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Locke Lord Partner David Harrell Becomes Houston Bar Association President
Harrell will serve as the HBA’s 2024-2025 President

(HOUSTON – May 20, 2024) – David Harrell, partner at Locke Lord LLP, became the 2024-2025 president of the Houston Bar Association at the HBA Annual Dinner on May 14. He succeeds Diana Gomez of Chamberlain Hrdlicka, who was recently elected to the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors as Director 4, Place 3.  

In his address to HBA members at the HBA Annual Dinner, Harrell detailed his three major initiatives for the bar year: building community among Houston lawyers, educating HBA members about important legal developments; and expanding opportunities for HBA members to serve their community.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as President of the Houston Bar Association,” said Harrell. “I look forward to working with the HBA’s board, staff, and members to accomplish our major initiatives for the coming year, and I look forward to seeing our community reap the benefit of those efforts. I am grateful for the support that my family and firm have provided over the years, and I appreciate the friendship of my colleagues and clients.”

Harrell is co-chair of Locke Lord’s Litigation Department and chairs the firm's International Arbitration practice group. He has extensive first and second-chair trial and arbitration experience in the areas of energy litigation, commercial litigation, and construction litigation. Harrell’s energy litigation experience includes representations of domestic and international clients in traditional oil and gas operations, as well as increasing representation of participants in the growing renewable energy industry. His commercial litigation resume includes representations of plaintiffs and defendants in contract disputes and fiduciary matters. 

Harrell has been an active HBA member since 2007 and has sat on its board of directors for 8 years. He has served as chair of Houston Volunteer Lawyers, the service arm of the Houston Bar Association. Harrell has also served as chair of the Dispute Resolution Center.

Harrell has co-chaired many HBA committees, including the Membership Committee, the Judicial Polls Committee, and the HAY Center Committee. He is also a Life Fellow of the Houston Bar Foundation and Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.

Other officers for the 2024-2025 bar year are Daniella Landers of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP, president-elect; Jeff Oldham of Bracewell LLP, first vice president; Collin Cox of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, second vice president; Greg Ulmer of BakerHostetler LLP, treasurer; and Kaylan Dunn of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, secretary. Diana Gomez of Chamberlain Hrdlicka will serve as immediate past president. Directors are Keri Brown of Baker Botts L.L.P.; Carter Dugan of Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP; Todd Frankfort of O'Neil Wysocki P.C.; Greg Moore of Blank Rome LLP; Robert Painter of Painter Law Firm PLLC; Seepan V. Parseghian of Beck Redden LLP; Colin Pogge of Daly & Black, P.C.; and Samantha Torres of Okin Adams Bartlett Curry LLP.

The Houston Bar Association also presented awards to outstanding committees, sections, and individuals.

Judge Carolyn Dineen King, a circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, was awarded the Justice Ruby Kless Sondock Award, which was established by 2019-2020 HBA President Benny Agosto, Jr. to recognize outstanding achievement and leadership for women in the law.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas and Christopher L. Tritico of Tritico Rainey, PLLC were awarded the Justice Eugene A. Cook Professionalism Award, the association’s highest award for professionalism.

HBA Past President (2019-2020) and current Houston Bar Foundation Board Member Benny Agosto, Jr., managing partner of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, was the recipient of the Exemplary Service to the Legal Profession and Community Award.

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The Houston Bar Association is a nonprofit professional organization for attorneys that provides education and service programs for the legal profession and the community. With over 11,000 members, the HBA is one of the largest metropolitan bar associations in the nation. Learn more at HBA.org.