HOUSTON – The Houston Young Lawyers Association (HYLA) named AZA associate Thomas Frashier as the Outstanding Young Lawyer for 2026.
The annual award recognizes a young lawyer in Houston who best demonstrates professional proficiency, service to the profession and service to the community. This is the second time an AZA associate has been awarded this honor.
AZA managing partner John Zavitsanos said Mr. Frashier boasts a “unique set of characteristics: boundless energy, unflinching enthusiasm and an incredible team-first mentality.” He said the honoree handles high-stakes IP, commercial and entertainment matters, demonstrating mastery of complex legal and evidentiary issues and a record of first-chair success in high-pressure forums.
Coworkers, clients and folks who volunteered with Mr. Frashier joined to nominate him for this award. A judge who volunteered on a committee with him called him “a truly exceptional young lawyer whose professionalism, creativity and dedication consistently exceed expectations” with a willingness to step beyond traditional responsibilities and a proactive mindset.
Mr. Frashier 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 Houston Bar Association 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.
In 2025, he was recognized for his volunteer service as a fellow of the Houston Young Lawyers Foundation. He served as the HYLA board liaison to the Houston Lawyer Referral Service, where he also serves on the board of directors.
Mr. Frashier graduated from the University of Michigan Law School. Before attending law school, he attended Southwestern University. He was recognized with the 2026 Southwestern University Distinguished Young Alumnus Award for success, leadership and service in his professional and personal life.
AZA, or Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing, is a Houston-based law firm that is home to true courtroom lawyers with a formidable track record in complex commercial litigation, including energy, healthcare, intellectual property and business dispute cases. AZA was recognized again by Chambers USA 2025 as among the best in Texas in commercial law and intellectual property; the firm has been listed by Best Lawyers’ Best Law Firms as one of the country’s best commercial litigation firms for 13 years; has been named Litigation Department of the Year by Texas Lawyer three times; and was dubbed a Texas Powerhouse law firm by Law360.