Best Law Firms in Texas for Appellate Practice

Our clients come first. We are dedicated to client satisfaction. Since our founding in 1993, Cooper & Scully has grown into a formidable trial and appellate team of over thirty lawyers with skills that are second to none. Through effective and cost-efficient services, our dedicated team enjoys a stellar reputation for success and excellence.

We deliver top-notch litigation services in matters throughout the country from our offices in Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Francisco.

Our firm has the flexibility to address the needs of small and large business concerns alike. We represent business entities, business owners and health care providers in a broad range of litigation and other legal matters, including complex multiparty and class-action lawsuits before federal and state courts. We have extensive experience litigating a wide spectrum of legal areas including appellate, business transactions, construction, employment, energy, health care, insurance, intellectual property, medical malpractice, products liability, professional liability and transportation.

In addition to litigating complex cases from inception, our firm is frequently retained to try cases prepared by other lawyers and to handle the post-verdict or appellate phases of cases tried by other counsel. We also handle federal and state regulatory and agency proceedings and alternative dispute resolution matters, such as arbitration and mediation.

Our mission is to resolve your litigation effectively, quickly and cost-efficiently. We provide exceptionally responsive and proactive service to our clients. Where appropriate and in the interests of our clients, we can consider alternative billing structures including contingent fee and project based arrangements.

Godwin Bowman PC, based in Dallas, Texas, is a mid-size trial and appellate law firm with a national practice that represents Fortune 500 and middle-market industry leaders in Mission Critical Litigation®. Formed in 1980, our leaders have built a firm with skilled and experienced trial lawyers who demonstrate passion and zeal in their representation of the firm’s clients.

We help our clients solve their legal challenges and gain the outcome they desire — whether that means negotiation or litigation. We help our clients confront their foes and manage the dangerous risks, twists and turns that imperil their companies and market positions. By taking care of their important litigation, we help our clients keep their corporate missions safe.

The trial and appellate lawyers of Godwin Bowman support our clients in key areas, such as banking & financial institutions, business litigation, energy, environmental, family law, labor & employment, trust and probate planning litigation, bankruptcy and creditors rights litigation, unfair competition and trade secret litigation and products liability. We have the capacity and experience to rapidly respond to virtually any business problem.

Our client base is diverse, ranging from global corporations to successful individuals and entrepreneurs. These clients choose Godwin Bowman PC because they have a great deal at stake, and know that the attorneys at our Firm have the experience, dedication and resolve to help them achieve their critical goals.

Godwin Bowman is ranked among the Best Law Firms by US News in Commercial Litigation, Appellate, Family Law and Product Liability Defense.

Kelly Hart & Hallman has been a trusted provider of comprehensive legal services to some of the most innovative and successful businesses, individuals, and governmental entities in the country for over four decades. Our exceptional lawyers and exceptional clients have been instrumental in our continued success. Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP, also known as Kelly Hart, is a leading business-to-business law firm offering a wide range of legal services. With a team of more than 160 attorneys specializing in over 20 substantive areas of the law, we deliver creative and strategic legal solutions to address our clients’ most intricate business challenges.

Our esteemed client base includes Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, individuals, foundations, investor groups, and governmental entities, all of whom rely on us for their legal needs. Our extensive areas of practice encompass administrative law, appellate law, aviation law, banking and finance law, business reorganization and bankruptcy law, corporate and securities law, energy law, environmental law, estate planning and probate, government enforcement and investigation, health care law, intellectual property and technology law, labor and employment law, litigation, nonprofit organizations, oil and gas/energy law, public finance law, real estate law, tax law, transportation law, and water law.

At Kelly Hart, we are committed to delivering exceptional legal representation and value to our clients, utilizing our depth of knowledge and experience across various legal disciplines.

As one of the first environmental law firms founded in Texas 35 years ago, Lloyd Gosselink has continually evolved to meet our clients’ ever-changing and expanding demands in new areas of expertise. Our original core practices in environmental and utility law have grown to include practices in litigation, employment law and business transactions, with a long history of serving governmental clients throughout Texas.

Despite our growth, Lloyd Gosselink has never strayed from our founding mission of  delivering top-quality, cost-effective legal representation and working with our clients to develop innovative solutions to legal problems, while maintaining the highest professional standards. We are committed to our clients and their success. We work to gain an in-depth understanding of our clients and their business so we can provide practical counsel while offering creative solutions to their challenges. We have the depth of knowledge and talent necessary to provide clients with the kind of responsiveness and long-term continuity that earns their trust and loyalty.

