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Christopher Tutunjian
Christopher Tutunjian
Christopher Tutunjian
Senior Associate
christopher.tutunjian@bakerbotts.com
DETAILS
Practices
Appellate and Supreme Court
Environmental Appeals Federal and State Judicial and Administrative
Litigation
Details
Overview
Overview Admissions & Affiliations Experience News Thought Leadership
Practices
Appellate and Supreme Court
Environmental Appeals Federal and State Judicial and Administrative
Litigation

Overview

Christopher Tutunjian is a senior associate in the firm's Appellate section where he represents clients in federal and state courts of appeals, including the Supreme Court of the United States and the Supreme Court of Texas. His appellate practice includes commercial litigation, federal statutory issues, constitutional law, and regulatory challenges. He also works with trial counsel to formulate pre-trial strategies, write dispositive motions, prepare jury charges, and preserve error at trial.

Prior to joining Baker Botts, Christopher served as a law clerk to the Honorable Daniel P. Collins of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Admissions & Affiliations

  • State Bar of Texas
  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fifth, Ninth and D.C. Circuits
  • Houston Bar Association, Appellate Section

Education

  • J.D., University of Virginia School of Law 2018
    President and Co-Founder, Lone Star Lawyers at Virginia Law
    Submissions Editor, Journal of Law and Politics
    Vice President for Special Events, The Federalist Society
  • B.S., Chemical Engineering, Stanford University 2015
    Conferred with Distinction
    Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society

Experience

United States Supreme Court

  • Represented USPS employee in case successfully clarifying the standard for “undue hardship” with respect to Title VII religious accommodations (Groff v. DeJoy, 600 U.S. 447 (2023))
  • Authored amicus brief for two trade associations in Takings Clause case (Sheetz v. Cnty. of El Dorado, 601 U.S. 267 (2024))
  • Authored amicus brief for five trade associations advocating improvements to doctrine of Chevron deference (American Hospital Association v. Becerra, 596 U.S. 724 (2022))
  • Successfully opposed petition for certiorari in ERISA class action, preserving lower court ruling that retirement plans need not forcibly divest participants’ holdings in legacy-employer stock after a spin-off (Schweitzer v. Inv. Cmte. of the Phillips 66 Savings Plan, No. 20-1255)

Federal Appeals

  • Secured dismissal for lack of standing of a challenge to FERC’s grant of a rate incentive to electric transmission company (Indus. Energy Consumers of Am. v. FERC, ___ F.4th ___ (D.C. Cir. 2025))
  • Argued for USPS employee challenging employer’s denial of a Sabbatarian religious accommodation under Title VII, obtaining holding that a “reasonable accommodation” must eliminate the conflict with the employee’s religious belief (Groff v. DeJoy, 35 F.4th 162 (3rd Cir. 2022), cert. granted, No. 22-174 (Jan. 13, 2023))
  • Obtained vacatur of preliminary injunction against defendant’s use or display of mark on canned energy drink in trademark action under the Lanham Act (RiseandShine Corp. v. PepsiCo, Inc., 41 F.4th 112 (2d Cir. 2022))
  • Secured affirmance of dismissal of putative securities class action brought under Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Cohn v. SunCoke Energy Partners LP, No. 20-3069, 2021 WL 3877885 (3d Cir. Aug. 31, 2021))

State Appeals

  • Obtained reversal of order dismissing Texas Public Information Act mandamus action, holding that plaintiff established a valid waiver of immunity and action was not moot (Muir v. University of Texas at Austin, No. 03-22-00196-CV, 2023 WL 4110843 (Tex. App.—Austin June 22, 2023, no pet. h.) (mem. op.))
  • Successfully opposed petition for review of denial of motion to dismiss under the Texas Citizens Participation Act (Baylor Scott & White v. Project Rose MSO, LLC, No. 21-0889 (Tex.))

Trial Matters

  • Secured complete defense verdict for international EPC company after two-week jury trial for securities fraud action brought in the 457th Judicial District Court of Montgomery County, TX (Cohen v. Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. N.V., No. 17-10-12820)
  • Defended independent directors against breach of fiduciary duty claims resulting from going-private transaction, resulting in plaintiff’s voluntary dismissal of claims (Kahn v. Bee Street Holdings LLC, No. 2021-0103 (Del. Ch.))