JAY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner at Hicks Thomas LLP
Allen H. Rustay is a partner at Hicks Thomas LLP and has over 20 years of experience in trial work. Mr. Rustay specializes in commercial litigation including matters involving energy, oil and gas, commercial and maritime disputes on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants in Texas State and Federal courts, arbitrations and appeals. He also has extensive experience in litigating theft of trade secrets, breaches of fiduciary duty, and business torts. Formerly affiliated with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Mr. Rustay has now been with Hicks Thomas LLP since 2006.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Hicks Thomas LLP As an Associate
Allison Fisher joined Hicks Thomas LLP as an associate in 2010. Her practice focuses on a range of commercial litigation matters, with extensive experience in environmental, personal injury and business litigation. Mrs. Fisher plays a critical role in drafting pleadings and motions, conducting discovery, taking depositions, and collaborating with other members of the trial team to prepare complex cases for trial.
Mrs. Fisher takes a creative approach to problem-solving in all steps of litigation. Prior to law school, she majored in theater at the University of Texas at Austin and worked in theater management positions at various theater organizations around the United States. Although she found this work rewarding, her interests began to shift to the legal work she performed for these organizations. Mrs. Fisher's unique background in theater coupled with her legal experience makes her a successful litigator and an essential part of the Hicks Thomas team.
Mrs. Fisher has worked on various matters involving the defense of a dry cleaning detergent and process additive manufacturer in which the team has successfully defended against various product liability, nuisance, negligence, trespass, and personal injury claims filed in California, New York, and New Jersey.
Amanda Goldstein represents businesses and individuals in commercial litigation matters. Her experience includes litigating claims for breach of contract, fraud, violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, fraudulent transfer, and trade dress infringement.
Before joining Hicks-Thomas, while enrolled in the University of Texas School of Law, Mrs. Goldstein served as judicial intern for the Honorable Wesley Ward in the Harris County 234th Civil District Court, and for the Honorable Joseph "Tad" Halbach in the Harris County 333rd Civil District Court.
During law school, Mrs. Goldstein worked as a student attorney in UT's Domestic Violence Clinic, where she represented victims of domestic violence in related civil matters.
Education
University of Texas School of Law (J.D., 2016)
University of Colorado at Boulder (B.A. in Political Science and Communication, 2013)
Bio
Brad has litigated matters throughout California for over 20 years. After graduating from law school, Brad worked as a judicial clerk on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta. He began his career as an associate at the Palo Alto office of Wilson Sonsini, the nation's leading law firm serving technology and venture capital clients. Brad was a partner for several years at Stevens & O'Connell LLP, Sacramento's premier litigation firm. He served as a partner at DLA Piper when it acquired Stevens & O'Connell's practice.
Brad founded Benbrook Law Group in 2012, where he continues to represent businesses in civil litigation and disputes with administrative agencies. Brad also regularly represents individuals and groups in constitutional and other public policy litigation, including multiple high-profile First Amendment cases. He regularly submits amicus briefs on behalf of clients at the Supreme Court of the United States on significant cases. He is often hired as special litigation counsel in significant family law, bankruptcy, and trust and estate litigation.
Brad received his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley after graduating from Stanford University, where he was a four-year letterman on the golf team.
Education
Stanford University (A.B. Economics, 1990)
University of California, Berkeley Law School (J.D., 1993)
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
- Senior Counsel
Bio
Colin Watterson represents businesses and individuals in all types of commercial and complex disputes. Colin strives to achieve the best results for his clients by thinking strategically and activing efficiently. He approaches all stages of litigation with care, precision, and pragmatism.
Before joining Hicks Thomas, Colin worked at a Houston litigation boutique where he represented plaintiffs and defendants in all types of commercial disputes. Before entering private practice, Colin worked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit as a law clerk for Judge John Rogers.
Education
The University of Texas School of Law (J.D., highest honors, 2013)
Emory University (B.A., 2008)
Professional Associations
State Bar of Texas
United States District Courts for the Southern, Northern, and Eastern Districts of Texas
United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth, Sixth, and Federal Circuits
Houston Bar Association
Houston Young Lawyers Association
Her response is immediate. When you ask Courtney Ervin to describe herself as a lawyer, she says, "I'm a problem-solver." While she is one of the top up-and-coming trial lawyers in Texas, she also finds immense satisfaction using her business acumen to defuse disputes early, when possible.
