Joseph Y. Ahmad, a founding partner in the Houston law firm of AZA, is a lawyer for executives and has been recognized nationally as one of the best lawyers in his field. He represents executives in a variety of matters, including breach of contract, trade secrets, covenants not to compete, breach of fiduciary duty and other matters.
He was elected to the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates, an elite group of the country’s leading judges and civil trial lawyers. He has been selected by his peers as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” since 2003 and he was named a “2015 Lawyer of the Year” in the Houston area. Mr. Ahmad has been recognized as a leading lawyer in “Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.” He has been named to the Texas Super Lawyers list since 2003, been on the Texas Super Lawyers Top 100 in Houston since 2006, and been in the Texas Super Lawyers Top 100 in Texas every year but one since 2006. He was also named a Benchmark Litigation Star in 2016-2022. Mr. Ahmad received the 2019 Distinguished Member Award from the South Asian Bar Association of Houston. He has received a rating of AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.
Having tried more than 50 cases to a verdict, and argued more than a dozen cases on appeal, he is a nationally recognized expert and frequent lecturer on a variety of law topics for organizations such as the American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, The University of Texas School of Law, and the University of Houston Law Foundation. He has been a frequent commentator on legal issues for various media entities, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Houston Chronicle, and local television stations.
In early September 2024 he was the lead lawyer winning a $25.6 million non-compete breach of contract jury verdict pitting AZA client doctors’ group Fondren Orthopedic Ltd. against healthcare giant HCA Healthcare. Other recent engagements include representing: a general counsel sued for trade secret theft, an owner of an accounting practice who signed a covenant not to compete and employment agreement with the buyer of his practice, and a group of physicians with senior administrative roles within their medical center to represent them in a breach-of-contract dispute. And he was recently widely quoted by media nationally for his representation of Dr. Hasan Gokul, a doctor improperly accused of stealing COVID-19 vaccine. AZA is handling Dr. Gokal’s civil lawsuit against Harris County and Harris County Public Health for discrimination based on his race and national origin. Media coverage includes CNN’s “Texas doctor fired for using leftover Covid-19 vaccine doses sues county for discrimination.”
He also recently won a $62.65 million verdict from a Nevada jury in a nationally watched case for emergency room physician group clients who were underpaid by United Healthcare, the largest insurer in the nation. The jury in this seven-week trial unanimously found malice, oppression, and fraud in the underpayment of the doctors. This verdict against a cluster of United Healthcare affiliates will serve as a bellwether for more than two dozen similar cases around the nation against various insurers.
Joseph Y. Ahmad, a founding partner in the Houston law firm of AZA, is a lawyer for executives and has been recognized nationally as one of the best lawyers in his field. He represents executives in a variety of matters, including breach of contract, trade secrets, covenants not to compete, breach of fiduciary duty and other matters.
He was elected to the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates, an elite group of the country’s leading judges and civil trial lawyers. He has been selected by his peers as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” since 2003 and he was named a “2015 Lawyer of the Year” in the Houston area. Mr. Ahmad has been recognized as a leading lawyer in “Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.” He has been named to the Texas Super Lawyers list since 2003, been on the Texas Super Lawyers Top 100 in Houston since 2006, and been in the Texas Super Lawyers Top 100 in Texas every year but one since 2006. He was also named a Benchmark Litigation Star in 2016-2022. Mr. Ahmad received the 2019 Distinguished Member Award from the South Asian Bar Association of Houston. He has received a rating of AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.
Having tried more than 50 cases to a verdict, and argued more than a dozen cases on appeal, he is a nationally recognized expert and frequent lecturer on a variety of law topics for organizations such as the American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, The University of Texas School of Law, and the University of Houston Law Foundation. He has been a frequent commentator on legal issues for various media entities, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Houston Chronicle, and local television stations.
In early September 2024 he was the lead lawyer winning a $25.6 million non-compete breach of contract jury verdict pitting AZA client doctors’ group Fondren Orthopedic Ltd. against healthcare giant HCA Healthcare. Other recent engagements include representing: a general counsel sued for trade secret theft, an owner of an accounting practice who signed a covenant not to compete and employment agreement with the buyer of his practice, and a group of physicians with senior administrative roles within their medical center to represent them in a breach-of-contract dispute. And he was recently widely quoted by media nationally for his representation of Dr. Hasan Gokul, a doctor improperly accused of stealing COVID-19 vaccine. AZA is handling Dr. Gokal’s civil lawsuit against Harris County and Harris County Public Health for discrimination based on his race and national origin. Media coverage includes CNN’s “Texas doctor fired for using leftover Covid-19 vaccine doses sues county for discrimination.”
