James M. Richardson

Trial Lawyer | Commercial Litigation

Jim Richardson is a preeminent Civil Trial Lawyer with decades of success in complex commercial disputes. He is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and holds dual national certifications from the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Civil Trial Law and Civil Practice Advocacy — a distinction held by fewer than 1% of Texas attorneys.

He has successfully handled complex trials involving fiduciary duties, real estate, construction, contracts, fraud, and trust and estate disputes — securing multimillion-dollar settlements, including a multimillion-dollar judgment in fiduciary fraud litigation and significant resolutions in environmental cases.

From 2020 to 2022, Jim served as President of the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He currently serves on the NBTA Board of Directors and its executive committee, and leads the NBTA Austin-Area Chapter. He is a long-standing member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an invitation-only group of the nation’s most accomplished trial lawyers and judges.

Jim has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America for Commercial Litigation for fifteen consecutive editions (2012-2026), has been annually named by Super Lawyers for nearly twenty years, and has repeatedly been listed in the Top 50 Super Lawyers in Central & West Texas. He holds the highest AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is featured in The Trial Attorneys Guide as the only Texas lawyer listed for 2025–2026. His firm, Richardson Firm PLLC, holds a Tier 1 ranking in Commercial Litigation in Best Law Firms.

A frequent speaker and moderator, Jim presents CLE programs on trial advocacy, evidence, and procedure. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the Tulsa Law Review and has held leadership positions in the Austin Bar Association and American Inns of Court.

Practice Focus

• Contract litigation

• Fraud and breach of fiduciary duty litigation

• Real estate litigation

• Partnership and corporate shareholder disputes

• Financial fraud and white-collar crime litigation

• Environmental litigation

• Professional malpractice litigation

• Construction litigation

• Trust and estate litigation

Representative Matters

• Litigated $150 million fraud claims against banking insiders and borrowers; favorably resolved.

• Prosecuted one of Austin’s most complex multi-state real estate fraud and construction cases involving more than $50 million, as reported by the Austin Business Journal.

• Secured $5.6 million judgment in fiduciary fraud litigation.

• Obtained full summary judgment for law firm in $250 million lost profits case over lost Intel motherboard contract; favorably settled post-judgment.
• Prosecuted $8 million fraudulent invoice scheme; achieved advantageous settlement.
• Defended claims in U.S. Superfund litigation involving abandoned mining operations; resolved favorably.
• Defended executor in complex probate litigation involving a major Texas automobile dealership; achieved dismissal of all claims.
• Obtained jury verdict in client’s favor against a Fortune 100 bank for breach of lease involving a major downtown office building.
• Prosecuted wrongful termination claims on behalf of a senior executive officer of a large oil company; favorably resolved post-jury trial.

Selected Honors and Recognitions

• Best Lawyers in America – Commercial Litigation (National and Texas Editions, 2012–2026)
• Best Law Firms, Tier 1 – Commercial Litigation (2022–2025)
• Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) – 18 years
• Top 50 Super Lawyers, Central & West Texas Region (Thomson Reuters 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019)
• Ranked AV Preeminent Judicial Rating (highest), Martindale-Hubbell (1987–present)
• National Trial Lawyers Top 100 (2019–present)
• The Trial Attorneys Guide – Recommended Trial Attorneys Nationwide (2025–2026)
• The Construction Attorneys Guide – Only Texas lawyer featured (2025–2026)
• Top Lawyers, Austin Monthly (Austin & San Antonio)
• 20-Year Fellow, Society of Scholars, Texas Bar College
• Outstanding Law Graduate Award, Oklahoma Bar Association
• Editor-in-Chief, Tulsa Law Review

Board Certifications

• Civil Trial Law – Texas Board of Legal Specialization (2002)

• Civil Trial Advocate – National Board of Trial Advocacy (2003)

• Civil Practice Advocate – National Board of Trial Advocacy (2012)

Leadership and Service

• President, National Board of Trial Advocacy (2020–2022); Immediate Past President (2022–present)

• Founding President, NBTA Austin-Area Chapter (2015–present)

• Member, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) (2012–present)

• Chair, Civil Litigation Section; Board of Directors, Austin Bar Association

• Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation; Fellow, Austin Bar Foundation

• Master, Robert W. Calvert American Inns of Court (2000–present)

• Member, Texas Rules of Evidence Committee; Texas Disciplinary Rules of Conduct Committee; District 9A Grievance Committee

• Special Counsel to the Attorney General, State of Texas – Prison Reform Litigation

Bar Admissions

• Texas State Courts

• U.S. Supreme Court

• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

• U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas

• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas

Education

• J.D., University of Tulsa College of Law (1981) – Curule Chair

• B.A., University of California, Los Angeles (1977) – Magna cum laude

• Hanford Joint Union High School, Hanford, California