Brent W. Coon
Founder
Brent W. Coon
Founder
Hailing from Southeast Texas and the heart of the petrochemical industry, Brent readily acclimated to the strong work ethic that built heavy industry in the area, and at the same time bore witness to the tragedies that all too often befell workers engaged in the industrial trades.
Graduating at the top of his class in high school, next running a successful construction company, and then sailing through college and law school in four years, Brent understood that it took hard work, dedication, and discipline to get ahead. Thirty years later, those same principles set Brent Coon & Associates apart. A partner in a well known litigation firm less than three years out of law school, Brent had already tried dozens of lawsuits to verdict, most as solo counsel, and always for the plaintiff. He achieved his first million dollar verdict in those early years and was on the fast track as he continued to win many other multi-million dollar verdicts over the years in a variety of cases involving occupational disease, environmental contamination, transportation injuries, products liability, maritime law and general negligence.
Today, his law firm has grown to national and international prominence. With a number of anchoring litigation offices from Ohio to California, and a network of over 100 associated firms around the country and abroad, the firm has the capacity to take on any type of litigation almost anywhere in the world. Brent has personally obtained jury verdicts for over 200 clients, with over 20 verdicts in excess of a million dollars. His first major case was in 1989, where he worked with a team of litigation experts from several firms in the largest consolidated trial in history, spending almost a year in trial and helping to win a verdict in excess of one billion dollars at the ripe age of 29. He continued to develop and settle thousands of additional cases, with recoveries of up to $200 million in a single year.
In only a decade since founding his own firm, Brent Coon and Associates, he has recovered in excess of a billion dollars for victims of catastrophic injury, occupational disease, pharmaceutical harm and environmental pollution.
Brent is well known as an expert in the petrochemical industry, and has been a regular guest in the legal arena as a speaker at legal seminars and educational programs and as a guest commentator and advocate with multiple media sources, including 60 Minutes, CNN, MSNBC, BBC, and most other well known media outlets around the world. His firm is at the forefront of the safety debate in industrial workplaces, and he has personally testified in various state legislative forums and before the US Congress. He is a very strong advocate of legal rights, and has taken on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and their attack on consumer protections, the environment and corporate liability and he has spent countless hours tracking the tort reform efforts and responding to the rhetoric of the tort reform movement.
A strong believer in corporate accountability, Brent has not only pursued civil restitution but also criminal indictments against corporate officers for egregious malfeasance, most notably in the BP Texas City Refinery Explosion in 2005. In that case, Brent took over 200 corporate officer depositions and successfully argued to the Texas Supreme Court the right to take the deposition of the CEO of BP. His work then assisted the Department of Justice in obtaining felony criminal pleas against BP and the termination of all key personnel in the chain of command from the plant manager through the CEO, and unprecedented feat.
He has made opposition to tort reform his personal challenge and has served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Trial Lawyers for over 20 years, the AAJ Leaders Forum and numerous other trial advocacy organizations. He is a recipient of the Steven Sharp “Trial Lawyer of the Year Award” from the AAJ and the Clarence Darrow Award, a finalist as lawyer of the year with Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, an ALM Top 100 Plaintiff Lawyers in the Country, a founding member of The National Trial Lawyers Association, a Fortune 500 “Top 100 Go To Attorneys” along with numerous other accolades. He is designated counsel for a variety of advocacy, public policy, environmental and organized labor groups, including numerous aviation, petrochemical, law enforcement, timber, and railroad unions around the country. Brent only works almost exclusively for plaintiffs.
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
Awards
- 1978 “Leadership & Scholarship Award”- American Legion
- 1978 “Businessmen’s Scholarship Award”- Southeast Texas Area Businessmen’s League.
- 1978 “Student Scholarship Award”- Junior Engineering & Technical School
- 1992 “Public Service Award”- Lamar University
- 1997-1998 “Young Lawyer of the Year”- Jefferson County Bar Association
- 2000 “AA White Society”-University of Houston Law School
- April, 2006 “Attorney of the Month” - Forbes Magazine. Including: SkyRadio interview with Stephen Murphy
- 2007 Humanitarian Award (USMWF) The United Support & Memorial For Workplace Fatalities.
- 2007 “The Lawdragon 500 Leadings Plaintiffs’- Lawyers in America
- 2007 “The Clarence Darrow Award” - presented by Mass Torts Made Perfect. (Award is given to Plaintiff Trial Attorneys for outstanding achievement in representation and exhibiting the standards of their profession. Past recipients include Robert Kennedy, Jr., Eliot Spitzer, Johnnie Cochran, Morris Dees, Ed Blizzard, John O’Quinn and Ron Motley.)
