Charles S. Kelley

John B. Thomas is the co-founder of Houston-based commercial litigation boutique Hicks Thomas LLP. Known for his deep experience in handling complex commercial litigation, Mr. Thomas and the firm’s lawyers represent both defendants and plaintiffs in lawsuits involving oil and gas, securities, environmental matters, banking, transportation, intellectual property and health care. Mr. Thomas has been named to Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers in America and Lawdragon’s 500 Leadin...

Daniel Dutko is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Daniel, 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 Daniel is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Andy is a trial lawyer with more than two decades of civil litigation experience involving complex insurance coverage, alleged insurer bad faith, complex commercial disputes, serious personal injuries, and allegedly defective products. Andy has tried cases in multiple jurisdictions, and has handled all aspects of pre-trial, trial, and post-trial litigation, including case analysis, discovery plans, written discovery, depositions, pre-trial motions, jury charges, voir dire, direct and cross ex...

Shawn Bates has more than 22 years of practice in commercial litigation in the energy industry and across numerous other industries. He is a seasoned first-chair trial lawyer, handling cases worth tens of millions. He has conducted hundreds of depositions and supervised trial teams on matters of varying size. He focuses his practice on litigation and arbitration of complex disputes for clients in the energy sector (oil and gas companies, oilfield supply and support companies, pipeline builder...

Ed Ripley has practiced in the restructuring and related litigation area for over 30 years with significant experience in energy space (including upstream, mid-stream and downstream), on-shore and offshore, both conventional and renewable; real estate and related development (including construction, M&M lien and related surety bond issues); and retail (including commercial landlord and tenant issues). Ed has been involved in some of the largest bankruptcy cases filed in Texas and througho...

R. Todd Bennett is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. R. Todd, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2008. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which R. Todd is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Christopher C. Wan is an attorney in the Houston office of Cokinos | Young. His practice focuses primarily on resolving complex commercial and industrial construction disputes through litigation and arbitration. Chris’s experience covers a variety of disputes involving refineries, chemical plants, pipelines, water treatment plants, high-rise condominiums, and university buildings, among other commercial and industrial projects. Chris graduated from the South Texas College of Law, where ...

Her response is immediate. When you ask Courtney Ervin to describe herself as a lawyer, she says, “I’m a problem-solver.” While she is one of the top up-and-coming trial lawyers in Texas, she also finds immense satisfaction using her business acumen to defuse disputes early, when possible. “Look, I welcome a good fight,” says Ervin. “That’s an essential part of a trial lawyer’s DNA. However, I never forget that my clients call me when they have ...

S. Shannon Davis Hunter is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. S. Shannon Davis, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which S. Shannon Davis is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Joel W. Mohrman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Patent Law. Joel W., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Joel W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.