Attorney Dossier · Houston · October 28, 2026
Five Houston wrongful death firms, checked against the State Bar of Texas, Google and their own published terms.
A Texas family has two years from the date of death to sue, and after three calendar months the estate’s executor can step in if no family member has filed. Those dates make the first choice of lawyer matter more than the usual comparison shopping allows.
0 of 5
firms here publish their contingency percentage
2 years
to file, counted from the date of death
$20
for a 30-minute consultation through the Houston Lawyer Referral Service
The first slot on this page is a sponsored placement. The order of the other four is not a ranking. Every fact below was checked against the source named beside it in October 2026.
01
The scorecard: 3 checks, 5 firms
✓ meets the check ◐ partly or self-reported ✗ does not, or not published
Charles J. Argento & AssociatesFamilies who want the founding lawyer on the file, a former insurance defense attorney licensed in Texas since 1988
Houston office
✓North Loop WBar record checked
✓Licensed 1988Google rating checked
✓5.0 / 790 Sneed & Mitchell LLPFamilies who want a firm that caps its caseload and puts an attorney on the intake call
Houston office
✓Rice VillageBar record checked
✓Licensed 2015, 2017Google rating checked
✓4.9 / 444 Williams Hart & Boundas, LLPFamilies facing a plant, refinery or trucking death who want a board certified trial lawyer leading the firm
Houston office
✓Gulf FreewayBar record checked
✓Licensed 1978Google rating checked
✓4.8 / 320 Terry & Thweatt, P.C.Families with an offshore, oilfield or Galveston County death who want two partners and a small team
Houston office
✓The HeightsBar record checked
✓Licensed 1998, 1999Google rating checked
✓5.0 / 75 Morrow & Sheppard LLPFamilies who want the cost rules in writing and founders trained at a large defense firm
Houston office
✓San FelipeBar record checked
✓Licensed 2005Google rating checked
✓5.0 / 109 02
Before you sign: what the numbers mean for a Houston family
1
0 of 5: firms here publish their contingency percentage
All five work on contingency and offer a free first meeting. None prints the percentage it takes, and only Morrow & Sheppard states in writing that it fronts case costs and recovers them only if the family is paid. Texas requires a contingent fee contract to be in writing and signed by both sides, so ask for the draft.
2
2 years: to file, counted from the date of death
Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16.003(b) starts the clock on the death itself. Section 71.004 limits the claim to the surviving spouse, children and parents, and if none of them files within three calendar months, the executor or administrator must bring it unless all of them ask otherwise.
3
$20: for a 30-minute consultation through the Houston Lawyer Referral Service
The referral itself is free, and member attorneys meet for 30 minutes for a $20 fee. HLRS is certified by the State Bar of Texas, screens its members, lists a wrongful death category and offers bilingual staff. It also points families with limited income toward legal aid.
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The 5 firm dossiers
01
Charles J. Argento & Associates
Families who want the founding lawyer on the file, a former insurance defense attorney licensed in Texas since 1988
Why it made the list
Charles J. Argento has held a Texas law licence since November 1988 and runs the firm as its lead attorney from one office on the North Loop West. He states he spent roughly his first decade defending insurers, which is the side families face after a fatal crash. As a wrongful death attorney in Houston, his page covers truck, drunk driving, refinery, maritime and workplace deaths, and walks through finding every party at fault, their insurance, the beneficiaries and any survival claim. Spanish-speaking staff and a Spanish site section are in place, his bar profile adds Italian and Spanish, and the firm says it will come to the family.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyCharles J. Argento, South Texas College of Law, 1988 · Firm bio, State Bar of Texas
- Bar recordBar no. 01301750, licensed 11/10/1988, eligible to practice, no public disciplinary history · State Bar of Texas, checked October 2026
- Office1111 N Loop W, Suite 715, Houston, TX 77008 · Google, firm site, bar profile
- Phone713-225-5050; toll-free 800-239-7622 · Firm site, Google
- Fee termsContingency, no fee unless the case recovers, no retainer; percentage and costs not published · Firm site
- LanguagesSpanish-speaking staff; Italian and Spanish on bar profile · Firm site, State Bar of Texas
- Track recordStates 37 years in practice; lists results such as $25.5M industrial burn and $10M 18-wheeler · Firm’s own statement
- Google rating5.0 from 790 reviews · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QWill you personally handle my family’s case from filing to trial, and who is my day-to-day contact?
