John Zavitsanos

/Home/Accident Lawyer: Houston TX

Our attorneys focus on complex commercial litigation, executive employment matters, and catastrophic personal injury cases. We approach every case as if it will go to trial. Our outstanding record in cases tried before juries and judges provides a wealth of trial experience to our clients. We have gained our reputation by achieving superior results.
* Commercial Litigation
* Company Investigations
* Covenants Not to Compete & Trade Secrets
* Employment Litigation
* Oil & Gas/Energy
* Products Liability & Catastrophic Personal Injury
* Real Estate & Construction Litigation

Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer - National Board of Legal Specialty Certification

John Zavitsanos
Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Anaipakos PC
1221 McKinney St #3460
Houston TX 77010-2009
Tel: 713 655-1101
Fax: 713 655-0062
E-mail: jzavitsanos@azalaw.com

John Zavitsanos has been recognized by attorneys across the United States as one of the best lawyers in America. 2009 is the fifth consecutive year this recognition has been bestowed on Mr. Zavitsanos by the nationally recognized publication of the same name. This distinction is awarded to less than 1% of all lawyers in the country. Mr. Zavitsanos was also a charter recipient of the designation of "Texas Super Lawyer" by Texas Monthly magazine and has been named a Super Lawyer every single year this award has existed. Much like the "Best Lawyers" distinction, this award is voted upon by members of the bar and is limited to the top 5% of all practicing lawyers in the state of Texas. Moreover, Mr. Zavitsanos has repeatedly been identified as one of Houston's best lawyers by H Texas magazine (he has received this distinction every year this award has existed as well), and is personally "AV" rated (the highest possible rating) by Martindale-Hubbell, the premier legal directory in the United States.

In 2007, 2008, and 2009 Texas Monthly recognized Mr. Zavitsanos as one of the top 100 regional attorneys in business litigation. Mr. Zavitsanos has also been board certified in civil trial law since 1997 by both the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and the National Board of Trial Advocacy, an achievement held by less than 2% of all practicing lawyers in the state of Texas. In 2008, Mr. Zavitsanos was one of six lawyers from the Houston area elected to the advocate level of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), one of the most selective trial lawyer organizations in the country.

Mr. Zavitsanos' cases have repeatedly been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the National Law Journal, the American Lawyer, the Texas Lawyer, and many other national publications. Mr. Zavitsanos (and the rest of the Firm) represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of cases. He has tried over 75 cases to a verdict in a multitude of areas of the law including financial services, construction, oil and gas, complex commercial disputes, director and officer liability, non-compete/trade secret disputes, employment, and catastrophic personal injury.

Given Mr. Zavitsanos' extensive trial experience, he is often hired as special trial counsel by other law firms. He uses a number of innovative techniques in the courtroom that have enabled him to win the overwhelming majority of his many trials.

Mr. Zavitsanos' litigation experience includes not only a multitude of jury trials, but a significant number of temporary restraining orders, temporary injunction hearings, administrative trials, oral arguments to the federal and state courts of appeal, and participation in countless dispositive hearings. It is for this battle-tested experience that he is asked to frequently lecture at CLE seminars on trial techniques in complex cases.

Having tried over 75 cases to a verdict, Mr. Zavitsanos is regularly hired by other lawyers on the eve of trial to assume first chair trial responsibility. In 2008, Mr. Zavitsanos tried 2 large business cases for over 5½ months. The collective amount at issue is both suits was over$75 million. In 2007, Mr. Zavitsanos tried six cases to conclusion, including a three-week bench trial on behalf of a Fortune 300 company involving a $150 million offshore pipeline dispute. Following a ruling in favor of the Firm's client, the case settled with the plaintiff paying a substantial amount to the Firm's client in exchange for the acquisition of certain assets. All of the cases Zavitsanos tried in 2007 and 2008 resulted in verdicts in favor of the Firm's clients.

In the area of employment law, Mr. Zavitsanos has represented scores of senior executives in negotiations with their employer in the preparation of employment agreements or in the negotiations of settlements under existing employment agreements. In those rare instances where a settlement could not be achieved, Mr. Zavitsanos has represented these executives and officers against their employer in jury trials. Mr. Zavitsanos has never lost an employment law jury trial. At the same time, Mr. Zavitsanos has represented many publicly traded companies in a variety of disputes with former employees including non-competition agreements, theft of trade secrets, title VII disputes, and a variety of other claims. Whether representing the employee or the employer, his trial record is unblemished.

In 2007, Mr. Zavitsanos was selected to serve on a five-member committee by the Ecumenical Patriarch of the worldwide Greek Orthodox Church to investigate the possibility of initiating human rights litigation against the government of Turkey before the European Courts of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. The Ecumenical Patriarch is the spiritual head of 300 million Orthodox Christians around the world and is located in Istanbul, Turkey. As a member of this committee Mr. Zavitsanos is working closely with numerous internationally renowned human rights lawyers, including lawyers from the American Center for Law and Justice, the European Center for Law and Justice and some prominent human rights lawyers from Turkey.