Served with a lawsuit, expecting one, or facing a commercial demand? The 8 Austin firms below defend businesses in commercial disputes — from a $250,000 partnership case in Travis County District Court to a bet-the-company federal trial in the Western District of Texas.
Updated 2026-05-12
Most Austin commercial cases land in one of three forums: Travis County District Court (state-law disputes between Texas parties), the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (federal-question, diversity, IP, securities), or AAA / JAMS arbitration (when the underlying contract has an arbitration clause). Picking the right firm depends on the forum and the matter type — WD Tex. (especially the Waco division) handles a huge patent docket; Travis County handles complex commercial, employment, and construction disputes.
Texas civil procedure has a few traits worth knowing. Texas allows expedited actions for cases under $250,000 with limited discovery. The Texas Citizens Participation Act (TCPA) is a powerful anti-SLAPP statute used by defendants in cases involving speech, association, or petition rights. The Texas Rules of Civil Procedure tend to be defendant-friendly on summary judgment compared to federal rules, and Texas trial judges often manage cases more actively than judges in other states.
Three buckets of firms. Litigation boutiques (Reid Collins & Tsai, Cleveland Krist, Howry Breen & Herman, Willi) handle commercial disputes at boutique rates and sit first chair at trial. Mid-market full-service (Andrews Myers, Scott Douglass & McConnico) pair litigation with corporate counsel for ongoing clients. BigLaw (Haynes and Boone, Vinson & Elkins) handle the largest, most complex matters — bet-the-company commercial cases routinely run $1M+ in fees and 18–36 months to trial.
Practice focus: Bet-the-company commercial litigation, securities defense, IP litigation, class actions, white-collar defense. Texas-founded AmLaw 100 firm with major Austin litigation bench.
Practice focus: Commercial litigation, construction litigation, employment defense, business disputes. Texas firm; long track record defending construction and services companies.
Practice focus: Complex commercial litigation, fraud claims, bankruptcy-related litigation, trustee representations. Austin-headquartered litigation boutique with a national trial practice.
Practice focus: Energy disputes, antitrust, environmental, construction, M&A litigation. Texas-headquartered AmLaw 100 firm with substantial Austin bench. Counsel for major energy, financial-services, and tech clients.
Practice focus: Complex commercial litigation for clients in oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, and technology. Austin-headquartered firm; sizable Austin-based trial team handling high-stakes disputes.
Practice focus: Business litigation, commercial trial work, personal-injury defense. Partner Randy Howry is board-certified in Civil Trial Law with 25+ years of trial experience.
Practice focus: Commercial disputes in state and federal courts and arbitration, for plaintiffs and defendants in tech, healthcare, and real estate.
Practice focus: Commercial litigation, appeals, IP litigation, patent, trademark, copyright, and trade-secret disputes. Represents individuals, domestic businesses, and multinational corporations.
Ranges from real Austin firms, current to 2026. Government and filing fees billed separately and pass through at cost.
Initial review, factual investigation, written response. Often resolves the matter before suit.
Rule 91a motion in Texas state court or Rule 12(b)(6) in federal court. TCPA motion higher.
Discovery + dispositive motion. Cost scales with deposition count and document volume.
Trial-ready case in Travis County or WD Tex. Bench trial cheaper than jury.
Plus AAA/JAMS arbitrator fees, often $500–$1,200/hour for a single arbitrator.
Emergency motion plus PI hearing. Often used in non-compete and trade-secret matters.
Briefing and oral argument. Discretionary review at Texas Supreme Court rare.
Pre-mediation brief plus one or two mediation days. Most Austin commercial cases mediate.
From the day you sign an engagement letter to the day you have something in hand, here is what the calendar usually looks like in Austin.
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