QWhich wrongful death cases has the firm resolved, since your published results list injury amounts?
QFrom your years defending insurers, what will the carrier argue first in a death claim like ours?
From the reviews we read
+ Medical care arranged with no upfront cost+ Regular updates on the settlement+ Attorney named by clients~ Reviews mostly from car accident cases
Most of the reviews we read describe car accident cases rather than deaths. They return to three points: the firm arranged medical care with no upfront cost, staff kept clients updated on the settlement, and Argento himself is named often. With 790 reviews at 5.0, it has the largest Google base in this group.
Fit and watch-outA good match for a family that wants one senior lawyer it can call by name, with insurer-side experience. The trade-off: the firm publishes no wrongful death result of its own, its largest listed amounts are injury cases, and it does not say who pays case costs if there is no recovery.
02
Sneed & Mitchell LLP
Families who want a firm that caps its caseload and puts an attorney on the intake call
Why it made the list
Sneed & Mitchell is a Houston catastrophic and wrongful death firm founded by Niles J. Sneed and Brit Mitchell, both South Texas College of Law graduates, working from 2525 Robinhood near Rice Village. Its founders page states the firm never handles more than 15 cases at a time and does not advertise for cases it then refers out. The wrongful death page explains who may sue under Chapter 71 and describes a network of forensic pathologists, reconstruction engineers and economists. The firm lists a $16.5 million wrongful death result and a recent seven-figure recovery for the children of a man killed in an offshore tugboat accident.
Proof file
- Lead attorneysNiles J. Sneed and Brittany (Brit) Mitchell, founding partners · Firm site, State Bar of Texas
- Bar recordsSneed: no. 24105043, licensed 09/08/2017. Mitchell: no. 24098907, licensed 12/10/2015. Both eligible, no public disciplinary history · State Bar of Texas, checked October 2026
- Office2525 Robinhood St, Suite 1100, Houston, TX 77005 · Google, bar profiles
- Phone713-800-6676; toll-free 866-434-0014 · Firm site, Google
- Fee termsContingency, no upfront costs; percentage and costs if no recovery not published · Firm site
- CaseloadStates it never handles more than 15 cases at a time · Firm’s own statement
- LanguagesArabic, Chinese and Spanish listed on Sneed’s bar profile · State Bar of Texas
- Google rating4.9 from 444 reviews · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QHow many active cases do you have today against your stated 15-case limit?
QWhich founder will try my case, and how much of the work will associates handle?
QCan you show the court record or settlement terms behind the $16.5 million wrongful death result?
From the reviews we read
+ Clear updates at each stage+ One attorney named across many reviews+ Steps explained in plain terms~ One report of slow progress and broken promises
Most reviews we read name Darelis Figueroa and describe clear, regular updates and explanations at each stage. One reviewer reports a slow case, poor communication and promises from the consultation that were not kept. At 444 reviews and a 4.9 average, the base is large enough for that pattern to mean something.
Fit and watch-outWorth a call for a family that values a small caseload and lawyers who focus on catastrophic and death cases. The trade-off: both founders were licensed in 2015 and 2017, and the site gives three different totals for combined experience, so ask who carries the trial work.
