James M. Richardson

Jim Richardson is a nationally recognized trial lawyer with decades of experience in commercial litigation. He represents clients in complex disputes involving fiduciary duties, real estate, construction, contracts, and technology.

He served as President of the National Board of Trial Advocacy from 2020 to 2022 and now chairs its Austin-Area Chapter. He is also a long-standing Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an invitation-only organization of the most accomplished trial lawyers and judges in the United States.

Jim has been recognized by Best Lawyers in Commercial Litigation since 2012 and is consistently named to Super Lawyers, including multiple appearances on the Top 50 list for Central & West Texas. He holds the highest possible AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has repeatedly been named to the National Trial Lawyers Top 100. For 2025–2026, he is the sole Texas attorney featured in the nationally recognized Construction Attorneys Guide.

Jim is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and holds dual national certifications from the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Civil Trial Law and Civil Practice Advocacy, each earned through multiple recertifications.

Representative Matters

• Secured $5.6 million judgment in fiduciary fraud litigation
• Prosecuted $8 million fraudulent invoice scheme; confidential settlement
• Litigated fraud claims of $150 million against banking insiders and borrowers of a failed financial institution.
• Plaintiffs’ lead counsel in one of Austin’s most complex cases of real estate fraud and construction, as reported by Austin Business Journal
• Litigated U.S. Superfund litigation arising from abandoned mining operation; settled favorably
• Achieved summary judgment for law firm in multi-million dollar lost profits case
• Defended executor in complex probate litigation involving a Texas automobile dealership
• Obtained jury verdict in breach of contract case against a Fortune 100 bank
• Prosecuted a wrongful termination on behalf of a senior executive officer, settled following a jury trial