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Lawyer Profile

Image of Rusty Hardin, Jr.

Rusty Hardin, Jr.

Rusty Hardin & Associates, LLP
  • Recognized Since:
    2016
  • Recognized in:
    Commercial Litigation
    Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • Law School:
    Southern Methodist University
  • Website:
    http://www.rustyhardin.com
  • Location:
    Five Houston Center, Suite 2250
    1401 McKinney Street
    Houston, TX 77010

Acclaimed Texas trial lawyer Rusty Hardin is the founder and name partner of Houston’s Rusty Hardin & Associates, LLP, accomplished in both complex civil matters and significant criminal cases. Mr. Hardin has more than 40 years of litigation experience, beginning his career as an assistant prosecutor in Houston’s Harris County in 1975.

Since entering private practice in 1991, Mr. Hardin has tried over 70 jury trials, fairly evenly split between civil and criminal cases. His clients have been as varied as Arthur Andersen in both civil and criminal cases; Dow Jones, for whom the firm won a new trial in the face of the largest libel verdict in history; the J. Howard Marshall II estate in the nationally followed probate trial involving claims made by Anna Nicole Smith; ExxonMobil Corp.; Rice University; Las Vegas Sands; and a lengthy roster of professional athletes that includes Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Warren Moon, Rudy Tomjanovich, Calvin Murphy and Adrian Peterson. 

Mr. Hardin also has a lengthy track record of independent investigations involving highly sensitive matters. He served as chief trial counsel for Independent Counsel Robert Fiske and his successor Kenneth Starr in the Whitewater investigation. And more recently, he led a politically fraught investigation into the actions of a University of Texas System Regent for a Texas legislative committee. 

Mr. Hardin has earned many accolades over the years, earning a place on The National Law Journal’s list of The 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America in 2013 and profiled as a “Trial Ace” by Law360 in 2015. He was named one of the "25 Greatest Texas Lawyers of the Past Quarter-Century" by Texas Lawyer in 2010. He has been selected a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Since 2009, Hardin has served on the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee.

A native of North Carolina, Hardin received his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and his J.D. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

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  • Lawyer Bio
  • Client Comments
  • Firm Details
  • Case History

Lawyer Bio

Acclaimed Texas trial lawyer Rusty Hardin is the founder and name partner of Houston’s Rusty Hardin & Associates, LLP, accomplished in both complex civil matters and significant criminal cases. Mr. Hardin has more than 40 years of litigation experience, beginning his career as an assistant prosecutor in Houston’s Harris County in 1975.

Since entering private practice in 1991, Mr. Hardin has tried over 70 jury trials, fairly evenly split between civil and criminal cases. His clients have been as varied as Arthur Andersen in both civil and criminal cases; Dow Jones, for whom the firm won a new trial in the face of the largest libel verdict in history; the J. Howard Marshall II estate in the nationally followed probate trial involving claims made by Anna Nicole Smith; ExxonMobil Corp.; Rice University; Las Vegas Sands; and a lengthy roster of professional athletes that includes Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Warren Moon, Rudy Tomjanovich, Calvin Murphy and Adrian Peterson. 

Mr. Hardin also has a lengthy track record of independent investigations involving highly sensitive matters. He served as chief trial counsel for Independent Counsel Robert Fiske and his successor Kenneth Starr in the Whitewater investigation. And more recently, he led a politically fraught investigation into the actions of a University of Texas System Regent for a Texas legislative committee. 

Mr. Hardin has earned many accolades over the years, earning a place on The National Law Journal’s list of The 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America in 2013 and profiled as a “Trial Ace” by Law360 in 2015. He was named one of the "25 Greatest Texas Lawyers of the Past Quarter-Century" by Texas Lawyer in 2010. He has been selected a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Since 2009, Hardin has served on the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee.

