. (Texas Court of Appeals) Won affirmance of dismissal on behalf of Enterprise Products Operating. The plaintiff alleged violations of Mont Belvieu’s municipal ordinances governing drilling permits and hydrocarbon storage well operations. The trial court found plaintiff lacked standing and the appellate court affirmed.
- Walmart Stores Inc. et al. v. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission et al (W.D. Tex.) Tried and won a bench trial on behalf of Walmart in a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Texas laws that prohibit publicly traded companies from selling liquor in Texas. The District Court ruled in Walmart’s favor by striking down provisions of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code under the Dormant Commerce Clause and the Equal Protection Clause.
- Alley Theatre vs. Hanover Insurance (S.D. Tex.) Working pro bono, secured a plaintiffs-side summary judgment win and confidential settlement for Houston’s historic Alley Theatre in an insurance coverage lawsuit. The suit claimed the theatre was not properly reimbursed for business interruption losses sustained during Hurricane Harvey. In addition to $7 million in coverage for building and theatrical property losses caused by flood, the Court determined that Hanover must cover $5 million in business interruption losses and rejected Hanover’s application of a flood limit that would have eliminated business interruption coverage.
- Huston-Tillotson University v. Nextel Spectrum Acquisition Corp (W.D. Tex.) Secured confidential settlement on behalf of Huston-Tillotson University against Sprint/T-Mobile in an Educational Broadband Service license contract dispute. Huston-Tillotson held an Educational Broadband Service license that it leased to Sprint/T-Mobile and alleged the wireless carrier breached contractual obligations. Mr. Langham now serves as a Trustee for the university.
- Apache Corporation v. John Chevedden and KBR Inc. v. John Chevedden (S.D. Tex.) Won two consecutive federal court judgments for Apache Corporation and KBR, Inc. authorizing the companies to exclude a purported shareholder’s proposal from its proxy materials.
- Thatcher v. Walmart (Arkansas) Tried and won a jury trial on behalf of Walmart against a plaintiff who claimed a gasoline container sold by Walmart was defective because it ruptured when the plaintiff poured methanol on an open flame. Plaintiff sought over $15 million in actual damages. The jury issued a take-nothing judgment for Walmart.
- Elva Martinez Cuellar, et al. v. Pelonis Appliances, Inc. and Texas Instruments (Texas) Represented component part manufacturer Texas Instruments and obtained dismissal of wrongful death and statutory indemnity action involving a fire allegedly caused by a fan heater manufactured by Pelonis Appliances.
- Torres et al v. Taylor (Texas) Won a confidential settlement on the counterclaims of Aspire Commodities, an ERCOT energy trading investor, in a breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty action.
- Lutfe Hassan v. ICS Nett Inc., et al. (D.D.C.) Secured a confidential settlement in a breach of asset purchase agreement matter on behalf of Lutfe Hassan, a former partner to a military contracting company.
- Apple Houston Restaurants v. Restaurant Partnership of Central Texas (Texas) Secured a confidential settlement on the counterclaims of Restaurant Partnership of Central Texas in a breach of contract action involving the sale of franchise restaurants.
- Rhonda Hill Wilson v. American Association for Justice (2nd Cir.) Won an appeal before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of the American Association for Justice affirming the dismissal of a defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress action filed by a former AAJ officer.
- Metroplexcore, LLC v. Parsons Transportation, Inc. and METRO (S.D. Tex.) Won a federal trial court dismissal of Metroplexcore’s claims against Houston’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (“METRO”). Metroplexcore claimed that METRO wrongfully accepted a bid from its competitor, Parsons. Judge Lynn H. Hughes dismissed the claims for lack of standing and failure to exhaust administrative remedies.
Honors & Distinctions
Honors and Awards
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyer (2024)
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigator (2022, 2023, 2024)
- Mentor of the Year, American Lawyer (2021, ALM)
- President’s Award, Houston Bar Association (2020)
- Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement in Private Law Practice, American Antitrust Institute (2019)
- Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers, Lawdragon (2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019)
- How I Got Here, Columbia Law School Profile
- The Most Influential Black Lawyers, Savoy (2018)
- 40 and Under Hot List, Benchmark Litigation (2017, 2016)
- Rising Star, Law & Politics Magazine(Since 2012, Thomson Reuters)
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Black Lawyers (since 2016)
- Professional on the Fast Track, H-Texas Magazine (2012, 2013, 2014)
- Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, Columbia Law School (2002-2004)
- Nagashima, Ohno & Tsunematsu Fellowship in Japanese Law (2002)
- Northeast Regional Champion, Frederick Douglass Moot Court (2002)
Clerkships
- Honorable Vanessa D. Gilmore, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 2004-2006
Education
Education
- Columbia Law School (J.D., Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar)
- George Washington University (B.A., Japanese Language and Literature; and International Affairs with concentration in East Asian Studies)
- Honors Program
- Kyoto University
Admissions
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- Illinois
- Texas
Leadership & Professional Memberships
Associations
- Trustee, Huston-Tillotson University (2021-2024)
- Director, Houston Bar Association (2021-2022)
- Director, Air Alliance Houston (2021-2024)
- Vice Chair, Trial Practice Committee, ABA Antitrust Section (2018-2022)
- Co-Chair, HBA Lawyers for Literacy (2019-2022)
- Ambassador, Houston Bar Association (2019-2021)
- Co-Chair of Communities in the Schools Committee, Houston Bar Association (2018-2019)
- National Bar Association, Intellectual Property Section
- Life Member, Texas Bar Foundation
- Former Board Member, Writers in the Schools
- Co-Founder and Chair, Sweatt Equity Group
- Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. — Nu Beta Chapter
- New York State Bar Association
