James E. "Jim" Smith

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

Ryan is a Trial Lawyer who’s recovered the largest verdicts and settlements in history for clients who were catastrophically injured, seriously burned, and tragically killed across Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico and the United States. His record-setting verdicts and settlements have received national media attention and distinguished Ryan as one of the top personal injury lawyers in the country. Since founding the firm, Zehl & Associates has repeatedly recovered the largest verdicts a...

Joseph's practice concentrates in insurance coverage and bad faith litigation involving a wide array of first- and third-party claims including professional liability, pollution, food contamination, pharmaceutical products, construction projects, advertising injury, and medical devices. He is AV rated by his peers and has been recognized as a Super Lawyer and "Top Lawyer in Texas" (2011-2017) in the area of insurance coverage litigation.Joe serves on the firm’s Board of Directors, the M...

Nick Spiliotis is a partner in the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group, where he counsels employers regarding a broad range of workplace issues. He is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Nick’s practice crosses multiple industries, representing clients in the oil and gas, restaurant and hospitality, banking, maritime, manufacturing, and construction arenas. He acts as a strategic advocate who seeks to minimize the possib...

Michael Cancienne is a name partner at Jordan, Lynch & Cancienne in Houston. He is a highly-skilled and experienced litigator who focuses his practice on representing companies as plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of contractual disputes and in disputes involving business torts. He has prevailed in commercial matters across multiple jurisdictions, including state and federal courts. Mr. Cancienne’s courtroom success is the result of listening and preparation. Clients find th...

Charles H. Wilson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Charles H., 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 Charles H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Elaine Howard is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Elaine, 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 Elaine is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Stephen B. Crain is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Securities. Stephen B., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Stephen B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Jud Waltman is the Managing Attorney in Houston over Personal Injury, Product Liability and Maritime Litigation. Mr. Waltman joined The Lanier Law Firm in 2002 and limits his practice almost exclusively to the representation of individuals who are victims of injury or death. He handles cases involving commercial truck collisions, product liability, medical malpractice as well as a focus on workplace injur...

Dan Cogdell is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group and a member of the corporate compliance and white collar defense team. He defends corporations and individuals in high-profile white collar criminal defense jury trials and related disputes. Dan has nearly 40 years of experience representing individuals and corporations in a broad range of high-profile, bet-the-company white collar and criminal defense matters. Dan is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an invitation-on...