Texas

Firm overview

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, a leading international law firm, consistently ranks among the world’s top law firms in industry surveys and major publications. The firm is distinctively positioned in today’s global marketplace with more than 1,800 lawyers and 21 offices.

Litigation Practice: Acclaimed as a litigation powerhouse, Gibson Dunn and the members of the Litigation practice have a long record of outstanding successes. The American Lawyer named Gibson Dunn a Finalist in its 2022 Litigation Department of the Year competition, noting that “when news breaks and the pressure rises, clients call Gibson Dunn’s litigators to regain control.” This award follows the firm’s unprecedented four wins in this biennial competition.

The members of our litigation practice group are not just litigators, they are first-rate trial lawyers. Each year, we try numerous cases to verdicts before juries, judges and arbitrators. Our clients have trusted us to try their most significant disputes to verdict.

We have tried cases and argued appeals before the U.S. Supreme Court and state supreme courts in addition to federal and state courts across the United States involving almost every foreseeable area of controversy. We also handle disputes before a wide variety of nonjudicial forums, from federal and state agencies to international arbitrations.

Antitrust & Trade Regulation: Gibson Dunn serves clients in virtually every significant area of antitrust and trade regulation law, including cartel and government civil investigations, class action treble damage litigation, private antitrust litigation, government review of mergers and acquisitions, and trade regulation matters.

Appellate: Gibson Dunn has one of the nation’s leading appellate practices with broad experience in complex appellate litigation at all levels of the state and federal court systems. The practice has been involved in matters covering an array of constitutional, statutory, regulatory and common-law issues. Our lawyers have presented arguments in front of the Supreme Court of the United States nearly 160 times.

Business Restructuring & Reorganization: The firm has extensive experience in both US and multinational insolvencies. Its lawyers regularly represent and counsel official creditors’ committees, ad hoc creditor groups, secured lenders, investors and companies (including DIP and exit financing) in out-of-court work-outs and Chapter 11 cases.

Commercial Litigation & Arbitration: Gibson Dunn’s approach emphasizes the full spectrum of services for our clients. Our litigators are trained to evaluate actual and potential cases at the earliest stages, to first determine if litigation can be avoided, or, if it is filed, whether the matter can be resolved quickly and economically. We pride ourselves on handling our litigation matters as efficiently as possible. Gibson Dunn lawyers are fully familiar with a wide array of alternative dispute resolution techniques, including arbitration, mediation, “mini-trials” and the like. 

Intellectual Property: Gibson Dunn’s deep bench of trial lawyers with technical backgrounds, advanced degrees and industry experience provides the necessary insight to develop and defend against sophisticated claims in a wide range of industries and complex technologies. Our litigators are recognized throughout the industry as leaders in prosecuting, defending and trying IP claims in federal and state courts, before administrative bodies including the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as well as before arbitration panels.

Labor & Employment: Gibson Dunn is known for our unsurpassed ability to help the world’s preeminent companies tackle their most challenging labor and employment matters. We have prevailed in what are believed to be the largest class actions under several different U.S. employment laws, including Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the wage and hour laws. Gibson Dunn has also worked on high-profile ERISA cases, nationally recognized Sarbanes-Oxley ‘whistleblower’ cases and aggressive advocacy on OSHA issues. 

Securities Litigation, Regulation & Corporate Governance: A recognized leader in the defense of securities class actions, derivative litigation and SEC enforcement actions, the firm advises companies on disclosure, accounting and regulatory issues for domestic and foreign regulatory bodies. The partners include nationally recognized securities class action defense counsel and a number of former senior officials with the SEC, NASD and DOJ.

Transnational Litigation: Gibson Dunn’s Transnational Litigation practice specializes in protecting clients against claims in U.S. and other courts stemming from overseas activities, as well as reducing and eliminating the risks posed by foreign litigation that, if unchecked, threaten company-wide implications. Our uniquely skilled, creative and experienced transnational team is equipped to manage all aspects of cross-border litigation, including devising, coordinating and implementing offensive and defensive global strategies and has represented clients in some of the highest-profile cases around the world. Gibson Dunn’s international team consists of US, English, French, Spanish and German-qualified lawyers, many of whom are dual qualified.