A native of North Carolina, Hardin received his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and his J.D. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

  • Education
  • Bar & Court Admissions
  • Affiliations
  • Award List
  • Lawyer of the Year Badge

Education:

  • Southern Methodist University , J.D., graduated 1975
  • Wesleyan University, B.S., graduated 1965

Bar Admissions:

  • Texas, State Bar of Texas
 

Court Admissions:

  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
  • United States District & Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas

Affiliations:

  • American Board of Trial Advocates (AOBTA) - Member
  • American College of Trial Lawyers - Fellow
  • International Academy of Trial Lawyers - Fellow
  • Litigation Counsel of America - Fellow
  • MADD Advisory Board - Member
  • Texas Bar Foundation - Fellow
  • Texas People Against Crime - Founder
  • Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee - Member (2009-present)
  • Yellowstone Academy Advisory Board - Member

Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers for:

  • Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Houston (2019)
 

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for work in:

  • Commercial Litigation
  • Criminal Defense: White-Collar
 

Awards:

  • 500 Leading Lawyers in America by Lawdragon, 2020
  • Chambers USA ranked among top Texas lawyers in both General Commercial Litigation and White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
  • Best Lawyers – Lawyer of the Year 2019, Houston area Criminal Defense: White Collar
  • Texas Super Lawyers, 2003-2020
  • Best Lawyers in America, 2016-2020
  • Benchmark Litigation Star 2013-2020
  • Lifetime Achievement Membership among America’s Top 100 Attorneys
  • Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists%u2019 2013 Lifetime Excellence in Advocacy Award
  • Texas Lawbook "Lion of the Texas Bar," 2015
  • Texas Lawyer Lifetime Achievement Award, 2015
  • Law360 "Trial Ace," 2015
  • National Law Journal's 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America, 2013
  • Named one of “The 25 Greatest Texas Lawyers of the Past Quarter-Century,” Texas Lawyer, 2010
  • Texas Lawyer "Go-To Lawyer for Commercial Litigation," 2007
  • “Houston’s Top Lawyers,” H  Texas Magazine, 2006
  • “Attorney to Hire When You’re in Trouble,” Houston Chronicle, 2003
  • “Go-To Lawyer” for Civil Defense Litigation, Texas Lawyer, 2002
  • “Prosecutor of the Year,” State Bar of Texas, 1989
 

Lawyer Client Comments

Firm Details

Image for Rusty Hardin & Associates, LLP View Firm Profile
Rusty Hardin & Associates, LLP
http://www.rustyhardin.com
 
1 Office Location
in 1 Country

United States

United States

Texas

Texas

Houston, TX

Five Houston Center, Suite 2250

1401 McKinney Street

Houston, TX 77010

United States

(713) 652.9000

Get Directions

Lawyer Case History

Investigation of University of Texas System Regent

Led high-profile investigation of University of Texas System Regent on behalf of the Texas House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operation. The probe, initiated because of Regent Wallace Hall’s lengthy personal investigations of the UT administration, found four possible grounds for impeaching him. In the end, the House Select Committee censured Hall for misconduct, incompetence or behavior unbefitting the holder of a state office.

Criminal defense of Roger Clemens

Represented major league baseball pitcher Roger Clemens in winning an acquittal at the end of a two-month federal trial in Washington in which Clemens was charged with perjury, obstruction of Congress and making false statements. The charges stemmed from accusations of steroid use by Clemens’ former trainer.
 

Defense of New York Yankee Wade Boggs in civil suit for alleged verbal assault

Won jury verdict in 4 minutes clearing famed baseball star in civil assault suit by a flight attendant seeking damages for her claim that Boggs verbally abused her on a charter flight. Mr. Hardin's defense showed that the woman escalated the situation with her own verbal shots. 

Defense of Arthur Andersen accounting firm in criminal and civil cases arising from Enron scandal

Represented accounting firm Arthur Andersen in criminal fraud trial, securities class actions and numerous civil suits as part of the multidistrict litigation based in Houston and related to the financial collapse of Enron Corp.
 
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