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Ware, Jackson, Lee, O'Neill, Smith & Barrow, LLP

United States 2025
6
National Rankings
13
Metro Rankings
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General Information

11
Practice Areas
8
Individuals recognized in Best Lawyers
50
Client Comments
Year founded: 1993
This is the year the firm (or its earliest predecessor entity) was founded.
Logo for Ware, Jackson, Lee, O'Neill, Smith & Barrow, LLP

Overview

Content is provided by the firm.

Ware, Jackson, Lee, O’Neill, Smith & Barrow, LLP. is a team of trial lawyers committed to obtaining victories for our clients. This commitment has allowed the firm to gain the trust of Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and individual clients.

For the past few decades, our lawyers have secured verdicts and settlements totaling hundreds of millions of dollars for plaintiffs, and have saved defendants billions of dollars in trials ending in defense verdicts. Whether serving as counsel for plaintiffs or defendants, Ware, Jackson, Lee, O’Neill, Smith & Barrow, LLP. has the experience, dedication and resources to win.

Our attorneys offer a remarkable breadth of trial experience. All of the partners have tried cases to jury verdict, and the majority of the partners are board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in one or more areas of litigation (Don Jackson – Civil Trial, Personal Injury Trial; Eileen O’Neill – Civil Appellate, Civil Trial; Paul Smith – Personal Injury Trial; and Tim Lee – Civil Appellate) — a distinction few firms can match.

Practice areas include:

Rankings

Ware, Jackson, Lee, O'Neill, Smith & Barrow, LLP is nationally ranked in 6 practice areas and metro ranked in 13 practice areas. Best Law Firms rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process.

Read how Best Law Firms ranks firms

National Rankings

Tier 1
Tier 1 for Litigation - Construction
Tier 2
Tier 2 for Appellate Practice
Tier 2 for Energy Law
Tier 2 for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
Tier 2 for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs

Metro Rankings

Houston
Tier 1 for Appellate Practice
Tier 1 for Arbitration
Tier 1 for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
Tier 1 for Commercial Litigation
Tier 1 for Energy Law

Highlighted Client Comments

All client comments represent the opinions of the people who provided them. All potential clients are urged to remember that no two cases are ever completely alike and that the result in one case does not guarantee a similar result in another case.
Commercial Litigation
No nonsense, hard-working; seems to have great teamwork among their lawyers and associates. Very results-oriented. They keep the client in the loop for the whole process. I will continue to recommend them to other business owners.
Tommy Blackburn

Rankings

National Rankings

Tier 1
Tier 1 for Litigation - Construction
Tier 2
Tier 2 for Appellate Practice
Tier 2 for Energy Law
Tier 2 for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
Tier 2 for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
Tier 3
Tier 3 for Litigation - Environmental

Regional Rankings

Houston
Tier 1 for Appellate Practice
Tier 1 for Arbitration
Tier 1 for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
Tier 1 for Commercial Litigation
Tier 1 for Energy Law
Tier 1 for Litigation - Construction
Tier 1 for Litigation - Labor and Employment
Tier 1 for Litigation - Trusts and Estates
Tier 1 for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Defendants
Tier 1 for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs
Tier 1 for Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Tier 2 for Litigation - Environmental
Tier 3 for Employment Law - Management

Practice Areas

The below are areas of legal specialty volunteered by the firm and do not designate a specialty in which a Best Law Firms ranking is held.
  • Appellate Practice
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Energy Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Insurance Law
  • Litigation - Construction
  • Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Oil and Gas Law
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants
  • Trusts and Estates

Individuals Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®

Ware, Jackson, Lee, O'Neill, Smith & Barrow, LLP has 8 lawyers recognized for individual performance in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. By receiving this Best Lawyers recognition from their peers for their professional excellence, these lawyers made Ware, Jackson, Lee, O'Neill, Smith & Barrow, LLP eligible for evaluation for Best Law Firms rankings. For almost two decades, Best Lawyers has awarded these singular accolades, making them the foundation of our Best Law Firms awards. Read more about our Best Lawyers process here.
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Client Comments

All client comments represent the opinions of the people who provided them. All potential clients are urged to remember that no two cases are ever completely alike and that the result in one case does not guarantee a similar result in another case.
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Main Location

Houston, TX
America Tower, 39th Floor
2929 Allen Parkway
Houston, TX 77019
United States
713-659-6400 Get Directions

Management and Personnel

Managing Partner
Paul Smith
Firm administrator
Monie Walters

Contacts

Managing Partner
Paul Smith 713-659-6400
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