Claude R. Treece

Claude Treece is a skilled and experienced trial lawyer with a diverse litigation background, focusing on commercial disputes and professional liability claims. He has represented numerous attorneys and law firms in both litigation and in counseling. He has tried dozens of cases to jury verdict in many state and federal courts in Texas and before arbitration panels, and has briefed and argued numerous appeals in the Texas Supreme Court, Texas Courts of Appeal, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Claude was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP in 2016.  After Foley’s combination with Gardere in 2018, Claude stepped into the role of Chief Administrative Partner at Foley and is a key member of the management team. He also is a member of the firm’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Team.

Claude is also passionate about two initiatives sponsored by the firm: the MLK Jr. Oratory Competition, which he chairs, emcees, and promotes in the Houston media; and the MS 150 bike ride from Houston to Austin benefitting the Multiple Sclerosis Society, which Claude has ridden 11 times, served as team captain, and participated with other members of the team in raising over $2.5 million.

Professional Affiliations

• Member, State Bar of Texas
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Houston Bar Association
• Former Adjunct Professor, Land Use and Finance, University of Houston Law School

Community Involvement

• Alumnus, Rice University
• Former Director and Board Member, Association for Community Broadcasting
• Former President, Fort Bend Habitat for Humanity
• Former Director, Odyssey House Texas

Honors & Awards

• Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America©
  • Product Liability Litigation — Defendants (2023)
• Recognized, AV^® Preeminent^™ 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell^® PEER REVIEW RATINGS^™

Education

• The University of Texas School of Law, (1976)
  • Associate Editor, Texas Law Review
  • Member, Chancellors
• Rice University, (B.A., magna cum laude, 1973)

Admissions

• Texas (1977)
• Texas State Courts (1977)
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Southern Districts of Texas
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1979)
• U.S. Supreme Court (1981)