Practice areas: Business Litigation, Energy & Natural Resources, Civil Litigation; view more
Licensed in Texas since: 1985
Education: University of Houston Law Center
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2021 - 2025 Call today:
361-275-5111
Free Consultation Crain & Sheppard
106 S. GonzalesPO Box 427
Cuero, TX 77954 Visit website
A partner at Crain & Sheppard, Michael A. Sheppard focuses his practice primarily on civil commercial litigation with a small portion of his practice devoted to criminal defense matters. A native of Texas, he works out of his firm’s office in Cuero, the town where he was born and raised. In addition to working for the firm that he joined in 1985, Mr. Sheppard has served as the city attorney for Cuero, and for nearly 20 years, he was the district attorney for the 24th Judicial District, where he prosecuted felony charges for an area that covered DeWitt, Refugio, and Goliad counties.
In his civil litigation practice, Mr. Sheppard has represented both plaintiffs and defendants throughout the region. His varied caseload has encompassed contract breaches, fiduciary duty, and other business disputes. A growing portion of his practice focuses on natural resources matters including royalty underpayment and well blow out litigation. Mr. Sheppard and his firm have made very significant confidential recoveries for clients who have been the victims of royalty underpayment or blown out wells.
Mr. Sheppard and his firm have established significant case law at the Texas Supreme Court in the interpretation of a royalty provision that requires an addition to gross proceeds before calculating the royalty (See Devon v. Sheppard).
Additionally, Mr. Sheppard has successfully handled personal injury and wrongful death litigation on behalf of people who have incurred significant economic and noneconomic losses because of the negligence or recklessness of other parties.
Mr. Sheppard’s successful track record in all his professional endeavors has earned him several honors from his fellow attorneys, including being named to The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100, Law Dragon top 500, and an Associate Member of the Houston Branch of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). He is a graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, where he majored in political science, and he obtained his Juris Doctor in 1985 from the University of Houston Law Center. Mr. Sheppard is admitted to practice in Texas and before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Practice areas
Business Litigation, Energy & Natural Resources, Civil Litigation: Plaintiff, Criminal Defense: White Collar, Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff- 30% Business Litigation
- 30% Energy & Natural Resources
- 20% Civil Litigation: Plaintiff
- 10% Criminal Defense: White Collar
- 10% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 1985, Texas
Professional Webpage: http://www.crainandsheppard.com/
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- Mr. Sheppard was lead counsel for the largest plaintiff's verdict in Victoria area judicial district. A fiduciary breach case in which his client was plaintiff and major national pipeline company was defendant. The case settled while the jury was deliberating punitive damages. Mr. Sheppard was one of the trial counsel on the largest personal injury verdict in DeWitt County and the surrounding area in 2019; In 2022, Mr. Sheppard was one of the lead counsel in a very significant confidential settlement for well blow out damages in DeWitt County, Texas; In 2023, Mr. Sheppard was one of the lead counsel in a groundbreaking royalty case in which the Supreme Court of Texas sided with landowners and required oil companies to pay royalties on gross proceeds plus additional sums; In 2022, Mr. Sheppard was lead counsel in making a very significant confidential recovery for underpaid royalty owners in and around DeWitt County against the operating oil companies;, 2005
- Mr. Sheppard was co-counsel in a royalty underpayment case obtaining a verdict in excess of $15,000,000.00 for the underpaid clients. The ultimate judgment entered, now on appeal, exceeded $30 million., 2023
- Mr. Sheppard was co-lead counsel on a multi-plaintiff royalty underpayment case. The plaintiff landowners prevailed at the trial court, appellate court and, ultimately, at the Texas Supreme Court making new case law related to the oil companies obligation to fairly calculate royalties paid to royalty owners. See Devon v. Sheppard, 2023
- Mr. Sheppard was lead counsel on behalf of an injured Railroad worker who contracted West Nile Virus while working for a National Railroad Company. Mr. Sheppard obtained a verdict of just under $1million. The verdict was ultimately reversed on appeal by the Texas Supreme Court., 2012
- Mr. Sheppard was co-lead counsel in a defamation case against a television station that settled for a substantial sum in favor of his client., 2009
Honors
- Lawdragon Top 500 plaintiff's attorneys, Lawdragon.com, 2007
- Member National Trial Lawyers Top 100, The National Trial Lawyers, 2021
- Named a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, ABOTA, 2017
Educational Background
- Graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, 1982
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2021 - 2025
