HOUSTON – A national survey of general counsel and top-level legal counsel consumers once again put AZA on the list of BTI Consulting’s Most Feared Law Firms.
The list compiled by BTI, which specializes in strategic legal market research and has rated the best legal client services for decades, is largely populated by national Big Law firms.
BTI said it found corporate clients “want outside counsel with ferocity.”
“These firms strike the utmost fear into the hearts of seasoned general counsel and legal decision-makers alike. They are unflinching. Strategically unpredictable. Ready for every scenario. And are quick to remind everyone they don’t litigate – they win,” stated the BTI announcement of the 2026 list.
AZA has repeatedly made the national BTI list for most feared and for best client service. AZA partner Monica Uddin was last month named one of BTI’s 240 national lawyers with the best client service. For 2026, BTI listed AZA in the Awesome Opponents category of the most-feared list.
“We’re not surprised that once again top-level corporate counsel and legal services clients named AZA as one of the most feared,” said AZA managing partner John Zavitsanos. “We’ve beaten their lawyers in court, and they then hire us for their legal needs. And they come to us to get them to the win when their former counsel fails.”
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.