He also recently won a $62.65 million verdict from a Nevada jury in a nationally watched case for emergency room physician group clients who were underpaid by United Healthcare, the largest insurer in the nation. The jury in this seven-week trial unanimously found malice, oppression, and fraud in the underpayment of the doctors. This verdict against a cluster of United Healthcare affiliates will serve as a bellwether for more than two dozen similar cases around the nation against various insurers.
Blog
Mr. Ahmad also maintains a blog, Legal Issues in the Executive Suite, where he explores issues involving trade secrets, covenants not to compete, executive compensation and other matters of importance to executives. Click here to read Legal Issues in the Executive Suite.
EDUCATION & CLERKSHIP
- Law Clerk to Hon. Benjamin F. Gibson, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 1987-89.
- University of Michigan, J.D., 1987.
- Lawrence University, B.A. with honors, 1984.
ADMISSIONS & CERTIFICATION
- Admitted to bar 1987, Michigan; 1989, Texas.
- Admitted to all state and federal courts in Texas; U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin; U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York; U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York; U.S. District Court, District of Colorado; U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota; U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court.
- Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1996.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- Houston and American Bar Associations (Sections: Litigation; Labor and Employment Law; Co-Chair of Trade Secrets, Covenants Not to Compete and Duty of Loyalty Subcommittee)
- State Bar of Texas (Sections: Labor; Litigation)
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- The Association of Trial Lawyers of America
- National Employment Lawyers Association
- Houston Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association (past president – 2000)
- Fellow, Houston Bar Foundation
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Board President of the Houston Area Parkinson’s Society
REPORTED CASES
- Brady v. Fort Bend County and R. George Molina, 58 F.3d 173 (5th Cir. 1995), reh’g en banc granted (Aug. 25, 1995), appeal dismissed (Nov. 17, 1995)
- Primeaux v. Conoco, 961 S.W.2d 401 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1997, no writ)
- Washington v. HCA Health Services of Texas, Inc., 152 F.3d 464 (5th Cir. 1998), cert. granted 119 S.Ct. 2388 (1999)
- Brady v. Fort Bend County, 145 F.3d 691 (5th Cir. 1998), cert. denied 119 S.Ct. 873 (1999)
- Pratt v. City of Houston, Tex., 247 F.3d 601 (5th Cir. 2001)
- Siler-Khodr v. University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, 261 F.3d 542 (5th Cir. 2001)
- Mota v. University of Texas Houston Health Science Center, 261 F.3d 512 (5th Cir. 2001)
PUBLICATIONS, PAPERS AND CLE PRESENTATIONS
Restrictive Covenants and NDAs, Moderator for American Bar Association webinar, September 2024
Multi-Jurisdictional Issues in Noncompete Enforcement, American Bar Association, Section of Labor and Employment Law, March 2024
Taking aim at non-competes, ELA/ABA 7th Transatlantic Conference: The Global Working World – Evolution, Opportunity and Challenge, Webinar, October 2021
SLAPP Your Opponents: What Employment Lawyers Need to Know about the Anti-SLAPP Law, State Bar of Texas Webcast, October 2018
The Brave New World of Trade Secrets and Non-Competes: Drafting and Negotiating Non-Compete and Confidentiality Agreements, American Bar Association webinar, February 2018
Motions Practice in the Houston and Galveston Divisions: What’s New, and What Can Be Improved?, Southern District of Texas Bench/Bar Conference, November 2017
Texas Trade Secrets and Covenants Not to Compete: Recent Updates, co-authored with Harrison Scheer, presented to Texas Association of Defense Counsel Annual Meeting, September 2017 in Seattle, WA.
