Todd is a trusted legal advisor and experienced litigator known for providing practical and cost-effective solutions for clients in all types of business disputes and tort litigation. He regularly represents businesses in the energy, construction and utility industries. Todd’s practice is focused primarily on breach of contract and other complex commercial litigation matters, as well as personal injury suits involving wrongful death, premises liability and products liability claims. Todd also advises clients on employment matters and handles cases involving employment contracts, separation from employment, breach of non-competition agreements, and claims of discrimination and wrongful termination. Through the establishment of close working relationships with clients as well as acquiring in-depth understanding of their business and industry, Todd is committed to being in the best position possible to protect the client’s name and interests and help clients achieve their goals through implementation of effective legal strategies.
Education
University of Houston Law Center – J.D., 2003
Rhodes College – B.A., 2000
Representative Experience
Represented well operator in high dollar contract dispute with drilling contractor arising out of drilling operations in the Marcellus Shale formation.
Represented well service company in wrongful death action arising out of drilling rig fatality.
Obtained summary judgment for hospice in lawsuit alleging discrimination, retaliation and violation of the Texas Occupations Code.
Represented utility services company in suit alleging breach of a commercial lease agreement.
Defended transportation and freight logistics company in tractor-trailer rollover suit.
Represented environmental consulting company in suit alleging fraud and deceptive acts.
Represented major oil company in several discrimination and retaliation lawsuits.
Obtained summary judgment for utility services company in premises liability suit in which the plaintiff was severely injured by a steel rebar cage that collapsed on him at a jobsite.
Memberships & Affiliations
State Bar of Texas
Houston Bar Association: Litigation Section (Past Chair) and Oil & Gas Section
Texas Young Lawyers Association
Texas Young Professionals, Houston Chapter
Young Professionals in Energy
Admissions
State Bar of Texas
State Bar of Florida
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States District Court: Southern District of Texas
Parker Fauntleroy is an experienced litigator and trial counselor whose practice primarily focuses on working with companies involved in catastrophic claims and complex disputes in Commercial Construction, Oil and Gas, Electrical, Communication and Gas Utilities, and Trucking Industries. Parker operates from a philosophy that protecting the client’s brand and business relationships is one of the most critical components of his work. He serves as a trusted advisor to clients; protecting and advancing their interests and bringing peace of mind on critical issues that might otherwise keep business owners up at night. Parker places great emphasis on acquiring an in-depth understanding of the client’s business model, and he develops expertise in the client’s particular business sector in order to marry industry know-how with optimal service. With this knowledge, Parker develops reasonable, practical and often unique solutions to his clients’ problems. Parker is a forward thinker, and he provides proactive assistance to guard against future issues and protect the viability and productivity of the business.
Parker is described by his clients as steadfast, tenacious, conscientious, creative, and committed. He has significant and successful experience resolving matters through skillful negotiations, both pre-suit and during litigation. Parker’s reputation is well known, and he has successfully tried numerous cases to verdict, providing his clients the trial option when required.
Parker is firmly committed to helping shape the legal minds of the future, and he gives back to the community by sharing his wisdom and expertise. He has taught as an Adjunct Professor for Civil Trial Advocacy at South Texas College of Law and he has presented at a multitude of seminars and conferences.
Education
South Texas College of Law – J.D., 1994
– Order of the Barristers
– Order of Lytae
University of Texas at Austin – B.B.A., 1987
Recognitions & Distinctions
Best Lawyers in America 2015 – 2024: Personal Injury Litigation – Defendant
Texas Super Lawyer, Thomson Reuters 2022-Present
AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell peer review ratings, the highest rating possible.
Memberships & Affiliations
ABOTA (American Board of Trial Advocates)
Houston Bar Association
State Bar of Texas
Admissions
State Bar of Texas
United States District Court: Northern, Southern & Western Districts of Texas
Costa Economides’ practice focuses primarily on construction, civil litigation and insurance defense. He has experience handling multi-party personal injury lawsuits, subrogation claims, and construction cases. Costa received his bachelor’s degree in Economics, with a minor in business administration, from Texas A&M University in 2016. He earned his law degree from South Texas College of Law in 2020.
