Top best E Lawyers in ZIP 77010 | 833 available

Joshua W. Mermis is a founding partner of West Mermis, PLLC. He has broad experience in litigation, construction, energy and business matters. Joshua has extensive trial experience having conducted jury and bench trials, as well as arbitrations involving significant multi-million-dollar commercial projects throughout Texas. He represents operators, general contractors, subcontractors, developers, suppliers, product manufacturers, businesses and individuals in a variety of disputes. Joshua is licensed in Texas.Joshua is board certified in construction law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He has been selected as a Texas Super Lawyer by Thompson Reuters, which is an honor conferred upon only on 5% of the total lawyers in Texas. He has been recognized as a BestLawyer. He was also selected by his peers for inclusion in H Texas Magazine Top Lawyer and Houstonian Top Lawyer. Joshua is the past Chair of the Houston Bar Association Construction Law Section. West Mermis, PLLC has been rated a Best Law Firm by US News & World Report.

I was licensed to practice law in the State of Texas in 2010 and am admitted to practice in all United States District Courts in the State of Texas, as well as in the Fifth Circuit. I have experience in wage and hour litigation, collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act, cases involving employment contracts, employment discrimination cases, and ERISA litigation, as well as more broad-based commercial litigation and appellate experience.

I started The Toppins Law Firm PC in 2002 after working in the in-house legal departments of Exxon and SBC Communications ( ATT).  I have 26 years of legal experience. I graduated with Cum Laude honors from a top tier school, Tulane Law School and from University of Massachussets, My expertise is business/commercial transactions and corporate matters as well as corporate immigration matters. I mostly represent international clients although I have represented some local US clients. I have received many awards and recognitions trhoughout my 26 years of work life. The two most recent recognitions were "2011 Women on the Move- Texas Executive Women and 2015 "Women in the Fast Lane", from the Greater Houston Womens Chamber of Commerce.

I represent plaintiffs who have been hurt. I am board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and handle catastrophic personal injury cases, but I also practice construction, securities, and complex commercial litigation, for companies and individuals.. I am a native Houstonian and attended St. Thomas High School where I currently serve on the board. I went to Harvard and graduated with high honors, magna cum laude, in 2004. At Harvard, I served as Historian of the Harvard Political Union, the College's debating society, and as Secretary of Harvard CHANCE, a group dedicated to mentoring and tutoring students from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. While participating in the leadership of CHANCE, I also helped two recently-immigrated students prepare for their English as a Second Language exam. After graduating from college, I came back to Texas for law school, finishing with Honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 2007. During my time there, I served as Development Editor of The Review of Litigation and as Chair of the Career Services Committee of the Thurgood Marshall Legal Society. In my final year, I participated in the school’s first Supreme Court Clinic. We convinced the United States Supreme Court to review our client's case during a term in which the Court agreed to hear only 78 of the 8,517 cases filed.. After graduation, I returned to Houston to clerk for the Honorable Jerry E. Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. During my time with Fifth Circuit, I worked on cases ranging from insurance law to administrative law to one of the most watched white-collar criminal cases of the 21st century. I then worked for two years at the Houston trial firm that pioneered contingent-fee commercial litigation, handling bet-the-company litigation.. I am active in the community as a member of the local and state bar associations and the local, state, and national trial lawyer associations. I currently serve as a member of the State Bar's Computer and Technology Section Council, the Houston Lawyer magazine's editorial board, and the Houston Bar Association's Law Week Committee.. When I am not working on behalf of my clients, I am active with travel, book collecting, and trying new and interesting restaurants.

"AV" Peer-Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell; named "Texas Super Lawyer" and "Rising Star" by Texas Monthly Magazine; named one of "Houston's Best Lawyers" by H-Texas Magazine. Board Certified, Business Bankruptcy Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization; Member, College of the State Bar of Texas and "Barrister" of American Inns of Court.

Member of the American Law Institute.. I have compteted in several Houston marathons and one 70.3 Ironman Triathlon, as well as some smaller triathlons.  I spend most of my non-working time with my three young children, who can be as exhausting as any marathon.. When first I talk with a client, my goal is to keep them out of bankrutpcy.  Bankruptcy is truly the last option, and one that I do not recommend lightly.  If a client comes to talk to me sooner (when the financial situation is trending downward and when negative cash flow is just beginning), I can offer them more choices for restructuring their business and less expensive alternatives.  Sometimes people delaty visiting with a bankrutpcy lawyer until it is too late.  Do not let irrational fear guide your business decisions.  Use a level head.  Consult a bankruptcy or turnaround lawyer when you are looking for a turnaround.  You will lose little and stand to gain a great deal from a consultation with someone who has made it his life's work to turnaround struggling businesses and save struggling business owners.. I have represented creditors of all sizes, from massive insititutional lenders to small individual investors.  Generally, as a creditors' counsel, I bring my years of experience to bear in collecting the most money for the least cost.  The aphorism that "one cannot get blood from a turnip" does not require that the prudent creditor simply "write off" bankruptcy debts.  The debtor hopes that you will just go away, but a smart creditor knows his options.  The bankruptcy law provides for extensive scrutiny of the debtor's finances at a moderate cost.  A creditor armed with knowledgable counsel will use the bankruptcy court, the structure of trustees and committess, and the power of effective advocacy to get a useful return.  As the creditor's counsel, my rates are always reasonable, especialy given my expertise.  I charge the same rate for debtor or creditor work - a rate that is substantially lower than that charged by the massive super-firms.

Experienced E attorney serving clients in Houston and surrounding areas.