HOUSTON, October 1, 2026 – Gibbs & Bruns LLP is pleased to announce the promotion of Michael Davis and Conor P. McEvily to the partnership, recognizing their significant contributions to the firm’s high-stakes litigation practice.
Michael is a seasoned trial lawyer who represents plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial disputes across the technology, energy, real estate, and professional service industries. He currently represents a leading global technology company in a major advertising technology antitrust matter, as well as Am Law 50 and 100 law firms in legal malpractice defense matters. Michael helped secure a complete take-nothing jury verdict for NewQuest Properties in a case seeking more than $80 million in disgorgement and punitive damages, and represented Enterprise Products in litigation that settled for $115 million following a three-month bench trial. He also helped secure an $11.1 million arbitration award for Jonah Energy in a product-defect dispute.
Michael is recognized in Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch, Thomson Reuters’ Texas Super Lawyers “Rising Stars,” and Lawdragon’s “500 X – The Next Generation.” He graduated with highest honors from The University of Texas School of Law, where he was Grand Chancellor, Order of the Coif, and Chief Articles Editor of the Texas Law Review. Following law school, Michael clerked for Judge Gregg Costa of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Conor is an accomplished appellate advocate and trial lawyer who handles high-stakes commercial disputes spanning antitrust, financial services, energy, natural resources, real estate, commercial contracts, and trade secrets. He has helped secure significant victories in the Texas Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit, and Texas appellate courts, giving clients strategic advocacy at both the trial and appellate levels.
In 2026, Conor helped secure a unanimous Texas Supreme Court victory for Cockrell Investment Partners in a precedent-setting groundwater dispute. He also helped obtain a complete appellate reversal and take-nothing judgment for two defendants in a $22.5 million tortious-interference dispute. Conor’s current docket includes representing Fannie Mae in a Second Circuit appeal arising from $800 million LIBOR litigation, and he recently represented 17 national retailers in $20 billion-plus antitrust litigation against Visa and Mastercard.
Conor is recognized by The Legal 500 US for his work in complex commercial disputes and has also been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America, Texas Super Lawyers, and Lawdragon. He earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as Senior Administrative Editor of The Georgetown Law Journal. Before joining Gibbs & Bruns in 2019, Conor practiced in the appellate section of Vinson & Elkins LLP. Earlier in his career, he contributed to merits briefing before the U.S. Supreme Court in Elonis v. United States and was a regular contributor to SCOTUSblog.###
