Atty. Shawn M. Bates
Shawn Bates has more than 22 years of practice in commercial litigation in the energy industry and across numerous other industries. He is a seasoned first-chair trial lawyer, handling cases worth tens of millions.
Profile Summary
About Shawn M. Bates at a glance
Shawn M. Bates is a business and litigation attorney based in Houston, Texas, practicing at Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing. Admitted to practice in Texas, State Bar of Texas. Educated at Georgetown University (J.D., 2000) and Loyola University Maryland (B.A., 1987). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Commercial Litigation (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Additional Areas of Practice: (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Arbitration (2026). Serands clients in Houston, TX and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Shawn Bates has more than 22 years of practice in commercial litigation in the energy industry and across numerous other industries
- He is a seasoned first-chair trial lawyer, handling cases worth tens of millions
- He has conducted hundreds of depositions and supervised trial teams on matters of varying size
- He focuses his practice on litigation and arbitration of complex disputes for clients in the energy sector (oil and gas companies, oilfield supply and support companies, pipeline builders/owners, electric and gas utilities, and other energy sector companies) as well as construction cases and other business disputes
- These disputes include a broad range of claims such as business torts and fiduciary duty breach, breach of contract, breach of warranty, fraud, and similar disputes
- Mr. Bates is a former partner at Yetter Coleman LLP and was formerly Of Counsel at Schwartz, Junell, Greenberg & Oathout, LLP. He holds a Certificate in Advanced Arbitration Skills from the A.A
- White Dispute Resolution Center of the University of Houston Law Center
- Before obtaining his law degree magna cum laude at Georgetown University Law Center, Mr. Bates worked for the U.S
- Government for 10 years as a Senior Auditor in the U.S
- Department of State’s Office of Inspector General, and as a Senior Evaluator in the U.S
- Government Accountability Office
- Mr. Bates has been named a Texas Super Lawyer and to US Best Lawyers in 2021-2025
- and before that, as a Rising Star by Texas Monthly Magazine for 2005 and 2006, and one of Houston’s Top Lawyers for 2006-2009 by H Texas Magazine
- He has been a United Way Young Leader and a United Way Community Investment Volunteer
- He has also served on the Board of Directors of Santa Maria Hostel, a Houston-based non-profit organization that provides in-patient treatment for women battling addiction and abuse and their children
Practice Areas Explained
Shawn M. Bates's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Shawn M. Bates handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Business attorneys advise founders and growing companies on entity formation, contracts, financing, M&A, and dispute resolution.
Shawn M. Bates is one of 501,317 business attorneys indexed nationally. Browse business attorneys in Texas →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Shawn M. Bates is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in Texas →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Texas
Practicing law in Texas. Legal matters in Texas are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Houston are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Texas state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Texas brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Texas courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Texas attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Houston or all attorneys in Texas.
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