Lloyd Gosselink was founded on the principle of teamwork that draws on the talents of everyone—professionals and support staff—to exceed our clients’ expectations. The result is a team-oriented culture that sets Lloyd Gosselink apart in the legal community. The Firm’s growing practice continues to attract top quality lawyers with real world experience. Our lawyers are highly recognized in their fields and are widely sought-after speakers. Our Firm has been selected in 2012-2019 as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in Texas.

The Lyons & Simmons, LLP story began when Trial Lawyers Michael Lyons and Chris Simmons joined together intending to start a law firm that truly cares about its clients. Since our formation, Lyons & Simmons has handled some of the most important and complex cases in the country while securing record-setting results. For example, just in recent history, the firm obtained the largest verdict in a wrongful death personal injury case in the history of Midland County, Texas, and has secured the largest settlement in a wrongful death case in the history of the state of Oklahoma for a single adult wrongful death claimant. Our results on behalf of a former Power 5 head football coach in a high profile breach of contract case earned the firm a place among the finalists for the National Law Journal's Elite Trial Lawyers Awards.

Our work has earned multiple statewide and national recognitions, including Super Lawyers, the Million Dollar, and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forums, The Best Lawyers in America, America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators, D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas, Best Personal Injury Firm by Texas Lawyer, the John Howie Award from the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association, Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, the National Law Journal Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Trailblazers and as one of the "Best Law Firms" by US News & World Report.

Committed to Protecting Your Rights

As a boutique firm, Lyons & Simmons, LLP has the flexibility many larger law firms lack, but without forsaking results. Our unflinching pursuit of justice leads us into courtrooms not only across Texas, but the rest of the country as well.

Simply put, our size allows us to focus on cases that matter and give our clients the personalized attention and support they deserve.

Practice Areas

Personal Injury

• Amputation/Limb Loss
• Aviation Accidents
• Brain Injuries
• Burn Injuries
• Construction Accidents
• Fire & Explosions
• Motor Vehicle Accidents
• Industrial Plant & Refinery Accidents
• Premises Liability
• Products Liability
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Wrongful Death

Oilfield Disasters

McDermott Will & Schulte is an international law firm serving businesses, institutions and individuals across a wide range of legal matters. With offices throughout the United States and Europe, including Chicago, New York, London, Paris, Frankfurt and Washington, D.C., the firm advises clients on complex transactions, regulatory concerns, litigation and industry-specific challenges. Since first earning attorney recognition in 1983, the firm has continued to build a broad legal practice shaped by changing markets and evolving client needs.

The firm is known for its work in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, tax law, health care law, intellectual property and high-stakes litigation. Its attorneys also counsel clients in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence law, fintech, privacy and data security, biotechnology and life sciences. McDermott Will & Schulte represents clients ranging from growing companies to multinational organizations, helping them navigate business decisions, disputes and regulatory matters with practical legal guidance.

McDermott Will & Schulte has earned recognition across numerous practice areas in Best Law Firms rankings, including bankruptcy and restructuring, employment law, real estate law, securities regulation, patent law, antitrust law and international trade and finance law. The firm also has 357 lawyers recognized by Best Lawyers, reflecting peer-reviewed acknowledgment across a broad range of legal disciplines.

Clients turn to McDermott Will & Schulte for counsel that is strategic, business-minded and tailored to the industries they serve. Whether handling cross-border transactions, intellectual property disputes, health care compliance or complex commercial litigation, the firm focuses on delivering clear legal solutions that align with each client’s long-term objectives.

Orsinger Nelson Downing & Anderson, L.L.P., is a nationally prominent law firm and one of the largest in Texas specializing solely in Family Law. With offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco and San Antonio, the firm’s attorneys possess a deep understanding of law and procedure, and are dedicated to providing personalized legal services in all Family Law matters, including litigation, appeals, mediation, arbitration, and the use of collaborative law options.  

With a commitment to upholding the highest professional standards, ONDA’s attorneys have earned a substantial number of certifications, accolades and honors, in addition to maintaining leadership roles in Family Law bar associations and committees at the national, state and local level.  Each of the firm’s partners is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization; with name partner Richard Orsinger holding board certifications in both Family Law and Civil Appellate Law. All of the firm’s name partners are members of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and all partners are members of the Texas Academy of Family Law. Additionally, name partner Richard Orsinger was named the 2011-2012 Family Lawyer of the Year by The Best Lawyers in America and each of the firm’s name partners are perennials on the list of Best Lawyers, as well as Texas Super Lawyers.

Currently, ONDA is ranked nationally among the Best Law Firms for its Appellate practice by US News/Best Lawyers, and has Tier 1 rankings in Family Law in Dallas/Fort Worth and San Antonio.