Recognitions & Distinctions
Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch 2024- Construction Law
Education
South Texas College of Law – J.D., 2020
Texas A&M University – B.S. Economics, 2016
Admissions
State Bar of Texas (2020)
Community Involvement
Active member of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Gregory Cokinos is a founder of Cokinos | Young and he has earned a reputation as one of the preeminent lawyers in his field. Gregory’s practice includes all aspects of industrial and commercial construction, including pipelines, power plants, processing plants, refineries, highway construction, offshore production and drilling platforms, office buildings, high rise condominiums and schools. Gregory also has extensive experience in real estate transactions and development, having represented owners, developers, landlords and tenants in all areas of commercial real estate acquisition, financing, development, leasing and sale. His project involvement includes central business district office buildings, health care facilities, shopping centers, housing developments and apartments.
Although his practice is concentrated in the area of construction and real estate development issues, Gregory has handled a wide range of litigation matters as well as contract negotiations, including significant cases in securities fraud, patent infringement, employment, banking, franchise agreements and oil and gas. Gregory has also handled serious personal injury cases, including brain damage, permanent paralysis and death.
Gregory devotes considerable time to the advancement of the industry. After serving as editor of the State Bar Construction Law Section Newsletter, he was instrumental in creating and organizing the Construction Law Journal, a joint publication by the Construction Law Section of the State Bar of Texas and The South Texas College of Law. He became the first editor of the journal, a position he held for the first seventeen years of the publication, until 2019. Gregory is a member of the American College of Construction Lawyers and was the first lawyer from Houston inducted into this invitation only organization. Gregory is also an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, on both the commercial and construction panels, and for the International Center for Dispute Resolution. Gregory is also a Department of Construction Science Lecturer with the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University, teaching COSC 465 – Advanced Topics in Construction Law since 2019.
Education
South Texas College of Law – J.D., 1982
Texas A&M University – B.B.A., 1979
Recognitions & Distinctions
Chambers USA: Ranked Lawyer in Texas Construction Law (2003-2023); Chambers USA “Star Individual”
Texas State Bar Construction Law Section Chair 2022-2023; Chair-Elect 2021-2022
Recognized Distinguished Alumni of Texas A&M 2022
Chair of $17.0mm Cathedral expansion of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Named by Thomson Reuters as one of The Top 100 Super Lawyers in the State of Texas every year since 2007
Named 2018 Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers
Named Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters every year since 2005. Each year, no more than 5 percent of lawyers in the state are selected to receive this honor
AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell peer review ratings, the highest rating possible
First Houston attorney selected and inducted into the prestigious American College of Construction Lawyers, an invitation only association of the top 1% of construction lawyers in North America
Best Lawyers in America 2005 – Present: Construction Law, Commercial Litigation & Construction Litigation
Memberships & Affiliations
American Arbitration Association: Panelist on Construction and Commercial Panels
American Bar Association: Litigation, Construction Law, Business Law, Real Estate, Oil and Gas
American College of Construction Lawyers
American Association for Justice
Association of General Contractors of America
College of the State Bar of Texas
Houston Contractors Association
Litigation Council of America Fellow
Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Life Member
Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Life Member
State Bar of Texas: Litigation, Business Law, Real Estate, Entertainment and Sports Law
– Construction Law Section Newsletter: Editor (1997-2003)
– Construction Law Journal: Editor (2003-2020)
Texas Aggie Bar Association
Texas Bar Foundation
Texas Trial Lawyers Association
Associated Builders and Contractors of Houston
Houston Bar Association: Litigation, Construction Law, Business Law, Real Estate, Oil and Gas
Houston Young Lawyers Association: Former Council Member
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral
District 4D Grievance Committee, Panel Chair
Appointed as a member of the Construction Law Exam Inaugural Commission (2016) charged with drafting the board certification exam for construction law, and grading the exam for the Texas Bar of Legal Specialization
Texas A&M Mays Business School Named Distinguished Alumni (2017)
Chair of 12th Man Foundation
Board Member of the Association of Former Students
Chair of Expansion Committee, AGOC Cathedral Expansion
Admissions
State Bar of Texas
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States District Court: Northern, Eastern, Southern & Western Districts of Texas
Craig Clendenin’s practice involves arbitration and litigation in both state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout Texas. As a litigator, Craig has tried well over 150 jury trials to verdict in well over a dozen counties throughout Texas and in all United States Federal Districts in Texas. He represents individuals, corporations and business clients in claims focusing primarily on construction, real estate and finance on behalf of Owners, General Contractors and Subcontractors, but in his 36 years of trying cases, his trial and arbitration experience has involved matters ranging from failed business ventures to securities, personal injury, toxic tort, environmental, trucking, and general contract law.
