Chelsea A. Priest

CHELSEA PRIEST is a strategic thinker with experience across a wide variety of commercial litigation and disputes, having handled everything from contract disputes, to intellectual property disputes, to product liability and mass tort issues, to class actions and consumer protection cases, and everything in between. She has a particular interest in arbitration clauses and how those clauses can be implemented in a way that serves the client’s needs. Chelsea has successfully argued cases both into and out of arbitration. She is equally comfortable in a courtroom or in front of an arbitration panel. Chelsea has been a member of several trial teams, questioning witnesses and arguing exhibit objections and jury instructions. She was recognized by Best Lawyers as “One to Watch” for 2022–2025.

Chelsea also has significant experience with critical motions briefing and appeals, having briefed and argued motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment in numerous trial-level courts. Additionally, she has written appellate briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Texas Supreme Court, and the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 2nd, 5th, 9th, and D.C. Circuits, and presented oral argument in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit.

Prior to joining Sidley, Chelsea was a Bristow Fellow at the Office of the Solicitor General, where she worked on Supreme Court litigation on behalf of the federal government. Chelsea was also a law clerk for Chief Judge Merrick B. Garland in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, a law clerk for Chief Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, an extern for Judge Michelle T. Friedland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, and a page for the U.S. House of Representatives.

While attending Stanford Law School, Chelsea was a semifinalist in the Kirkwood Moot Court Competition, where she was awarded “Best Petitioner’s Brief.” Chelsea served as managing editor of the Stanford Law Review and graduated with pro bono distinction, given her roles as co-coordinator of the Tax Pro Bono Project and a volunteer for the Lifer Parole Project. She was also a pupil in The Honorable William A. Ingram American Inns of Court. Chelsea gained additional experience as a research and teaching assistant for multiple professors and was honored with the “Gerald Gunther Prize for Outstanding Performance” in many areas.

• Representing a publicly traded company in an action brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleging unfair practices.
• Representing a publicly traded company in a putative class action related to false advertising, unfair competition, and consumer rights claims.
• Representing an athletics conference in four antitrust class action matters in the Northern District of California and the District of Colorado related to student-athlete compensation issues.
• Represented a company defending against trade secret allegations and other claims, in which she successfully moved to compel arbitration and subsequently obtained a complete defense verdict on all counts after a week-long arbitration.
• Represented a company involved in force majeure litigation arising out of the February 2021 Texas storm commonly known as Winter Storm Uri.
• Represented an Indian tribe in Supreme Court litigation over the tribe’s right to reimbursement under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.
• Represented an Indian tribe in Supreme Court litigation over the extent of a state’s authority to regulate tribal gaming activities under the Indian Restoration Act and Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
• Represented a company involved in multiple cases arising out of an industrial accident.
• Represented a company on appeal defending against False Claims Act allegations, in which the court of appeals affirmed dismissal of the plaintiffs’ claims.
• Represented a company defending against claims of breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty by a former business partner.
• Represented an oil and gas company in a high-stakes natural gas arbitration in front of the International Chamber of Commerce International Court of Arbitration.
• Archer Dental v. Schein, et al. – Represented a small, family-owned dental supply distributor claiming antitrust violations caused by illegal group boycott and conspiracy in the dental supply industry, including on appeal to the Fifth Circuit and Supreme Court.
• Collateral Analytics v. Nationstar, et al. – Represented Nationstar and affiliates as defendants and counterclaim plaintiffs in a trade secret misappropriation suit relating to real estate valuation and automated valuation models (AVMs).
• Legacy Separators LLC v. Halliburton Energy Services Inc. – Represented Halliburton as a defendant in a patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation suit relating to centrifugal gas separators for use with electric submersible pump systems.
• Successfully briefed and argued an appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit raising evidence exclusion, jury instruction, and sentencing issues.

Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.

• Higginbotham Inn of Court, Associate (2019–2021), Barrister (2023–present)
• Princeton Club of Dallas-Fort Worth, Princeton Women’s Network chair
• Stanford Law School Dallas-Fort Worth Alumni Community, Leadership Committee member
• SidleyWomen
• Dallas Women Lawyers Association
• Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (DAYL), 2022 Leadership Class 
• DAYL Foundation, Grants Committee
• Dallas Bar Association
• National Association of Women Lawyers
• American Bar Association
• City of Fate Planning and Zoning Commission (2019–2023)