Jerry Hawxhurst

Jerry is a founder and resident partner in the firm’s Austin and Los Angeles offices.  He has engaged in commercial trial practice since 1994, when he graduated with honors from The University of Texas School of Law.  Before co-founding the firm, Jerry practiced at the Los Angeles office of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and, before that, at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett’s New York and Los Angeles offices.

Jerry’s national trial practice includes complex commercial disputes, class actions, antitrust, employment matters, royalty, copyright, trade secret, entertainment and general business litigation in state and federal courts, as well as private arbitrations. His matters span a variety of industries and legal topics, including disputes over a famous Andy Warhol painting, high-speed rollercoaster technology, alleged price fixing, price discrimination and market division in the petroleum and entertainment industries, false advertising claims for consumer goods, copyright, and product liability—often in the class action setting.  Jerry also provides pre-dispute and compliance counseling on a variety of legal issues.

Jerry has tried or co-tried more than a dozen cases and arbitrations; he lost three, and two of those were completely or substantially reversed on appeal.

In 2016, Law360 chose Jerry’s firm as one of ten national trial boutiques “giving Big Law a run for its money.”  The firm was chosen because of its success, the complexity of the matters it handles and the quality of the firm’s attorneys. 

Jerry has been recognized by Los Angeles Magazine as a Southern California “Super Lawyer” (2005, 2007 – 2022) and as a national “New Star” by Law Dragon magazine (2006).  Jerry was recognized by Law Dragon as one of the top 3,000 lawyers in the U.S., based on a survey of attorneys and clients.  Jerry has a Martindale-Hubbell Peer and Judicial Review Rating of A-V Preeminent (the highest rating).

Jerry is the former First Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the California State Bar Antitrust and Unfair Competition Section (on which he served for six years).  He is admitted to practice in California, New York and Texas state, appellate and federal courts, as well as the Second, Fifth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal.  Before beginning private practice, Jerry was a briefing intern for former Texas Supreme Court Justice and current U.S. Senator John Cornyn.

Jerry has authored articles and lectured on a number of topics, including collective liability, federal and state antitrust law, consumer protection laws, corporate criminal liability, wage and hour defense and trial strategy.