The Federalization of Trade Secrets – Working with the Defend Trade Secrets Act, American Bar Association, Section of Labor and Employment Law, July 2016
Counterclaims and Anti-SLAPP Actions: What Happens When the Tide Turns?, American Bar Association Employee Rights and Responsibilities Committee, March 2016
Voir Dire: Finding Your Enemies, The University of Texas School of Law CLE – Trial Skills Training Camp, October 2015
SOX, OSHA, and Beyond: Litigating Whistleblower Claims at the U.S. Department of Labor, HBA Labor & Employment Law Section – Newest Developments in Litigating Whistleblower Claims, October 2015
Covenants Not to Compete: Where We Are Now, TX Employment Lawyers Association Annual TELA Conference, October 2015 in San Miguel, Mexico
Recent Developments In Whistleblower Law: From a Whistleblower Lawyer’s
Perspective,NELA Webinar – Recent Developments in Whistleblower Law, September 2015
Trade Secrets and IP in the Age of Employee Mobility, ABA National Symposium on Technology in Labor and Employment, Panelist, March 2015 in Naples, Florida
Covenants Not to Compete and Trade Secrets, ABA Section of Labor Employment Law – Technology in Labor & Employment Law, March 2015 in San Francisco California
Code Red: Emergency Injunctive Relief in Non-Compete Cases, ERR Midwinter Meeting – ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law Employment Rights and Responsibilities, March 2015
Trade Secrets and Non-Compete Agreements in Texas: The Law is Changing. Are You Keeping Up? Texas Bar CLE Webcast, Panelist, December 7, 2010.
The Dodd-Frank Act: What it Means for Employment Lawyers, Texas Bar CLE Webcast, Panelist, November 30, 2010.
What the Texas Attorney Needs to Know About Unfair Competition and Non-Compete Claims, Lawline.com; Online CLE Seminar; 2010.
The Generational Effect of Juror Attitudes – Panelist, American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law Annual Meeting, August 5-10, 2010, San Francisco.
Employee Handbooks: The Good, The Bad, The Useless – Panelist, South Texas College of Law CLE, 23rd Annual Employment Law Conference, July 15-16, 2010, Houston.
What You Need to Know About Unfair Competition and Non-Compete Claims, Houston Bar Association Continuing Legal Education; January 28, 2010, Houston.
In The News
Benchmark Litigation 2025 Honors AZA and Three Partners for Excellence
Eleven AZA Lawyers Named Lawdragon Leading Litigators
AZA Wins $25.6 Million Jury Verdict for Healthcare Client
More than half of AZA’s attorneys honored as Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch
AZA Earns Prestigious Chambers USA Rankings for the 11th Year in a Row
Jury Refuses to Find Against Odessa Pumps; Awards It $2.4 Million
Ten AZA Lawyers Make 2023 Super Lawyers List; Two are Top in Texas
Joe Ahmad Named a Lawdragon Leading Corporate Employment Lawyer
AZA Co-Founders Honored as Best in Texas by Business Today
Twenty-Six AZA Lawyers Honored as Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch
Five AZA Partners Named Leading Litigators in America
LAWDRAGON 500 LEADING LITIGATORS IN AMERICA
Nine AZA Lawyers On the Super Lawyers List; Two in Texas Top 100
Joe Ahmad Named to Lawdragon’s List of 500 Top Corporate Employment Lawyers
AZA Represents Ben & Jerry’s in International Lawsuit Against British-based Parent Company
AZA Wins for Healthcare Clients Earn Top Verdict Rankings in Texas, US
AZA Expands Sexual Harassment Protection in Major Appellate Win against City of Houston
AZA and Three Name Partners Earn Honors in Benchmark Litigation’s 2022 Guide
Ten AZA Lawyers Make Super Lawyers List; Four Rank among Top 100
AZA Earns Texas Super Lawyers Honors; Three Make Top 100 Lists
For Seventh Year, Prestigious Chambers USA Ranks AZA Among Top Texas Commercial Litigation Firms
AZA, Three Firm Partners Honored by Benchmark Litigation Fifth Year in a Row
AZA Co-Founder Joe Ahmad Honored by the South Asian Bar Association
Prestigious Chambers USA Ranks AZA Among Top Texas Commercial Litigation Firms Sixth Year In A Row
AZA Ranked Again Among Top Texas Commercial Litigation Firms by Prestigious Chambers USA
Jury Asks to Award More Than Requested in Case AZA Joined on Eve of Trial
9 AZA Lawyers Again Named Among Nation’s Best for Commercial, Patent Litigation
AZA Ranked Among Top Texas Commercial Litigation Firms by Chambers USA
AZA’s Jane Langdell Robinson Earns Prestigious Civil Appellate Law Certification
Nine AZA Lawyers Named Among Nation’s Best for Commercial, Patent Litigation
AZA Wins Sanctions Order Against Wells Fargo in Securities Fraud Lawsuit
Chambers USA Ranks AZA Again Among Top Texas Commercial Litigation Firms
AZA, Firm Attorneys Again Earn Chambers USA Commercial Litigation Honors
Houston’s AZA Law Firm, 3 Name Partners Earn Benchmark Litigation Honors
Houston Litigation Boutique AZA Again Earns ‘Best Law Firms’ National Ranking
AZA Co-Founder Joseph Ahmad Offers Tips on Courtroom Effectiveness in Interview with Law360
Eight Lawyers from AZA Named Among Nation’s Best for Commercial, Patent Litigation
AZA Spotlighted in News Story “‘Two Greeks and a Sheik’: AZA is Exhibit A for Litigation Boutiques”
Mr. Ahmad also maintains a blog, Legal Issues in the Executive Suite, where he explores issues involving trade secrets, covenants not to compete, executive compensation and other matters of importance to executives. Click here to read Legal Issues in the Executive Suite.