White Collar Defense & Investigations: The firm defends prominent companies and executives against federal and state prosecutions and has conducted numerous sensitive internal investigations in areas including anti-money laundering; computer and IP crimes; environmental violations and compliance; FCPA matters; forfeiture (civil and criminal); health care fraud; privacy; procurement fraud; securities, financial institution and accounting fraud; and tax offenses. The practice group includes numerous former federal and state prosecutors and officials, many of whom served at high levels within the DOJ, SEC and other key investigative arms of the government. 

Firm overview

With a history of success spanning more than four decades, Bell Nunnally stands out as one of the most respected business law firms in Texas and is among the largest in North Texas by attorney head count. The firm’s profound legal knowledge and extensive experience set it apart, solidifying its reputation as Behind Every Great Company™. A member of the global law firm network Legalink, Bell Nunnally offers a comprehensive range of services, including litigation, appellate law, commercial finance, corporate and securities, creditors’ rights, bankruptcy, health law, intellectual property, labor and employment, immigration, real estate, entertainment, mergers and acquisitions, estate planning, tax, and white-collar criminal defense. Recipient of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) “Compass Award,” featured as one of Law.com’s “Mid-Market Pro 50,” and a multi-year honoree among the Dallas Morning News’ “Top Workplaces,” Bell Nunnally continues to be recognized for its commitment to diversity and excellence.

Litigation Overview: Bell Nunnally litigators aggressively represent clients across many industries, always driven to achieve our clients’ goals and protect their interests. We have represented some of the largest corporations in America, as well as local businesses, government entities and individuals. Our practice encompasses all aspects of the litigation process, from pretrial matters through trial and all levels of appeal in state and federal courts. We also routinely represent clients in arbitral forums and before regulatory bodies. In addition to litigating individual matters, we have served as regional coordinating counsel for Fortune 500 companies and as de facto national counsel for clients. Not only are we skilled in trials and appeals, we also have a demonstrated record of resolving lawsuits favorably for our clients prior to trial. We have won numerous cases involving a wide variety of commercial issues and are well versed in complex litigation. Virtually no area of civil litigation is beyond our capabilities.

In every lawsuit, we strive to discover the strengths of our clients’ positions and uncover and capitalize on the weaknesses of the opposition. We understand that not all cases are destined for trial, so we evaluate creative solutions to disputes early and often to further our clients’ objectives. As experienced business litigators, we help clients evaluate litigation risks and develop a settlement strategy from the outset of a case when appropriate. Our litigators are seasoned, tough negotiators who guide our clients through settlement discussions from a position of strength. When a reasonable settlement is not possible, we aggressively represent our clients through trial — we are more than litigators; we are trial lawyers.

Our attorneys understand that client relationships extend beyond a single case, so we tailor each litigation plan to achieve our clients’ overall business objectives. We take our clients’ budgets into account, staffing cases leanly and making use of experiences to achieve cost effective solutions. 

Litigation Highlights:

