CHRIS RYMAN

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Practice Areas

Construction/Surety Law

Litigation

Real Estate Law

Chris has been a Director with Coats Rose since 1990, and brings over twenty-five years of experience to bear for the Firm’s clients. He handles general civil litigation, mediation and arbitration matters, in addition to construction, commercial, business and real estate litigation.

After receiving his degree from the University of Houston Law Center, Chris spent three years as an Associate at Leonard, Koehn, Rose & Hurt. In 1982, he co-founded the Firm of Rose & Ryman as a Partner, and in 1990 his Firm was merged with Coats Rose.

Chris was a participant in legislation relating to the Texas Residential Construction Liability Act. He has received Advanced Mediator Training at the Attorney-Mediators Institute, and Commercial and Construction Arbitration Training at the American Arbitration Association. He was also Board Certified in 1987 by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Civil Trial Law

He is father to Audrey, Rachel and Katherine Ryman.

Practice Emphasis

Chris has represented owners, homebuilders, architects, engineers, design professionals, general contractors and subcontractors involved in commercial and residential construction disputes; represented individuals, equipment lessors and financial institutions in collection, foreclosure and lender liability disputes; and defended individuals and companies in tort claims and construction accidents. His construction law practice includes all types of commercial and residential claims, litigation and arbitration. Chris's tort litigation experience includes construction accidents, premises and product liability claims. He has also handled commercial litigation, business litigation, real estate litigation and frequently serves as an arbitrator and mediator in all types of disputes. 

Education

Southwestern University (B.A., cum laude, 1975)

University of Houston (J.D., 1979)

Admitted

1979, Texas

U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

U.S. District Court, Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas

Affiliations

State Bar of Texas (Executive Council, Construction Law Section, Construction Law Council)

2003-2006, Member, State Bar of Texas Grievance Committee

2004-2006, Chairman, State Bar of Texas Grievance Committee, District 04A3

Texas Bar Foundation – Fellow

Houston Bar Association

Houston Bar Association – Life Fellow

Texas Association of Builders (Member, Attorney’s Council)

National Association of Home Builders

Defense Research Institute

2007 Co-Vice Chair, DRI Construction Law

Publications Chair, DRI Construction Law

American Arbitration Association

International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution

National Arbitration Forum

Greater Houston Builders Association

HomeAid Houston (Member, Advisory Board)

Industry Member, Texas Residential Construction Commission Warranty and Performance

Standards Advisory Committee

State Bar of Texas

Publications and Presentations

• “To Lease or Not to Lease, The Texas Dilemma," EQUIPMENT LEASING TODAY, May,1992.

• “Residential Construction Liability Act,” presented to the Construction Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, February 19-20, 1998.

• “Other People’s Money: A Practical Guide to Managing Construction Defect Claims,” presented to the National Association of Home Builders, 2000 International Builder’s Show, Dallas, Texas.

• “The Insurance Crisis for Contractors,” presented to the Custom Builders’ Council of the Greater Houston Builders’ Association, September 11, 2002.

• “Adjusting & Investigating Construction Defect Claims,” presented to the Mid-Continent Group,November 21, 2002.

• “Texas Residential Construction Liability Act - Is it a Sword or a Shield,” presented to the 2003 University of Texas Residential Construction Law Seminar, September 4-5, 2003, Dallas, Texas. Also presented to the Houston Bar Association, March 10, 2004.

• “Arbitration Advocacy,” presented to British Petroleum on behalf of the American Arbitration Association, October 14, 2003.

• “Settlement Strategies: How and When to Settle to Save the Most Money for Your Client,” presented to the DRI Construction Law Seminar, September 9-10, 2004, Scottsdale, Arizona.

• “Texas Residential Construction Commission Act (TRCCA),” presented to the 2004 University of Texas School of Law Construction Law Conference, October 21-22, 2004, Houston, Texas.

• “Confusion & Ambiguity: Contortions of Contracts,” presented to the Houston Bar Association, December 9, 2004.

• “Construction Warranties,” presented to the Construction Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, March 3-4, 2005.

• “Effective and Efficient Partnering with Experts,” presented to the DRI Construction Law Seminar, September 8-9, 2005, Las Vegas, Nevada.

• “Construction Warranties – What You Should Know,” presented to the Great Houston Builders Association Legal Update Seminar, September 13, 2005, Houston, Texas.

• “Texas Residential Construction Commission Act (TRCCA),” presented to the 2005 University of Texas School of Law Construction Law Conference, October 12-13, 2005, Grapevine, Texas.

• “Construction Disputes,” Houston Business Journal, Week of October 28-November 3, 2005.

• "Legal Challenges in Representing Homebuilders," presented to the 2006 DRI Construction Law Seminar, September 7-8, 2006, San Francisco, California

• “Settlement Strategies: How and When to Settle to Save the Most Money for Your Client,” presented to the Third Annual Judicial Symposium on Critical Issues in Construction Defects Litigation, sponsored by AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies, Judicial Education Program, Washington, D.C., March 7-9, 2007, Orange, California

• “Construction Warranties,” Greater Houston Builders Association Legislative Update and Legal Seminar, August 15, 2007

Published Appellate Cases

Federal

• Transamerica Ins. Co. v. Avenell, 66 F.3d 715 (5th Cir. 1995).

State

• Reading & Bates Const. Co. v. Baker Energy Resources Corp., 976 S.W.2d 702 (Tex. App.— Houston [1st District] 1998).

• Bruce v. Jim Walters Homes, Inc., 943 S.W.2d 121 (Tex. App. —San Antonio 1997) (amicus curiae).

• Ecotech Intern., Inc. v. Griggs & Harrison, 928 S.W.2d 644 (Tex. App. —San Antonio 1996).

• Ryland Group, Inc. v. Hood, 924 S.W.2d 120 (Tex. 1996).

• Emerald Texas, Inc. v. Peel, 920 S.W.2d 398 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st District] 1996).

• Campbell v. Doherty, 899 S.W.2d 395 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th District] 1995).

• Koch Oil Co. v. Wilber, 895 S.W.2d 854 (Tex. App.—Beaumont 1995).

• Clark v. First Nat. Bank of Highlands, 794 S.W.2d 953 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st District] 1990).

• Clear Lake City Water Authority v. Winograd, 678 S .W.2d 740 (Tex. App .—Houston [14th District] 1984).

• Winograd v. Clear Lake City Water Authority, 654 S.W.2d 862 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th District] 1983).