Best Law Firms in Texas for Arbitration

Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing, or AZA, is first and foremost a trial firm. Its more than 60 lawyers bring clients a formidable courtroom record in complex commercial litigation, including energy, trade secret, intellectual property, construction and real estate, environmental, class action, restrictive covenant, catastrophic injury, and business dispute cases. The firm's partners have tried more than 250 cases, and AZA has been in trial nearly every month since 2016.

AZA has earned a coveted rating for its Texas commercial litigation work in every edition of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business from 2014 through 2026. U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers have named AZA a Tier 1 firm in Commercial Litigation and Appellate in their Best Law Firms rankings, and Best Lawyers in America lists 14 AZA lawyers in Houston Commercial Litigation, more than any other firm. Benchmark Litigation, the definitive guide to America's leading litigation firms and attorneys, has recognized all three of AZA's name partners. Lawdragon has named 11 AZA lawyers to its 500 Leading Litigators in America, and more than half of the firm's attorneys were selected to the 2026 Texas Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists.

Those rankings rest on results. AZA has secured one of the nation's top 50 plaintiff verdicts ten years running, obtained one of the top 10 IP verdicts in the country in 2025, and won the largest Harris County jury verdict in commercial litigation in 2024. Law360 named AZA a 2026 Regional Powerhouse, one of only five firms in Texas to earn the distinction, and Firm Prospects ranks AZA among the top 25 boutiques in the nation. Texas Lawyer has named AZA Litigation Department of the Year four times and inducted the firm into its Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame. And AZA is among the nation's "Most Feared" law firms, as identified by general counsel and in-house litigators surveyed by BTI Consulting.

Dedication to clients, coupled with the ability to prevail before judges and juries alike, is why general counsel across the country know AZA. Clients including Chevron, LyondellBasell, Halliburton, KBR, TotalEnergies, Transocean, and the Houston Rockets trust the firm with their most difficult matters, and AZA is often hired on the eve of trial, once it has become clear a case must be tried. It is also why corporate counsel have named AZA one of the firms with the best client service among those serving the Fortune 1000. In fact, AZA has been hired many times by the same companies it has beaten at trial.

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.