Lawyer Stephen D. Susman

Trial Titan & Innovator (1941–2020)

Born: Houston, Texas
Bar Admissions: Texas, District of Columbia, New York, Colorado

Snapshot:
Founder of Susman Godfrey, Stephen D. “Steve” Susman was a pioneering trial lawyer who reshaped high-stakes commercial litigation. Over a 55-year career, he won record verdicts and settlements for plaintiffs and defendants, championed contingency and alternative fee models in business cases, and led a national movement to revitalize civil jury trials.

Education & Clerkships:

• Yale University, B.A., magna cum laude

• The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., with Highest Honors; Editor-in-Chief, Texas Law Review; Grand Chancellor

• Law Clerk, Hon. John R. Brown, U.S. Court of Appeals (5th Cir.)

• Law Clerk, Justice Hugo L. Black, U.S. Supreme Court

Career Milestones:

• Early career: Partner at a major Houston firm; visiting professor at UT Law

• 1980: Founded Susman Godfrey, among the first boutiques devoted to complex commercial litigation—and famous for staking fees on results rather than hours

• Built a national powerhouse (Houston, LA, New York, Seattle) of 100+ trial lawyers with one of the country’s best win records

• Landmark wins include:

  • Corrugated Container antitrust verdict (then-largest of its kind)

  • $1.1B settlement for Texas Instruments vs. Samsung (co-lead counsel)

  • $536M jury verdict for GHR Energy vs. El Paso Gas

• Tried and resolved bet-the-company cases across antitrust, IP, securities, and commercial disputes for clients such as Northrop, NASDAQ, General Electric, Masimo, and others

Reformer & Thought Leader:

• Trial by Agreement (TrialbyAgreement.com): practical protocols to streamline discovery and trials

• Chaired Texas Supreme Court Discovery Advisory Committee (mid-’90s) to limit wasteful discovery

• Helped draft ABA Civil Trial Practice Standards (1998)

• Member, committees exploring e-discovery limits and expedited civil jury trials

The Civil Jury Project (NYU Law):
Alarmed that <1% of federal civil cases reached a jury, Susman donated $2M in 2015 to found and serve as Executive Director of the Civil Jury Project, mobilizing judges, lawyers, academics, and policymakers to preserve and modernize the civil jury trial.

Honors & Recognition (selected):

• American Lawyer Lifetime Achievement Award (2016)

• Texas Lawyer Lifetime Achievement Award (2015)

• Law360 “Titan of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” (2014)

• Lawdragon Hall of Fame; 500 Leading Lawyers in America (multi-years)

• Benchmark Litigation Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the Nation

• Chambers USA/Global, Best Lawyers in America (decades running)

• Who’s Who Legal: Among Top Ten Leading Litigators in the World (2010)

• Super Lawyers: Top 10 in Texas (multiple years)

Academic & Professional Service:

• Visiting Professor, NYU School of Law; Visiting Professor, UT Law

• Board Certified, Civil Trial Law (Texas)

• Special Counsel to the Texas Attorney General (1975)

• Service on boards and committees: ABOTA, NYU Center on Civil Justice, UT Law Foundation, U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society, and numerous bar associations

Civic & Cultural Involvement:
Trustee or board roles with Yale University Art Gallery, MD Anderson Cancer Center Foundation, UT Health Science Center, UT Development Board, and others.

In Memoriam:
Steve Susman died July 14, 2020, following injuries from a cycling accident and complications from COVID-19. The legal community hailed him as sui generis—a brilliant advocate, fearless innovator, generous mentor, and the driving force behind a firm and a reform agenda that will influence trial practice for generations.

Why He Matters (at a glance):

• Reinvented the business of trials: normalized contingent/alternative fees in complex commercial cases

• Raised the bar for efficiency: concrete tools to cut cost and delay without sacrificing fairness

• Saved (and modernized) a tradition: national leadership to revive civil juries

• Built a legacy of talent: mentored scores of young lawyers who now lead major cases and firms

Quick Facts:

• Editor: ABA Civil Antitrust Jury Instructions (1985)

• Board Certified since 1978 (Civil Trial Law)

• Offices built: Houston, LA, New York, Seattle

• Known for: unrelenting preparation, creative fee structures, and jury-centric advocacy