
Jonathan B. Shoebotham
Partner
Jonathan.Shoebotham@tklaw.com- Houston
F:832.397.8270
Experience
Jon Shoebotham focuses his practice on product liability, environmental litigation, and commercial litigation. Three of the cases he has tried to jury verdict have been selected by The National Law Journal as among the most significant defense verdicts in the United States.
Jon is praised for his “professional and competent work,” according to The Legal 500 US.

Received a first-tier ranking in Dallas for Product Liability Litigation - Defendants in U.S. News - Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” 2020
Representative Matters
- Summary judgment for a large electrical product manufacturer on a $23 million property damage and loss of use claim arising from a plant explosion, which involved allegations of manufacturing and design defects
- Obtained dismissal of a wrongful death claim and personal injury claims arising from a plant explosion
- Obtained a defense verdict for a railroad following a nine-week jury trial in which plaintiffs claimed occupational and environmental exposures to chemicals from a former railroad tie treatment facility
- Represented a large manufacturer in the defense of property damage and personal injury claims by numerous homeowners in a neighborhood adjacent to its former manufacturing facility
- Obtained a summary judgment against more than 200 plaintiffs seeking property damages based upon proximity to a Superfund site; decision was affirmed by the Texas Court of Appeals, and the Texas Supreme Court ultimately denied the plaintiffs’ petition for review
- Obtained a jury verdict in favor of a large chemical manufacturer defending claims of personal injuries and property damages by residents who lived adjacent to a Superfund site; verdict was affirmed by the Texas Court of Appeals
- Obtained a jury verdict in favor of a large chemical manufacturer defending claims of occupational exposures to chemicals by more than 100 workers in a microelectronics facility
- Obtained a jury verdict in favor of a pharmaceutical company defending personal injury claims by two plaintiffs claiming personal injuries from use of a biologic product
- Represented a chemical manufacturer in defending property damage claims involving groundwater contamination
- Tried three cases to jury verdict that have been selected by The National Law Journal as among the most significant defense verdicts in the United States for the years 1990, 1992, and 1997
Prior Employment
- Briefing Attorney, First Court of Civil Appeals, Houston, 1979-1980
Related Services
News & Insights
- 118 Thompson & Knight Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2021 Lists; Six Attorneys Named “Lawyer of the Year”August 20, 2020
- 86 Thompson & Knight Attorneys Listed in Texas Super Lawyers® 2019September 03, 2019
- 118 Thompson & Knight Attorneys Honored in The Best Lawyers in America® 2020August 15, 2019
- 96 T&K Attorneys Listed in Texas Super Lawyers® 2018September 06, 2018
Honors & Affiliations
Distinctions/Honors
- The Best Lawyers in America® by Woodward/White Inc. (Commercial Litigation, Litigation-Environmental, Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants), 2009-2021
- Texas Super Lawyers® by Thomson Reuters (Civil Litigation Defense, Business Litigation, Environmental Litigation), 2003-2004, 2006-2020
- Top Lawyer, Houstonia Magazine, 2013-2015
Memberships/Affiliations
- Member, Houston Bar Association; Environmental Section; Litigation Section
- Member, American Bar Association; Litigation Section
- Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Member, DRI-The Voice of the Defense Bar; Toxic Tort and Environmental Law Committee
- Member, Texas Association of Defense Counsel
- Past Board Member, Weekley Family YMCA
- Past Board Member, West University Little League
Education & Admissions
Education
- J.D., 1979, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law
- B.S., 1976, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Admissions
- New York
- Texas
- U.S. Ct. of App., Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Dist. Ct., E. Dist. Texas
- U.S. Dist. Ct., N. Dist. Texas
- U.S. Dist. Ct., S. Dist. Texas
- U.S. Dist. Ct., W. Dist. Texas
- U.S. Supreme Ct.