03
Williams Hart & Boundas, LLP
Families facing a plant, refinery or trucking death who want a board certified trial lawyer leading the firm
Why it made the list
The Houston wrongful death lawyers at Williams Hart & Boundas work from 8441 Gulf Freeway, close to the Pasadena and Baytown plant corridor. Founding partner John Eddie Williams Jr. has been licensed in Texas since February 1978 and his bar profile shows board certification in Personal Injury Trial Law, which the firm dates to 1982. He was one of the outside lawyers Texas hired for its tobacco suit. The results page lists an $11 million verdict against an oilfield trucking company in a death case, and the firm also runs mass tort and whistleblower dockets with 9 partners and 13 attorneys.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyJohn Eddie Williams Jr., founding partner; Baylor Law, 1978 · Firm bio, State Bar of Texas
- Bar recordBar no. 21600300, licensed 02/03/1978, eligible to practice, no public disciplinary history · State Bar of Texas, checked October 2026
- CertificationBoard Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law (Texas Board of Legal Specialization) · State Bar of Texas profile
- Office8441 Gulf Fwy, Suite 600, Houston, TX 77017 · Google, firm site, bar profile
- Phone713-230-2200 on the website and bar profile; Google lists 713-955-9765 · Firm site, Google
- Fee termsContingency, no fee unless there is a settlement or verdict; percentage and costs not published · Firm site
- Death case resultsLists an $11M verdict against an oilfield trucking company · Firm’s own statement
- Google rating4.8 from 320 reviews · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QWill John Eddie Williams Jr. or another board certified lawyer work on our case, and in what role?
QHow does a death case get staffed alongside the firm’s mass tort work?
QWhich of your results involved a death at a Houston-area plant or refinery?
From the reviews we read
+ Kept informed throughout+ Case team named by clients+ Treated as people, not files~ Some reviews from community partners
Reviewers describe being kept informed, steps explained clearly and staff members who treated them as people rather than files, and several name the case team. One review comes from an apprenticeship program the firm supports rather than a client. At 320 reviews and 4.8, this is a well-tested base.
Fit and watch-outThe strongest trial credentials on paper in this group, and an office near the plants where many industrial deaths happen. The trade-off: a large firm with national mass tort work, so the founding partner may not be the lawyer the family sees, and Google lists a different phone number from the website.
04
Terry & Thweatt, P.C.
Families with an offshore, oilfield or Galveston County death who want two partners and a small team
Why it made the list
Terry & Thweatt describes itself as small by design, with partners Joe Terry and Lee Thweatt handling cases personally from a renovated Masonic lodge on Byrne Street in the Heights and a second office on Rosenberg Street in Galveston. Thweatt served as a Marine Corps judge advocate from 1997 to 2003. As wrongful death lawyers in Houston and Galveston, the firm lists oilfield, refinery, Jones Act, aviation and railroad deaths among its case types, and reports a $10,372,271.76 settlement for the family of an oilfield worker burned to death. It offers first meetings at home or in the hospital.
Proof file
- Lead attorneysJoe Terry (South Texas College of Law) and Lee Thweatt (Texas Tech Law) · Firm bios, State Bar of Texas
- Bar recordsTerry: no. 24013618, licensed 11/03/1999. Thweatt: no. 24008160, licensed 11/06/1998. Both eligible, no public disciplinary history · State Bar of Texas, checked October 2026
- Offices114 Byrne St, Houston, TX 77009; 1100 Rosenberg St, Galveston, TX 77550 · Google, firm site
- Phone713-600-4710; toll-free 866-870-0008 · Firm site, Google
- HoursMonday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM · Google
- Fee termsNo recovery, no fee; percentage and costs if no recovery not published · Firm site
- LanguagesSpanish listed on both partners’ bar profiles · State Bar of Texas
- Google rating5.0 from 75 reviews · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QWhich partner would lead our case, and will that partner attend the depositions?
QIf the death happened offshore, how do you decide between a Jones Act claim and a Texas wrongful death claim?
QWould our case be handled from the Houston office or the Galveston office?
From the reviews we read
+ Straight answers from the partner+ Paralegal keeps families informed+ Long cases carried to a close~ 75 reviews, a modest base
Reviewers name Joe Terry for telling them where the case stood without spin, and paralegal Marie for frequent, friendly contact. Several describe long cases that the team kept moving to a close. All 75 Google reviews average 5.0, a smaller base than most firms here.
Fit and watch-outA sound match for maritime and industrial deaths, especially near Galveston, with partners who stay on the file. The trade-off: a two-partner firm has less bench depth for a long trial against a large company, and the review base is the smallest here.
