“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
“If you want a brilliant, world-class trial team led by the best, hire Shawn.”Jessica Cicali, General Counsel, Cardone Industries
I focus on all types of heavyweight litigation for plaintiffs and defendants and have secured $450 million in settlements in a False Claims Act case, obtained the voluntary dismissal of a $300 million fraud case, and won multiple $30+ million trial and arbitration awards. 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.
I also am humbled that recognition has come from outside the courthouse:
The Mayor of Houston proclaimed a “Shawn Raymond Day” in recognition of my decade-long service to the Houston Area Women’s Center’s mission of helping individuals affected by domestic and sexual violence. Here’s a video clip of the presentation and my remarks, which were kept especially brief once I realized my four young sons had figured out they could see themselves being broadcast live on the television screen located in city council chambers.
The Houston Astros honored me with the title “Hometown Hero” and a ceremonial first pitch. 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.” And about that ceremonial first pitch? An iffy strike.
The University of Texas School of Law named me the 2019 Distinguished Alumnus for Community Service. Here’s the UT video that played prior to the presentation of the award.
“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, Former Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Copano Energy
“Shawn is the rare combination of strategic, pragmatic, technically strong and personable… Simply said, Shawn is what good looks like.” Monica Karuturi, General Counsel, CenterPoint 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.
“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
“Shawn is a particularly special kind of lawyer who aggressively manages complex cases while providing business savvy that creates a strong partnership-like relationship with his clients.”R. Bruce Northcutt, Former CEO, Navitas Midstream Partners and Copano Energy
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.
Back at UT, I became Managing Editor of 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.
“I turn to Shawn and Susman Godfrey because they actually take cases to trial — and win. In my experience, when faced with having to try a case against Susman Godfrey, opposing counsel quickly find a more reasonable position in an effort to avoid trial.” Johnathan Short, Former General Counsel, IntercontinentalExchange, Inc.
“I’ve never witnessed anything like the woodshedding Shawn performed on that CEO on the stand. I honestly thought the man needed a blood transfusion once Shawn finished with him. It was a cross-examination for the ages.”Gary Martin, Founder and President, R.J. Machine, Inc.
Shawn Raymond is “that rare attorney who is as noted for his goodness as for his courtroom prowess.” Lawdragon, Inc
Read what folks who have seen me in action have to say.
The George Washington University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1994)
The University of Texas School of Law (J.D., with honors, 1999)
United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Galveston Division
Where Are the Reasonable Efforts to Enforce the Reasonable Efforts Requirement?: Monitoring State Compliance Under the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980, The Texas Law Review, Volume 77, April 1999.
Tackling E-Discovery on a Budget, The Advocate, State Bar Litigation Section Report, Volume 51, Summer 2010. Click here to read the article.
“I think we do well to remember that there is nothing inevitable about the creation of the Sunflower County Freedom Project or the U.S. Public Service Academy. Those exist because Shawn was — and continues to be — determined to make them be.”William Powers, Jr., Former President, The University of Texas at Austin