Austin Krist

Austin is a first-chair trial lawyer who represents plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes commercial litigation across Texas and around the country. A generalist by choice, Mr. Krist handles litigation across a broad array of industries and subject matters, in cases involving contractual disputes, fraud, business divorces, breaches of fiduciary duty, and trade secret misappropriation. In addition to his trial work, he also frequently handles appeals.

Mr. Krist takes particular pride in his written and oral advocacy, where he excels at navigating complicated questions of law and distilling complex factual situations into clear, compelling narratives. A third-generation Texas lawyer, Mr. Krist is at his best in the courtroom, where he is adept at empathizing with and ultimately persuading judges and juries alike. Mr. Krist's strategic sensibility and ease in front of a jury are grounded in his early experience clerking for a federal judge and in trying cases with (and against) some of the top trial lawyers in the country. At the outset of any case, Mr. Krist takes the time to understand each client’s goals, and he has earned his clients’ trust by handling cases efficiently and effectively while steering clear of irrelevant issues and distractions.

Prior to co-founding Cleveland Krist, Mr. Krist served as a law clerk to Judge Sam Sparks in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas and also worked for a major law firm in New York. He earned his law degree from Columbia Law School, where he graduated with honors and served on the editorial board of the Columbia Law Review.

Mr. Krist has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation and was selected as one of the country’s 500 Leading Litigators by Lawdragon in 2026. He has also been recognized by his peers as a Texas Rising Star in Business Litigation by Super Lawyers (published by Thomson Reuters) and selected by Chambers USA as an Up-and-Coming commercial litigator.