Mike Gorrell is a trial lawyer who delivers winning results for both plaintiffs and defendants. He focuses on complex commercial litigation, including breach of contract, business torts, and trade secret misappropriation. He also has considerable experience in environmental and personal injury matters. He has represented clients spanning the spectrum from individuals to publicly traded Fortune 500 companies.
Mr. Gorrell has had an active role in multiple trials in state and federal court, including opening statements and direct and cross examinations of key fact and expert witnesses. He also has extensive experience in all pretrial stages of disputes, including taking and defending depositions of fact and expert witnesses and authoring and arguing dispositive motions.
His recent representative matters include:
- As trial counsel, defeated a $123.7 million breach of contract claim in the first major Winter Storm Uri natural gas trading jury trial. At trial, Mr. Gorrell delivered the opening statement and directly examined a key technical expert witness. After deliberating for less than three hours, the jury returned a complete defense verdict for Mr. Gorrell’s client.
- As trial counsel, obtained a nearly $9 million judgment against his client’s former employees for conspiracy, trade secret misappropriation, and breach of fiduciary duties. At trial, Mr. Gorrell cross-examined a named defendant against whom the jury awarded punitive damages. He also delivered compelling direct and cross examinations of expert witnesses that resulted in a significant fees award.
- As co-lead counsel, prevailed in an arbitration regarding an environmental dispute pursuant to an asset divestiture.
- Obtained summary judgment for an international energy company in a $10 million offshore platform wrongful death case in federal court in California. Mr. Gorrell authored and argued his client’s summary judgment motion. The court ruled that Mr. Gorrell’s client had no liability and entered a take-nothing judgment.
Mr. Gorrell graduated from Harvard Law School in 2022. While at Harvard, Mr. Gorrell was a student practitioner for the Veterans Law and Disability Benefits Clinic. During his time with the clinic, Mr. Gorrell argued and won a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge, co-authored a writ of mandamus that was accepted by the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and led to a reversal of VA policy, and argued a class certification motion before the MA Superior Court.
Prior to attending law school, Mr. Gorrell served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force as an acquisitions officer directing weapons systems development and test programs and received numerous awards throughout his military service. He spent his final year of service as an air operations officer for the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Timbuktu, Mali.
Mike Gorrell is a trial lawyer who delivers winning results for both plaintiffs and defendants. He focuses on complex commercial litigation, including breach of contract, business torts, and trade secret misappropriation. He also has considerable experience in environmental and personal injury matters. He has represented clients spanning the spectrum from individuals to publicly traded Fortune 500 companies.
Mr. Gorrell has had an active role in multiple trials in state and federal court, including opening statements and direct and cross examinations of key fact and expert witnesses. He also has extensive experience in all pretrial stages of disputes, including taking and defending depositions of fact and expert witnesses and authoring and arguing dispositive motions.
His recent representative matters include:
- As trial counsel, defeated a $123.7 million breach of contract claim in the first major Winter Storm Uri natural gas trading jury trial. At trial, Mr. Gorrell delivered the opening statement and directly examined a key technical expert witness. After deliberating for less than three hours, the jury returned a complete defense verdict for Mr. Gorrell’s client.
- As trial counsel, obtained a nearly $9 million judgment against his client’s former employees for conspiracy, trade secret misappropriation, and breach of fiduciary duties. At trial, Mr. Gorrell cross-examined a named defendant against whom the jury awarded punitive damages. He also delivered compelling direct and cross examinations of expert witnesses that resulted in a significant fees award.
- As co-lead counsel, prevailed in an arbitration regarding an environmental dispute pursuant to an asset divestiture.
- Obtained summary judgment for an international energy company in a $10 million offshore platform wrongful death case in federal court in California. Mr. Gorrell authored and argued his client’s summary judgment motion. The court ruled that Mr. Gorrell’s client had no liability and entered a take-nothing judgment.
Mr. Gorrell graduated from Harvard Law School in 2022. While at Harvard, Mr. Gorrell was a student practitioner for the Veterans Law and Disability Benefits Clinic. During his time with the clinic, Mr. Gorrell argued and won a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge, co-authored a writ of mandamus that was accepted by the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and led to a reversal of VA policy, and argued a class certification motion before the MA Superior Court.
Prior to attending law school, Mr. Gorrell served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force as an acquisitions officer directing weapons systems development and test programs and received numerous awards throughout his military service. He spent his final year of service as an air operations officer for the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Timbuktu, Mali.
EDUCATION
Harvard Law School, J.D., 2022
- Dean’s Scholar Prize, Employment Law
- Veterans Law and Disability Clinic, Student Practitioner
- Harvard Law Armed Forces Association, Co-President
- Harvard Law School Program on International Law and Armed Conflict, Research Assistant
- Member of the Harvard International Law Journal
Oklahoma State University, M.B.A, 2015
Pennsylvania State University, Schreyer Honors College, B.S., in Finance, 2008
ADMISSIONS
- State Bar of Texas
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
HONORS AND AWARDS
- Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation, 2024-2026
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2025-2026
- Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2026-)
IN THE NEWS
- Seven AZA Lawyers Named to Lawdragon 2026 500 X – The Next Generation of Leading Lawyers
- 26 AZA Attorneys Honored as 2026 Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch
- Six AZA Lawyers Named to Lawdragon’s 2025 500 X – The Next Generation of Leading Lawyers in America
- AZA Defeats $123.7 Million Breach of Contract Claim in First Major Winter Storm Uri Natural Gas Trading Jury Trial
- More than half of AZA’s attorneys honored as Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch
- Six AZA Lawyers Named to Lawdragon’s 2024 Next Generation of Leading Lawyers
- AZA Wins Dismissal of California Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against International Energy Company
- Texas Jury returns nearly $9M verdict against Toby Eoff and others involved in conspiracy against energy giant
Harvard Law School, J.D., 2022
- Dean’s Scholar Prize, Employment Law
- Veterans Law and Disability Clinic, Student Practitioner
- Harvard Law Armed Forces Association, Co-President
- Harvard Law School Program on International Law and Armed Conflict, Research Assistant
- Member of the Harvard International Law Journal
Oklahoma State University, M.B.A, 2015
Pennsylvania State University, Schreyer Honors College, B.S., in Finance, 2008
- State Bar of Texas
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation, 2024-2026
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2025-2026
- Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2026-)
- Seven AZA Lawyers Named to Lawdragon 2026 500 X – The Next Generation of Leading Lawyers
- 26 AZA Attorneys Honored as 2026 Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch
- Six AZA Lawyers Named to Lawdragon’s 2025 500 X – The Next Generation of Leading Lawyers in America
- AZA Defeats $123.7 Million Breach of Contract Claim in First Major Winter Storm Uri Natural Gas Trading Jury Trial
- More than half of AZA’s attorneys honored as Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch
- Six AZA Lawyers Named to Lawdragon’s 2024 Next Generation of Leading Lawyers
- AZA Wins Dismissal of California Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against International Energy Company
- Texas Jury returns nearly $9M verdict against Toby Eoff and others involved in conspiracy against energy giant
AZA are our go-to firm for high-stakes litigations