- Law Clerk to Hon. Benjamin F. Gibson, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 1987-89.
- University of Michigan, J.D., 1987.
- Lawrence University, B.A. with honors, 1984.
- Admitted to bar 1987, Michigan; 1989, Texas.
- Admitted to all state and federal courts in Texas; U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin; U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York; U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York; U.S. District Court, District of Colorado; U.S. District Court, District of North Dakota; U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court.
- Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1996.
- Houston and American Bar Associations (Sections: Litigation; Labor and Employment Law; Co-Chair of Trade Secrets, Covenants Not to Compete and Duty of Loyalty Subcommittee)
- State Bar of Texas (Sections: Labor; Litigation)
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- The Association of Trial Lawyers of America
- National Employment Lawyers Association
- Houston Chapter, National Employment Lawyers Association (past president – 2000)
- Fellow, Houston Bar Foundation
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Board President of the Houston Area Parkinson’s Society
- Brady v. Fort Bend County and R. George Molina, 58 F.3d 173 (5th Cir. 1995), reh’g en banc granted (Aug. 25, 1995), appeal dismissed (Nov. 17, 1995)
- Primeaux v. Conoco, 961 S.W.2d 401 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1997, no writ)
- Washington v. HCA Health Services of Texas, Inc., 152 F.3d 464 (5th Cir. 1998), cert. granted 119 S.Ct. 2388 (1999)
- Brady v. Fort Bend County, 145 F.3d 691 (5th Cir. 1998), cert. denied 119 S.Ct. 873 (1999)
- Pratt v. City of Houston, Tex., 247 F.3d 601 (5th Cir. 2001)
- Siler-Khodr v. University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, 261 F.3d 542 (5th Cir. 2001)
- Mota v. University of Texas Houston Health Science Center, 261 F.3d 512 (5th Cir. 2001)
Restrictive Covenants and NDAs, Moderator for American Bar Association webinar, September 2024
Multi-Jurisdictional Issues in Noncompete Enforcement, American Bar Association, Section of Labor and Employment Law, March 2024
Taking aim at non-competes, ELA/ABA 7th Transatlantic Conference: The Global Working World – Evolution, Opportunity and Challenge, Webinar, October 2021
SLAPP Your Opponents: What Employment Lawyers Need to Know about the Anti-SLAPP Law, State Bar of Texas Webcast, October 2018
The Brave New World of Trade Secrets and Non-Competes: Drafting and Negotiating Non-Compete and Confidentiality Agreements, American Bar Association webinar, February 2018
Motions Practice in the Houston and Galveston Divisions: What’s New, and What Can Be Improved?, Southern District of Texas Bench/Bar Conference, November 2017
Texas Trade Secrets and Covenants Not to Compete: Recent Updates, co-authored with Harrison Scheer, presented to Texas Association of Defense Counsel Annual Meeting, September 2017 in Seattle, WA.
The Federalization of Trade Secrets – Working with the Defend Trade Secrets Act, American Bar Association, Section of Labor and Employment Law, July 2016
Counterclaims and Anti-SLAPP Actions: What Happens When the Tide Turns?, American Bar Association Employee Rights and Responsibilities Committee, March 2016
Voir Dire: Finding Your Enemies, The University of Texas School of Law CLE – Trial Skills Training Camp, October 2015
SOX, OSHA, and Beyond: Litigating Whistleblower Claims at the U.S. Department of Labor, HBA Labor & Employment Law Section – Newest Developments in Litigating Whistleblower Claims, October 2015
Covenants Not to Compete: Where We Are Now, TX Employment Lawyers Association Annual TELA Conference, October 2015 in San Miguel, Mexico
Recent Developments In Whistleblower Law: From a Whistleblower Lawyer’s
Perspective,NELA Webinar – Recent Developments in Whistleblower Law, September 2015
Trade Secrets and IP in the Age of Employee Mobility, ABA National Symposium on Technology in Labor and Employment, Panelist, March 2015 in Naples, Florida
Covenants Not to Compete and Trade Secrets, ABA Section of Labor Employment Law – Technology in Labor & Employment Law, March 2015 in San Francisco California
Code Red: Emergency Injunctive Relief in Non-Compete Cases, ERR Midwinter Meeting – ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law Employment Rights and Responsibilities, March 2015
Trade Secrets and Non-Compete Agreements in Texas: The Law is Changing. Are You Keeping Up? Texas Bar CLE Webcast, Panelist, December 7, 2010.
