Litigation and Local Counsel
We often act as local counsel for ‘out of state’ companies who are incorporated outside Texas but do business here. It’s important, obviously, to have a firm completely versed in Texas business law (and more) with years of experience to walk out of state attorneys and their business clients through the intricacies of Texas business law.
A word about the Hopkins Centrich litigation philosophy:
When you have a serious legal issue that seems destined for a lawsuit, there is one thing you need to hear from your attorneys: “We will tell you the truth even if it’s unpleasant.”
That’s hard for a lot of lawyers to do because the last thing a client wants to hear is, “You don’t have a case,” “It’s time to pull the plug and walk away,” or “It’s not worth the expense just to prove you’re right.”
You need to know because you need to do whatever is best for your business. And to do that you need straight facts.
Hopkins Centrich PLLC gives you the facts . . . along with cutting edge, high quality, creative legal solutions to businesses in The Woodlands and beyond.
Reasons for Texas Local Counsel
Here are some key reasons business and their out-of-state attorneys may want to engage a Texas-licensed attorney as local counsel when litigation has a Texas connection:
Licensed in Texas - Out-of-state attorneys cannot provide legal services in Texas courts without a Texas bar license. Retaining local counsel enables compliance with unauthorized practice of law rules.
Court familiarity - A Texas lawyer will have familiarity with the local courts, judges, procedural rules, and customs that out-of-state counsel lacks. This helps efficiently navigate the Texas judicial system.
Meet filing requirements - Local counsel can properly file documents, make court appearances, and arrange service of process in compliance with Texas court rules.
Depositions and discovery - They can defend depositions of Texas witnesses and conduct discovery under Texas evidence and procedure rules.
Substantive law expertise - A Texas attorney will have expertise in the Texas statutes, regulations, and case law that apply to the dispute. They can provide key guidance on how Texas substantive law impacts the issues.
Client meetings - A local lawyer can conveniently meet in person with the client to conduct interviews, update case status, and gather information.
Court costs - Having local counsel appear may result in lower court costs in some circumstances.
Landscape assessment - They can provide analysis of venue, jury pool, and other intangibles impacting trial strategy and prospects in Texas.
