Biography

Admitted to the State Bar of Texas, 1967
United States Supreme Court, 1971
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Federal Circuit, and D.C. Circuit
United States District Court for the Northern, Western, and Eastern Districts of Texas, and Arizona

Mr. Canterbury is a founding shareholder of the Firm. He represented Connell Construction Company before the United States Supreme Court and won the first case in the United States placing unions under antitrust laws for unilateral union action since the enactment of the Norris-La Guardia Act in 1932. Connell Constr. Co., Inc. v. Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union No. 100, 421 U.S. 616 (1975). 

Mr. Canterbury is a noted author and lecturer on construction law and labor and employment law issues. He is the author of the Texas Construction Law Manual, and is a contributing author to several other construction law publications. He frequently speaks to national, state, and local bar associations, as well as various trade associations regarding construction and labor and employment law issues. He is also a frequent arbitrator and mediator of construction-related disputes. Mr. Canterbury is also ranked by Super Lawyers as one of the top construction lawyers.

Areas of Practice

• ADR of Construction Disputes

• Construction Law

• Employment Law

• Labor Law

Education

• University of Dallas (B.A., 1963)

• Southern Methodist University (J.D., 1966)

  • Phi Delta Phi

Professional Organizations

• American College of Construction Lawyers

  • Board of Governors 1994-1996

• American Arbitration Association

  • Board of Directors, 1997-2003

  • Chairman, Southwestern Advisory Council, 1991-1995

  • Panel of Arbitrators

• American Bar Association

  • Labor and Employment Law Section Forum Committee on Construction Law

  • Public Contract Law Section

• Associated General Contractors of America Labor and Employment Lawyers Council

  • Chairman, 1992

• Civil Service Board of the City of Dallas, 1987-1989

• Dallas Bar Association

  • Construction Law Section

  • Chairman of Construction Law Section, 1983-1984

• State Bar of Texas

  • Construction Law Section

  • Chairman of Construction Law Section, 1994-1995

  • Labor and Employment Law Section

Publications

• Author, Texas Construction Law Manual (West Group, 1981, 1994 - 2003, updated annually)

• Second Contributing Author, Construction Business Handbook (McGraw Hill, 1984, 2d ed.)

• Contributing Author, Construction Law Update, Neal J. Sweeney, Editor (Aspen Publishers, 2003, updated annually)

Speeches, Panel Discussions & Seminars

• Served as panelist for Advanced Alternative Dispute Resolution course with the Texas BAR CLE (January 2024)

• Preparation for Arbitration Enforcement of Arbitration Awards, American Arbitration Association Commercial Arbitration Seminar (March 1995)

• The Traditional Method of Construction Contracting, Construction Superconference (December 1995)

• Labor and Employment Issues in the Construction Industry, Texas engineering Extension Service, The Texas A&M University System (April 1996)

• Public and Private Construction Contracts in Texas, Texas Engineering Extension Service, The Texas A&M University System (November 1996)

• Texas Construction Law, Mechanic's Liens and Bond Claims, Professional Education Systems, Inc. (January 1997 and January 1998)

• Construction Contracts and Subcontracts in Texas, Professional Education Systems, Inc. (September 1997)

• Recent Case Law on Arbitration, American Arbitration Association, Arbitrators' Panel (October 1997)

• Construction Law Development and Trends, Construction Law Section of the Houston bar Association (September 1998)

• Arbitrating Consumer Cases, State Bar of Texas Consumer Law Section, 5th Annual Comprehensive Consumer Law Seminar (September 1998)

• Texas Construction Law, Mechanic's Liens and Bond Claims, Professional Education Systems (August 1998 and October 1998)

• Legal Issues of Key Subcontract and Purchase Order Clauses, American Fire Sprinkler Association (September 2002)

• Various papers and speeches on construction law topics for Construction Law Section of the State Bar of Texas Annual Construction Law Conferences (1990 - 2003)

• "Spearin meets Lonergan" (co-author with R. Meyers, 2003) Construction Law Journal, Vol. 1, No. 1, Construction Law Section of State Bar of Texas

Reported Cases

• Connell Constr. Co., Inc. v. Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union No. 100, 421 U.S. 616 (1975)

• Connell Constr. Co., Inc. v. Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union No. 100, 483 F.2d 1154 (5th Cir. 1973)

• Millgard Corp. v. McKee / Mays, 49 F.3d 1070 (5th Cir. 1995)

• Millgard Corp. v. McKee / Mays, 831 F.2d 88 (5th Cir. 1987)

• Zurn Indus., Inc. v. Acton Constr. Co., Inc., 847 F.2d 234 (5th Cir. 1988)

• Del E. Webb Constr. v. Richardson Hosp. Auth., 823 F.2d 145 (5th Cir. 1987)

• Preload Technology, Inc. v. A.B.& J. Constr. Co., Inc., 696 F.2d 1080 (5th Cir. 1983)

• United States ex rel Superior Insulation Co. v. Robert E. McKee, Inc., 702 F. Supp. 1298 (N.D. Tex., 1988)

• Driver Pipeline Co., Inc. v. Mustang Pipeline Co., Inc., 69 S.W.3d 779 (Tex.App.--Texarkana, 2002)

• Island on Lake Travis, Ltd. v. Hayman Co. General Contractors, Inc., 834 S.W.2d 529 (Tex.App.--Austin 1992)

• Univ. of Texas System v. Robert E. McKee Inc., 521 S.W.2d 944 (Tex. Civ. App.--Eastland 1975)