In 2018 and 2019, ONDA had more Top 100 Super Lawyers in Texas than any other law firm statewide. That includes Biglaw firms. While proud of these recognitions, the firm remains committed to one thing: Providing clients with superior legal representation during what for many will be the most difficult time in their lives. Visit the firm’s web site at www.ondafamilylaw.com.

There’s a reason why clients choose Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel to fight their tough fights again and again. 

Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel is a national plaintiffs’ law firm dedicated to helping families in personal injury and wrongful death cases involving asbestos exposure, dangerous pharmaceuticals and defective medical devices, as well as toxic chemical exposure from commercial farming pesticides like Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based products, and semiconductor chip, aerospace and industrial manufacturing.

The firm’s hard earned reputation for advocacy includes:

• Qui tam whistleblower litigation exposing fraud, waste and abuse of government programs and spending under the False Claims Act. 

• Sexual abuse litigation holding institutions accountable when they fail to protect children from sexual abuse.

• Mesothelioma litigation against suppliers and manufacturers that fail to protect workers, consumers and their families from exposure to cancer-causing asbestos.

• Toxic exposure litigation on behalf of individuals exposed to benzene and other harmful chemicals in the workplace and by other means.

• Birth defect litigation on behalf of children born with serious medical conditions caused by their parents’ exposure to toxic chemicals at work, including employees of Boeing manufacturing plants.

• Catastrophic personal injury litigation on behalf of individuals harmed by negligent trucking and transportation companies, dangerous worksites and others.

Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel trial lawyers are committed to using the firm’s resources and collective legal firepower to achieve justice for individuals against powerful corporate interests. The firm is a leader in contingent fee litigation, assuming all risks and expenses so clients pay nothing unless they win.

With a high partner-to-associate ratio, clients know their cases are handled by experienced litigators. Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel attorneys have recovered over $1.3 billion for their clients and are renowned for their advocacy on behalf of individuals and families affected by hazardous exposures and defective products.

Based in Dallas and with offices in Los Angeles and Moline, Illinois, Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel has represented families from all fifty states and many foreign countries, as well as foreign governments. Learn more about our practice and how we can help you at www.waterskraus.com.

Ability, hard work, and perseverance are hallmarks of Wright Close Barger & Guzman, and our clients can expect top-notch representation every step of the way. With their extensive trial and appellate experience, our team of lawyers can take your case from start to finish. Throughout Texas, we have tried to a successful conclusion cases involving a variety of practice areas, including catastrophic personal injury, insurance coverage, intellectual property, oil and gas, product defects, commercial disputes, and trade secrets.

We also assist other lawyers at trial by providing expertise in pre-trial motions, research on special evidence problems, and the critical work on the court’s charge to the jury. Wright Close Barger & Guzman is widely respected for its appellate experience, and we have successfully handled appeals before federal and state appellate courts, including the Supreme Court of Texas, the intermediate state courts of appeals, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Some “litigation” lawyers never see the inside of a courtroom. Not so at Wright Close Barger & Guzman. The firm handles complex civil trial and appellate work for clients across the state, calling upon their extensive expertise to achieve favorable resolutions in cases involving catastrophic personal injury, insurance coverage, intellectual property, oil and gas, product defects, commercial disputes, arbitration and mediation, and trade secrets, among others. The firm also assists other firms and attorneys with pre-trial motions, special evidence problems, challenges to expert witnesses, and the critical work on the court’s charge to the jury.

The firm’s diversity of experience provides the depth required for its wide range of successes. Our attorneys have tried and appealed complex cases all across Texas for more than 30 years. Our team has been hand-picked from among the best and the brightest.

Many of our firm’s members are Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Civil Trial Law: Thomas Wright, Howard Close, Randy Owens.

Civil Appellate Law: Thomas Wright, Jessica Barger, Brian Cathey, Russ Hollenbeck, Marie Jamison, Jim Marrow, Brad Snead, Rachel Stinson, Natasha Taylor, Heidi Gumienny, and Kelley Clark Morris.

Several members including our founding partners have been selected by their peers each year as among The Best Lawyers in America® (Tom Wright, Howard Close, Jessica Barger, Wanda McKee Fowler, Eva Guzman, Russ Hollenbeck, Andy Love, Jim Marrow, Raffi Melkonian, Randall Owens, Tod Phillips, Brad Snead, Rachel Stinson, and Natasha Taylor). 

Wright Close Barger & Guzman is ranked among the Best Law Firms with a National Tier 1 ranking in Appellate, by U.S. News and Best Lawyers. The firm also has Tier 1 rankings in Houston for Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Defense, Insurance Litigation, Trusts & Estates Litigation and Appellate Practice.