Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel founder Peter Kraus and partner Gary Paul have been recognized as Best Lawyers in America.
Recognition by Best Lawyers® is based entirely on confidential peer review, reflecting the opinions of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical areas and legal practice areas. Lawyers must be in private practice to be recognized.
Peter Kraus
Mr. Kraus is a founding and managing partner of Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel, a national law firm devoted to helping families in personal injury and wrongful death cases. A Dallas native, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke University and his law degree from the University of Texas.
He has been selected by his peers as a Best Lawyer in America® every year since 2016 for his work on behalf of plaintiffs.
Peter Kraus began his career as a commercial litigator in Washington, D.C., and has since focused his practice on toxic torts, False Claims Act whistleblower cases, and pharmaceutical injury litigation. He has tried numerous asbestos, benzene exposure, and pharmaceutical cases to verdict in state and federal courts across the country, including many multimillion-dollar verdicts.
A strong supporter of consumer and victims’ rights, Mr. Kraus has testified before the Texas Legislature and frequently lobbied Congress on behalf of asbestos litigants. He also serves on several asbestos bankruptcy creditor and trustee advisory committees. He is involved in steering committees for both U.S. and Texas asbestos multidistrict litigation and has served on the American Bar Association Commission on asbestos litigation.
Licensed to practice law in Texas, California, Hawaii, Missouri, and Virginia, Mr. Kraus has been elected for membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates by his peers.
Gary Paul
Mr. Paul is a partner at Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel in the firm’s West Coast practice with more than four decades as a trial lawyer in complex civil matters such as consumer and medical product liability, medical and professional malpractice, commercial and insurance litigation, and employment and labor law.
Gary Paul has been selected by his peers as a Best Lawyer in America for his work on behalf of plaintiffs every year since 2017.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Arizona State University and a master’s in engineering from UCLA, Mr. Paul worked as a space and missile engineer for a decade before deciding to pursue a career in law. He earned his law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles in 1974.
He has achieved the rank of Diplomate with the American Board of Trial Advocates, a position reached once an attorney has tried 100 jury trials. He was presented with the Leonard Ring Champion of Justice Award in 2016 and the Harry M. Philo Award in 2014 by the American Association for Justice (AAJ), and he served as president of the AAJ from 2011 to 2012.
He has also served as president of the Consumer Attorneys of California and Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA). Mr. Paul has been elected to the CAALA Hall of Fame and earned an unprecedented second award as CAALA’s Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2008. In 2012, his law school presented him with The Loyola Law School Champion of Justice Award.
About Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel
Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel is a national plaintiffs’ law firm devoted to helping families in personal injury and wrongful death cases involving asbestos and mesothelioma, benzene exposure, dangerous pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and birth defects caused by pesticides, toxic chemicals, opioid use, and semiconductor chip manufacturing. The law firm also represents plaintiffs in qui tam whistleblower matters and cases that uncover false claims submitted to the government. Based in Dallas, Texas, with offices in Los Angeles, California, New Orleans, Louisiana, and by appointment in Moline, Illinois, Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel has represented families from all 50 states and many foreign countries, as well as foreign governments.
