Ruth M. Willars

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 c...

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 ...

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

Having tried more than 60 cases, Todd Mensing is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a distinction reserved for Texas trial lawyers with a high degree of trial experience and expertise. During the last ten years, an average of fewer than five attorneys per year statewide has earned the distinction. Todd is recognized among the top lawyers in the nation for commercial litigation and construction litigation in The Best Lawyers in America. Todd is also ...

Brian’s practice focuses on complex litigation and appeals. He has litigated and appealed a wide variety of claims for clients in the petroleum, transportation, insurance, and construction industries, including contractual, commercial tort, catastrophic personal injury, and wrongful death claims. As an appellate advocate, Mr. Cathey is frequently engaged to assist clients in the trial court with preparing dispositive motions, jury charges, post-verdict motions, and providing trial assis...

T. Josh Judd is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation - Bankruptcy. T. Josh, 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 T. Josh is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

A courtroom veteran, Peri has taken more than 65 civil and criminal cases to trial. She practices primarily in insurance, with experience in first-party claims, insurance bad faith and extra-contractual litigation. She often provides insurers with complex claims-handling advice, first- and third-party coverage opinions and guidance concerning Texas insurance statutes. Peri has also litigated in a variety of areas of civil litigation. That breadth of experience has benefited clients ranging fr...

Rhett A. van Syoc is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law. Rhett A., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Rhett A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Some cases are complex because of the mountains of ​evidence at issue; others because of the technical complexity of the industry involved. Either way, John Deis has a knack for distilling his cases down to the core issues and clearly presenting his client’s side to judges and juries. Mr. Deis once spent four days living aboard an oilrig offshore of Libya in order to understand how various equipment worked and the crew's performance. This was key to disproving his opponent’s conte...

Wanda Fowler was a Justice on the Fourteenth Court of Appeals for almost 14 years before joining Wright Close & Barger, LLP as a partner. While on the Court she authored approximately 1900 opinions and decided approximately 3,800 more cases. In 2001, the other members of the Court elected her Acting Chief Justice for five months pending an appointment of a new chief justice and, in 2003, the Houston Chapter of the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists voted her Appell...