"Look, I welcome a good fight," says Ervin. "That's an essential part of a trial lawyer's DNA. However, I never forget that my clients call me when they have a problem, which means they'd rather never have to call me. So when they do, it's my responsibility to find quick and efficient solutions so they can get back to business with the least amount of disruption."
Ms. Ervin literally grew up in business; her father spent his entire career in the energy industry - as a business executive at a major exploration and production company - based in Houston. His career moved the family to The Hague, The Netherlands and London, England, providing Courtney with a global perspective to relationships and problem solving. Her familiarity and nuanced understanding of solving complex business issues has made her an invaluable asset to her clients in finding creative and effective solutions to disputes. She takes particular pride in the fact that she has worked on important, cutting-edge energy matters involving first-of-its kind business ventures.
Her focus is on high-stakes commercial litigation in state and federal court and in arbitration. Her clients include business of all sizes in the oil and gas, energy, insurance, construction, real estate, private equity, information technology, and health care industries She has a wealth of experience involving energy-related and insurance coverage litigation serving as lead counsel for a global exploration and production company and for one of the largest commercial property casualty insurance companies.
While she is passionate about serving her clients and eschews personal accolades, she is piling up the honors. Ms. Ervin was recognized as Best Lawyers in America in 2021, identified as a Future Star by Benchmark in 2021, named a Texas Super Lawyer in 2020, and profiled as one of the leading Energy Litigation lawyers in the U.S. in 2016 by The Legal 500. She earned her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center, magna cum laude, and her bachelor's of science degree from Colorado State University. Ms. Ervin is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Houston Bar Association and the Texas Bar Foundation.
Crystal V. Venning focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation including disputes arising from business contracts, government contracts, and large construction projects.
Prior to joining Hicks Thomas, she practiced at AZA in Houston. Before that, she worked at the New York City office of a national law firm where she represented national and multinational entities in complex commercial litigation matters as both plaintiff and defendant in state court. She engaged in frequent and successful dispositive motion practice, regularly obtaining favorable results for clients.
Before entering private practice, Ms. Venning gained valuable public sector experience working in-house at premier municipal law departments such as the New York City Law Department, where, as an Assistant Corporation Counsel, she successfully defended the City of New York and related entities in complex commercial litigation matters arising from NYC's numerous and diverse contractual arrangements. Ms. Venning also worked as an Assistant Counsel with the Atlanta Housing Authority representing that City in complex commercial matters arising from public-private partnerships.
Ms. Venning has experience successfully litigating before administrative tribunals such as the NYC Contract Dispute Resolution Board. She has experience managing all aspects of discovery including written discovery and managing large document review projects. Ms. Venning has experience with mediation and arbitration, however, when alternative dispute resolution fails, Ms. Venning enthusiastically embraces trial practice.
She is admitted to practice in Texas, New York, Georgia and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Western Districts of Texas.
Ms. Venning graduated from Columbia Law School where she was honored as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and Joseph H. Gellert Scholar. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Yale University.
Ms. Venning pursues pro bono work and public service whenever possible. She is the founder of a non-profit organization that assisted low-income high school juniors and seniors with writing exercises for college admissions, especially the college application essay, which served 330 low-income high school students.
Diane has more than 25 years of experience representing and advising corporations. Her clients include Fortune 100 companies in the energy production, distribution, and manufacturing industries. She has served as regional and national counsel, representing a major oil company in complex litigation. In this role, Diane managed thousands of cases across the United States encompassing a broad spectrum of issues. She coordinates discovery, motion practice, settlement protocols, develop expert witnesses, and takes cases to trial. Diane works with local counsel to identify important key issues in those jurisdictions in order to develop a litigation strategy in line with the client's overall expectations.
In her spare time, Diane enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and volunteering in her church.
Diane is a board member of Casulana, The Women's Choir of Houston.
