Please note, your browser is out of date.
For a good browsing experience we recommend using the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera or Internet Explorer.

Craig M. Warner

United States
Bell Nunnally

As a veteran of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Navy, Craig M. Warner uses his experience to solve problems and litigate cases for large corporations, small businesses, and individuals. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he litigated complex jury and bench trials in federal courts, including matters of fraud, violent crime, environmental offenses, and international drug trafficking and money laundering. Earlier, as a Naval prosecutor, he tried dozens of cases in military trial courts. Since entering private practice in 2012, Craig has litigated hundreds of civil cases at Summary Judgment, bench trial, or by plea or settlement, including disputes arising from import/export trade contracts, energy-industry supply problems, luxury real estate transactions, and federal class action claims. He has successfully represented Registered Investment Advisors and Broker-Dealers facing SEC, Texas State Securities Board, and FINRA enforcement actions and in FINRA arbitrations, litigated high-value finance and construction arbitrations, and conducted intensive internal investigations into antitrust, Stark Law, and Anti-Kickback Statute allegations.

As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Craig prosecuted complex drug trafficking/money laundering conspiracies, bribery and fraud offenses, and violent crime. In two cases, he obtained the imposition of a life sentence after securing guilty verdicts as lead counsel at the jury trials of narcotics conspiracy kingpins. He also led a three-year interagency investigation into an international syndicate involving multiple Title III wiretaps, then secured the indictment and conviction of more than a dozen conspirators. At the same time, he investigated and prosecuted bribery, illegal gratuities, and fraud. Craig was one of three AUSAs assigned to the task force responsible for the investigation and apprehension of serial killer Israel Keyes.

Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Craig served for five years as a Naval Judge Advocate. As a Naval prosecutor, he brought charges and secured convictions in cases involving insurance fraud by senior officers, sexual exploitation of minors, and complex security clearance violations. As a Naval Defense Counsel, he obtained the complete acquittal at Court-Martial of a Marine Staff Sergeant charged with hazing, orders violations, and dereliction of duty; and obtained the complete dismissal of aggravated sexual assault charges against an enlisted Sailor after a hotly contested Article 32 hearing. Craig litigated more than forty Administrative Separation Boards, repeatedly preserving the careers and retirements of Sailors and Marines who had given decades of service to the United States. In 2007, Craig volunteered for deployment to Fallujah, Iraq with Regimental Combat Team – 6, United States Marine Corps. Today, after a service branch transfer, Craig continues his military service as a Major in the Texas Army National Guard, serving as the Brigade Judge Advocate for 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Fort Worth, Texas. He is a qualified Airborne Paratrooper, contributed to the Hurricane Harvey relief efforts throughout Texas, and conducted a three-week military exercise with dozens of African and European militaries as part of Special Operations Detachment-Africa (Airborne) in 2017.

Since 2012, Craig has applied his background as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Naval prosecutor to the challenges faced by businesses, individuals, and government agencies in Texas and worldwide. He has litigated a broad variety of business disputes, including extensive work on energy and finance industry matters. These have ranged from lawsuits involving delinquent payment for drilling supplies, to multiple FINRA arbitrations involving disputes over client solicitation agreements, confidential information and trade secrets, to complex arbitrations involving cost overruns at the construction of one of North America’s largest refineries. He also has broad class action defense experience. Craig represented one of the Forbes “100 Largest Private Companies” as associate counsel in a major consumer class action; served as lead counsel for the State of Texas in another federal class action involving §1983 constitutional claims; and has appeared as both associate and lead counsel in multiple securities class actions. He has repeatedly litigated such cases to favorable settlements approved by federal courts.

In his White Collar/Internal Investigations work, Craig has advised a Fortune 500 company applicant in the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division’s Corporate Leniency Program and the nearly two-year internal investigation that resulted. The matter was resolved when the Department of Justice closed its investigation. He has also investigated Stark Law/Anti-Kickback Statute/False Claims Act allegations on behalf of Texas hospitals and medical practices. Craig has represented Registered Investment Advisors and other financial professionals facing enforcement proceedings before FINRA, the Texas State Securities Board (TSSB)/State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), and the Securities and Exchange Commission, and has repeatedly obtained the outright dismissal of such enforcement actions.

Craig is admitted to practice law in Texas and North Carolina, and admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and Ninth Circuit, all four U.S. District Courts in Texas, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (“CAAF”), and the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals.