HOUSTON – Six AZA lawyers were named by Lawdragon to its 500 Leading Lawyers in America 2026 list, doubling the number of AZA lawyers recognized nationally in this category from a year ago.
Lawdragon called those listed “the lawyers of now – those advocates who lead the way for clients, their communities, their firms. They are brilliant, impassioned and dedicated to the law and its practice.”
Joe Ahmad, John Zavitsanos and Daryl Moore have been named to this list once again. Messrs. Ahmad and Zavitsanos were included for their commercial litigation expertise and Mr. Moore, head of AZA’s appellate group and a former Harris County judge, for his appellate excellence.
New to the list this year are Kevin Leyendecker, Jason McManis and Todd Mensing. Messrs. Leyendecker and Mensing made the list for their commercial litigation prowess and Mr. McManis, head of AZA’s IP section, for his proficiency in intellectual property and patent litigation.
The five commercial and patent litigators on the Leading Lawyers list were also named to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America.
AZA lawyers frequently are cited by Lawdragon for their expertise in various areas of the law. Lawdragon picks its most prestigious Leading Lawyers list through year-round research “covering the best of the best in all practice areas.”
“We are fiercely proud of this guide, the lawyers on it, the process that creates it and what it means: that being a great lawyer, a powerful lawyer is not just a plaque on the wall. It is an act of courage to never give up on behalf of a client, a firm, and this notion of justice that can seem as divergent as unifying,” the Lawdragon website states.
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.