Best Lawyers in Texas, United States for Appellate Practice
Russell Post is a board-certified appellate specialist. For the last 18 years, following his clerkship with the Hon. Jerry Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, he has dedicated his practice to civil appeals. He has acted as lead counsel in approximately 100 appeals and has participated in countless others, preparing briefs and presenting oral arguments to the Texas Supreme Court, the Texas appellate courts, and the Fifth Circuit. Russell represents both plaintiff...
Chris Dove is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. Chris, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2014. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Chris is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area. Chris is a board-certified appellate specialist with nearly 25 years of experience representing clients in high-stakes, complex disputes...
Stephen Barrick began his career more than 20 years ago as a law clerk in Houston, Texas, where he worked at the federal district court. He later joined international firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, where he practiced trial and appellate law. Since 2008, Mr. Barrick has made his home at Hick Thomas LLP, where he focuses on business litigation and appeals. Mr. Barrick is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He has earned selection to Texas...
James M. Parker, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. James M., who practices law in San Antonio, Texas, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
W. Brent Shellhorse is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice and Commercial Litigation. W. Brent, who practices law in Fort Worth, Texas, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which W. Brent is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Andrew Gould leads the appellate practice at Hicks Johnson PLLC, a litigation boutique with offices in Houston and Chicago. An award-winning former federal appellate prosecutor, Andrew regularly advocates in state and federal appellate courts nationwide. He has served as lead counsel in some 270 appeals and has conducted over 40 oral arguments, including over 25 before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He also often appears at the trial-court level to assist with complex motion...
David M. Medina is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation and Mediation. David M., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
M. Michelle Carreras is a key member of the Issues and Appeals section of The Lanier Law Firm, handling complex appeals, briefings and research for trial. She has worked on a wide variety of cases, including mass tort, products liability, personal injury, business litigation and sports law litigation. She was a key member of the firm’s Pinnacle bellwether trial team that won a $1 billion combined jury verdict and a $502 million jury verdict in 2016. Those victories were recently ranked ...
Jack O'Neill has been trying large complex cases for over 45 years. His experience in the courtroom involves many cases that have been widely publicized. Mr. O’Neill was co-trial counsel for UPR, Inc. in its attempted takeover of Pennzoil. He was lead counsel for Mitchell Energy Corporation in the company’s effort to overturn a $204 million judgment rendered against the company in a case tried for the company by another law firm. On appeal, argued by Mr. O’Neill, the case wa...
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...
Charles Siegel leads the appellate and qui tam whistleblower practices at Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel. A veteran litigator, he has argued appeals in nine of the federal circuits, seven state supreme courts, and in numerous intermediate appellate courts around the country. In addition, he has appeared in state or federal trial courts in more than 30 states and in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. An authority on asbestos exposure and qui tam whistleblower litigation and appellate issues...
Jane M.N. Webre is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice. Jane M.N., who practices law in Austin, Texas, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jane M.N. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.