• Represented a Fortune 1000 Corporation in significant litigation in statecourt in Gwinnett County, Ga. and several other jurisdictions, along with parallel FINRA arbitration proceedings, which focused on protecting the company’s confidential
  information and enforcing contractual covenants against several former sales representatives. In furtherance of that complex litigation, the Bell Nunnally team took over thirty depositions across five states and filed hundreds of pages of motions, supporting legal briefs and proposed findings to present its clients’ claims. The matter reached a successful resolution that included long-term protections for the client’s rights.
• Secured a favorable settlement for Sperlonga Data & Analytics Systems LLC in a $30 million breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets dispute. 
• Secured a unanimous jury verdict in a patent infringement case in favor of Odessa Separator, Inc., a Texas-based manufacturer of award-winning downhole sand and gas separation products that are used in oil wells throughout the world. Plaintiff sought damages in excess of $2 million.
• Obtained a favorable settlement for Buffalo Wild Wings franchisee, R Wings R Wild LLC (RWRW) in a $3 million class action dispute with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The central claim brought against RWRW, the owner/operator of over twenty Buffalo Wild Wings franchise locations, stemmed from a male bartender who alleged that in 2014 he applied for and was denied employment due to his gender. RWRW agreed to a nominal monetary
  settlement, a fraction of the total amount initially sought by the Commission, and it agreed to conduct sex discrimination training at its locations to demonstrate its continuing commitment to providing equal employment opportunities for all.
• Represented AMLI Residential and its affiliated entities in six-year lawsuit over the sale of a luxury apartment complex. After serving as co-trial counsel during two-week jury trial, sercured a unanimous verdict in favor of AMLI on the plaintiffs’ $38 million in claims and was awarded $5.8 million in attorneys’ fees.
• Secured a $3.5 million settlement on behalf of a defrauded client investor in a FINRA arbitration against two national FINRA broker dealers. The case centered on a multi-year Ponzi scheme perpetrated by the client’s financial adviser who was also the registered representative of the respondent FINRA broker dealers. After four years of litigation, including numerous delays due to COVID, the parties reached a settlement one week before the final arbitration hearing. 
• Secured a complete defense victory on behalf of three departing partners of a national public accounting firm against allegations of trade secret misappropriation, breach of fiduciary duty and violations of non-compete agreements. Plaintiffs sought approx. $10 million in damages After a five-day final hearing, the arbitrator denied all requested relief – including a request to cancel the firm’s future payment obligations to the departed partners – and entered a take-nothing judgment in favor of Bell Nunnally’s clients. The arbitrator also substantially reformed and narrowed the restrictive covenants in response to arguments and defenses under the Texas Covenants Not to Compete Act.

Noteworthy:

• 17 Bell Nunnally Attorneys Named to “Ones to Watch” by The Best Lawyers in America® 2025
• 24 Bell Nunnally Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025
• Bell Nunnally Named to “Best Law Firms” List (published by Best Lawyers and featured in U.S. News and World Reports) in 13 Practice Areas
• 12 Bell Nunnally Attorneys Named to Texas Super Lawyers 2024 List
• 13 Bell Nunnally Attorneys Named to “2024 Texas Rising Stars” List Published by Super Lawyers
• 3 Bell Nunnally Partners Featured on D Magazine’s 2024 “Best Lawyers Under 40 in Dallas” List
• D Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in Dallas 2024” List Featured 10 Bell Nunnally Attorneys
• Firm ranked in Labor & Employment and Litigation: General Commercial in Chambers USA
• Partner Alana Ackels Ranked in L&E in Chambers USA
• Partner Trey DeLoach Ranked in Commercial Finance in Chambers USA
• Partners Christopher Trowbridge and Kartik Singapura Ranked in Litigation: General Commercial in Chambers USA
• Named to Vault Law's “Best Midsize Law Firms in Texas” and “Top 150 Under 150” lists
• Ranked on Law.com’s “2023 Mid-Market Pro 50” List

Updated Sep 2024

Firm overview

Lightfoot, Franklin & White is dedicated to solving client challenges, from complex, “bet the company” litigation to internal and government investigations, risk management, and compliance. Lightfoot lawyers are committed to understanding our clients’ challenges and tailoring solutions so they can concentrate on their core mission.

Lightfoot attorneys spend every moment on a matter pursuing the best possible resolution for clients. While business disputes are inevitable, they can divert attention from core operations. Our primary objective is to manage litigation efficiently as a strategic partner, enabling clients to get back to what they do best – running successful enterprises.

Leadership
Lightfoot has established itself as a formidable defense litigation firm. Since 2019, Benchmark Litigation has recognized Lightfoot as a “Top 20 Trial Law Firm” in the nation. We continue to expand our footprint as national and regional counsel for some of the nation’s foremost companies and manufacturers. Six Lightfoot partners are fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers, with two of the firm’s founding partners previously serving as president.

