Charles J. "Chad" Muller III

Chad was fiercely loyal to his mother, Mary, and began working at 14 years old to support his younger siblings Michael, Marian, and Katherine. Chad’s father, Jack, was immensely proud of him and they could often be found eating lunch together at the Copper Kitchen.

He met his wife of 59 years, Sherry, in law school. They were consistently devoted to each other and raised five children: Michelle, Melissa, John, Brian, and Mark, as well as five grandchildren: Sophia, Matthew, William, Alexander, and Jasper. Chad stayed up with Sherry all night on their first date and he took her to church in the morning. Every holiday he told stories of their time selling cotton candy in Brackenridge Park to make ends meet during law school.

Chad attended Little Flower High School and St. Mary’s University. His legal career began when he graduated from St. Mary’s School of Law in 1969 and then received a master’s in taxation from Georgetown University in 1970. A true advocate from childhood, he fought for the little guy long before he received a law license. He once adopted an elderly woman who could not afford to pay for her groceries. Until her death, he ensured she was cared for.

He began his career as a trial attorney for the Tax Division of the Department of Justice, and later as Assistant United States Attorney, single-handedly trying—and repeatedly winning—the most challenging and complex tax controversy matters in the country. The matters he won form the backbone of federal tax controversy to this very day. Chad’s prowess in the courtroom garnered a national reputation by the time he was 30 years old. The American Bar Association awarded him the prestigious Jules Ritholz Memorial Merit Award recognizes outstanding legal work in the highly complex field of criminal and civil tax controversy litigation. Among numerous other accolades, Chad was ultimately inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers.

At 48 years old, he opened as managing partner the San Antonio law office of Strasburger & Price, LLP (now Clark Hill) and at 68 he opened the San Antonio office of Chamberlain Hrdlicka. Both firms remain Am Law 200 law firms to this day, employing dozens of successful lawyers and paralegals.

Chad’s truly insightful thinking and research were reduced to mountains of yellow pads with perfect handwritten script that never changed. His mind was perfectly ordered. His work ethic was tireless. He never retired. He was profoundly respected by the jurists who oversaw his cases and counsel he opposed. A trial attorney can receive no higher praise.

Chad’s devotion to his friends and family was only matched by his devotion to our Lord. He regularly prayed the Rosary and went to church every Sunday. He was kind to everyone he met. Chad never had a bad word to say about anyone. He has now joined his parents and his brother, Michael, and grandson, Matthew, in Heaven. May he rest in peace.

The Rosary will take place on Friday, June 27, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., at St. Peter Prince of the Apostles Catholic Church, 111 Barilla Place, San Antonio, Texas, with a Funeral Mass to follow. A private interment will follow in Mission Burial Park South, 1700 South East Military Drive, San Antonio, Texas. A memorial reception will follow at 1:30 p.m., at Club Giraud, at 707 North Saint Mary’s Street, San Antonio, Texas.