Hicks Thomas and Five Firm Partners Earn Benchmark Litigation Honors

HOUSTON – Benchmark Litigation, a prestigious guide to top litigators, has selected Hicks Thomas and five firm partners to be included in its 2020 edition. Firm co-founder John B. Thomas and firm partners Robin Harrison and Jay Old have been named Local Litigation Stars.

Courtney Ervin and Stewart Hoffer have been designated Future Stars, with Mr. Hoffer also selected as a Labor & Employment Star. The firm itself is listed as a “Recommended” law firm in Texas by the publication, which bases selections on peer and client interviews and casework.

Mr. Thomas represents plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes litigation and appellate matters. Mr. Thomas recently represented Mattress Firm Inc. – one of the country’s largest retailers – in litigation against its longtime supplier Tempur-Sealy, Inc. He has been recognized by Chambers USA as being among the leading environmental trial lawyers in the nation and has been recognized by Texas Super Lawyers magazine as a top business litigator each year since 2003.

Mr. Harrison represents plaintiffs and defendants in business disputes involving construction, oil and gas, banking and investments, professional liability, technology and real estate. He is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has been recognized by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America and Texas Super Lawyers for his work.

Earlier this year, Mr. Old won a significant state Supreme Court decision for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, which reaffirmed the importance of attorney-client privilege. He is a former chair of the Construction Law Section of the State Bar of Texas and past president of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel. He also has served on numerous task forces appointed both by the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Supreme Court.

Ms. Ervin is among the state’s up-and-coming female trial lawyers, having secured numerous victories for her clients, including a take-nothing judgment in arbitration for three major international oil and gas exploration companies. In addition to energy and insurance litigation, Ms. Ervin handles disputes in the construction, real estate, private equity, information technology, and health care spaces.

Mr. Hoffer has a long list of trial successes winning multimillion-dollar judgments in breach of contract, trade secrets, and labor and employment disputes. He served as the sole trial lawyer and was part of the appellate team in a case that changed Texas procedural and substantive law regarding whether a court could require the removal, and enjoin the re-publication of, speech adjudicated as defamatory.

Since 2008, Benchmark Litigation has recognized top firms and attorneys through extensive interviews with litigators and their clients. Researchers examine recent casework and evaluate peer feedback. The rankings will be published in October. For a full listing online, visit https://www.benchmarklitigation.com/.

Contact Hicks Thomas LLP today to discuss your own case!