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Our Attorneys » Thomas H. Watkins
Thomas H. Watkins
Partner
I like people. I like solving people’s problems. I like competition. I like presenting ideas and concepts. What else could I be? I never remember wanting to be anything but a trial lawyer. One of the cases of which I am exceptionally proud is winning the jury verdict for Axiom against Silicon Labs. We defeated all the patent claims and trade secret theft claims allowing the company to continue in existence. A very personally rewarding case was preserving the SOS ordinance for the City of Austin. It was a massive trial with high quality opposition. The result was very important to the preservation of Barton Springs. Outside of work and the courtroom, my wife and I enjoy movies and plays. We love introducing our grandchildren to new ideas as expressed in both.
Legal Experience
Tom Watkins has practiced full-time litigation for over 40 years. He was invited to be a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers in October 1990 and the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America for a number of years. He is experienced in handling high profile litigation requiring direct contact with the media.
Specific Matters of Representation
- Civil Litigation
- Class Actions
- Business Organization Litigation
- Asset Recovery Litigation
- Legal Malpractice Defense
- Patent/Trade Secret Litigation
- Municipal, Estate, Corporate, and Employment Litigation
- Health Care Litigation
Education
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Bachelor of Laws, The University of Texas School of Law
- Phi Delta Phi
- Bachelor of Arts in Government, University of Oklahoma
Professional Licenses
- Attorney at Law, Texas, 1964
- Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Civil Trial Law, Board Certified
Court Admissions
- United States Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- United States Tax Court
- United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
Prior Professional Experience
- Hilgers & Watkins, P.C., Director and Executive Vice President
Speeches and Publications
Mr. Watkins has been privileged to be on the faculty for many legal education programs including the State Bar of Texas, Travis County Bar Association, the University of Texas, University of Houston, South Texas College of Law, Practicing Law Institute, SMU, CLE International, and private industry. He has authored the following articles:
- Avoiding Malpractice at the Speed of Light: Are your Email Communications Protected and Secure?, Texas Bar Journal, 2005, Article
- Balancing the New Texas Ethics Rules with Federal Ethics Requirements, 23rd Annual Advanced Business Bankruptcy Course, May 2005
- Malpractice Issues in the Technology Sector, 17th Annual Computer & Technology Law Institute Conference at The University of Texas in Austin, 2004, Speech
- A Rose Is a Rose Is a Rose - Or Is It? Fiduciary and DTPA Claims Against Attorneys, St. Mary's Law Journal, Volume 35 Number 4, 2004, Article
Professional Memberships and Activities
- American Bar Association
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- American College of Trial Lawyers, 1990-Present
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America
- Supreme Court Task Force on Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, Chairman
-
State Bar of Texas
- Board of Disciplinary Appeals, Chairman, 1992-1994
- District 9 Grievance Committee, Chairman, 1986-1989
- Board of Directors, 1981-1983
- Professional Ethics Committee, Former Member
- CLE Committee, Chairman
- College of the State Bar of Texas
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Texas Commission for Lawyer Discipline, Member, 1995-1999
-
Travis County Bar Association
- President, 1979
-
Austin Junior Bar Association
- President, 1972
Honors
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AV® Preeminent ™ Peer Review Rated
- AV® Preeminent ™ and BV® Distinguished™ are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies.
- Recognized in Best Lawyers in America, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation & Patent Litigation, 2011
- Recognized as “Super Lawyer," Business Litigation, named by Law & Politics Media and published in Texas Monthly, 2010
- Professionalism Award from Texas Center for Legal Ethics, 2003
- State Bar/Texas Gene Cavin Award for Excellence in Continuing Legal Education, May 2003
- Distinguished Lawyer Award for 2000 from the Travis County Bar Association, May 2000
- State/Bar/Texas Presidential Citation for leadership in improving SBOT grievance system, 1999
- Lola Wright Foundation Award in memory of Coleman Gay for outstanding public service in the enhancement of legal ethics in Texas, 1995
- State/Bar/Texas President’s Special Recognition for service to SBOT and public while Chairman of the Board of Disciplinary Appeals, 1993
- Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, Austin Junior Bar Association, 1972
Community Involvement
- Expanding Horizons
- March of Dimes
- First Methodist of Austin, Former Chairman of Board/Directors
- Travis County Mental Health Association, former Director and Vice President
- Texas Association of Mental Health, former Director, Treasurer, and President
- National Association of Mental Health, former Director, Vice President, and President