Education
South Texas College of Law – J.D., 1983
University of Texas at Austin – B.A., 1980
Recognitions & Distinctions
Best Lawyers in America- 2024 Commercial Litigation
AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell peer review ratings, the highest rating possible.
Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1990.
Named a Texas Super Lawyer in Construction Law for 2018 and 2019 by Thomson Reuters. Each year, no more than 5 percent of lawyers in the state are selected to receive this honor.
Representative Experience
Successfully defended a general contractor in a jury trial in Jefferson County, Texas in which the Owner of a Beaumont Refinery had asserted a $15,000,000.00 claim for welding defects and delays against the general contractor. The Owner ultimately settled with the general contractor after three weeks of testimony before foregoing its claims and agreeing to pay the general contractor the majority of the general contractor’s $2,500,000.00 counterclaim.
Successfully represented a subcontractor who provided materials for a wind farm in Cameron County, Texas against a general contractor. After a five day arbitration, the Panel rejected the general contractor’s claims for delays and defects and awarded COKINOS’ client the totality of its claim against the general contractor in an amount exceeding $2,000,000.00.
Successfully represented MK Constructors in an arbitration claim against an Owner for non-payment of dirt work performed in Jefferson County, Texas in anticipation of construction of a residential subdivision. MK refused to perform any additional work until payment was made. In response, the Owner terminated the contract. MK filed a mechanic’s lien against the property in the amount of $978,000 and filed a claim. The Owner counter-sued for breach of contract, fraud, misrepresentation, and attorney’s fees. The Arbitration Panel determined the Owner was responsible for the first material breach of the contract and awarded MK over $1.3mm (including all attorney’s fees) and denied the Owner’s counterclaims in their entirety.
Ronquillo / Rubenstein v. Tharpe, 2019 WL 3335480 (Tex. App. – Corpus Christi 2019, pet. dismd)(successfully defended a disparagement claim using Texas Anti-SLAPP statute with recovery of attorney’s fees on behalf of clients).
Byrd Bros., Inc. v. Marsh Buggies, Inc., 2013 WL 6095844 (Tex. App. – Houston [14th Dist. 2013], pet. dsmd) (successfully represented a subcontractor on a bond claim against the general contractor and surety on a claim under the McGregor Act).
Morrell Masonry Supply, Inc. v. Lupe’s Shenandoah Reserve, LLC, 363 S.W.3d 901 (Tex. App. – Beaumont 2012, no pet. (successfully overturned existing precedent regarding notice under the Texas Property Code, removing lien and recovering attorney’s fees for client).
Sanders v. Herold, 217 S.W.3d 11 (Tex. App. – Houston [14th Dist.] 2006, pet den’d) (obtained summary judgment of parents being sued for failure to warn).
Bill’s Dollar Store, Inc. v. Bean, 77 S.W.3d 367 (Tex. App. – Houston [14th Dist.] 2002, pet den’d) (obtained reversal and rendering of verdict against store owner in slip-and-fall matter).
Sturges v. System Parking, Inc., 834 S.W.2d 472 (Tex. App. – Houston [14th Dist.] 1992, no pet.)(obtained a reversal of summary judgment in favor of parking facility owner, rendering judgment in favor of broker culminating in settlement).
Memberships & Affiliations
State Bar of Texas
Houston Bar Foundation
Houston Bar Association
Harris County Bar Association
Admissions
State Bar of Texas
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States District Court: Eastern, Southern & Western Districts of Texas
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