J. Christopher DavisShareholder/Director
Chris Davis is a shareholder and director in the firm’s Tulsa office. He represents clients as a member of the firm’s Alternative Dispute Resolution, Insurance, Intellectual Property, Litigation & Trial, and Product Liability Practice Groups.
With more than 27 years of experience in the courtroom, Chris represents businesses and individuals throughout Oklahoma in state in federal court, serving as lead counsel in catastrophic loss and bet-the-company cases regarding corporate tort and IP related matters. A seasoned litigator and mediator, he has tried dozens of cases to verdict before a jury and managed hundreds of successful mediations during his career.* Among his peers, Chris is regularly sought-after for his formidable courtroom presence as Oklahoma’s only active paraplegic trial attorney. In 2023, Chris was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers.
A former federal law clerk for the Honorable Jimm L. Hendren of the Western District of Arkansas, Chris has an active presence in multiple federal court venues including serving as an Adjunct Settlement Conference Judge, a member of the Committee on Local Rules and Court Operations, and a former member of the Admissions and Grievances Committee for the U.S. Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Since 2001, he has been AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been listed in Oklahoma Super Lawyers for Tort-Defense since 2010.**
Chris received his Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law where he was a member of the Order of the Barristers. While there, he was active in the National Moot Court and National Trial team, and served as a teaching assistant for the Legal Research and Writing Program. He graduated cum laude from Oral Roberts University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology, and holds a Master of Arts in Biblical Literature as well as a Master of Education degree in Applied Linguistics from the same university. Previously, Chris served as an Adjunct Professor of Business Law at the Oral Roberts University School of Business.
* Past results afford no guarantee of future results. Every case is different and must be judged on its merits.
**Crowe & Dunlevy has no input in the rating methodologies used by Super Lawyers magazine.
Representative experience includes*:
- Lead counsel for one of the largest oilfield services companies in a three week trial for the wrongful death of five workers in one of the worst land-based oil rig blowouts in U.S. history. Plaintiffs’ estates each sought $100 Million dollars in compensatory damages plus punitive damages. Successfully contained the exposure for a verdict of only 10% responsibility of a $10 Million dollar award and no punitive damages.
- Lead counsel for national pipeline company in a 4 week trial over a pipeline explosion and fire severely injuring two workers. Defense strategy was to contain and control verdict outcome. Jury award was exactly what defense suggested as a proper result.
- Successfully prosecuted inventorship issues in federal court in Minnesota for breach of contract-Joint Development Agreement on behalf of small company which innovated a patent-pending cooking process.
- Successful appeal to the Federal Circuit on issues relating oilfiled/fracking technology in a patent infringement suit.
- Defense of injunction hearing and favorable Markman hearing results in patent infringement litigation.
- Multiple defense verdicts in products liability lawsuits.
- Lead counsel on behalf of Board of Directors in securities class action lawsuits arising out of acquisition of publically-traded oil drilling and exploration company.
*Past results afford no guarantee of future results. Every case is different and must be judged on its merits.
University of Oklahoma College of Law
Norman, OK
J.D., 1995
Honors:
Order of the Barristers
Law Review
Oral Roberts University
Tulsa, OK
M.A., Biblical Literature, 1991
M.Ed., Applied Linguistics, 1992
Honors:
Summa Cum Laude
Oral Roberts University
Tulsa, OK
B.A., Theology, 1989
Honors:
Cum Laude
Pepperdine School of Law
Malibu, CA
Certificate in Mediation, 2017
- Oklahoma, 1995
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, 1996
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, 1996
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, 1996
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, 1997
- U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit, 2015
- Arkansas, 2020
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, 2023
- American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow, 2023
- Federal Bar Association
- American Board of Trial Advocates, 2018 - Present
- Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel, Board Member, 2016 - Present
- Defense Research Institute, 1997 - Present
- Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, State Chairman, 2008 - Present
- Northern District of Oklahoma Federal Court; Adjunct Settlement Conference Judge, 2010 - Present; Member of Admissions and Grievances Committee, 2015-2018; Member of the Committee on Local Rules and Court Operations, 2022 - Present
- Tulsa County Bar Association, Litigation Section Chair, 2011-2013
- Ranked in Oklahoma Super Lawyers for Tort-Defense, 2010 - Present
- Martindale-Hubbell AV rated, 2001 - Present
- 2001 President's Award, Oklahoma Bar Association
- Co-Author, Contribution and Indemnity Law in Oklahoma, Oklahoma Bar Journal 84 No. 2, 2014.
- Co-Author, Oklahoma Tort Reform: Re-form Over Substance?, Okla. Bar Journal, Vol. 76, No. 12, Page 891, April 9, 2005 (with Nick Haugen)
- Author, Lawyers with Physical Challenges: New Committee Moves Forward, Okla. Bar Journal, Vol. 72, No. 26, Page 2495, September 8, 2001.
- Co-Author, Is Direct-To-Consumer Advertising Eroding the Learned Intermediary Doctrine? Vol. 41 No. 12 “For The Defense”, published by Defense Research Institute, December, 1999
- 2015 Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel, Annual Seminar “Negligent Entrustment as the Newest Direct Action Strategy Against Transportation Employers—How to Defend”
- 2010 Gallagher-Bassett Claims Adjuster’s Seminar “Oklahoma’s Newest Tort Reform”
- 2009 Zurich North America Claims Adjuster’s Seminar “Oklahoma’s Newest Tort Reform”
- 2006 Zurich North America Claims Adjuster’s Seminar “Oklahoma Survey of Tort Law—Update”
- 2004 Zurich North America Claims Adjuster’s Seminar “Oklahoma’s New Tort Reform”
- 2000 OU-Texas Annual Dallas Claims Seminar: “What Constitutes Deceptive Acts and Unfair Trade Practices in the Insurance Industry under Texas Law?”
- 2000 Annual Oklahoma Claims Adjuster’s Convention: “A Broad Overview of Federal Employment Law”
- 2000 Lorman Business Institute Seminar: “Current Employment Law Seminar”
- 1999 Dallas Area Employment Seminar: “An Employee’s Right to Privacy in the Workplace”
- 1998 OU-Texas Annual Dallas Claims Seminar: “Insurer’s Duty to Defend”
- 1997 OU-Texas Annual Dallas Claims Seminar: “Developments in Bad Faith Law in Oklahoma”
- Adjunct Professor of Business Law, Oral Roberts University School of Business, 2012-2014
- Tulsa Center for Physically Limited, Board of Directors, 2020 - Present
