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Hendershot Cowart: 150 Years of Combined Experience, Now Protecting Austin Tech IP by Appointment

Hendershot Cowart P.C. has been in business since 1987 — nearly four decades of continuous operation — and now brings more than 150 years of combined attorney experience to its Austin office, which specifically positions itself to serve the city’s tech ecosystem “at startup speed,” from first-line-of-code IP protection through Series A funding rounds.

Origin and Background

Hendershot Cowart P.C.’s Austin office is located at 111 Congress Avenue, Suite 400, Austin, TX 78701, available by appointment, with its primary office in Houston and an additional San Antonio location. Managing Shareholder Trey Hendershot has more than 35 years of experience advising clients on trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, and the agreements that protect proprietary information, and the firm has served Texas businesses since 1987.

Practice Concentration

The firm’s intellectual property practice covers IP and trade secret protection, trademark infringement litigation and defense, copyright infringement disputes, non-compete and non-solicitation agreement enforcement, and licensing agreements, with a dedicated technology-industry focus addressing IP protection, data privacy, and licensing for tech companies specifically. The firm’s Austin page speaks directly to startup counsel — entity formation, equity structures, and growth-stage IP protection — reflecting a deliberate strategy to serve Austin’s tech and startup community rather than a generic satellite office. See this Austin Intellectual Property directory for how this Houston-headquartered, startup-focused Austin practice compares to Austin-only boutiques.

Notable Work / Track Record

The firm publishes firm-wide aggregate figures rather than Austin-specific case results: since 1987, it reports resolving 915 business disputes and litigation matters, guiding 116 business transactions and M&A deals, and reviewing or drafting 627 business contracts firm-wide. These are self-reported aggregate figures rather than independently adjudicated per-case results, and Awesome Attorneys did not identify Austin-specific IP case outcomes distinct from these firm-wide totals.

Client Voice

Client testimonials specifically praise Trey Hendershot as “attentive, great to work with,” with one client stating they are “glad to know I always have top-notch legal representation.” Another reviewer specifically praised attorney Anton Stewart’s handling of a cease-and-desist letter as “absolutely amazing,” with an “extremely quick” response. Awesome Attorneys did not identify negative or critical reviews warranting disclosure in the sample reviewed, though these testimonials are firm-published rather than sourced from an independent review aggregator.

Beyond the Courtroom

Awesome Attorneys did not identify specific named civic or nonprofit board service for Trey Hendershot or other Austin-office attorneys distinct from their direct client work.

Recognition for This Austin IP Firm

The firm holds 2026 Best Lawyers and Best Law Firms recognitions, a 2025 Chambers Spotlight recognition, and multiple Super Lawyers Rising Stars designations for individual attorneys, alongside a 2026 Houston Chronicle Best of the Best finalist recognition for Commercial Litigation and Corporate Law. Awesome Attorneys independently verified these recognitions through the firm’s own published awards page; Awesome Attorneys did not identify formal TBLS board certification in intellectual property law specifically for the firm’s attorneys, as no such distinct board certification track currently exists in Texas for that specialty.

Texas Legal Backdrop

Trade secret protection and non-compete enforcement, both significant parts of this firm’s documented practice, operate under the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act and Texas’s specific statutory framework governing non-compete agreements, which requires a covenant not to compete to be reasonable in time, geographic area, and scope of activity restrained to be enforceable. Cease-and-desist letters, another documented area of practice, are a common first step in trademark and copyright disputes before litigation is filed, and their effectiveness often depends on the specificity and legal grounding of the claims asserted. None of this is legal advice; a specific IP, trade secret, or non-compete matter should be evaluated by a licensed attorney based on the actual facts involved.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

Hendershot Cowart’s clearest differentiator is nearly four decades of firm history and more than 150 years of combined attorney experience, applied specifically to Austin’s tech and startup community through a dedicated (if by-appointment) local office. The honest trade-off is that the Austin office operates by appointment only rather than as a full walk-in location, the firm’s primary base and largest attorney presence remains in Houston, and its published results are firm-wide aggregate figures rather than Austin-specific or IP-specific case outcomes. For an Austin tech startup or growing business that wants IP counsel backed by a large, established firm’s institutional depth and is comfortable with an appointment-based Austin presence, that combination is a reasonable basis for a shortlist.

Methodology and Sourcing

This profile was researched from Hendershot Cowart’s own website (Austin business law page, IP and trade secret protection practice page, locations page, firm awards and testimonials pages), and Super Lawyers’ Austin firm profile.

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 Hendershot Cowart P.C. 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.