McDowell Hetherington

McDowell Hetherington LLP is a Houston-based litigation firm with nationwide offices specializing in complex commercial disputes, insurance litigation, and high-stakes trials and arbitrations. The firm emphasizes tailored strategies and cost management while maintaining particular strength in class action defense and appellate advocacy across multiple industries.

About

McDowell Hetherington LLP is a litigation firm based in Houston, Texas, with offices extending across the country. The firm's practice centers on complex commercial disputes, insurance litigation, and high-stakes trials and arbitrations for clients spanning multiple industries.

The firm was founded on the principle that litigation is a specialty requiring dedicated expertise and strategic precision. David McDowell and Tom Hetherington, among the firm's founding partners, have built a team of experienced litigators who handle matters as lead counsel in nearly every state. Their approach emphasizes developing tailored strategies and budgets aligned to each case's particular complexity, allowing clients to manage costs while pursuing effective resolution.

McDowell Hetherington's attorneys bring deep experience across commercial and financial services litigation, energy disputes, class actions, and appellate advocacy. Wendy Furman concentrates on life, health, and disability insurance matters alongside ERISA and employment litigation, with particular skill in coverage analysis and disputes. Jarrett Ganer, a partner since the firm's inception, maintains a broad commercial practice focused on insurance and financial services clients. Matt Matthews handles high-stakes commercial trials and arbitrations involving energy, technology, construction, manufacturing, property rights, trade secrets, employment, and products liability across the nation. Will Thomas brings military discipline to complex commercial and energy litigation for energy companies, manufacturers, and industrial facilities. Kendall Burr leads the firm's intellectual property practice, managing patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret disputes.

The firm has particular strength in class action and mass action defense. Diane has proven success winning dispositive motions in both state and federal courts nationwide, helping clients avoid unnecessary litigation costs and trial uncertainty. Bobby has defended complex, multi-state consumer-facing class actions in insurance, retail energy, and products liability sectors. Erin Taylor offers specialized expertise in life insurance disputes involving complex actuarial matters, working through pre-suit resolution, motion practice, and trial.

Additional partners and counsel include Amy Boyea, who manages the Dallas/Fort Worth office and specializes in complex commercial and insurance litigation at trial and appellate levels; Jodi Swick, who founded and leads the California office; Stefanos Touzos, focusing on commercial litigation across financial services, sports and entertainment, and insurance; Jason Richardson, leading the Houston office's nationwide civil practice; and Netra Sreeprakash, with over 15 years of federal and state court experience in class actions, contracts, fraud disputes, and securities matters. Emily brings expertise in financial services and welfare benefit disputes, while Will King and Micah Grodin round out the commercial litigation team.

McDowell Hetherington combines nationwide reach with local office presence, enabling clients to access experienced trial counsel regardless of case location.

Overview compiled from the firm's website