Timothy C. "Tim" Shelby

Timothy C. "Tim" Shelby


Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing

Recognized since 2015

Houston, Texas

Practice Areas

Commercial Litigation

Send Timothy C. "Tim" Shelby an email at tshelby@azalaw.com Navigate to map location for Timothy C. "Tim" Shelby
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Tim Shelby focuses on complex commercial litigation, oil and gas-related litigation, trade secret litigation, and professional liability matters.

Mr. Shelby is recognized by Best Lawyers in America for commercial litigation in Texas 2015 - 2018. He was named to the Texas Super Lawyers list 2014 -2017. He was on the Texas Rising Stars list in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014, which honors the best Texas lawyers under age 40 and those who have practiced less than 10 years. H Texas Magazine recognized him as a Professional on the Fast Track – Law in 2009.

Prior to joining AZA, Mr. Shelby practiced for eight years in the litigation department of Baker Botts in Houston.

Mr. Shelby received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 2002. While at Harvard, he served as a Teaching Fellow in Harvard’s Department of Economics. Mr. Shelby received a Masters of Public Service and Administration from the Bush School of Government at Texas A&M University in 1999, where he was recognized as a Bush Fellow. Mr. Shelby received his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, in economics and political science from Baylor University in 1997.

REPRESENTATIVE ENGAGEMENTS

• Energy companies – Mr. Shelby routinely represents exploration and production companies, refining and petrochemical companies, pipeline companies, oilfield tool manufacturers, and oilfield services companies in a wide variety of energy litigation matters, including breach of contract claims, tortious interference claims, and trade secret misappropriation matters. Recent victories include:

• Breach of contract claims – Mr. Shelby recently took on an oilfield tool manufacturing client that had $35 million in breach of contract claims against it. Within six months of representing the client, he completely changed the dynamic of the case and his client received a multimillion dollar settlement.

• Trade secret claims – Representing plaintiffs, Mr. Shelby has secured multiple temporary restraining orders, temporary injunctions, and permanent injunctions for oilfield tool and service companies. He recently served as the lead trial lawyer for an oilfield tools company in a high-profile bench trial against a competitor who bribed an employee to get manufacturing drawings and then provided them to Chinese manufacturers. Although his client is still awaiting a final decision from the court, the competitor was forced to take the unusual step of agreeing to the entry of a permanent injunction at the end of the trial. See this Houston Chronicle story about the case. Representing defendants, Mr. Shelby recently forced one of the largest oilfield services companies in the world to abandon its trade secret claims and dismiss the lawsuit within two weeks of filing suit.

• Business claims – Mr. Shelby recently defended a crude purchasing and marketing company against over $150 million in claims brought by multiple producers under various lien statutes. After over 200 depositions and a three-day summary judgment hearing, the plaintiffs abandoned their claims against his client. Mr. Shelby also defended a crude purchasing company against over $100 million in trespass claims brought against the company by a large landowner in West Texas. After securing a summary judgment ruling that significantly reduced the liability in the case, the landowner gave up and dismissed the remaining claims against his client on the eve of trial.

• Electric and gas utilities – Represented a large electric and gas utility in commercial, environmental, property-damage, and personal-injury disputes. Defended a large retail electric utility against breach of contract and deceptive trade practice claims.

• Accountants – Represented accounting firms in professional liability and securities matters brought under federal securities laws and the Texas Securities Act.

• Insurance brokers – Defense against professional-liability and business-tort claims asserted against one of the largest insurance brokers in the world.

COURT ADMISSIONS AND AFFILIATIONS

•State Bar of Texas

•United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

•United States District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Texas

•Institute for Energy Law, Advisory Board, 2010-2011

•Houston Bar Association, CLE Committee, 2008 & 2010

•Houston Young Lawyers Association

PUBLICATIONS, PAPERS AND CLE PRESENTATIONS

Witness Credibility in Trial and Depositions, Texas Lawyer’s In-House Counsel Summit, March 2013.

Strategies for Corporate Representative Depositions, 33rd Annual Corporate Counsel Institute, Houston, Texas, April 2011

Location
  • 1221 McKinney Street, Suite 2500
    Houston, TX 77010
Education
  • Harvard University, J.D., graduated 2002
  • Texas A&M University, M.P.S.A., Bush School of Government, graduated 1999
  • Baylor University, BA, graduated 1997
Bar Admissions
  • Texas, State Bar of Texas
Affiliations
  • Walk Strong, Cure JM Foundation - Houston - Co-Chair
Court Admissions
  • U.S. District Court, 5th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Southern, Eastern, Northern and Western Districts of Texas

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024 for work in:
  • Commercial Litigation
Awards:
  • Texas Super Lawyers, 2014-2019, Thomson Reuters
  • Texas Rising Stars, 2008-2010, 2012-2014, Thomson Reuters, honoring the best Texas lawyers under age 40 and those who have practiced less than 10 years.

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Publications

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