Zehl & Associates Named National Finalist for 2026 Elite Trial Lawyers Award in Catastrophic Injury

Houston firm is nationwide finalist for The National Law Journal’s most prestigious plaintiff’s firm recognition — an honor the firm has claimed multiple times before

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Zehl & Associates has been named a national finalist for The National Law Journal’s 2026 Elite Trial Lawyers Award in the category of catastrophic injury law — one of the most competitive and closely watched distinctions in plaintiff’s practice.

The NLJ’s Elite Trial Lawyers program honors firms that have delivered groundbreaking legal strategies, achieved significant results, and demonstrated unwavering commitment to advancing justice for plaintiffs. Finalists are drawn from hundreds of nominations across 27 categories submitted by firms nationwide.

Selection Criteria

To qualify as a finalist, a firm must demonstrate:

• At least one significant plaintiff win in a high-stakes bench or jury trial or major settlement during the past year
• A winning record in court over the past three to five years
• At least half of litigation resources devoted to plaintiff work
• Innovative approaches to case resolution

“Being selected as a finalist for this award alongside such outstanding firms is a genuine honor. But what matters most to me is what put us in this conversation — the results our team has fought to get for real people who needed someone to fight for them. That’s what drives us every day,” says the firm’s founding partner Ryan Zehl.

A Proven Record of National Recognition

This nomination builds on a track record of national recognition that few plaintiff’s firms can match. The National Law Journal previously selected Zehl & Associates as one of only two law firms in the country to be named Personal Injury Law Firm of the Year for four consecutive years. The firm has also earned consistent recognition from The Best Lawyers in America, Texas Super Lawyers, Lawdragon, and the National Trial Lawyers Association.

The 2026 Elite Trial Lawyers Award winners will be announced on July 23 at the JW Marriott Essex House in New York City. The complete list of finalists is available at event.law.com/nationallawjournal-etl.

About Zehl & Associates

Zehl & Associates PC is an undefeated Houston-based personal injury law firm representing accident victims across Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and the United States. The firm has secured billions of dollars in record-breaking verdicts and settlements against the largest trucking, oil and gas, maritime, and petrochemical companies in the world. Practice areas include truck and 18-wheeler accidents; oilfield accidents; maritime and Jones Act claims; refinery and plant explosions; and catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases nationwide.

For more information, visit zehllaw.com.