Michael C. Roberts
Practice Areas
Experience
- Arbitration
- Business Litigation
- Construction & Development
- Construction Litigation
- Insurance
- Insurance Coverage & Bad Faith Litigation
Biography
Michael Roberts is experienced in a wide variety of commercial litigation matters, with particular emphasis on construction and insurance matters. Michael’s construction law practice encompasses contract negotiations, insurance coverage issues, and prosecuting and defending contractual and extra-contractual claims in the construction industry, including construction defect, delay, and mechanic’s lien claims.
Michael’s construction litigation and transactional matters primarily focus on representing owners in all aspects of construction, from contract negotiation through trial or arbitration. Recently, Michael negotiated construction contracts exceeding $25,000,000 and associated design contracts for two exciting new developments in Austin, Texas. In addition to representing owners, Michael has also represented general contractors, subcontractors, engineers, and architects. This gives him the ability to approach and analyze construction law issues from many different angles.
Michael’s transactional experience makes him an effective trial lawyer and advocate. He is comfortable in either arbitration or a courtroom. In the courtroom, Michael recently gained unique trial experience, trying a week-long in-person jury trial in January 2022 that ended in a $6.5 million settlement for his clients against an international company.
Education
B.A., summa cum laude, Abilene Christian University
J.D., cum laude, Baylor Law School
- Anthony Bruster Intellectual Property and Advocacy Award
- Member, Order of Barristers
- Participant, Inter-school Mock Trial Teams
Bar Admissions
Texas
Court Admissions
United States District Court for the Eastern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas
Michael’s representative matters include:
- Negotiating commercial design and construction contracts involving multi-family, industrial, commercial, and high-end residential projects.
- Advising buyer negotiating 8-figure acquisition on construction law issues during negotiation of purchase and sale agreement.
- Obtaining pre-suit reversal of insurer’s initial coverage denial with insurer assuming its obligations to defend and indemnify client under the third-party policy.
- Defeating summary judgment seeking complete dismissal of client’s multi-million dollar fraud claim.
- Defeating all claims brought against a subcontractor and the subcontractor’s principal, including claims for breach of contract, fraud, Texas Trust Fund violations, and attorney’s fees.
- Successfully obtaining injunctive relief on behalf of clients to enforce covenants not to compete, non-solicitation agreements, and non-disclosure agreements.
- Filing suit against an owner on behalf of a general contractor and obtaining all amounts owed from the owner, including Texas Prompt Pay Interest and all attorney’s fees incurred.
- Assisting both insurers and policyholders in the analysis, prosecution and defense of declaratory judgment actions and claims for breach of contract, prompt pay interest, and bad faith.
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (Woodward/White Inc.)
- Commercial Litigation, 2021-2025
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, 2022-2024
- “Texas Rising Star” for Construction Litigation, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2018-2022
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2023-2025
- “Austin’s Top Attorneys” List – Construction, Austin Monthly, 2023-2024
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation, 2020
- Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, Board Member
- Austin Bar Association/Austin Young Lawyers Association Leadership Academy
- Co-Chair, 2019-2020
- Committee Member, 2018
- Participant, 2017
- Austin Bar Association, Member
- Austin Young Lawyers Association, Member
- State Bar of Texas, Member
- Construction Law Section
- Insurance Section
- Litigation Section
- Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
September 9, 2024
Attorney News
Jackson Walker Congratulates 36 Attorneys Named Among the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America
Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the selection of 36 attorneys to Lawdragon’s 2025 list of the 500 leading litigators in America. The third edition of this list recognizes America’s top talent in antitrust, financial and securities litigation, intellectual property, commercial litigation, real estate, mergers and acquisitions, cybersecurity, and white collar and investigations.
August 15, 2024
Attorney News
‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Features 306 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2025 Edition, Including 9 “Lawyers of the Year” and 75 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 306 Jackson Walker attorneys across 81 specialty practice areas in its 2025 edition, including 9 Lawyers of the Year and 75 Ones to Watch. In this year’s guide, Jackson Walker saw the largest number of attorneys in the areas of Commercial Litigation (75 attorneys) and Real Estate Law (55 attorneys) and the addition of 27 attorneys as Best Lawyers.
