Biography
Charles “Chip” Babcock is a Texas-based trial and appellate lawyer who litigates at both the trial and appellate levels across the United States. He has tried over 100 cases to a jury and argued over 50 appeals. He handles all types of commercial trial work and has particular experience in media and First Amendment litigation. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the American Board of Trial Advocates, and the Litigation Counsel of America. He is a Fellow of the American Law Institute. Chip has represented individuals such as Warren Buffet, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil McGraw, George W. Bush, and Reggie Love (aide to President Obama). His corporate clients have included ORIX USA, Celanese Corp, Fox News Network, CNN, Google, CBS Television Studios, Vantage Drilling International, Warner Brothers Pictures, New Line Cinema, 3M Corporation and OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.
Chip has tried highly publicized cases such as Turner v. Dolcefino, which was covered gavel to gavel for nine weeks on CourtTV (now TruTV); Texas Beef v. Oprah Winfrey, which was litigated for six weeks in Amarillo, Texas, and concerned the popular talk show host’s statements about “mad cow” disease; Knight v. The Chicago Tribune, a case tried in Cook County, Illinois, involving a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist defendant and his highly acclaimed series about prosecutorial misconduct; In re Sharon Keller, which involved an effort to remove the Presiding Judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals from the bench; and In re Hecht, where the Judicial Conduct Commission attempted to admonish the (now) Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court over statements he made in support of a nominee to the United States Supreme Court.
Education
A.B., Brown University
- Rowing Team (4 years), Freshman and Varsity Crews
- WBRU FM, Sports Director
J.D., Boston University School of Law
- Executive Editor, Boston University Law Review
Bar Admissions
Texas, 1977
New York, 2016
Arkansas, 2020
Court Admissions
United States Supreme Court
Texas Supreme Court
United States Court of Appeals for the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Circuits
United States District Court for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas
United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
United States District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
- Bet-the-Company – Southern Chemical Corporation v. Celanese Ltd. 2012 (U.S. District Court – 190th Judicial District, Harris County, TX) (breach of contract/fraud; Jury Trial)
- First Amendment – Speech First, Inc. v. Fenves 2019 (U.S. District Court – W.D. Tex.) (constitutionality of University of Texas at Austin speech policies) (preliminary injunction hearing)
- Commercial Litigation – BSAG v. North America 2014 (U.S. District Court – 127th Judicial District, Harris County, TX) (breach of contract, tortious interference with contract fraud; Jury Trial)
- Intellectual Property – Paul Natkin, et al. v. Oprah Winfrey, et al. 2000 (U.S. District Court-N.D. Illinois at Chicago) (copyright infringement – Jury Trial)
- Government Investigations – (Confidential)
- Media Litigation – Texas Beef Group, et al. v. Oprah Winfrey, et al. 1998 (U.S. District Court – N.D. Tex. at Amarillo) (veggie libel statute, business disparagement-Jury Trial); Rodney Allan Henderson v. MediaOne L.L.C. d/b/a The Monitor (U.S. District Court – 3rd Judicial District, Henderson County, TX) (defamation claim) (appeal pending in Tyler Court of Appeals, 2019)
- Appellate Practice – Deepak Kalpoe et al. v. Phillip C. McGraw et al., 2015 (Second District Court of Appeals); Jones v. Warner Brothers, 2019 (Texas Supreme Court)
- Karen H. Susman Jurisprudence Award, 2018
- Ronald D. Secrest Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award, The Texas Bar Foundation, 2016
- Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
- Ranked for First Amendment Litigation – Nationwide, 2007-2022
- Ranked for Litigation: Trial Lawyers – Nationwide, 2010-2019
- Ranked for Litigation: Trial Lawyers – Texas, 2020-2022
- Ranked for Litigation: General Commercial – Texas, 2006-2020
- Ranked for Litigation: General Commercial – Texas: Dallas, Fort Worth & Surrounds, 2021-2022
- Trial Ace, Law360, 2015
- Lion of the Texas Bar, Texas Lawbook/The Dallas Morning News, 2015
- Professional Excellence Award: Lifetime Achievers, Texas Lawyer, 2015
- 25 Greatest Texas Lawyers of the Past Quarter-Century, Texas Lawyer, 2010
- The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.), 1991-2023
- Appellate Practice, 2020-2023
- Bet-the-Company Litigation, 2010-2023
- Commercial Litigation, 2006-2023
- First Amendment Law, 1991-2023
- Litigation – First Amendment Law, 2011-2023
- Litigation – Intellectual Property, 2011-2023
- Texas Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2003-2022
- Top 100: Texas Super Lawyers, 2003-2004, 2007-2008, 2010-2014
- Top 100: Houston Super Lawyers, 2005-2017
- Top 100: Dallas/Fort Worth Super Lawyers, 2003-2004
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2022
- “Best Lawyers in Dallas,”D Magazine, 2009, 2011-2012, 2018
- “Top Lawyers in Houston,” H Texas magazine
- Texas’ “Go To” Lawyers, Texas Lawyer
- AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
- Who’s Who Legal: Texas, Commercial Litigation
- Best in Civil Litigation Defense, Super Lawyers: Corporate Counsel Edition
- Outstanding Pro Bono Service, Texas Civil Rights Project, 2013
- Meritorious Pro Bono Service Award, 1988
- Distinguished Pro Bono Service Award, 1986
- American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Fellow
- The Center for American and International Law (CAIL), 2022 Trustee, Research Fellow
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
- Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow
- American Law Institute, Fellow
- The Texas Philosophical Society, Fellow
- Brown University Crew, Steward
- Alley Theatre, Board of Directors, 2019
March 20, 2023
Client ResultsTexas Appeals Court Denies Motion to Seal Evidence, Allowing Media to Retain Access to Exhibits From Trade Secret Dispute
In a longstanding dispute over a fundamental First Amendment right to access public records, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Houston Forward Times have prevailed for a third time. On March 15, 2023, the San Antonio Court of Appeals reversed a trial court’s order and rendered judgment denying an amended motion to seal 14 trial exhibits in the case of Title Source, Inc. v. HouseCanary, Inc.
