L. Bradley Hancock
Partner
Overview
Bradley Hancock is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Houston and Austin offices and a member of the firm's Litigation Practice, as the Co-Practice Group Leader for Texas. Mr. Hancock is also the Executive Partner of the Houston office and counsels clients on complex commercial litigation and dispute resolution, with a focus on "bet the company" litigation and arbitrations.
Mr. Hancock has extensive courtroom experience as lead counsel in state and federal courts throughout the United States. He handles and tries numerous jury trials, bench trials, arbitrations, appeals, administrative matters and other disputes in more than 22 states and internationally. While taking an aggressive approach is prudent in some instances, Mr. Hancock is cognizant of appropriate measures to take in resolving cases early and efficiently when possible. However, he often is asked to resolve or try complex matters on short notice, often being retained late in cases specifically to act as lead trial counsel, sometimes substituting in for prior counsel in matters after the close of discovery.
In addition, Mr. Hancock is a frequent lecturer at seminars, in-house meetings and client gatherings on a variety of matters, including a wide range of litigation topics.
Mr. Hancock’s clients span the arc from major players in oil and gas, financial institutions, and Healthcare entities, to professional athletes (and teams) and others in the entertainment industry. He regularly takes cases as counsel for Plaintiffs and as Defendants on a 50/50 spread.
Representative Experience
- Represented one of the largest solar development companies in obtaining a trial verdict in South Texas regarding a claim for breaches of various development agreements with third parties
- Successfully represented an operating company in a dispute with a mezzanine lender and a financial service company, successfully obtaining a summary judgment on all claims
- Represented an operating company in numerous legacy liability claims in Louisiana for alleged environmental harm to real estate, leading to a summary disposition in favor of the clients with zero liability
- Successfully represented a drilling company in response to environmental liability claims for subsurface trespass of refined hydrocarbons in South Louisiana
- Represented major production companies in several subsurface trespass claims by neighboring property owners through successful conclusions
- Represented an operating company in response to personal injury claims tied to alleged negligence on and around drilling operations through good outcomes for clients
- Represented an international operator in connection with a government contract claim against the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through a successful outcome for client on all claims asserted
- Successfully represented clients in disputes relating to disputed ownership interests in operations in legacy operations in East Texas
- Represented a client in arbitration of disputes tied to ownership interests claimed by third-party investors
- Successfully represented a client in a dispute related to surface rights to real estate in West Texas
- Represented numerous clients in a variety of royalty disputes throughout Texas
- Represented electric cooperatives in cases related to deaths and injuries through electrocution, resulting in successful outcomes
- Handled several cases relating to trespass and nuisance tied to electrical and hydrocarbon operations on neighboring properties
- Represented clients in government and administrative actions before the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) and Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)
- Represented a client through successful resolution of a grievous injury case to a minor
- Represented clients in scores of disputes with healthcare providers related to reimbursement and contractual liability claims
- Handled numerous personal injury and medical negligence claims through verdict and other successful outcomes
- Worked with clients in ownership and other contractual claims related to the ownership and/or operation of physician-owned hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and pharmacies
- Represented clients in disputes tied to liabilities in upstream and alter ego claims across multiple states through successful verdicts, summary judgments and other means
- Represented a financial service company in several lawsuits to verdict, obtaining favorable jury verdicts for clients in numerous suits
- Handled disputes related to non-competition agreements, as well as tortious interference by third-party service providers
- Obtained favorable arbitration decisions for clients in scores of disputes related to services provided to customers in consumer liability arbitrations
- Successful representation of a financial service company in bet-the-company disputes related to interference by competitors in multistate venues
- Represented clients in class actions through successful resolution through summary disposition and other favorable results in cases
