Brent W. Coon

With humble, blue collar beginnings, Brent Coon earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Houston Law Center in less than two years and began his law career in 1986. He quickly rose to become a partner in a leading litigation firm in Southeast Texas. Excelling in trial litigation, Mr. Coon became board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law and by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in civil trial law.

Mr. Coon is considered a “lawyer’s lawyer” in seeking justice for his clients and has received national recognition for his work in advancing asbestos and tobacco litigation. His peers acknowledge “his commitment to the legal community and his clients" and that he "has and always will continue to buttress the integrity of our legal system”

As Lead Counsel on what many consider one of the most important public policy cases of the past decade, Brent Coon stood against British Petroleum, taking the worst industrial accident since 1989 and the fight for industry change all the way to the Texas Supreme Court. Mr. Coon’s firm reviewed over seven million documents and worked hand-in-hand with the Department of Justice and U.S. Chemical Safety Board, spending millions to ensure justice for his client, Eva Rowe, who had lost both of her parents in the tragic explosion.

By refusing to allow BP to seal the documents as part of the settlement, Mr. Coon was able to hold an entire industry accountable for its mistakes. As a key part of the settlement, Brent Coon forced BP to give 32 million dollars to universities and charities, which has been considered a dawn of a new age of dispute resolution by media and journalists worldwide. Finally, Brent Coon wrote the “Remember The 15 Bill” to forever improve refinery safety conditions, and introduced it into the Texas Legislature during a ceremony held at the Capitol, commemorating the second anniversary of the blast that killed 15 people.

For his efforts, Mr. Coon was named “Lawyer of the Year” in 2007 and was awarded the prestigious Steven J. Sharp Award for Excellence by the American Association of Justice.

In the last year, Brent Coon has been featured, interviewed, or served as an expert for 60 Minutes, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS Early Show, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Financial Times, Houston Chronicle, The Fox News Channel, BBC radio, Business Week, Time Magazine, Agence France-Presse, CNN, Reuters, Dow Jones, Bloomberg, The Associated Press and many others.

Mr. Coon remains active in various trial organizations, including: serving on the board of directors; Legislative Task Force; Sustaining Member and Fellow with the Texas Trial Lawyers Association; Executive Committee Member and past President of the Southeast Texas Trial Lawyers Association; Leaders forum and Labor Liaison Committee member of the American Association of Justice (AAJ). He has also been admitted to the Texas Bar Foundation, an elite academy of noted attorneys whose members gain entrance by invitation only.

Education

• Bachelor of Science, 1984, Lamar University Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, Deans List
• Doctor of Jurisprudence, 1986, University of Houston Law Center
• Associate Editor, Houston Journal of International Law
• Advocates: Blakely Mock Trial Terms, Hippard Moot Court Terms
• Board Member (1998 to present), A.A. White Society

Admitted to Practice

• Texas Bar (Member of Litigation Section), 1987
• U.S. District Court for Eastern District of Texas, 1987
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, 1987
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, 1987
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, 1994
• Supreme Court of United States, 2008

Professional Certifications/Affiliations

• Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization (1992) Recertified - (1997, 2002)
• Board Certified, Civil Trial Law, National Board of Trial Advocacy
• Texas Trial Lawyers Association (1993) - Recertified (1998, 2003): Board of Directors, Legislative Task Force, Sustaining Member, Fellow
• Southeast Texas Trial Lawyers Association: Former President, Current Executive Committeeman
• Association of Trial Lawyers of America Litigation and Environmental Section: Law Firm Fellow, Leaders Forum, Labor Liaison Committee
• Jefferson County Bar Association, Blackstone Nominating Committee, 2001
• Jefferson County Young Lawyers Association (former Chairman): Outstanding Young Lawyer, 1997, Nominating Committee
• Port Arthur Bar Association (officer)
• Million Dollar Advocates Forum
• Trial Lawyers for Public Justice
• College of the State Bar, 1998
• Jefferson County Dispute Resolution (Mediator)
• Texas Bar Foundation

Areas of Practice

• Toxic and Environmental Litigation
• Personal Injury Litigation
• Class Action Litigation
• Mass Tort Litigation
• Products Liability
• Pharmaceutical Claims
• Transportation Litigation
• Maritime Injury Litigation