Christopher D. Kratovil is the Office Managing Member of the Dallas office of Dykema, and also leads the firm’s national lateral hiring efforts as its National Hiring Member. He has been instrumental in Dykema’s substantial growth in Texas.

An experienced and respected Texas litigator, Mr. Kratovil has been recognized for five consecutive years (2016-2020) as one of the "Top 100 Lawyers in Texas" regardless of specialty by Texas Super Lawyers, and has been named one of the "Best Lawyers in Dallas" by D Magazine for ten consecutive years (2011-2021). 

Mr. Kratovil focuses his practice on complex commercial disputes and appellate matters, representing clients in high-stakes litigation before tribunals ranging from small-town Texas trial courts to arbitrators to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Texas Supreme Court. Mr. Kratovil has presented over 35 appellate oral arguments to courts at all levels of the appellate system, and has been an integral part of dozens of trial and arbitration teams. He has argued virtually every type of motion permitted under the Texas and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.       

Beyond his appellate work, Mr. Kratovil regularly handles case dispositive briefing and argument, jury charges, complex motions, research-intensive legal issues, emergency injunctions, and error preservation in the trial courts. He has extensively litigated issues under the Texas “anti-SLAPP” statute, the Texas Citizens Participation Act (“TCPA”), including multiple successful interlocutory appeals.   

Mr. Kratovil has extensive experience litigating so-called "business divorces" and related fraud, minority shareholder rights, covenants not-to-compete and not-to-solicit, trade secrets, oil field disputes, and the law governing arbitration. Mr. Kratovil has served as lead counsel in a number of high-dollar disputes over land use and development in the DFW area, representing developers against cities and landowners. In recent years, he was worked closely with Dykema’s industry-leading DSO Practice Team to litigate issues impacting dentists and dental support organizations. 

Mr. Kratovil is the author of several high-profile amicus curiae briefs, including on behalf of United States Senator John Cornyn and, separately, for numerous members of the Texas House of Representatives and Texas Senate.

Prior to joining Dykema, Mr. Kratovil was a partner at K&L Gates and an associate at Jones Day. He was a law clerk to the Honorable Edith H. Jones of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Mr. Kratovil earned a B.A., magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame, and a J.D., with honors from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, where he was an editor of the Texas Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif.

Bar Admissions

Texas

Education
University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 2000

• with honors
• Order of the Coif
• Administrative Editor of the Texas Law Review

University of Notre Dame, B.A. magna cum laude, 1997  Cistercian Preparatory School, Irving, Texas, 1993

Significant Accomplishments
D Magazine "Best Lawyers in Dallas" list, 2011
Texas Monthly "Rising Star" list 2007 - 2011


Professional Associations

• Dallas Bar Association

Business Litigation Section of the Dallas Bar Association (Council Member 2009, Treasurer 2010 and Secretary 2011)
State Bar of Texas Appellate Section, Co-Chair of the Corporate Counsel Committee (2010-11)
Higginbotham Inn of Court, Associate, 2005-06
Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Leadership Class, 2003
Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program Volunteer

Seminars/ Presentation
3/4/2011 Litigation in the U. S. Federal System, A delegation of Visiting Lawyers from Vietnam's Ministry of Justice
12/12/2010 The Fraud Exception, Panel presentation to the Mergers & Acquisitions Section of the Dallas Bar Association
6/17/2010 Mandamus Practice in the fifth Circuit, presented to the Appellate Section of the Dallas Bar Association
2/18/2010 Federal Mandamus and the East Texas Venue Wars, presented to the Appellate Section of the San Antonio Bar Association
9/9/2009 Perfecting the Appeal and Securing the Record, presented to the State Bar of Texas Appellate Section "Boot Camp" CLE
10/16/2008 A Look Ahead: The Next Year at the Supreme Court of Texas, presented to the Dallas Lawyers' Chapter of the Federalist Society
5/30/2008 Recent Developments in Arbitration, presented to the 18th Annual University of Texas Conference on Federal and State Appeals
4/18/2007 Challenging Arbitration Awards, presented to the Appellate Section of the El Paso Bar Association
4/11/2007 Challenging Arbitration Awards, presented to the Appellate Section of the San Antonio Bar Association
3/16/2007 Appellate Options After Arbitration, presented to the Appellate Section of the Dallas Bar Association
1/2007 Reducing the 'Daunting Finality' of Arbitration Awards: Crafting an Appellate Option, North Dallas Bar CLE Clinic