AZA Associate Neal Sarkar Named 2019 Outstanding Young Lawyer in Houston

HOUSTON – AZA commercial litigator Neal Sarkar has been selected as the 2019 Outstanding Young Lawyer by the Houston Young Lawyers Association, a decades-old organization known for its community involvement and leadership.

Each year the Outstanding Young Lawyer award recognizes an attorney in the Greater Houston area who best demonstrates professional proficiency, service to the legal profession and service to the community.

“Neal is a terrific leader already, so it will be exciting to see him develop his talents even more in the coming years. I expect he will be a major pillar of our legal community,” said AZA co-founding partner Joe Ahmad, who nominated Mr. Sarkar for the honor.

Mr. Sarkar helped lead the effort to restart the Houston Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society, through which he has helped coordinate volunteer lawyers responding to the havoc of Hurricane Harvey, the immigrant travel ban, and family separations at the border. Mr. Sarkar regularly pulls others into donating time and money for worthy causes.

He has helped energize the South Asian Bar Association and has worked tirelessly with the Coalition of Houston Diverse Bar Associations. He has also been a Houston Bar Association ambassador and helped administer the HBA judicial evaluation poll as a member of the poll committee. Mr. Sarkar is active in the Texas Bar Foundation and has helped promote others in the New Leaders Council. He’s a member of the Houston Committee on Foreign Relations.

“His legal work is first-rate, our clients love him, and his community work is unbelievable. We are infinitely proud to see him win this well-deserved honor,” said AZA co-founder John Zavitsanos.

Mr. Sarkar said he was humbled to receive the award. “I’m very aware of the young legal talent in Houston, so this is a singular honor,” he said.

AZA, or Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing, is a Houston-based law firm that is home to true courtroom lawyers with a formidable track record in complex commercial litigation, including energy, intellectual property, and business dispute cases. AZA is recognized by Chambers USA 2019 among the best in Texas commercial law; by U.S. News – Best Lawyers’ Best Law Firms as one of the country’s best commercial litigation firms for seven years running including 2019; and previously by Law360 as a Texas Powerhouse law firm. National corporate counsel named AZA one of the country’s best in client service among law firms serving the Fortune 1000.