Thomas Frashier is a trial lawyer who has brought his clients success on both sides of the “v,” securing multiple eight-figure judgments for his clients as plaintiffs and successfully defending against eight-figure and nine-figure claims for his clients as defendants.

Thomas focuses on complex commercial cases. He has significant experience in breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, fraud, and construction disputes. He also represents clients in intellectual property cases including in trademark, copyright, and trade secret misappropriation cases.

Thomas has successfully represented clients in all arenas—including state, federal, and specialized business courts across the country, arbitrations, pre-suit representations, executive compensation negotiations, and administrative proceedings.

Representative Trial and Arbitration Experience

• As lead counsel, prevailed in a $34 million business valuation arbitration in California.
• As lead counsel, prevailed in a $7.8 million real-estate arbitration in California.
• As trial counsel, obtained a judgment of $28 million recognized as a “Top-20” largest plaintiff verdict in Texas in 2022 in a breach of contract dispute on behalf of the Port of Houston in the Southern District of Texas.
• As trial counsel, dismantled the plaintiff’s damages expert on cross examination causing withdrawal of $90 million damages model in a two-week fraud jury trial in Delaware Business Court.
• At arbitration, represented a midstream pipeline company in right-of-first-refusal breach of contract claim for specific performance claims worth over $100 million.
• As trial counsel, obtained jury trial victory after a weeklong jury trial for a local celebrity in construction dispute in Texas District Court.
• As trial counsel, prevailed in a trademark dispute on behalf of a local non-profit in the Northern District of Illinois.
• At trial, obtained over $10 million judgment in a breach of contract case against major insurer in a two-week jury trial the Eastern District of Arkansas. AZA was hired for the case one week before trial.
• As trial counsel, Thomas represented an energy company in a breach of contract case in a three-week jury trial with disputed claims of over $13 million in Texas District Court.
• In an administrative trial, obtained a “not guilty” verdict for more than 40 members of a university organization against counts of attempted assault, vandalism, and more than 40 counts of obstruction of a police investigation.

Other Representative Experience

• As lead counsel, prevailed in fraud and breach of fiduciary duty case in California state court, resulting in a take-nothing settlement at the courthouse with full release of claims vindicating his client.
• As lead counsel, obtained a $10 million settlement in a breach of contract claim where the defendant claimed less than $1.5 million of liquidated damages were owed.
• As lead counsel, prevailed in breach of contract dispute, enforcing a non-circumvention agreement and recovering damages relating to $175 million de-SPAC transaction.
• Obtained a Temporary Restraining Order to enforce confidentiality, non-compete, and non-solicit agreements against founder and CEO of a company sold for $350 million.
• As lead counsel, successfully represented defendant energy company in $1.3 million dollar breach of contract and fraud claim.
• As lead counsel, was hired into 10-year-pending breach of contract case after a finding of liability had already been found at a previous bench trial. Plaintiff claimed over $1 million in damages. Prior to the second trial, obtained summary judgment that plaintiff’s damages were zero as a matter of law.
• Obtained a total defense win in precedential “Sad Beige Lawsuit,” an influencer copyright case called “the first of its kind” by the Court and reported on the Sunday cover of the New York Times and as one of Law 360’s “Copyright Cases to Watch.”
• Successfully represented Ben & Jerry’s in a multi-million dollar breach of contract dispute against parent company Unilever/Conopco to enforce one-of-a-kind independent board agreement to preserve the social mission and values of the company.

Thomas graduated from the University of Michigan Law School. Before attending law school, he attended Southwestern University where he was a scholarship Tenor and the first conference champion swimmer for the men’s swim team.

Beyond representing his clients, Thomas is committed to service in the Bar and his community. He is a champion for early childhood literacy, which was the focus of his Eagle Scout project and is a cause he continues to support as a member of the HBA Lawyers for Literacy Committee, including as a former Co-Chair. He continues to support the mission of children’s reading and writing by serving on the Board of Directors of Writers in the Schools. Before his legal career, he served as a volunteer Civics and English Language Instructor at Manos de Crito in Austin, where he helped permanent residents gain U.S. citizenship in the final stages of naturalization process. In 2025, Thomas was recognized for his volunteer service as a fellow of the Houston Young Lawyer’s Foundation, with membership and recognition limited to 1% of young lawyers.

Thomas was also recognized with the 2026 Southwestern University Distinguished Young Alumnus Award for success, leadership, and service in his professional and personal life.

EDUCATION

• University of Michigan Law School, J.D., cum laude
  • Michigan Business & Entrepreneurial Law Review (Executive Articles Editor)
  • Research Assistant – Professor Patrick Barry
  • Texas Club (Co-Founder & Vice-President)
  • First-Generation Law Students

• Southwestern University, B.A. in Business, cum laude

ADMISSIONS

• State Bar of Texas
• Eastern District of Texas
• Southern District of Texas
• Western District of Texas
• Northern District of Texas
• U.S. Court of Appeals 5^th Circuit

ASSOCIATIONS AND SERVICE

• Writers in the Schools Houston
  • Board of Directors 2025-2028
  • Executive Committee, Governance Committee Chair 2025 -Present
• Houston Bar Association:
  • Lawyers for Literacy Committee, 2021 – Present, former Co-Chair
  • Bench Bar Conference Committee, 2022 – Present
  • Litigation Section
• Houston Young Lawyers Association
  • Board Liaison to Houston Lawyer Referral Service 2024 – Present
  • Co-Chair, Judiciary Committee 2024-26
  • Captain, HBAA Chili Cook-Off Team (2026 People’s Choice Award winners)
• Houston Lawyer Referral Service
  • Board of Directors 2024 -Present
  • Chair, Experienced Panel Committee, 2025 -Present
• Houston Young Lawyers Foundation, Fellow
• Houston Zoo
  • Flock Donor’s Club
  • Centennial Ball After-Party Committee

AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS

• 2025-26 Outstanding Young Lawyer – Houston Young Lawyers Association (HYLA)
• 2026 Distinguished Young Alumnus – Southwestern University
• Houston Young Lawyers Foundation Fellow
• Houston Bar Foundation Fellow
• Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2026-)
• Eagle Scout
• GRAMMY Signature School Gold Award (2011 Allen High School, Choir, Tenor)

IN THE NEWS

• AZA Lawyer Thomas Frashier Named Outstanding Young Lawyer
• Over Half of the AZA Firm Named on Super Lawyers and Rising Stars 2026 Lists
• ‘First of its Kind’ Influencer Copyright Case Dropped Against AZA Client
• AZA Social Media Influencer Case Featured in The New York Times
• Can You Copyright a Vibe?
• Influencer Hasn’t Shown She’s ‘Special’ In IP Row, Rival Says
• The influencer lawsuit that could change the industry
• Ben & Jerry’s Says Unilever ‘Covertly’ Took TMs After Merger
• $22M Port Damage Verdict Against Louis Dreyfus Stands
• AZA Represents Ben & Jerry’s in International Lawsuit Against British-based Parent Company
• Ben & Jerry’s Sues Parent for Backtracking on West Bank Ice Cream Sales Stance
• AZA Wins Trademark Dispute for Illinois Youth Football Team
• AZA Selected as a Finalist for National Elite Trial Law Firm 2022
• AZA Client Port of Houston Wins $22.32 Million Jury Verdict in Federal Court