EDUCATION
Harvard Law School, J.D.
Texas A&M University, Bachelor of Business Administration
SUMMARY
Chris Gober represents more than 100 active clients-including U.S. senators, congressmen, and multibillion-dollar companies-in litigation, federal investigations, and political compliance matters. In March 2013, Chris was featured in Texas Lawyer's “Legal Leaders on the Rise” publication spotlighting 25 up-and-comers in the Texas legal community. He was named a Texas Rising Star in Super Lawyers and Texas Monthly magazines as one of the state's top young attorneys in 2012 and 2013, and he was one of two attorneys in the country selected by Aristotle Inc. to the 2011 Republican Dream for his work on behalf of Republican political clients.
In December 2012, Chris obtained a preliminary injunction on behalf of the Texas-based PAC “Texans for Free Enterprise” in a First Amendment lawsuit that may permanently strike down as unconstitutional the Texas Election Code provisions that prohibit PACs from accepting corporate contributions for the purpose of making independent expenditures. Chris also represented former Congressman Quico Canseco (TX-23) in Texas redistricting litigation before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas and established dozens of “super PACs” and 501(c)(4) advocacy organizations during the 2012 election cycle.
Prior to co-founding Gober Hilgers PLLC, Chris worked for Fish & Richardson P.C., a leading international law firm with 400 attorneys. He served as head of the firm's Political Law section and practiced white collar defense, representing both political and non-political clients. In addition to representing more than a dozen U.S. Senate, congressional, and gubernatorial candidates during the 2010 election cycle, Chris successfully represented former U.S. Senator John Ensign (NV) in an investigatory inquiry by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Previously, Chris was General Counsel to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), where he provided counsel to Republican U.S. Senators and was responsible for all legal operations of the committee. He also served as Deputy Counsel to the Republican National Committee (RNC) and as Counsel in the Office of Legal Policy at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he worked on the reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act and the nominations of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In addition to his legal experience, Chris served as a political operative for President George W. Bush's 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns and as general consultant to Congressman Randy Neugebauer (TX-19) during the 2012 election cycle. He has been a featured speaker for political and civic organizations, and he has provided commentary for talk radio, Texas Lawyer, and various television stations and newspapers across the country.
Chris and his wife, Dr. Mary Beth Gober, volunteer as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children, helping these children find safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. In 2010, he was elected to membership in the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation, which is limited to the top 1/3 of 1% of Texas attorneys each year. Chris also served on the Board of Directors of A Hand Up, a charitable organization that assists women and children in need as well as the mentally and physically disabled.
Chris is from Graham, a small Texas community 120 miles west of Dallas. He and Mary Beth have two daughters, Josie and Isla.
AWARDS
Legal Leaders on the Rise by Texas Lawyer (2013)
Rising Star, Political Law by Super Lawyers / Texas Monthly (2012 and 2013)
Republican Dream Team, Legal by Aristotle Inc. (2011)
Elected to the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation (2010)
ADMISSIONS
Texas
District of Columbia
Supreme Court of the United States
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS (PAST & PRESENT)
7-Eleven, Hunt Consolidated, Inc., Governor Bobby Jindal (LA), U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (NE), U.S. Senator John Hoeven (ND), U.S. Senator Dean Heller (NV), former U.S. Senator John Ensign (NV), U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (SC), former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), U.S. Congressman Bill Flores (TX-17), U.S. Congressman Randy Neugebauer (TX-19), former U.S. Congressman Quico Canseco (TX-23), U.S. Congressman Kenny Marchant (TX-24), U.S. Congressman Roger Williams, Mississippi Republican Party, Dallas County Republican Party, Dallas Citizens Council, Dallas Regional Chamber