The Dodd-Frank Act: What it Means for Employment Lawyers, Texas Bar CLE Webcast, Panelist, November 30, 2010.
What the Texas Attorney Needs to Know About Unfair Competition and Non-Compete Claims, Lawline.com; Online CLE Seminar; 2010.
The Generational Effect of Juror Attitudes – Panelist, American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law Annual Meeting, August 5-10, 2010, San Francisco.
Employee Handbooks: The Good, The Bad, The Useless – Panelist, South Texas College of Law CLE, 23rd Annual Employment Law Conference, July 15-16, 2010, Houston.
What You Need to Know About Unfair Competition and Non-Compete Claims, Houston Bar Association Continuing Legal Education; January 28, 2010, Houston.
Benchmark Litigation 2025 Honors AZA and Three Partners for Excellence
Eleven AZA Lawyers Named Lawdragon Leading Litigators
AZA Wins $25.6 Million Jury Verdict for Healthcare Client
More than half of AZA’s attorneys honored as Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch
AZA Earns Prestigious Chambers USA Rankings for the 11th Year in a Row
Jury Refuses to Find Against Odessa Pumps; Awards It $2.4 Million
Ten AZA Lawyers Make 2023 Super Lawyers List; Two are Top in Texas
Joe Ahmad Named a Lawdragon Leading Corporate Employment Lawyer
AZA Co-Founders Honored as Best in Texas by Business Today
Twenty-Six AZA Lawyers Honored as Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch
Five AZA Partners Named Leading Litigators in America
LAWDRAGON 500 LEADING LITIGATORS IN AMERICA
Nine AZA Lawyers On the Super Lawyers List; Two in Texas Top 100
Joe Ahmad Named to Lawdragon’s List of 500 Top Corporate Employment Lawyers
AZA Represents Ben & Jerry’s in International Lawsuit Against British-based Parent Company
AZA Wins for Healthcare Clients Earn Top Verdict Rankings in Texas, US
AZA Expands Sexual Harassment Protection in Major Appellate Win against City of Houston
AZA and Three Name Partners Earn Honors in Benchmark Litigation’s 2022 Guide
Ten AZA Lawyers Make Super Lawyers List; Four Rank among Top 100
AZA Earns Texas Super Lawyers Honors; Three Make Top 100 Lists
For Seventh Year, Prestigious Chambers USA Ranks AZA Among Top Texas Commercial Litigation Firms
AZA, Three Firm Partners Honored by Benchmark Litigation Fifth Year in a Row
AZA Co-Founder Joe Ahmad Honored by the South Asian Bar Association
Prestigious Chambers USA Ranks AZA Among Top Texas Commercial Litigation Firms Sixth Year In A Row
AZA Ranked Again Among Top Texas Commercial Litigation Firms by Prestigious Chambers USA
Jury Asks to Award More Than Requested in Case AZA Joined on Eve of Trial
9 AZA Lawyers Again Named Among Nation’s Best for Commercial, Patent Litigation
AZA Ranked Among Top Texas Commercial Litigation Firms by Chambers USA
AZA’s Jane Langdell Robinson Earns Prestigious Civil Appellate Law Certification
Nine AZA Lawyers Named Among Nation’s Best for Commercial, Patent Litigation
AZA Wins Sanctions Order Against Wells Fargo in Securities Fraud Lawsuit
Chambers USA Ranks AZA Again Among Top Texas Commercial Litigation Firms
AZA, Firm Attorneys Again Earn Chambers USA Commercial Litigation Honors
Houston’s AZA Law Firm, 3 Name Partners Earn Benchmark Litigation Honors
Houston Litigation Boutique AZA Again Earns ‘Best Law Firms’ National Ranking
AZA Co-Founder Joseph Ahmad Offers Tips on Courtroom Effectiveness in Interview with Law360
Eight Lawyers from AZA Named Among Nation’s Best for Commercial, Patent Litigation
AZA Spotlighted in News Story “‘Two Greeks and a Sheik’: AZA is Exhibit A for Litigation Boutiques”
AZA are our go-to firm for high-stakes litigations
