James M. Richardson

Jim Richardson is a leading Texas trial lawyer in general and commercial litigation.

Jim has annually been named one of the nation's Best Lawyers® in Commercial Litigation for over a decade. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers® for over 16 years, including being named a Top 50 Central & West Texas Super Lawyer® numerous times as featured in Texas Monthly. The firm is ranked Tier 1 in Commercial Litigation by U.S. News and World Report and Best Law Firms®, a division of BL Rankings, an elite honor limited to the nation's top law firms.

Jim was elected President of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, serving from 2020 through 2022, and continues as Immediate Past President. He is also President of the Austin-Area Chapter of the National Board of Trial Advocacy.

Earning broad recognition as a skilled trial lawyer, Jim has been annually named to the National Trial Lawyers Top 100™ and Austin Monthly's Top Lawyers in Austin and San Antonio. Jim has attained the highest possible rating of Judicial AV®Preeminent™ 5.0-5 by Martindale-Hubbell/LexisNexis and is annually listed as one of Texas' Top Rate Lawyers™.

He holds three active Board Certifications, one by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Civil Trial Law, and two national certifications by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Civil Trial Law and Civil Practice Advocacy. He has been recertified multiple times in all three specialty areas.

Jim is an active member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and has served as a course director, moderator, and presenter at numerous legal programs on trial advocacy, evidence, and procedure.

Practice Areas: Trial and Arbitration; Temporary and Permanent Injunctions; Breach of Fiduciary Duty; Fraud; Breach of Contract; Shareholder and Partnership Disputes; Interference with Contractual Relations; Real Estate Litigation; Partition and Easements; Rights of Way; Trusts and Estates; Financial Crimes; Probate Litigation; Business Torts and Technology; Construction Litigation; Marriage Dissolution and Property Claims; Professional Liability and Legal Malpractice; Employment Disputes; Environmental Litigation; Negligence.

Recognitions

• President, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 2020-2022
• Immediate Past President, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 2022-2024
• President, NBTA-Austin Area Chapter, 2017-present
• Past Chair, Civil Litigation Section, Austin Bar Association
• BL Rankings' Best Lawyers in America©, Commercial Litigation, 2012-2024
• Ranked Tier 1 in Commercial Litigation, BL Rankings' U.S. News & World Report and Best Law Firms®, 2023, 2024
• Top 50 Texas Super Lawyers®, Central and West Texas Region, by Thomson Reuters, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019
• Texas Super Lawyers - 16 Years
• Top 100 Trial Lawyers®, The National Trial Lawyers™
• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Member and Fellow, 2012-present
• Martindale-Hubbell/LexisNexis, Rated: Judicial AV®Preeminent™ 5.0-5, 1987-present
• Named, Society of Scholars 20-Year Fellow, College of the State Bar of Texas, 2022
• Editor-in-Chief, Tulsa Law Review
• Outstanding Law Graduate, Oklahoma Bar Association

Board Certifications

• Board Certified – Civil Trial Law – Texas Board of Legal Specialization 2002
• Board Certified – Civil Trial Law – National Board of Trial Advocacy 2003
• Board Certified – Civil Practice Advocacy – National Board of Trial Advocacy 2012

Only 930 attorneys—less than 1% of licensed Texas lawyers—are double-board certified

Professional Activities and Memberships

• President, National Board of Trial Advocacy (2020-2022); Immediate Past President (2022-present); Executive Committee (2016-present); Board of Directors (2015-present); State Coordinator–Texas (2013-present); Civil Trial Advocate (2002-present); Civil Practice Advocate (2015-present)
• Founding President, NBTA-Austin Area Chapter (2015-present)
• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) (2012-present)
• State Bar of Texas, Member (1981-present); Rules of Evidence Committee (1996-98); Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct Committee (2000-04); Panel Chair, District 9A Grievance Committee (2002-03)(Member from 1997); Member, College of the State Bar of Texas (2002 to present); Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas (2019 to present)
• Austin Bar Association, Board of Directors (1997-99); Past Chair, Civil Litigation Section (Immediate Past-Chair, 2016-17; Chair, 2015-16; Vice-Chair, 2013-14; Treasurer, 2012-13; Secretary 2011-12)
• American Inns of Court, Robert W. Calvert Chapter, Senior Master (2005-present)
• Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow (1999-present)
• Austin Bar Foundation, Founding Life Fellow (2005-present)
• Special Counsel to the Attorney General, State of Texas (1981-82)

Representative Experience

• Lead counsel in real estate fraud and construction defect claims regarding 350,000-square-foot office building, confidential settlement reached.
• Represented attorneys as to an alleged $250 million claim regarding an integrated circuit for Intel motherboards, judgment for client.
• Multiparty lead counsel in United States Superfund litigation related to a former mining operation, confidential settlement reached.
• Prosecuted claims against air cargo carrier for alleged breach of lease and fuel contract, confidential settlement reached on the first day of trial.
• Represented tile manufacturer as to alleged construction defect claims by one of Austin's largest residential condominium projects.
• Prosecuted one of Texas' largest lawsuits for breach of fiduciary duty as to insider commercial real estate loans, confidential settlement reached.
• Prosecuted multimillion-dollar claims for invasion of privacy related to electronic surveillance, confidential settlement reached.
• Prosecuted claims for breach of real estate partnership and fraud, confidential settlement reached after five-day jury winning verdict.
• Prosecuted claims against a Fortune 100 bank for breach of contract, confidential settlement reached after a five-day winning verdict.
• Prosecuted claims against a Fortune 500 petroleum company for wrongful termination of an executive employee, confidential settlement reached after a ten-day jury trial.
• Represented the executor of a multimillion-dollar estate on claims of constructive fraud, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty - case dismissed.
• Represented the executor against alleged claims for breach of fiduciary duty as to an automobile dealership, judgment for the executor.

Bar Admissions

• State Bar of Texas 1981
• United States Supreme Court 1989
• United States District Court, Western District of Texas 1985
• United States District Court, Southern District of Texas 1982
• United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit 1982

Education

• University of California at Los Angeles 1977 – B.A., magna cum laude (Top 10%)
• University of Tulsa College of Law 1981– J.D., (Top 10%)
• Hanford Joint Union High School, Hanford, California