October 7, 2022
Attorney NewsJackson Walker Congratulates 36 Attorneys Named Among the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America
Jackson Walker announces the selection of 36 attorneys to Lawdragon’s inaugural list of the 500 leading litigators in America.
October 4, 2022
NewslettersJW Media | VIA ePostcard – October 2022
View the October 2022 edition of the JW Media | VIA ePostcard.
September 21, 2022
Attorney NewsJackson Walker Congratulates Its 64 “Texas Super Lawyers” of 2022
Each year, less than 5% of attorneys in Texas are named to the list. Selection is based off of peer nominations that are then reviewed by a research team. Each nominee is evaluated on his or her professional accomplishments, peer recognition, and community involvement.
August 29, 2022
MentionsTen Questions to a Media Lawyer: Charles “Chip” Babcock
Jackson Walker partner Chip Babcock was featured by the Media Law Resource Center in its “Ten Questions to a Media Lawyer” for the July/August 2022 edition. In the Q&A, Chip noted: “My interest in media law was a long time in the making and my first “job” was as an eleven year old publisher making $2.00 a week. Fortunately, the West Palm Beach News was never the subject of a libel action. But Jackson Walker has provided an amazing platform to represent its clients in a wide variety of important media cases.”
August 25, 2022
Client ResultsCalifornia Appellate Court Grants Anti-SLAPP Motion to Dismiss Case Brought by Guest on ‘Dr. Phil’
Chip Babcock, Nancy Hamilton, and Joel Glover obtained dismissal of a case brought against Dr. Phil McGraw, Peteski Productions, Inc., and CBS Media Ventures by a former guest of Dr. Phil.
August 18, 2022
Attorney News‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 214 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2023 Edition, Including 11 “Lawyers of the Year” and 41 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 214 Jackson Walker attorneys across 6 offices and 79 specialty practice areas in its 2023 edition, including 11 Lawyers of the Year and 41 Ones to Watch. Best Lawyers listings are based on an exhaustive peer review survey of thousands of attorneys who vote on the legal abilities of others in their practice areas.
July 7, 2022
NewslettersJW Media | VIA ePostcard – July 2022
View the July 2022 edition of the JW Media | VIA ePostcard.
June 30, 2022
Attorney NewsThe Center for American and International Law Elects Chip Babcock to Board of Trustees
Jackson Walker proudly congratulates Chip Babcock on his election as a trustee of The Center for American and International Law, effective June 30, 2022.
June 1, 2022
SpotlightChambers and Partners Recognizes Jackson Walker Attorneys and Practices in 2022 USA and Global Guides
Jackson Walker is pleased to announce that Chambers and Partners has selected 48 attorneys and 16 departments for inclusion in the 2022 edition of the Global and USA guides.
Sources in Chambers acknowledge that Chip is a “superstar” and very highly regarded in First Amendment-related litigation. Interviewees go on to describe him as “very engaging, extremely likable and professional, and easily relatable to a jury so you get the benefit of a good mind with mental sharpness but with an amiable exterior, too.”