Before rejoining the Hicks Thomas team, Eric Grant spent most of the past four years as the federal government's top appellate lawyer for energy and environmental litigation. As a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) of the U.S. Department of Justice, he supervised the lawyers who defended a wide range of permitting decisions related to pipelines and other projects, as well as the lawyers who prosecuted Clean Water Act and CERCLA claims against private defendants.
For example, as ENRD's top lawyer on the case, Mr. Grant spearheaded the government's successful petition for certiorari (and its ultimate victory) in U.S. Forest Service v. Cowpasture River Preservation Ass'n, 140 S. Ct. 1837 (2020), in defense of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. On two occasions, he led the teams that ran the gamut from the district court to the Ninth Circuit to the U.S. Supreme Court to obtain extraordinary relief in high-profile cases - involving the Keystone XL Pipeline and "kids against climate change."
Mr. Grant adds that recent litigation experience, expertise, and inside knowledge to three decades of top-level legal practice that includes arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, and numerous other federal and state appellate courts.
Gregg Laswell has been a trial lawyer for over 36 years. He began with a large national firm, where he practiced for 13 years, moved to a large international firm, where he practiced for 7 years, and then joined some of his former partners in 2004 at Hicks Thomas, where he has practiced for the last 16 years. His practice has focused almost exclusively on business and commercial litigation and while he has significant experience in various industries and practice areas, a primary emphasis of his practice has always been in energy and oil and gas, and related industries. His experience in this area runs the gamut, from exploration and production to refining, from oilfield service providers to petrochemical concerns. He has represented pipeline companies; midstream companies; exploration and production companies, both small independents and large national and international companies; oilfield service companies, including offshore drillers and engineering and design companies; refiners; and petrochemical plants. He has represented investors in oil and gas and energy ventures and landowners in disputes with oil and gas operators. And his representation of the wide range of clients in this area includes all aspects of their business, from commercial contracts to business torts, and has included insurance disputes, indemnity claims, environmental claims, and disputes regarding ownership of oil, gas and other minerals.
While Mr. Laswell has extensive litigation experience in the energy and related industries, his practice over the years has not been limited to that field. He also has considerable experience in prosecuting and defending securities actions, both federal and state, and defending professional liability claims. And, as a business and commercial trial lawyer, he has been exposed to many industries outside the energy sector, including real estate concerns, companies in the healthcare arena, and financial institutions. He also has significant experience in corporate governance issues, disputes involving both large companies and small closely held companies. And, as the legal landscape has changed over his 36 years of practice to include more alternative dispute resolution proceedings, especially arbitrations, his practice has expanded to meet this need, especially in the international oil and gas arena. Mr. Laswell has significant experience in arbitrations of all types, both international and more localized proceedings.
Mr. Laswell has been recognized by his peers with an AV® Preeminent™ Rating with Martindale-Hubbell®, and has also been recognized as a "Texas Super Lawyer" by Thomson Reuters in years 2005-2010 and from 2014 through the current year.
Education
University of Houston Law Center (J.D., 1983)
Job Titles:
- Associate Editor
- Review ( Managing Editor ), Order of the Coif, Order of the Barons, 2000 Blakely Butler Moot Court Champion
J. Stephen Barrick is a trial lawyer and appellate specialist who began his legal career as the law clerk for a federal judge in Houston, Texas. After a two-year clerkship, Mr. Barrick joined the litigation department of a large, international law firm, where he practiced trial and appellate law for more than nine years. In 2008, Mr. Barrick joined Hicks Thomas, where his practice focuses on business litigation and appeals. Mr. Barrick is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has over 20 years of experience litigating complex business disputes.
Gross was a defense counsel for a waste management company in a coverage dispute with the insurer over claims in nationwide securities class action. He argued an appeal of first impression regarding the scope of pollution exclusion coverage clause before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Gross served as counsel for a product distributor. He obtained conditional writ of mandamus for the Texas Court of Appeals which directed the trial court to hear company claims.
Jay N. Gross is an open-minded attorney who will look at the specifics of the case from a new perspective. Mr. Gross has over 30 years of experience practicing law. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Gross practiced at Hirsch & Westheimer, P.C. and served as a general counsel for Texas State Optical. He has now been with Hicks Thomas LLP for over 20 years. His practice is tailored to general civil litigations with an emphasis in commercial disputes and civil appeals.
His career has focused upon litigations, especially relating to medical malpractice, healthcare litigation, and first party insurance lawsuits. Mr. Fancher also has extensive experience relating to personal injury litigation, commercial litigation and construction litigation.
Mr. Fancher is a graduate from Baylor Law School, where he was a member of Baylor Law Review and earned his law degree in 2000. Mr. Fancher also received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in Government from the University of Texas at Austin. He is licensed in the State of Texas; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Texas and Southern District of Texas.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- CEO
- Partner
- Co - Founder of Houston
- Continuing Legal Education ( CLE ) Program
"John Thomas is one of a kind and a CEO's best friend. I spent my career building and growing a company I loved. When lawsuits threatened it, I turned to him for help. Not only did he chart a path forward, but he leveraged what was happening in the courtroom into a business strategy we could use in the boardroom. John is an attorney who never waivers. Who keeps pressing forward in lockstep with his clients' goals. If I have to go into a foxhole, I want him with me."
One area Mr. Thomas excels in is advocating on behalf of his clients in cases being litigated in the court of public opinion. Whether in the courtroom or speaking with a reporter, he understands how to make his client's case and aggressively pursue their goals.
John B. Thomas is the co-founder of Houston-based commercial litigation boutique Hicks Thomas LLP. Known for his deep experience in handling complex commercial litigation, Mr. Thomas and the firm's lawyers represent both defendants and plaintiffs in lawsuits involving oil and gas, securities, environmental matters, banking, transportation, intellectual property and health care.
Mr. Thomas has been named to Lawdragon's 500 Leading Lawyers in America, listed in Best Lawyers in America for his work in Commercial Litigation and Intellectual Property Litigation, selected as a Texas Super Lawyer by Thompson Reuters for every year since its inception, listed by Chambers USA as one of the leading lawyers in the country, and has an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubble. He also is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.
Mr. Thomas received his law degree from The University of Michigan Law School, and earned his undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University, where he was a Division I athlete. Following law school, he clerked for Edith H. Jones, Chief Judge (former) of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Education
Juris Doctor, University of Michigan Law School
Bachelor of Science, Western Michigan University, Division I Athlete (Wrestling)
Awards
Listed in Best Lawyers in America (2021)
Texas Super Lawyers - Business Litigation - 2003-present
Chambers USA Leading Lawyers for Business - Environmental Litigation
Inside Houston Magazine - Best Environmental Lawyer
Judicial Clerkship, Honorable Edith H. Jones, Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
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 contention that the rig's equipment and crew were not fit for purpose. The resulting expert reports and witness statements that he presented to an arbitration tribunal proved that the rig was fully operational and capable of meeting the requirements of a long-term assignment.
Mr. Deis honed his legal writing skills working as the managing editor for the Houston Law Review. It was his experience as an undergraduate and his enjoyment of business law classes that motivated him to pursue a career as an attorney. His understanding of complex issues and his willingness to get his hands dirty have benefited his clients in cases ranging from catastrophic oil and gas accidents to industrial construction projects, contract disputes and trade secret matters.
He is a former Marine Corps officer who spent four years on active duty and four more in the reserves. He attributes his effectiveness in front of judges and juries to the lessons he learned while serving: quickly assess the situation, develop a plan of action and out execute your opponent, even in the most stressful environments. It's this ability that allows him to keep calm under pressure and to be a leader, even when going up against some formidable opponents.
Practice Areas:
Complex Construction Litigation
Justin solves complex legal issues using the writing and critical thinking skills he developed as a law clerk to two judges and an author of articles featured in law journals. Prior to joining Hicks Thomas, Justin clerked for the Honorable Drew B. Tipton, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas, and the Honorable Eliot D. Prescott, Judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court.
Justin earned his Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019, where he served as a LL.M. Teaching Fellow and a research assistant for the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. Justin also gained valuable experience representing tenants in landlord-tenant disputes as a student attorney for Rising for Justice (formerly DC Law Students in Court Clinic).
During law school, Justin served as the Submissions Editor for the Georgetown Journal of Law & Public Policy, which published his note on court-packing. Justin has also co-authored two law journal articles with Professor Steven G. Calabresi.
Ideas, processes, designs, and branding are all important components of any business. Oftentimes, the world of intellectual property can be confusing to everyone from new business owners to seasoned executives. As an experienced intellectual property attorney, Kristi guides clients through that confusion and shows them how to protect and use their intellectual property to their advantage. Through due diligence, registration, licensing, and litigation Kristi works tirelessly to ensure her clients' intellectual property and business are safeguarded. When litigation arises, Kristi's main priority is providing aggressive representation that will effectively and efficiently solve clients' problems.
Paul Mitchell is an experienced trial lawyer with a diverse litigation practice. He focuses primarily on representing companies in the energy sector in commercial litigation, arbitration, corporate investigations, and similar matters, but has also handled a wide range of contested matters. For two decades prior to joining Hicks Thomas, Mr. Mitchell was a partner at two of the oldest and most respected law firms in Texas, and he brings that big-firm experience to his work for clients at Hicks Thomas.
Mr. Mitchell has extensive experience in both state and federal courts, including oil and gas (upstream, midstream, and downstream), general commercial, construction, real estate, employment, copyright, and trademark litigation. He has prosecuted and defended cases involving claims of breach of contract, tortious interference, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, covenants not to compete, executive compensation agreements, copyright and trademark infringement, among other matters.
Mr. Mitchell's experience in corporate investigations has included representation of corporations and audit committees in investigations and disclosures to the SEC and DOJ of transactions implicating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, investigations of alleged internal wrongdoing, investigations of alleged violations of the antitrust laws, and investigations on behalf of special litigation committees in connection with shareholder derivative actions.
Raymond Chang has experience advising a variety of businesses and individuals in both the corporate and litigation arena. Currently, Ray enjoys using various litigation technologies and practices to cut to the heart of the issue. Whether the a real estate, insurance, oil and gas, or other energy related client, Ray's aim is to create quick and effective solutions to their legal matter. Ray's experience includes claims for breach of contract, related business torts, first and third party insurance coverage disputes, negligence, trademark infringement, theft of trade secrets, and breach of fiduciary duty.
Education
Vanderbilt University (B.A. Psychology and Sociology, Honors, 1997)
University of San Francisco, (J.D. 2007, Intellectual Property Certificate)
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Contributor
- Member of the Texas Association of Civil Trial
Robin Harrison has represented plaintiffs and defendants in trials and arbitrations in venues from Cuero, Texas to Paris, France for more than 35 years. He has extensive experience handling cases involving breach of fiduciary duties, breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, fraud and misrepresentation, professional liability, and business owner/ "business divorce" disputes. He has assisted numerous clients in several different industries, including construction, oil and gas, banking and investments, computer software development, industrial and consumer product manufacturing, and real estate. When representing parties asserting affirmative claims for damages in trials and arbitrations, he often works under contingent fee and other alternative fee arrangements.
Mr. Harrison is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. His commitment to excellence has earned him recognition as a "Leading Individual in Texas Litigation" by Chambers and Partners Publishing and by Best Lawyers in America for commercial and oil and gas litigation. He has received recognition in Thomson Reuters' Texas Super Lawyers listing every year since 2004, including recognition on its list of Top 100 Lawyers in Houston each year since 2017. In addition, the National Trial Lawyers Association has selected him as a member of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers and he is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Harrison is a member of the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists, and the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is admitted to practice in all Texas state courts, the Federal District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Texas, and the Fifth and Tenth Circuit Courts of Appeals. He maintains memberships in a host of professional organizations, including the American Bar Association, the Texas Bar Association, and the Houston Bar Association, for which he served as a Director of the Litigation Section from 1997 to 2001. He is also a member of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association, where he was director from 2002 to 2004.
Mr. Harrison is also an active contributor to publications and a speaker at continuing legal education conferences of the Houston Bar Association, the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, the State Bar of Texas's Business Torts Institute, and the American Bar Association, to name a few.