Rupert is a past Director of the Texas Association of Bank Counsel, a current Texas Bar Foundation Fellow, and frequently speaks at seminars and authors articles on a variety of banking and business litigation topics. He has been recognized as a Houston “Top Lawyer” in the areas of business/commercial and banking law (Houstonia Magazine 2013, 2014 and 2015), as a 2020 Top Rated Litigator by LegalLeaders at ALM.com, being listed in the May issues of Corporate Counsel and The American Lawyer magazines,as a Top Attorney in America-best.com’s 2020 Top Lawyer List and as a Top Rated Lawyer in the areas of commercial litigation and civil law (Texas Legal Leaders Top Rated Lawyers supplement distributed Mar. 29, 2013 in the Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, the Austin American-Statesman, the San Antonio Express-News, and The Wall Street Journal).  He is also rated AV by Martindale and Hubbell and a 10.0 (Superb) by AVVO.

Rupert regularly represents national, regional and local banks, federal credit unions, insurers, Fortune 500 and private companies throughout Texas and other jurisdictions in business and commercial litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts, and in American Arbitration Association and FINRA arbitrations. Since 1991, he has successfully litigated more than 1,000 cases including before the U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas. After joining H&W in the year 2000, Rupert has obtained favorable resolutions in each case he has taken through trial and appeal, including successful arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Rupert’s banking and financial institutions’ litigation practice includes: UCC Articles 3 and 4 (negotiable instruments, check fraud), Article 4A (wire transfers), Article 5 (letters of credit) and Article 9 (secured transactions), commercial and consumer account disputes, interpleaders, lender liability, special assets and loan collections, foreclosures and deficiency suits, embezzlements and account fraud, ACH and NACHA disputes, electronic payment systems, debit card and ATM transactions, construction loan and lien disputes, mortgage disputes, and guardianship proceedings.

Rupert also regularly provides regulatory and transactional advice and drafting to financial institution clients, including advice, drafting and revisions to bank and credit union deposit agreements, treasury management and services agreements, loan documentation and guarantees, deposit account control agreements (DACAs), blocked account agreements, deposit account instructions and service agreements (DAISAs) and bank regulatory compliance matters generally.

His representation of insurers and other businesses and individuals includes commercial and consumer policy coverage, fidelity and subrogation, property-casualty, agency-broker disputes, contract disputes, trademark infringement, franchise law and agreements, oil and gas royalty disputes, residential construction disputes, leasing and commercial landlord-tenant matters, separation and non-competition agreements (non-competes); contract disputes; premises liability, and will and trust disputes.

Rupert’s representation of clients extends beyond the courtroom. Rupert is a certified mediator and assists parties in resolving disputes outside of the courtroom. He also collaborates frequently with the real estate and corporate groups to assist businesses and individuals with their contracts and in transactional matters generally.

Rupert is a 1991 graduate of the George Washington University Law School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with High Distinction (Magna Cum Laude) from Indiana University. After obtaining his law degree, he served as a judicial law clerk to the Delaware Superior Court.

Rupert has been licensed to practice law in Texas, the District of Columbia, Missouri (inactive status) and Pennsylvania (inactive status). Rupert is admitted to practice in Texas courts, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Southern, Northern and Western Districts of Texas, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Fourth Circuits.