Pierce & O’Neill, LLP

Partners: Jesse R Pierce, Jack O’Neill

Numbers of lawyers: 6

Trial and Appellate Lawyers

You cannot make up trial and appellate experience. You must have undergone it.

Mr. Pierce and Mr. O’Neill each have more than 45 years of experience in the trial and appeal of high stakes civil litigation for commercial and energy industry clients. Although most often retained at the outset of a matter, the firm is frequently asked to substitute as trial counsel, or to step in as appellate counsel. Clients, other attorneys, and companies widely regard the firm as the first choice for significant, complex litigation. The firm has repeatedly been recognized as one of the nation’s top law firms by Best Lawyers®, and a “Go-To Law Firm” by in-house law departments at Fortune 500® companies.

Preeminent in Complex Business and Energy Litigation and Appeals

Pierce & O'Neill is a litigation “boutique” with a single focus — the devoted and accomplished representation of our clients. There are major differences between trial lawyers, on the one hand, and “litigators” who primarily engage in discovery and motion practice, on the other hand. Pierce & O'Neill is a firm of accomplished trial and appellate lawyers. They excel at litigation and appeal.

Pierce & O'Neill's reputation is built on experience and results that exceed expectations. The pursuit of the clients’ best interests is accompanied by a spirit of cooperation in the lawyer-client relationship. They undertake substantial matters on a regular basis for both new and existing clients and place significant value on client relationships, many of which span decades.

Mr. Pierce and Mr. O’Neill are members of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Both have been recognized by Chambers USA, named to Lawdragon®'s 500 Leading Litigators in America, included in Best Lawyers® as leading practitioners in multiple practices, selected for Texas Super Lawyers®, and earned AV Preeminent ratings from Martindale-Hubbell®.

Main Areas of Practice:

Complex Commercial Litigation:

Fortune 500 companies, medium-sized companies, and individuals across the country and throughout Texas regularly turn to us with respect to their litigation matters. While we are customarily retained at the outset of litigation, we are not infrequently retained to either join existing counsel as lead trial counsel or to substitute for existing counsel prior to trial. We are a boutique litigation firm that combines our backgrounds as partners in national firms with the personalized legal services delivered by a small firm.

Energy & Natural Resources Litigation:

Disputes involving all aspects of the oil and gas industry, including well blowouts and other well incidents; refinery and pipeline incidents; production platform incidents; pollution actions; groundwater contamination actions; actions involving hydraulic fracing; royalty, overriding royalty, working interest and other ownership issues; interpretation and enforcement of production agreements, assignments, joint operating agreements, area of mutual interest agreements, deeds, leases and all other agreements affecting development, ownership, exploration, production, refining and marketing; title actions; trespass actions; and class actions.

Appellate Litigation:

Representation of clients through all stages of the civil appellate process, at both the state and federal appellate court levels, including filing (or defending) the initial appeal in the lower court of an order or judgment, through the briefing process and oral argument; interlocutory appeals, mandamus proceedings, petitions for writ of certiorari and amicus briefs.

Environmental & Toxic Tort Litigation:

Disputes involving environmental contamination, chemical exposure, wrongful death and product defects, including claims of contamination of property by natural gas and hydrogen, water pollution, and exposure to benzene.

Alternative Dispute Resolution:

Representation of clients in civil matters involving mandatory or optional arbitration proceedings before the American Arbitration Association and other alternative dispute resolution forums.