- 2007-2014 Texas Super Lawyers- Texas Monthly Magazine
- 2007 "Steven J. Sharp Public Service Award" (Presented annually to those attorneys and clients whose cases tell the story of American Civil Justice and help educate state and national policy makers and the public about the importance of consumers’ rights.)
- 2007 Public Service Award, American Association for Justice
- 2010-2014 “The Best Lawyers in America”
- 2010 "Walk of Fame" star- Vidor Chamber of Commerce
- “Nations TOP ONE percent” Award- National Association of Distinguished Counsel.
- 2013 “Go To Law Firm” in Litigation- American Lawyer
- 2014 “Top 75 Plaintiff Lawyers in the United States”, Forbes Magazine
- 2014 “Top Attorney in Texas” - Texas Monthly Magazine.
- 2014 "Litigator Award” - Trial Lawyers Board of Regents.
- 2014 “Texas Top Lawyers” - Texas Monthly Magazine
- 2014 21st Edition of The Best Lawyers in America
- 2015 “Best Law Firms of 2015”, U.S. News & World Reports
- 2015 22nd Edition of The Best Lawyers of America
- 2015 Texas Super Lawyers, Texas Monthly Magazine
- 2015 Law 360 MVP Awards
- Litigator Award (litigatorawards.com)
- National Association of Distinguished Counsel Top 1% Nation’s Lawyers
- 2015 Global Director of Who’s Who Top Lawyer
- 2016 “Best Law Firms of 2016”, U.S. News & World Reports
- “Best of the Best”, American Registry
- “Best Lawyers in America for Personal Injury Litigation”, Best Lawyers
- 2016 "Texas Super Lawyer”, Texas Monthly Magazine
- “The National Trial Lawyers Top 100”, National Trial Lawyers Association
- “2016 Dealmaker Award”, Corporate America-News
- “Nations Top Attorneys”, National Association of Distinguished Counsel
- “A1 Businesses of Distinction Award”, Acquisition International
- The National Association of Distinguished Counsel Top 1% Nation’s Lawyers
- “America’s Most Honored Professionals”, American Registry
- “Best Lawyers in Texas”, The Wall Street Journal
- “Distinguished Award of Ethical and Professional Excellence”, Martindale-Hubbell
- "Best Lawyers in Texas" Peer Recognition, published by Houston Chronicle
- 2018 "Top Lawyers in Texas" Texas Monthly
- 2019 "Best Lawyers in America" selected by peers, The Best Lawyers in America - 2019
- 2019 "Best Lawyers in Texas" - Wall Street Journal.
- 2019 "Top Attorneys of Texas" - as seen in Texas Lawyer.
- 2019 America's Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys - America's Top 100.
- 2019 National Trial Lawyers Top 100
- 2019 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers HALL OF FAME.
- 2019 Selectee, Excellence in Practice - Super Lawyers.
- 2019 Best of 2019 - Port Arthur News
- 2019 America's Most Honored Professionals.
- 2019 Top Attorneys in Texas, as published in Texas Monthly.
- 2020 Legal Ability & Ethical Standards - Martindale Hubbell
- 2020 Best Lawyers in America - Best Lawyers.
search
our offices
FROM THE BLOG
The Long-Term Effects of Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injuries are life-altering events that create lasting physical, emotional, and financial challenges for those affected. Unlike minor injuries, these severe traumas—such as spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and severe burns—leave permanent damage, often resulting in chronic pain, limited mobility, and even partial or complete paralysis. For victims, the journey doesn’t end with the…
‘That is not justice’ | TPC tries to close the book on Port Neches explosion while BCA claims victims haven’t been paid their dues
TPC representatives, lawyers from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and lawyers representing victims watched on, as one such victim shared an emotional testimony. PORT NECHES, Texas — Day two of sentencing: Day two of the sentencing hearing for TPC was cut short after lunch today after Judge Michael Truncale had to leave do to a family…
The Role of Expert Witnesses in High Stakes Litigation
In high-stakes litigation and legal proceedings, where the outcome can have far-reaching financial and reputational consequences, expert witnesses play a crucial role in clarifying complex issues and strengthening legal arguments. These professionals, with their specialized knowledge and objective insights, help courts understand intricate evidence that might otherwise be difficult to interpret. Whether testifying on financial…