- Worked on scores of consumer liability disputes tied to alleged violations of state and federal laws relating to financial services
- Successfully handled scores of fiduciary litigation matters for financial service and other companies (for partner and member disputes) through resolution in arbitration, trial and summary disposition
- Represented trustees and counsel in high-stakes litigation, defending against alleged breaches of fiduciary duties in newsworthy cases where no-holds-barred disputes have required delicate and discreet coverage and work to defend clients
- Handled fiduciary litigation for some of the largest stakes disputes in probate courts relating to high-value assets and life-changing disputes across borders, involving international holdings and diverse clients
- Represented a country music legend in a contractual dispute through a successful outcome in central Texas
- Handled a dispute for a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame client in multidistrict litigation related to an alleged theft of intellectual property, obtaining a take-nothing resolution in multiple forums
- Represented a cable network in a dispute related to contractual rights to a national sporting event, obtaining a favorable pre-suit outcome for the client
- Successfully handled litigation related to the theft of intellectual property by third-party distribution companies, maintaining client's rights to their music, free from interference
- Worked with a distribution client to resolve contractual disputes with artists in several litigation matters tied to breaches of artist agreements
- Worked with a national music icon to obtain a favorable outcome in multiple disputes related to artist and distribution agreements
- Handled disputes for numerous professional athletes in a wide variety of claims, bringing claims to a successful resolution either through summary judgment or other means
- Worked with a local law school and a national philanthropy to represent underserved Louisiana citizens following Hurricane Katrina to ensure that they were able to continue to reside in Katrina trailers despite parish efforts to displace them; a successful representation led to the parishes stopping eviction efforts and ensuring the citizens could continue to reside in the trailers when they had no other options
- Represented Holocaust survivors and their families in seeking reparations from the German government and sorting through the difficult paperwork and historical records to receive funds
- Represented an undocumented minor to allow him to remain with his mother in the United States, where the minor had been abandoned (and unclaimed) by his birth father
- Represented a minor with disabilities to ensure he could receive appropriate care after abandonment by his father
- Represented an underserved family in obtaining benefits after being impacted by a natural disaster
- Represented veterans and their families in obtaining benefits and legal representation while deployed
- Helped draft and create forms for historical associations through both the state bar and with historical associations
- Numerous roles in the local bar, the boards of both Texas and Louisiana state bars, as well as working to improve the bar through attorney discipline roles
Credentials
- Hofstra University, LL.M.
- Texas Tech University School of Law, J.D.
- Texas A&M University, B.A., History
- District of Columbia
- Louisiana
- Texas
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- All U.S. District Courts in Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
- Louisiana Board of Governors, Louisiana Bar Association, Governor, 2023-Present
- Boy Scouts of America, National Committee (Philmont)
- Houston Young Lawyers Association, Life Fellow
- Texas Tech Law School Foundation, Board of Trustees
- State Bar of Texas, Corporate Counsel Section, Chair, 2015-2016; Vice-Chair, 2013-2014; Board Member, 2011-present
- State Bar of Texas, Board of Directors, 2008-2011
- State Bar of Texas, Pattern Jury Charges Committee for Business, Consumer, Insurance & Employment Edition, 2012-2014
- State Bar of Texas, Grievance Panel, District 4 Chair, 2008-2009
- Houston Young Lawyers Association, Board of Directors, 2002-2008
- Houston Young Lawyers Association, Leadership Academy, Co-Founder and Co-Chair, 2002-2003, 2005-2006
- Leadership Houston, Board of Directors, 2001-2005
- Houston Young Lawyers Foundation, Chair, Board of Directors, 2008-2009
- Leadership Houston, Class XVIII
- Petroleum Club of Houston, Member
- Petroleum Club Young Professionals Association, Alliance Chair, 2004-2005
- Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Commercial Litigation, 2024-2025
- Texas Super Lawyers magazine, 2016-2024
- Outstanding Young Houstonian, Houston Junior Chamber of Commerce, 2011
- Law360 Product Liability Practice Group of the Year, Team Member, 2011
- Houston Young Lawyers Association, Presidential Citation, 2003, 2005, 2007-2008
- Pro Bono Service Award, Texas Appleseed, 2008
- Rising Star, Texas Super Lawyers magazine, 2004-2007