Robert Burford

Practice Areas

Commercial Litigation

Business Litigation

Fiduciary Duty Claims

Securities Fraud

Mergers & Acquisitions

Directors' and Officers' Liability

Legal Malpractice

Oil & Gas Law

Partnership Disputes

Intellectual Property Disputes

Trade Secret Theft

Healthcare Law

Complex Contract Disputes

Career

Nationally recognized as one of the best business and commercial litigators in the country, Robert R. Burford brings to his practice extensive legal knowledge, zealous but professional advocacy skills, and a talent for seeing the nuances as well as the big picture of each matter. Clients rely on Robert to resolve complex, high-stakes business disputes of nearly every variety. They include litigation involving fiduciary duties, securities fraud, mergers and acquisitions, director’s and officers’ liability, legal malpractice, oil and gas matters, partnership disputes, intellectual property disputes, theft of trade secrets, healthcare-related matters, and complex contractual disputes. He represents plaintiffs and defendants, giving him a well-rounded strategic perspective.

What sets Robert apart from many other lawyers is a confluence of litigation, financial wisdom, and talent. Before becoming a lawyer, he worked as a public accountant for two Big Eight accounting firms and then practiced tax law for his first three years after law school. This experience in essentially conducting forensic examinations of books and records enables him to understand the details and metrics of financial statements and what underlies those documents. Simply put, he knows where to look and exactly what he’s looking at. A client told the Chambers & Partners that Robert’s business knowledge was a significant advantage in his case.

While his finance background distinguishes Robert, he draws on many attributes. He fully recognizes how commercial cases can be phenomenally complex, often involving millions of documents. Consequently, he applies his capacity to compile the key facts into a compelling case and present it concisely to the judge or arbitrator. “Every lawsuit has its own reality,” as he says, “and you have to tell your client’s story in a limited amount of time. So it’s got to be tight but also engaging.” Robert has earned a reputation for offering a condensed background of the case with key visuals and clear, understandable language—tailored in such a way to suit each judge’s preferred manner of presentation.

In addition to his Chambers USA ranking for his expertise in General Commercial Litigation (2022-24), Robert has been widely recognized by his peers and the media. He was recognized by TopVerdict for winning one of the Top 20 jury verdicts in Texas in 2023, as a 2024 Benchmark Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, by The Best Lawyers in America© for Commercial Litigation, 2020-2024, and Texas Super Lawyers, published by Thomson Reuters (2004-2023).

Robert began his career as a commercial litigator in 1989 with Gibbs & Bruns, LLP, one of the nation’s most highly recognized boutique firms. He became a partner with the firm in 1993 and served as its managing partner or co-managing partner for many years. He left Gibbs & Bruns in 2009 to start his own firm, where he was named to Benchmark Litigation’s “Litigation Stars” list for three successive years. In 2015, Robert formed Burford Perry with longtime friend Brent Perry.

Professional Memberships

Houston Bar Association

Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow