J.J. Hardig
Partner, Civil Litigation Practice Group Leader

I am fortunate to have long relationships with many of our clients. It is impossible to have those relationships without being responsive to each client’s particular needs and – most important – without obtaining successful results.  I enjoy handling tough cases, but I also know that costly discovery and courtroom battles are not always the most effective nor efficient options.  This is why I explore unique and creative alternatives for accomplishing the client’s objectives.

J.J. Hardig serves as Gray Reed's Civil Litigation Practice Group Leader. J.J. is a veteran business lawyer with an over 20-year track record of success in and out of courtrooms across Texas. His guiding philosophy in the practice of law is service to his clients.  His dedication to his clients is evidenced by relationships that date back to his earliest years of practice.  J.J. works tirelessly to maintain his client relationships by focusing on each client’s specific needs and by providing value in every opportunity. 

J.J.’s clients include major exploration and production companies, local oilfield service companies, a global engineering and construction services firm, a national home builder, as well as entrepreneurs in various industries such as real estate, hospitality, and health care.  Although diverse, these clients have one thing in common—they count on J.J. to achieve practical, business-centered solutions to their various challenges whether inside or outside of the courtroom.

J.J.’s trial practice focuses on defending businesses against serious tort claims, as well as handling high-stakes commercial disputes.  His tort defense practice is dedicated to defending against catastrophic injury and death claims often arising in industrial settings like chemical and power plants, as well as rig sites.  His commercial litigation practice involves complex contract and warranty issues often arising from master service and product supply agreements.

J.J. also advises his clients on indemnity and insurance coverage issues.  These matters arise during the front-end negotiation of a construction or oil and gas-related agreement or later when a personal injury or property damage claim arises.  J.J. not only negotiates and drafts indemnity and insurance provisions, he also has extensive experience enforcing his clients’ indemnity and insurance coverage rights in court.

Representative Experience

Personal Injury Litigation

  • Routinely defends oil and gas operators and service companies sued in rig accident cases involving serious personal injury and death.
  • Routinely defends EPCM, maintenance, and operations contractors against serious personal injury and death claims.
  • Routinely defends industrial property owners against premises liability claims, including those arising under Chapter 95 of the Texas Civil Practices & Remedies Code.
  • Routinely defends products liability claims brought against chemical and coating manufacturers.
  • Routinely defends national home builder in premises liability claims involving personal injury and death.
  • Obtained partial summary judgment in serious premises liability case on behalf of chemical plant operator.
  • Obtained dismissal of very serious personal injury claim on behalf of EPCM contractor and successfully defended the dismissal on appeal in state appellate court.
  • Obtained dismissal of premises liability claim on behalf of major oil and gas exploration and production company.
  • Obtained summary judgment of death case in federal court on behalf of government contractor and successfully defended the summary judgment in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • Successful resolution of death case involving crane failure for construction client.
  • Served as Texas counsel during defense of food product after nationwide recall.

Commercial Litigation

  • Routinely enforces clients’ defense, indemnity and insurance coverage rights, particularly for oil and gas and construction clients.
  • Obtained favorable jury verdict in matter involving multi-million dollar sale of client’s business.
  • Obtained favorable arbitration award for general contractor in breach of contract dispute involving subcontractor’s claims for additional work, construction delays and lost productivity.
  • Obtained favorable judgment after bench trial in breach of contract matter involving the sale of oil and gas related equipment.
  • Obtained summary judgment on behalf of coating manufacturer in million dollar breach of warranty/DTPA claim relating to a commercial building.
  • Obtained summary judgment on behalf of manufacturer in breach of warranty claim relating to alleged failure of coating on a residence.
  • Successful resolution of significant contract claim brought by client against purchaser of health care related business.  
  • Successful resolution of large claim for breach of drilling contract on behalf of oil and gas drilling contractor.
  • Successful resolution of significant construction defect claim related to residential high-rise building. 
  • Successful resolution of large claim for misappropriation of trade secret and copyright infringement on behalf of construction client.
  • Successful prosecution of contractual indemnity claim on construction client’s behalf after personal injury settlement.
  • Successful resolution of significant breach of contract claim arising from construction project in Iraq.
  • Successful resolution of property damage claim arising from negligent operation of a commercial bus.
  • Successful resolution of negligence and breach of warranty action involving the alleged failure of paint products used on a multi-million dollar residence.
  • Obtained dismissal of employer’s appeal on behalf of employee after filing brief. The appeal involved non-compete and non-disclosure issues.
  • Obtained temporary restraining order and agreed permanent injunction preventing former employee from utilizing client’s previously owned equipment to compete.
  • Successfully defeated attempts to enjoin multi-million dollar sale of client’s business.

General Business Advice

  • Routinely advises businesses on risk analysis and mitigation, litigation prevention strategies and employment-related issues.
  • Routinely negotiates contract terms for clients, particularly indemnity and insurance obligations.
  • Serves several clients as outside “general counsel,” including an oilfield service company and a real estate development firm.
Thought Leadership / News
Honors
  • Selected by his peers for inclusion in Woodward/White, Inc.'s The Best Lawyers in America in the field of Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions (Defense) (2024)
  • Named a "Super Lawyer" by Texas Super Lawyers (a Thomson Reuters company) as published in Texas Monthly (2005, 2013 - 2020, 2023)
  • Named a Houstonia Magazine Top Lawyer in Houston (2018 - 2020)
Organizational Involvement
  • State Bar of Texas
  • Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
  • Houston Bar Association
  • Houston Bar Foundation, Fellow
  • National Association of Dealer Counsel
Education
  • J.D., South Texas College of Law Houston (1998)
  • B.S., Texas A&M University (1995)
Judicial Clerkships
  • First Court of Appeals of Texas, Hon. Adele Hedges (1999 - 2000)
Bar Admission
  • Texas
Court Admissions
  • United States District Court, Western District of Texas
  • United States District Court, Southern District of Texas
  • United States District Court, Northern District of Texas
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas
  • United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit