C. Thomas Kruse is a veteran first-chair trial lawyer with more than three decades of experience leading clients through complex, commercial, and intellectual property disputes in federal and state courts, at both the trial and appellate levels, and in high-value domestic and international arbitrations before the ICC and AAA. Board-certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Tom has significant experience representing clients across a vast array of industries, with a focus on energy (oil & gas and alternative sources), technology, engineering, and manufacturing. He has secured multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for clients in trade secret, insurance, and contract disputes; defended leading engineering and manufacturing firms in nine- and ten-figure claims; and prevailed in appellate courts, including the Texas Supreme Court. Drawing on his deep understanding of both technical operations and commercial risk, he helps clients navigate litigation strategically, including advice before disputes arise and litigation avoidance whenever possible.
Tom is an active member of the legal community, serving in the American Bar Association, International Association of Defense Counsel, and the State Bar of Texas, and is a Life Fellow of both the Houston Bar Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation. Before joining the firm, he held senior leadership roles at three international law firms, where he oversaw complex litigation and disputes practices and guided strategy and trial teams across multiple offices.
Experience
- Energy-related water technology company and its subsidiary in securing an $11 million settlement for a global water technology company and its subsidiary on the eve of trial in a Texas trade secret and contract dispute over refinery, pipeline and storage tank water-treatment technology. The result followed successful appeals to the Texas Court of Appeals and Supreme Court and counterclaims exceeding $70 million in alleged lost profits.
- Global process technology company as lead counsel in securing a complete trial and appellate victory for a global process technology company in a Texas dispute over an $8.5 million sale of petrochemical assets, with a unanimous appellate decision affirming a multimillion-dollar jury verdict and fee award.
- International energy supply company as co-lead counsel in achieving a confidential eight-figure settlement on the eve of trial for an international energy supply company in a Tulsa County, Oklahoma, case alleging bad faith and failure to pay nearly $100 million in insurance claims against a major insurance carrier and brokerage firm.
- Publicly traded energy services corporation, as lead trial counsel in a Texas court in Houston, in obtaining a jury verdict after a six-week trial with an actual damages award of $77 million in a breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and conspiracy case over an oilfield kickback scheme involving hundreds of millions of dollars in international transactions. The appeal was dismissed.
- Publicly traded technology company as lead counsel in lawsuit and appeal in Texas courts on trade secret misappropriations involving acquisition of subsidiary for $130+ million. Obtained settlement in excess of $10 million less than one month away from trial.
- Multinational energy company in achieving a favorable settlement for a on the eve of litigation in a high-stakes dispute with a subsea contractor over allegedly defective equipment in a multi-billion-dollar Gulf of Mexico drilling project.
- Two international integrated energy companies, after taking over as lead counsel, in trial of ICC arbitration matter involving damage claims and counter claims of $500+ million over the operation and conversion of an LNG plant terminal in Latin America; handled live hearing with three-member ICC Arbitration panel in Mexico City.
- International publicly traded manufacturing company, acted as lead counsel in investigation and handling state and federal court lawsuit over allegations of wrongful death in plant in Mexico due to COVID-19 exposure.
- Publicly traded wind and green energy supply company in leading its investigation into and insurance claims management of wind turbine breakdown issues in U.S. and abroad, including supply chain and manufacturing and maintenance issues.
- Global LNG company based in Asia, as lead counsel, in dispute matter in initial international arbitration and mediation proceedings for failure to deliver at terminal on the Gulf Coast, resulting in damages including lost profit on the spot market.
- Alternative green energy company, as co-lead trial counsel, in defending in the U.S. District Court in Houston, Texas a supply contract lawsuit involving breach of contract, warranty and quality claims for component parts for energy electric power fuel cells, and alleging $20+ million in damages. The case settled successfully immediately prior to trial.
- International engineering firm, as lead trial counsel, in successfully defending a lawsuit for $33+ million in damages over the design and engineering of a petrochemical plant; after a year of investigations and litigation, the case was dismissed with no payment from client.
- Major automobile manufacturer in obtaining a dismissal of DOJ claims for $42+ million, in fines and penalties, over cross-border matters involving a plant in Mexico; DOJ dismissed and nonsuited all claims after motions, discovery and depositions.
- Major international engineering firm, as lead counsel, in prosecuting a claim in an arbitration before the AAA in Houston, Texas, for $50+ million in damages under a contract against the owners of a petrochemical plant in Texas; the case was settled favorably after discovery and motions.
- Major international energy firm in an arbitration case before the ICC over claims involving construction and engineering of facilities in South America for electric power generation, petrochemicals processing and natural gas pipelines. After favorably defending the arbitration, successfully handled a related lawsuit challenging the award in the U.S. District Court in Houston, Texas.
- International engineering company, handled trial court and successful appeal to the Texas Supreme Court, involving construction of electric power plant dispute with advanced pollution technology, in pursuing as plaintiff $40+ million in claims and appeal on sovereign immunity issues for contract with state government.
- Closely held corporation with new medical technology as plaintiff in obtaining a jury verdict in the U.S. District Court in Houston, Texas in a case involving minority shareholder oppression and breach of fiduciary duty; collected $6+ million in stock and polymer/plastics patent portfolios after judgment was entered.
- International energy supply and engineering company, in arguing and winning an appeal to the Texas Supreme Court, after five years of appeals, of a landmark case involving its sovereign immunity to claims by an international engineering company under a $40+ million contract.
- Large Chinese manufacturing company as defendant in successfully obtaining a summary judgment in the U.S. District Court in Houston, Texas against $12+ million in alleged breach of contract and fraud claims.
- International energy supply and engineering company, as lead counsel in defending against a shareholder derivative suit in the U.S. District Court in Houston, Texas, with $40+ million in claims; case settled favorably immediately after the lead plaintiff’s deposition.
- Fortune 500 medical and scientific equipment company, as lead trial counsel in federal court, regarding a hostile attempt to force the sale of shares in a subsidiary in which the client had invested $30 million; obtained a take-nothing judgment on $25 million in counterclaims and recovered more than $3.6 million in attorneys’ fees.
- International oilfield supply and services company, as lead appellate counsel, in securing a favorable ruling in a mandamus proceeding in commercial litigation to the Texas Court of Appeals involving fraud and fiduciary duty claims and the assertion of Fifth Amendment privilege over thousands of records.
- Upstream oil and gas company, as lead counsel, in prosecuting case involving claimed insurance exclusion on indemnity provisions of nearly $30 million.
Perspectives
August 26, 2025
Mitigating Risk In US Liquefied Natural Gas Contracts
Speaker, SGA Natural Gas Association
March 4, 2025
Energy’s New Frontier: Navigating Disputes and Mitigating Contract Risks for Increased Fossil Fuel Production and Trading
Arnold & Porter Webinar
February 20, 2025
Mitigating Contract Risks in the LNG Industry
Speaker, Southern Gas Association
More
Recognition
Texas Super Lawyers
Business Litigation (2005–2025)
Best Lawyers
Commercial Litigation (TX) (2010-2026)
BTI Consulting Group
Client Service All-Star (2018)
Credentials
Education
- J.D., Vanderbilt University Law School, 1989
- Bobby Jones Scholar, University of St. Andrews, 1986
- B.A., Emory University, 1985
Admissions
- Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of International Trade
- U.S. District Court, Nebraska
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
Clerkships
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, The Honorable Ricardo H. Hinojosa
Activities
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, International Association of Defense Counsel
- Member, Texas State Bar
- Life Fellow, Houston Bar Foundation
- Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation