Archive for 2026
Five AZA Lawyers Honored on Lawdragon 500 Energy Lawyers List
HOUSTON – Five of AZA’s trial lawyers were named to the Lawdragon 500 Global Leaders in Energy for 2026. Those honored are John Zavitsanos, Todd Mensing, Tim Shelby, Cameron Byrd and Paul Turkevich. Lawdragon said it “researched those lawyers who shine bright for oil and gas; electricity; mining; and nuclear power; as well as water, wind, solar and new forms of what drives us.” […]
AZA Gets Oilfield Services Client Dropped from Competitor’s Trade Secret Lawsuit in 13 Days
LUBBOCK – Less than two weeks after being retained, AZA extricated its oilfield services client from a contentious lawsuit alleging conspiracy to steal trade secrets, equipment and work from a competitor. AZA client Hondo Resources LLC, which provides water transfer services for drilling and fracking operations, was sued in late May by a direct competitor, Clearwater Resources, and its […]
AZA Wins $61.5 Million at Trial for Commercial Lender Client
HOUSTON – AZA’s commercial lending client won a $61.5 million judgment from a Harris County judge who conducted a bench trial over a set of loan agreements and the debtors slew of contractual and equitable defenses. State District Judge Dawn Rogers issued the June judgment after hearing a May bench trial about the loan initiated in 2018. AZA’s client was awarded full balance on its claims for breach of multiple loan documents. The judge […]
Five AZA Lawyers Named to Lawdragon 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers for 2026
HOUSTON – Five of AZA’s top patent litigators were named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers 2026 list, which Lawdragon describes as “lawyers protecting innovation, defending brand integrity and leveraging the assets at the heart of their clients’ businesses.” Those named are partners Jason McManis, Warren McCarty and Weining Bai and associates Louis Liao and Colin Phillips. This is the second year for Lawdragon’s […]
John Zavitsanos Named to Inaugural Board of Center for the Advancement of Judicial Excellence
HOUSTON – Along with an esteemed group of lawyers, AZA managing partner John Zavitsanos has been named to the inaugural board for a bipartisan nonprofit group designed to add transparency and improve the quality of the Texas judiciary. The nascent Center for the Advancement of Judicial Excellence has appointed Mr. Zavitsanos to the board with highly acclaimed lawyers Mo Lovett, David Beck, Ricardo Cedillo and Craig Enoch, who is also a former justice on the […]
Prestigious Chambers USA Ranks AZA for 13th Year and Honors Eight Firm Lawyers
HOUSTON – Chambers USA, the gold standard of legal ratings, gave AZA top 2026 ratings in Texas for three practice areas and ranked eight firm lawyers; three of them in the top Band One level. This is the 13th year AZA was rated by Chambers. This year AZA is praised for its general commercial litigation, […]
AZA Named the Fastest-Growing Middle-Market Law Firm by Houston Business Journal
HOUSTON – The Houston Business Journal’s rankings of the fastest-growing middle-market businesses in the Houston region named AZA as the fastest-growing law firm. AZA ranked 14th among all area middle-market businesses based on percent of revenue growth for the last two years. The list includes companies in law, construction, design, plastics, architecture, homes, engineering and hotels. See the list […]
AZA Associates Applaud Work Quality & Put Firm in Top 3 Texas Midsized Firms
HOUSTON – AZA associates responding to the Vault Annual Associate Survey anonymously praised the firm for quality work and in doing so raised the firm to top 3 among Texas midsized law firms. Vault is a national organization that offers young lawyers career guidance and industry insights. Each year it conducts anonymous surveys of law firm associates to get […]
AZA Lawyer Thomas Frashier Named Outstanding Young Lawyer
HOUSTON – The Houston Young Lawyers Association (HYLA) named AZA associate Thomas Frashier as the Outstanding Young Lawyer for 2026. The annual award recognizes a young lawyer in Houston who best demonstrates professional proficiency, service to the profession and service to the community. This is the second time an AZA associate has been awarded this honor. […]
Texas Lawbook: Jury Bias Against Big Business is a Big Problem
More than ever, there is a strong bias against big corporations coming from the jury box. Lawyers representing any sizeable business, not just the Fortune 500, must plan to counter this pervasive prejudice. The increased cynicism creating this perfect storm of corporate distrust comes from outside of the courtroom. It is born from views […]
AZA Appellate Win Negates $18.3 Million Decision in Penile Implant Trade Secret Case
HOUSTON – AZA’s appellate team reversed an $18.3 million judgment in a California case over trade secrets in a cosmetic penile implant case. “There were no secrets here to be kept. Multiple patents had already put all the ideas claimed as “secret” in the public domain so the jury finding was properly overturned,” said AZA partner Kelsi Stayart White, who represented all but one defendant in the case with AZA with […]
AZA Makes BTI Super Listener A-Team 2026, Ranked by Clients for Best at Business Development
HOUSTON – AZA was named to a national list of the most effective business developers in BTI Super Listener A-Team 2026: Clients Rank Law Firms Best at Business Development. The list compiled by BTI, which specializes in strategic legal market research, is largely populated by national Big Law firms. BTI polls general counsels and other […]
AZA Beats Natural Gas Provider’s $200 Million Bid for Damages from Pipeline Co. in New Texas Business Court
HOUSTON– After a full trial on the merits, a judge in the new Texas business court ruled that although Antero Resources Corp., one of the largest U.S. suppliers of natural gas, had won earlier rulings against a West Virginia pipeline owner, Stonewall Gas Gathering L.L.C., Antero would take only $1 of the $200 million it […]



