What People are Saying

“Colleagues, I wanted to share my experience with Phil Watkins, who served as our mediator by agreement in late November. I had a good case involving a negligent driver working for a rideshare company. Defense counsel was very well prepared and competent, but the effort and work that Phil put in to assist in getting the case resolved was nothing short of spectacular. When they ran out of authority, Phil suggested a proposal supported by a summary and report of his view of the case so that higher management could review. The proposal was later accepted and was 50% more than the authority brought to mediation. Phil’s trial experience and knowledge was invaluable. You may want to consider him for your next mediation.”

“Phil is a great asset as a mediator, particularly in major, complex cases. Phil’s experience and intelligence allow him to quickly discern the key factual and legal issues on both sides of a case that are critical to evaluating both liability and damages. Phil has quickly become one of my go-to mediators, particularly in my larger cases. I definitely recommend Phil as a mediator, regardless of which side of the docket you are on.”

“Had a mediation with him in another ugly personal injury action in La Salle County. He moved mountains and was awesome. Thanks for the recommendation.”

“Having worked on both sides of the docket for 27 years, it is refreshing to find a mediator who can bring the same experience to a mediation. Phil has an analytical and practical approach to dispute resolution, filtered through the hard won experience of 40 plus years of courtroom battles. His creativity and tenacity allowed me to resolve two complex cases over the span of three days.”

“A long career in the Personal Injury arena, coupled with extensive Trial and Courtroom experience, makes Phil the “go to” mediator for large loss and catastrophic injury cases. Phil has always maintained the utmost respect from all lawyers on both sides of the docket.”

“I first encountered Phil as an opponent in trial many years ago.  He had a keen sense of what juries consider and how they value damage claims.  More recently, we had a case complicated by expert opinions on liability and damages, as well as defensive cross-actions.  His focus was unwavering on what was important to resolve the case.  He is a lawyer who has truly seen it all from both sides of the docket and knows the path to settlement.”

“I have known Phil for 40 years. His experience in the litigation arena is well known throughout South Texas. If you’re looking for a mediator to do something other than carry numbers back and forth- give Phil a try. He is well versed in the law and evaluating legal positions from a jurors perspective. Phil’s experience will facilitate a rapport with all parties to expedite the process. Whether you represent the Plaintiff or Defendant- Phil has probably been in your position at some point in time during his career.”

“Over the course of my life, I have been blessed with a few great mentors that made me the lawyer I am today.  Some taught me about patience.  Some taught me about power.  Phil Watkins taught me that in addition to patience and power, honor and humility are of the utmost importance in the practice of law. It is Phil’s years of trial experience, years of experience in mentoring young, aspiring lawyers, and years of practicing what he preaches that makes him eminently qualified and effective at mediating not only the most complex cases, but all cases that typically go to trial in today’s courtrooms.”