Legal Excellence Honored Again
Hicks Thomas LLP Earns Repeat Recognition for Commercial Litigation in Chambers USA 2026 Guide
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Hicks Thomas LLP has earned another spot in the Chambers USA 2026 guide for general commercial litigation in the Houston area, Business Wire reported. The firm also secured individual honors for three of its partners — co-founder John B. Thomas, Courtney Ervin, and Robin Harrison — in the same specialty.
Chambers USA is widely seen as the gold standard of legal rankings. It uses more than 200 researchers to conduct thousands of interviews with clients and opposing counsel — rather than relying on peer nominations or paid placements. In 2026, the guide included 29,881 total lawyer rankings across the country, according to Business Wire.
Thomas and Harrison Rack Up Decade-Long Streaks
John B. Thomas marks 10 consecutive years of individual Chambers recognition in 2026. Clients describe him as "the epitome of what all attorneys should strive to be" and an "outstanding advocate, both in the boardroom and the courtroom," according to Business Wire. He co-founded the firm in Houston in 1997 with a focus on trial work.
Robin Harrison, board-certified in civil trial law, hits an even longer streak — 12 straight years of Chambers honors. Chambers researchers called him a "strong choice to handle high-stakes commercial disputes." Courtney Ervin earns her fourth individual recognition. Clients praised her as a "big-picture thinker" with "incredible intuition," per Business Wire.
Chambers Calls the Firm Efficient and Business-Minded
Chambers ranked Hicks Thomas as a Band 3 firm for general commercial litigation in the Houston area. Researchers described it as an "accomplished team of commercial litigators with a wealth of trial experience" that is "efficient but detailed in its approach and very attuned to the business side of the legal practice," according to the Chambers USA 2026 Guide.
A firm client told Chambers researchers that Hicks Thomas attorneys are "knowledgeable, responsive and consummate professionals." The firm has 22 partners, placing it squarely in the boutique category. It has handled cases involving more than $10 billion in contract value, including work against Golden Pass LNG, a joint venture of Exxon Mobil and QatarEnergy, per Business Wire.
Houston Boutiques Gain Ground Against Big Law Giants
Houston is the fourth-largest U.S. city and the energy capital of the world. About half of the Am Law 100 firms — the country's highest-revenue practices — have offices there, making it one of the most competitive legal markets in the country, according to a Georgetown Law overview of the Texas market.
Senior partner hourly rates at top Am Law firms are approaching $3,000, according to Thomson Reuters. That is pushing some corporate clients toward leaner, partner-led boutiques like Hicks Thomas. Demand for mid-sized firms grew nearly 5% in late 2025, a shift driven in part by rising costs at the largest firms.
New Texas Business Court Could Drive More Big Cases
Texas opened a new Business Court in late 2024. In 2025 and 2026, the threshold for cases heard there dropped to $5 million. That change is expected to channel more high-stakes commercial disputes into a specialized forum, according to the Chambers and Partners Litigation 2026 Guide.
Firms with deep Texas law knowledge and trial-ready teams — like Hicks Thomas — are well-positioned to benefit. The firm's recognition streak also helps with recruiting. In early 2026, it added Counsel Megan Williams, formerly of the energy industry, expanding its specialist bench further, per Business Wire.
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