Stuart W. Lapp | Managing Partner

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    My focus

    Commercial Litigation
    Commercial Real Estate
    Construction
    Contracts & Business Issues
    Finance
    Labor & Employment
    Mediation & Arbitration
    Mergers & Acquisitions
    Oil, Gas and Energy
    Owner Disputes
    Private Equity

    Biography

    Stuart has been practicing law for more than 35 years and joined Stibbs & Co. as a partner in 2015. Prior to joining the firm, Stuart was General Counsel for a multi-state energy and real estate development company headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. He is an accomplished trial lawyer with significant experience in complex commercial cases and has a wide range of business experience in commercial real estate, finance, corporate governance, government relations, business management, and labor/employment. He is a passionate and principled champion for his clients and has a deep knowledge base with skills honed during his years as a trial lawyer and as in-house counsel.

    Equally at home in the boardroom or the courtroom, Stuart possesses a unique skill set for a lawyer. He has been described as “a lawyer’s lawyer”. His experience as in-house counsel gives him an understanding of practical business issues while his experience as a trial lawyer allows him to analyze the same issues from a litigation perspective. He can provide clients with the information and tools necessary to make informed decisions. The result is a measured approach to finding practical solutions for clients.

    Away from the office, Stuart is passionate about family, faith and Texas barbeque. He and his wife Eve have three daughters and one granddaughter who frequently accompanies “Papa” on weekend trips to the office or wherever else he is going. They are members of St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Christian Church where Stuart served for twelve years on the Parish Council and as Chairman of the Building Committee.

    A self-described “barbecue nerd”, he is a graduate of Foodways Texas Barbecue Summer Camp and Camp Brisket at Texas A&M University, which he describes as a “fantasy camp for barbecue junkies”. He enjoys cooking barbecue on his smoker and sharing barbecue tips with anyone who will listen. In 2016, with the support of the firm, he co-founded The Woodlands BBQ Festival, an annual event that raises money for charitable causes.

    Stuart is active in the community and has served as a board member and as Chairman of the Board for both The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership and for The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce. He also likes to share stories of the early days of The Woodlands when as a teenager he worked clearing trees for road construction and as a lifeguard at the Woodlands Athletic Center.

    Education

    Education

    + J.D., University of Houston College of Law, Houston, Texas,
    1985
    + B.A., Criminal Justice, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas,
    1980
    Admissions

    Admissions

    + State Bar of Texas
    + U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
    + U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
    + U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
    + U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
    + U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
    Experience

    Professional Experience

    + 2015 – Present -
    Stibbs & Co., P.C. – Shareholder/Managing Partner
    + 2003 – 2015 -
    Petroleum Wholesale, L.P./Sun Development, L.P. – General Counsel
    + 1991 – 2003 -
    Law Offices of Stuart W. Lapp, P.C. – Managing Shareholder
    + 1985 – 1991 -
    Dunn, Kacal, Adams, Pappas & Law – Litigation Associate
    Involvement

    Involvement

    + The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce: Chairman of the Board - 2018-2019, Vice President / Government Affairs - 2015-2018, Board Member - 2014 - present
    + The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership: Chairman of the Board - 2014-2015, Board Member - 2010 – 2016, Partner/Member – 2007 - present
    + The Woodlands BBQ Festival - Founder
    + George’s Coffee Club – Charter Member
    + Voter Awareness Council - Founding Member
    Memberships

    Memberships

    + American Bar Association
    + Houston Bar Association
    + Montgomery County Bar Association
    + The Woodlands Bar Association
    + General Counsel Forum
    + National Conference on Weights and Measures
    + Certified Mediator – A.A. White Dispute Resolution Center