Efficient Litigation Strategy Focused on the Client
The lawyers at Lightfoot develop litigation strategies tailored to resolve disputes efficiently and align with our clients’ objectives. Whether it’s shutting down a lawsuit with a well-crafted motion to dismiss, defending a client’s rights by securing a favorable settlement, or taking a matter through a trial to a verdict or ruling, we find the solution that fits every unique scenario. We manage the legal intricacies so clients can focus on their businesses, fostering a collaborative and forward-looking partnership.

Talent Honed by Decades of Tackling Challenging Cases
For over three decades, Lightfoot’s lawyers have represented clients in nearly every U.S. jurisdiction. Established during a period when Alabama jurisdictions were adversarial to corporations, we’ve honed our craft facing pioneering legal challenges and plaintiffs’ attacks not attempted anywhere else. This deep-rooted experience ensures our clients benefit from vast institutional knowledge, regardless of the jurisdiction—a tradition we’ve upheld from Alabama to our Houston, Texas location.

Trusted Counsel to Well-Known Companies
We serve a diverse range of industry-leading national, international and multinational companies across a broad range of sectors. Lightfoot’s lawyers regularly handle cases involving commercial disputes, product liability, catastrophic injury, healthcare, energy, white-collar disputes, internal investigations, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, collegiate athletics, and the media.

Firm overview

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Hunton Andrews Kurth is a global law firm with over 900 lawyers handling a range of complex transactional, litigation, and regulatory matters for clients in many industries, including energy, financial services, real estate, retail and consumer products, and technology. With offices across the US and in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, the firm is aligned with clients’ businesses and committed to delivering exceptional service. Our full-service litigation practice is one of the largest in the country, with particular depth in key litigation markets such as Texas, California, New York, Florida, and Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic. 

Since its founding more than 100 years ago, Hunton Andrews Kurth has been a business-focused firm, an approach we continue in today’s litigation-focused climate. Our team of more than 400 litigators draw upon decades of experience to handle all aspects of disputes with the goal of achieving successful results whether in a courtroom or the boardroom. 

Our skilled litigators focus on strategy from the outset and develop individualized litigation plans that are comprehensive in scope, mindful of each client’s business and legal goals, and aligned with client needs. We aggressively and efficiently represent clients at different phases of their corporate life cycles. Whether advising a start-up in patent litigation or a Fortune 100 company in a bet-the-company class action, we apply the same principles of client-focused representation to achieve the desired result. 

Litigation Overview: Hunton Andrews Kurth has a top global litigation team, having litigated and/or arbitrated in all 50 states and many foreign countries. We often serve as national or worldwide coordinating counsel. Our diverse team has the collective knowledge, skill, and experience to help businesses identify and manage risks, respond to existing or threatened litigation, and pursue resolution in any venue. Hunton Andrews Kurth attorneys are admitted to the American College of Trial Lawyers and ranked by publications such as Chambers USA, Legal 500, and Benchmark Litigation, and the firm is named one of the “most feared firms in litigation” by BTI. 

We handle litigation matters in the energy, financial services, healthcare, telecommunications, food, hospitality, consumer products, and retail industries, tailoring strategy on a case-by-case basis. Our commercial litigation docket includes class action defense, commercial contract issues, white collar defense, administrative matters, cybersecurity and privacy investigations, and appeals in state and federal courts. We represent corporations and other entities across a broad range of complex matters – from providing advice and counsel about business disputes and torts to civil litigation, trial, and appeal. We are often engaged in “bet-the-company” cases, multidistrict litigation, and coordinated state law proceedings. Our lawyers have the experience to handle cases that involve multiple adversaries in courts across the nation and abroad. 

In addition, the firm’s environmental team, with more than 45 environmental attorneys and scientists, many of whom are former DOJ attorneys and senior regulatory agency officials, handles high-profile environmental litigation matters. These include enforcement defense, permit litigation, and challenges to environmental regulatory programs before federal district and appeals courts and the US Supreme Court, addressing issues of nationwide significance.

Updated Aug 2024