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McGinnis Lochridge: Nearly a Century Old, and Chambers Still Calls the Trial Team “Very Talented”

Founded in 1927, McGinnis Lochridge is approaching its 100th year as an Austin-headquartered firm — a specific, verifiable tenure most Texas litigation firms can’t match. Chambers USA’s independent client-interview language about the firm’s litigation group is equally specific: “very talented group of local trial attorneys, who are good in the courtroom.”

Mixed-Representation Disclosure

McGinnis Lochridge represents both plaintiffs and defendants across its business litigation practice. The firm’s own materials describe representing clients from “a broad range of industries” in trial and appellate courts at the state and federal level, and partner Ray Chester’s documented case history spans both plaintiff and defense representation across his career. Awesome Attorneys discloses this explicitly, consistent with its standard practice for every Business & Corporate Litigation profile.

Origin and Background

McGinnis Lochridge was founded in 1927 and now operates from offices in Austin, Dallas, Decatur, Houston, and McAllen, serving individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, and multinational Fortune 500 corporations across more than 20 practice areas. The firm has 27 attorneys currently recognized by Best Lawyers across 32 practice areas, with a Best Lawyers relationship dating back to 1993. Partner Ray Chester, based in the Austin office, is double board certified in Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, holds Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent rating, has been a Texas Super Lawyer continuously since 2003, and was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2018 — an invitation-only body requiring a minimum of 15 years’ trial experience and capped at roughly 1% of any state’s lawyer population.

Practice Concentration

The firm’s business litigation practice covers breach of fiduciary duty claims, trade secrets disputes, antitrust and regulatory matters, securities litigation, and complex commercial disputes, spanning trial, appellate, and arbitration proceedings at the state and federal level. Chambers USA’s independent 2026 profile specifically documents the firm representing NETX Acquisitions LLC and ETX Minerals in a range of disputes with Barrow Shaver Resources Company concerning an East Texas oilfield. For a broader comparison of Austin litigation firms, see our Business & Corporate Litigation directory.

Notable Work / Track Record

The firm’s documented recent results include securing a client a favorable award expected to net in excess of $15 million, and successfully defending Austin-based SP Global against a preliminary injunction bid in a trademark dispute over gluten-free noodle branding. The firm’s Products Liability Group, led by Ray Chester, was named the 2015 Product Liability Litigation Department of the Year by Texas Lawyer. Chester has personally tried more than 35 cases to jury verdict involving seven-, eight-, and nine-figure claims across multiple states. This is one of the more independently documented litigation track records Awesome Attorneys has found among Austin business litigation firms, combining Chambers-verified case work with specific, named results.

Client Voice

Chambers USA’s independently gathered client interviews describe the firm as having “a very talented group of local trial attorneys, who are good in the courtroom.” A separate Martindale-Hubbell peer review specifically praised Austin Jones, another firm litigator: “Austin Jones is the first attorney I refer clients to with litigation matters, especially business clients, because he is dependable and trustworthy and has the highest integrity… he has the respect of judges and opposing counsel, which lawyers know is critical for good results.” Awesome Attorneys treats the Chambers-sourced quote as independently gathered and the Martindale review as a publicly posted peer testimonial, and distinguishes between the two accordingly.

Beyond the Courtroom

Partner Rick Milvenan was appointed Chair of the Antitrust & Business Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas — a leadership role in shaping the practice area statewide rather than only practicing within it. The firm’s litigation attorneys have also spoken publicly and been quoted by local media (including KXAN) on legal topics like sovereign immunity, reflecting engagement with public legal education beyond individual client representation.

Recognition for This Austin Business Litigation Firm

Peer-reviewed and third-party credentials: double board certification in Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Trial Law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (Ray Chester); current Chambers USA recognition for Litigation: General Commercial in Texas, based on independently gathered client interviews; 27 attorneys recognized by Best Lawyers across 32 practice areas; and Fellow status in the American College of Trial Lawyers (Ray Chester). This is among the more comprehensively peer-verified credential profiles Awesome Attorneys has documented in this directory’s Business Litigation category.

Texas Legal Backdrop

Trade secrets and fiduciary duty disputes — a stated firm specialty — frequently arise together in Texas business litigation when a departing employee or business partner is alleged to have both breached a duty of loyalty and misappropriated confidential information; claims can proceed under the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act (Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 134A) alongside common-law breach of fiduciary duty theories, which can expand available remedies including exemplary damages where fraud, malice, or gross negligence is shown by clear and convincing evidence. Oilfield and mineral rights disputes, another documented firm practice area, often require navigating both Texas’s regulatory framework for oil and gas development and complex, industry-specific contract interpretation issues. None of this is legal advice; a specific business, trade secret, or mineral rights dispute should be evaluated by a licensed attorney based on the actual facts and industry involved.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

McGinnis Lochridge’s clearest, most specific differentiator is a combination of near-century institutional tenure, current Chambers USA recognition anchored in independently gathered client praise, and a partner (Ray Chester) with double board certification, ACTL Fellowship, and a personally documented record of trying more than 35 cases to verdict across seven- to nine-figure claims. The honest trade-off is that the firm’s most individually decorated litigator’s headline recognition centers on personal injury and products liability rather than commercial litigation specifically, though his Civil Trial Law certification and the firm’s Chambers-ranked general commercial litigation practice both extend well beyond that focus. For a business facing a genuinely complex commercial dispute — trade secrets, fiduciary duty, securities, or industry-specific matters like oil and gas — this firm’s combination of institutional depth and individually decorated trial counsel is a strong basis for a shortlist.

Methodology and Sourcing

This profile was researched from McGinnis Lochridge’s official website (mcginnislaw.com), including its litigation and complex business litigation practice pages and news archive, Ray Chester’s Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and National Trial Lawyers profiles, Chambers USA’s independent firm and practice-area profiles, and the firm’s Martindale-Hubbell listing. Chambers-sourced quotes are distinguished from other publicly posted peer testimonials throughout.

Publisher Disclosure and Independence Notice

Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal directory and editorial publication. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by McGinnis Lochridge or its attorneys prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placement products to attorneys and firms, including this one, but sponsorship has no bearing on the editorial content, inclusion, or findings of this profile.