July 11, 2024
Attorney News
‘Austin Monthly’ Lists 21 Jackson Walker Attorneys Among “Austin’s Top Attorneys” of 2024
Jackson Walker congratulates the 21 attorneys recognized among Austin Monthly’s list of “Austin’s Top Attorneys” for 2024. For recognition in the list, Austin attorneys must be nominated by their peers on the basis that they offer experienced counsel in one of 39 categories.
September 14, 2023
Attorney News
Jackson Walker Congratulates 35 Attorneys Named Among the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America
Jackson Walker announces the selection of 35 attorneys to Lawdragon’s 2024 list of the 500 leading litigators in America.
August 17, 2023
Attorney News
‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 287 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2024 Edition, Including 12 “Lawyers of the Year” and 80 “Ones to Watch”
The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 287 Jackson Walker attorneys across 5 offices and 82 specialty practice areas in its 2024 edition, including 12 Lawyers of the Year and 80 Ones to Watch. In this year’s guide, Jackson Walker saw the largest number of attorneys in the areas of Commercial Litigation (66 attorneys) and Real Estate Law (60 attorneys) and the addition of 35 attorneys as Best Lawyers.
July 17, 2023
Attorney News
‘Austin Monthly’ Lists 12 Jackson Walker Attorneys Among “Austin’s Top Attorneys” of 2023
Jackson Walker congratulates the 12 attorneys recognized among Austin Monthly’s list of “Austin’s Top Attorneys” for 2023. For recognition in the list, Austin attorneys must be nominated by their peers on the basis that they offer experienced counsel in one of 39 categories.
November 17, 2022
Newsletters
JW Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter – November 2022
View Jackson Walker’s November 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.
October 7, 2022
Attorney News
Jackson 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.
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.
March 22, 2022
Attorney News
Jackson Walker Congratulates Its 2022 Texas Rising Stars
Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the selection of 51 attorneys to Thomson Reuters’ 2022 “Super Lawyers – Rising Stars” list, which recognizes only 2.5% of Texas attorneys who either are 40 years of age or younger or have been in practice for 10 years or less.
Practice Experience
Michael’s representative matters include:
- Negotiating commercial design and construction contracts involving multi-family, industrial, commercial, and high-end residential projects.
- Advising buyer negotiating 8-figure acquisition on construction law issues during negotiation of purchase and sale agreement.
- Obtaining pre-suit reversal of insurer’s initial coverage denial with insurer assuming its obligations to defend and indemnify client under the third-party policy.
- Defeating summary judgment seeking complete dismissal of client’s multi-million dollar fraud claim.
- Defeating all claims brought against a subcontractor and the subcontractor’s principal, including claims for breach of contract, fraud, Texas Trust Fund violations, and attorney’s fees.
- Successfully obtaining injunctive relief on behalf of clients to enforce covenants not to compete, non-solicitation agreements, and non-disclosure agreements.
- Filing suit against an owner on behalf of a general contractor and obtaining all amounts owed from the owner, including Texas Prompt Pay Interest and all attorney’s fees incurred.
- Assisting both insurers and policyholders in the analysis, prosecution and defense of declaratory judgment actions and claims for breach of contract, prompt pay interest, and bad faith.
Recognition & Accolades
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (Woodward/White Inc.)
- Commercial Litigation, 2021-2025
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, 2022-2024
- “Texas Rising Star” for Construction Litigation, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2018-2022
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2023-2025
- “Austin’s Top Attorneys” List – Construction, Austin Monthly, 2023-2024
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation, 2020
Community Involvement
- Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, Board Member
- Austin Bar Association/Austin Young Lawyers Association Leadership Academy
- Co-Chair, 2019-2020
- Committee Member, 2018
- Participant, 2017
- Austin Bar Association, Member
- Austin Young Lawyers Association, Member
- State Bar of Texas, Member
- Construction Law Section
- Insurance Section
- Litigation Section
- Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow