The ninth attorney to join Crawford, Wishnew & Lang has two former careers on his résumé that set him apart from most of his peers: a former Navy SEAL and Central Intelligence Agency operator.
A former member of Navy SEAL Team 3, Christopher E. Hamilton joins CWL as an associate from Thompson Coe, where his litigation practice involved construction defects, products liability, personal injury and wrongful death. His practice will also expand into business, employment and intellectual property disputes.
While on Seal Team 3 from 1999 to 2003, Hamilton served as a sniper and a communicator. His platoon was involved with the Operation Enduring Freedom in South China and the Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which his platoon initiated invasion into Iraq and continued the push to Baghdad until it was considered “secured.”
After his enlistment with the U.S. Navy, Hamilton spent seven years at Praetor Global & SOC, where he contracted with the CIA to ensure secure mobility of operations in hostile areas to further the U.S.’s intelligence gathering. While a CIA operator, he was part of the information collection operation of Osama bin Laden’s location within Pakistan and his eventual capture.
After spending a good portion of his 11 years of service away from his family and in special operations units overseas, Hamilton decided to pursue a legal career because he found it had parallels to his military career.
“An operator in [special operations] units is conducting hazardous tasks for those individuals who either cannot or will not be successful on their own,” Hamilton said. “The practice of law is much the same. I will stand in the position of those who either cannot or will not be successful in seeking justice for themselves.”
Asked how he believes his military experience will help him in his legal career, Hamilton said he views the practice of law, albeit in a “less violent manner, through the same eyes as I did as a special operator.”
“A legal litigation team in many ways works with the same mindset (strategy) as a SEAL platoon or CIA small unit team,” he said. “Each team has one overarching goal to achieve. Each team has personnel that bring their own skills which individually strengthen the team.”
A 2018 graduate of the Texas A&M University School of Law, Hamilton first met CWL founding partners Trey Crawford, Dave Wishnew and Michael Lang while interning for Dallas District Judge Bonnie Lee Goldstein.
Wishnew said that after a hearing in Judge Goldstein’s court, Hamilton introduced himself and invited him to lunch.
“I assume he believed we would talk lawyering, but once I learned of his background, it was mostly me asking the questions of his experience serving our country,” Wishnew said. “He was direct and open about his service; but in a humble way, only answering the questions asked without bluster or self-aggrandizing.”
Wishnew was so impressed with Hamilton during their encounter that it helped Hamilton land a clerkship at Gruber Elrod Johansen Hail Shank, where Wishnew, Crawford and Lang were practicing at the time.
“I left the lunch thinking he had the ‘it’ factor that we look for in our lawyers: the passion, work ethic, attitude and motivation to excel in our craft, just as he did in his military career.”
When Crawford, Wishnew and Lang left the Gruber firm to start CWL in February 2018, they knew they wanted the opportunity to work with Hamilton again.
“Having worked with him as a clerk, observing his personality and self-motivation, and recognizing his vast potential, we knew that once he had the appropriate amount of experience, we wanted Chris to be a part of the CWL family,” Lang said.
Trey Crawford said Hamilton adds an incredibly unique skillset to the firm.
“Attorneys who are former athletes and special forces are engrained with a unique sense of team and hate losing more they enjoy winning,” he said. “Christopher is both. These traits are invaluable to the litigation practice and the clients we represent. Christopher has a deep interest in several of our practice areas, including aviation, and we are thrilled to have him as a part of our team.”
Hamilton said he was attracted to CWL because he immediately “saw core principles” in Crawford, Wishnew and Lang when he first met them in Judge Goldstein’s court that “all attorneys should strive to obtain: ethical practice of law, zealous representation for your client and immense knowledge in the law.”
“All attorneys at CWL uphold these values and this is exactly why I’m proud to be a part of the team,” he said.