Prestigious Chambers USA Ranks AZA Law Firm for 13th Year and Honors Eight Lawyers

Praised for commercial litigation, IP and appellate practices

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Chambers USA, the gold standard of legal ratings, gave AZA law firm top 2026 ratings in Texas for three practice areas and ranked eight firm lawyers; three of them in the top Band One level.

This is the 13th year AZA was rated by Chambers. This year AZA is praised for its general commercial litigation, intellectual property and appellate practices. The lawyers honored are John Zavitsanos, Todd Mensing, Tim Shelby, Shahmeer Halepota, Joe Ahmad, Jason McManis, Daryl Moore and Kelsi Stayart White.

AZA’s general commercial litigation practice was rated highly for the 13^th year. The group “combines masterful lawyering, exhaustive preparation, judge-savvy strategy and first-rate advocacy with exemplary client service," according to a referee interviewed by Chambers. Chambers was told the AZA lawyers “vigorously defend their clients' interests. They leave no stone unturned in their approach, and no matter is too complex or sophisticated for them to handle.”

John Zavitsanos, co-founder of AZA and managing partner, once again earned a Band One ranking as both one of the best Texas trial lawyers and for his general commercial litigation expertise. Some comments made about him:

• "John is a phenomenal trial lawyer. He has an unrelenting focus on winning and is an excellent strategic thinker. He is one of the best in the country."

• "John is a fantastic trial attorney. He has really impressive strategic vision. His advocacy skills are the best I have seen."

Todd Mensing was ranked Band One in general commercial litigation. Chambers was told this about him:

• "Todd's judgment is consistently sound, which is key in litigation matters where emotions are high and you need a clear head. Even when I don't want to hear the answer, he still has a way of keeping me grounded. He operates from a logical standpoint and is unbeatable in my mind."

• "Todd is excellent. He has tremendous legal acumen and judgment. He is incredibly effective at getting things done and at making the right decisions at the correct time. Todd narrows down the right arguments to be most effective."

Tim Shelby was ranked in commercial litigation yet again. His referees said:

• "Tim is a fantastic lawyer. He is very sharp and no matter what case it is, he brings a lot of expertise and knowledge."

• "Tim is great on client service; he's a great partner. He understands what in-house lawyers need, anticipating what I want and giving it to me quickly. Everyone thinks super-highly of him. He is very strong on his feet and well liked by judges. He reads the room well and knows when to be calm and when to ramp it up."

Shahmeer Halepota was rated as Up and Coming in general commercial litigation. Chambers gathered these comments about him:

• "I believe Shahmeer Halepota to be one of the best litigators in the US. I can attest to the fact that his creativity, zeal and ability to turn chaos into clarity are rare and effective. Any client that has the opportunity to work with Shahmeer is lucky."

• "Shahmeer is brilliant, committed, determined and fierce. His magnetic personal energy and his infectious spirit bring purpose and good humor to even the most daunting tasks. He handles every situation to protect his clients with immaculate grace."

Joe Ahmad was also rated Band One, though not in general commercial litigation. His referees said:

• "Joseph is a smart and well-prepared attorney."

• "Joseph is a very good attorney and pleasant to work with."

AZA’s IP practice was rated highly for the sixth year. The referees praised the team’s “comprehensive understanding of the patent litigation landscape” and how they “tirelessly outwork their opponents."

Jason S. McManis, head of the IP group, was ranked highly once again. His referees told Chambers:

• "Jason is a valuable asset to any litigation team. His work-product is well-thought out and timely. He relates well to and appreciates the client's perspective. He is a great problem-solver."

• "Jason is efficient, surgical and very good in court."

AZA’s relatively young appellate group was rated for the first time. Chambers was told the appellate lawyers are “super smart,” “very good at evaluating relative issue strengths in the context of the Supreme Court” and are “very efficient and really know the appellate system and judges here in Texas. The team works with us really effectively in terms of the commercial aspects."

Daryl Moore, a former highly rated judge, leads AZA’s appellate practice group. Referees said this to Chambers about him:

• "Daryl is the kind of advocate who is highly trusted. He has superb judgment and a very conscientious approach. He is well respected by judges."

• "The appellate insight he has is very valuable. He is an exceptional writer and thinker and has a background as a judge. He is the real deal."

Kelsi Stayart White was rated as Up and Coming in appellate. Chambers gathered these comments about her:

• "Kelsi is phenomenal. She has a remarkable ability to evaluate issues, thinks many moves ahead and remains very calm in her evaluations. She is strategic and analytical."

• "Kelsi is a straight shooter and gets to the core of the problem. I'm very confident in her judgment. She seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of Texas law."

Houston and Dallas trial boutique Ahmad Zavitsanos & Mensing, or AZA, has earned repeated recognition from Chambers USA among the best in Texas in commercial law and intellectual property; the firm has been listed by Best Lawyers’ Best Law Firms as one of the country’s best commercial litigation firms for 13 years; has been named Litigation Department of the Year by Texas Lawyer three times; and was dubbed a Texas Powerhouse law firm by Law360.