Rex D. VanMiddlesworth
Partner
Rex is the Managing Partner of the Austin office. His practice includes commercial litigation, administrative law, energy and alternative dispute resolution. He has tried cases in state court, federal court, before arbitration panels, and before state and federal agencies. He has also argued appeals in the Fifth Circuit, the Texas Supreme Court, and various Texas Courts of Appeals. Rex has represented numerous public and private entities in breach of contract disputes, tortious interference cases and other forms of commercial litigation and arbitration. He handles all types of contested proceedings before state agencies and the State Office of Administrative Hearings, including licensing and rate setting disputes. He has also represented a number of cities and other governmental entities in constitutional and voting rights litigation.
Rex is recognized in the 1995 and all subsequent editions of The Best Lawyers in America. The Austin Business Journal recognized him as the best public law and administrative litigator in Austin in its inaugural “Best of the Bar” Awards in 2005, and he was named 2012 Energy Lawyer of the Year in Austin by Best Lawyers. He has been recognized by Texas Monthly and Austin Magazine as a Super Lawyer each year since the inception of those awards, and he has been named among the nation's top business litigators in the Corporate Counsel Edition of Super Lawyers. Rex has written and lectured extensively on constitutional issues, including articles in Texas Lawyer and Texas Bar Journal. He has also written and lectured for the State Bar of Texas Continuing Legal Education seminars on the topics of Evidence, Ethics, Constitutional Litigation and Administrative Litigation. Prior to commencing his practice, Rex was awarded a Teaching Fellowship in Constitutional Law at Harvard University.
Representative Experience
- Lead counsel for Fortune 500 Company in two-week federal court trial involving over $200 million in alleged damages in breach of contract and tortious interference case.
- Lead trial and appellate counsel for several large Texas cities in federal constitutional cases challenging government contracting programs.
- Lead counsel for consortium of over forty Fortune 500 companies with large Texas operations in over 50 trials before Texas administrative agencies.
- Lead counsel for major national chemical company in $50 million federal court negligence and breach of contract case.
- Lead trial and mediation counsel for Fortune 100 petrochemical company in $30 million negligence case against power company.
- Lead trial and mediation counsel for large international chemical company in $8 million breach of contract litigation against electric cooperative.
Professional Recognition
- 2012 Lawyer of the Year in Energy Law in Austin, Best Lawyers (2012)
- Profiled as one of the leading Electricity (State Regulatory and Litigation) lawyers in Texas, Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers (2011)
- The Best Lawyers in America (1995-2012)
- Texas Super Lawyer in Business Litigation, Texas Monthly (2003-2011)
- Most Outstanding Public Law and Administrative Litigator, Austin Business Journal, Inaugural Best of the Bar Awards (2005)
- Top Business Litigators, Corporate Counsel Edition of SuperLawyers (2007-2010)
- Fellow of the American Bar Foundation
- Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