Among Chip’s many successes is his representation of Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions Inc. in numerous litigation matters pertaining to First Amendment law across the United States. He successfully defended The Chicago Tribune in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. He served as lead counsel for Dr. Phil in his game-changing case for the broadcast industry regarding the California Retraction Statute against the Kalpoe brothers – one-time suspects in the murder of Natalee Holloway. He defeated an effort to remove the presiding judge from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals by the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct. The trial judge ruled in favor of Chip’s client, and a Special [Appellate] Court of Review dismissed all charges. In 2012, he successfully defended Celanese Ltd. in a multi-billion dollar fraud and breach of contract case involving a methanol supply agreement. In 2014, he represented the plaintiff and won a jury trial against Nissan North America, Inc. In 2015, he won a highly publicized case for a Texas District Judge regarding her posts on Facebook. In 2018, he tried a high-profile breach of contract case for Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits in Dallas County. In 2019, he successfully defended The University of Texas at Austin in a preliminary injunction hearing regarding the university’s speech code.
Chip has appeared before the United States Courts of Appeal for the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits, as well as the Texas, California, and Illinois Intermediate Appellate and Supreme Courts. He has appeared for oral argument in more than 50 cases including the Dallas Court of Appeals, where the Court heard the first case on the merits of a dismissal under the Texas Citizens Participation Act – anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) statutes. His cases include an important matter concerning the speech and debate clause of the Federal Constitution in the Ninth Circuit. He established the First Amendment right of journalists to protect confidential sources in a Fifth Circuit case involving the TransAmerican Press. In the First Circuit, Chip successfully defended Harpo in a copyright/misappropriation appeal. In January 2013, the California Court of Appeal found that the state’s retraction statute applied to all television broadcasts and not just breaking news, thus vindicating Chip’s clients. Chip has argued and won several significant libel, defamation, and First Amendment law-related cases on behalf of major media defendants, including Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil, FOX Entertainment Group, Bill O’Reilly, and Univision. In 2019, he argued a case of first impression under the new Texas Defamation Act before the Texas Supreme Court.
- “Ten Questions to a Media Lawyer: Charles “Chip” Babcock,” Media Law Resource Center (August 2022)
- “Committee: Texas should keep judiciary bypass abortion rules,” Spectrum News 1 (August 2022)
- “Trial Groups Tell Texas Supreme Court Compelled Remote Jury Trial Is Unconstitutional,” The Texas Lawbook (August 2022)
- “EasyKnock v. Feldman & Feldman: To TRO or not to TRO?,” The Texas Lawbook (November 2021)
- “Defamation Feud Begins Between Home Sales-Leaseback Firm and Houston Law Firm,” The Texas Lawbook (November 2021)
- “SCOTX Preserves 30-Year-Old Trade Secrets Rule,” The Texas Lawbook (April 2021)
- “Partisanship, Qualifications and Money: Texas Commission Recommends Judicial Election Reforms,” Texas Lawyer (January 2021)
- “TX Chief Justice on Partisan Elections: ‘It just looks horrible’,” The Texas Lawbook (January 2021)
- “Can She Say That? Texas Judge Sanctioned,” Texas Lawyer (December 2020)
- “Libel law may hinder Hunter Biden computer repairman’s lawsuit,” New York Post (December 2020)
- “As Votes Are Tallied, ‘Less Work Will Get Done’ but ‘Business Goes On’ at Law Firms,” The American Lawyer (November 2020)
- “Amy Coney Barrett named Supreme Court nominee,” KVUE-TV (September 2020)
- “In House Warrior: Chip Babcock and When the Courthouse Doors are Shut,” Corporate Counsel Business Journal (August 2020)
- “Science, Censorship And The Pandemic,” Phil in the Blanks Podcast (May 2020)
- “A Gay Judge in Texas Was Sanctioned for Displaying the Rainbow Flag. Was She Wrong?,” Texas Lawyer (April 2020)
- “Musk’s defamation win may reset legal landscape for social media,” Reuters (December 2019)
- “A Profile in Professionalism” The Houston Lawyer (June 2018)
- “The Southwest Effect: How the Airline Changed the Legal Landscape in Texas,” Texas Lawyer (March 2019)
- “Voter Problem? There Are Lawyers You Can Call,” The Texas Lawbook (November 2018)
- “Judicial Ethics and Social Media: Still No Click and Paste Answer,” The Texas Lawbook (December 2017)
- “A Texas judge is suspended after admitting she sexted her bailiff and used him to buy drugs,” The Washington Post (July 2017)
- “Judge Accused Of Paying For Sex Admits To Sexting Bailiff, Doing Drugs, Gets Suspended,” Above the Law (July 2017)
- “Commission seeks removal of Harris County Justice of the Peace who abused drugs, ‘sexted’ and lied,” Houston Chronicle (May 2017)
- “JW Media Law Experts: Trump’s Bark Worse than His Bite,” The Texas Lawbook (January 2017)
- “Donald Trump’s Real Threat to the Press,” POLITICO Magazine (December 2016)
- “Free Speech Rocks!,” 2005 Texas Super Lawyers Magazine (September 2005)