C. Erik Hawes

Russell W. Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law. Russell W., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Russell W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Judge Moore co-leads AZA’s appellate practice group. He has prosecuted more than 100 appeals in state and federal courts. In one day in 2021, Judge Moore argued two governmental-immunity cases back-to-back in the Texas Supreme Court. He won both. The two cases he argued are City of San Antonio v. Armando D. Rioja and City of San Antonio v. Jimmy Maspero . Judge Moore is a go-to lawyer for high-stakes, high-profile, complex litigation. (He recently represented Ben & Jerry’s and...

Robert Vining is a partner in SBSB Eastham’s Houston office. A seasoned attorney with expertise spanning more than a dozen practice areas, he is a respected figure in his field who is admitted to the State Bar of Texas, the Louisiana State Bar Association, The Mississippi Bar and in nine U.S. District Courts across the Gulf Coast. Mr. Vining arrived to SBSB Eastham in February 2018 and has overseen a prolific law career of more than 28 years. He primarily splits his practice between lit...

David R. Eastlake is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law. David R., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David Ledyard joined Strong Pipkin in 1975. In 45 years of practice, he has handled a wide range of litigation across Texas and in states including Louisiana, Arkansas, California, Mississippi, Illinois and Maryland. He has tried as lead counsel business, commercial, construction, toxic tort, premises liability, products liability, maritime, Jones Act and property damage cases. He has defended companies in plant and pipeline explosions and fires, CERCLA actions, medical device cases, trucking...

Caj Boatright has made a habit of winning exceptional verdicts and settlements for his clients. In fact, in the last couple of years, it would be difficult to find another trial lawyer who has tried more cases to verdict and obtained more multimillion-dollar settlements even though Mr. Boatright has spent only five years of his 15-year legal career representing plaintiffs. His winning formula rests on his strong sense of justice and a belief that the American jury system is the best way to he...

Foster C. Johnson is a trial lawyer who focuses on complex commercial litigation. He has represented Fortune 100 companies in a variety civil actions, including contract disputes, oil and gas matters, non-compete claims, intellectual property litigation, and consumer and employment class actions. His recent successes include a six-week trial that ended in a $41.6 million jury verdict against Lloyd’s of London. The case was one of the top 100 2017 verdicts in the nation according to the ...

Barry is a Director in the Construction and Surety section of Coats Rose in the Houston office. Barry’s practice includes representation of owners, sureties, general contractors and subcontractors in construction litigation, arbitration, construction arbitration, document preparation, investigation and administration of construction contracts and contract defaults, as well as general commercial litigation. Barry has been involved in the mediation, arbitration and trial of numerous matte...

John Zavitsanos is a highly regarded trial lawyer who loves trying cases and loves winning. He has achieved success for a multitude of clients – both defendants and plaintiffs, from big energy companies to lone whistleblowers battling the odds. He has tried almost 100 cases to verdict in litigation that runs the gamut: financial services, oil and gas, construction, complex commercial disputes, director and officer liability, non-compete and trade-secret disputes, real estate development...

Neal Sweeney is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. He focuses his practice exclusively on construction law and government contracts. Drawing on his more than 30 years of experience with the construction industry, Neal counsels clients on major infrastructure and P3 projects such as transit, airports, highways, wastewater treatment, and tunnels. He is also involved in energy and industrial projects linked to clean technology and renewable sources, including hydro, solar, wind, geother...