Best Law Firms in Texas for Arbitration

Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing or AZA, is home to true courtroom lawyers who provide clients with a formidable track record in complex commercial litigation including energy, trade secret, intellectual property, construction, and business dispute cases.

AZA earned a coveted rating for its work in Texas commercial litigation in the 2014 -2021 editions of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, published by Chambers and Partners which is recognized worldwide for its prestigious guides to the legal profession. AZA was named First-Tier in Commercial Litigation in Houston by U.S. News & World Report and The Best Lawyers in America in their rankings of the nation’s Best Law Firms. Likewise, AZA was named a Recognized Firm by Benchmark Litigation—the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation firms and attorneys.

In 2015, AZA was recognized as one of only 10 boutique firms nationally by Law360 for successfully challenging the nation’s biggest law firms. The list of Top 10 Boutiques includes firms that are on par with the biggest firms but less expensive and more accessible to clients. Likewise, AZA was named among the “Most Feared Law Firms” by corporate counsel at major U.S. companies, as surveyed by the leading legal research group BTI Consulting. The 40 firms across the country on the 2015 list were chosen on the basis of extensive interviews with 300 general counsel and in-house litigation counsel at top-spending companies and organizations. In addition, AZA was chosen the 2015 and 2019 Litigation Department of the Year by the publishers of Texas Lawyer newspaper. The annual honor recognizes the Texas-based litigation firms that have excelled during the previous year based on courtroom results. Just three general firms are chosen statewide for having the top litigation departments.  AZA, a powerhouse with fewer than 40 lawyers, claimed the top spot in the small-firm category. 

Dedication to clients, coupled with the ability to prevail in the courtroom before judges and juries alike, is why so many general counsel across the U.S. know AZA. It’s also why corporate counsel have named AZA one of the law firms with the best client service of those serving the Fortune 1000. In fact, AZA has been hired on many occasions by the same companies the firm has prevailed against at trial.

Seasoned Trial Attorneys
Serving Texas

Many attorneys claim to specialize in trial law, but never see the inside of a courtroom. Not so at Deans Stepp Law. Our attorneys, including partners Gregory Deans and Katherine Stepp, have a combined total of almost five decades of experience trying cases in the courtroom, as well as in arbitration. We offer that experience to our clients in each and every case.

Our founding members worked together for years at one of the largest law firms in Dallas, representing Fortune 500 companies and other high-profile clients in virtually every legal matter under the sun. Together, we felt that we had something new to offer – a different way of doing things. We wanted to find a way to take our big-firm experience and combine it with a personal approach that our clients simply wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. Once we realized that, the next step was to open our own firm together.

How is our approach different?

First, we’re a part of your team. Even within a single practice, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to the law. So, before doing anything else, we work with you to create a set of goals that will form the foundation of our legal strategy. From there, we’re with you through every step of the process. We understand any legal dispute can be stressful and know that effective communication can go a long way toward allaying that. You’ll have questions, and we’ll be there to answer them. Simply put, you’ll be at the center of everything we do.

Second, our team of experienced attorneys prides itself on being more collaborative than most. When we take on a client, you’re not just getting a single lawyer’s experience and insight but the entire firm’s when it’s needed. Not a pile-on, with layers of lawyers, but a smart, efficient approach that means better solutions for you. You’re a part of the family now, so get used to the attention.

We believe that people like working with people they like, and that’s why we put personal service at the forefront of every client relationship. We get to know our clients, talk about family and vacations, and share an occasional bottle of wine. Connections are important to us.

We’re glad you found us, and we know that once you learn a little more about our attorneys and what we can do for you, you’re going to like working with us.

Practice Areas

• Appellate
• Arbitration & Mediation
• Business Litigation
• Construction
• ERISA Litigation
• Family Law
• Labor & Employment
• Legal Malpractice
• Texas Local Counsel

Founded in 1997, Texas-based Hicks Thomas LLP is a premier litigation firm representing plaintiffs and defendants across the nation with offices in Houston, Austin, Beaumont and Amarillo, Texas, and Sacramento, California. The firm provides in-depth experience in cases involving oil and gas, environmental, complex commercial, toxic tort, construction, products liability, corporate governance, securities, banking, insurance coverage, transportation, trade secrets and business litigation.

Practice Areas:

• Appellate Practice
• Business Litigation
• Commercial Arbitration
• Environmental Litigation
• International Arbitration
• Construction Litigation
• Offshore Energy Litigation
• Oil & Gas Litigation
• Securities Litigation
• Toxic Torts
• Trade Secrets
• Transportation Litigation
• Labor and Employment Litigation

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.