05
Morrow & Sheppard LLP
Families who want the cost rules in writing and founders trained at a large defense firm
Why it made the list
Morrow & Sheppard was founded by Nick Morrow and John D. Sheppard, both licensed in Texas in November 2005 after law school at the University of Texas. Morrow’s bio says he spent more than a decade as an equity partner at Fulbright & Jaworski before the two opened the firm in 2015. Its wrongful death lawyer page covers truck, refinery, explosion, defective product and airline maintenance deaths, and notes that claims against a government body can need notice within six months. The firm’s FAQ states it fronts all case costs and recovers its expenses only if the family is compensated, the clearest cost rule in this group.
Proof file
- Lead attorneysNick Morrow and John D. Sheppard, founding partners; both UT School of Law, 2005 · Firm bios, State Bar of Texas
- Bar recordsMorrow: no. 24051088. Sheppard: no. 24051331. Both licensed 11/04/2005, eligible, no public disciplinary history · State Bar of Texas, checked October 2026
- Offices5151 San Felipe St, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77056; Midland by appointment · Google, firm site
- Phone800-489-2216 on the website; Google lists 713-903-2170 · Firm site, Google
- Fee termsContingency; firm fronts case costs and recovers expenses only if the client is compensated; percentage not published · Firm FAQ and blog
- HoursMonday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 6 PM · Google
- LanguagesSpanish listed on both partners’ bar profiles · State Bar of Texas
- Google rating5.0 from 109 reviews · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QDo the figures on your results page show what clients received, or your fees and expenses?
QWhich of your cases have been wrongful death claims, and how were they resolved?
QWho would be our day-to-day lawyer, and how often would we meet?
From the reviews we read
+ Steady contact from the case team+ Took a case other firms declined+ Plain explanations of each step~ Process felt long to some
Reviewers name attorney Michael and staff members Griselda and Laura for steady contact and plain explanations. One family says the firm took a husband’s case after other firms declined it and met with them repeatedly. Several mention the process felt long. The base is 109 reviews at 5.0.
Fit and watch-outA clear choice for a family that wants cost terms spelled out before signing, especially in an industrial or oilfield death. The trade-off: the results page lists no wrongful death outcome and labels its figures as fees and expenses, so ask what each number means.
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Six things to settle before you sign with any firm
A written, signed fee contract. Texas Government Code 82.065 requires a contingent fee contract to be in writing and signed by the attorney and the client. Read the percentage, and whether it rises if the case goes to trial or appeal.
Who pays costs if there is no recovery. Witness fees, depositions and filing costs in a death case can run high. Get it in writing whether the firm absorbs them if the case is lost, as Morrow & Sheppard states it does.
The lawyer who will try the case. Name the attorney who will appear in court, not only the one at the first meeting, and check that attorney on the State Bar of Texas directory.
Every eligible family member on board. Only the spouse, children and parents can bring the claim, and one may sue for all. Agree inside the family who signs, since the executor can step in after three calendar months.
The filing date on the calendar. Ask the firm to state the two-year deadline for your case in writing, plus any earlier notice date if a government vehicle, road or employee was involved.
No contract from an uninvited contact. Texas makes it a crime to solicit a wrongful death client within 30 days of the accident. A contract obtained that way can be voided, with a $10,000 penalty and refund of fees.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does a family have to file a wrongful death lawsuit in Texas?
+
Generally two years from the date of death under Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16.003(b). Claims against a government body can require written notice much sooner, and Morrow & Sheppard notes it can be as little as six months, so call a lawyer early.
Who can bring a wrongful death claim in Houston?
+
The surviving spouse, children and parents of the person who died, under Section 71.004. One of them can sue for all. If none files within three calendar months, the executor or administrator must bring the claim unless all of them ask otherwise.
How much does a wrongful death lawyer cost in Houston?
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All five firms here work on contingency, so the family pays nothing up front and the fee comes out of any recovery. None of the five publishes its percentage. Ask for the written contract Texas law requires before you sign.
Which of these lawyers is board certified?
+
Of the lead attorneys we checked on the State Bar of Texas directory, only John Eddie Williams Jr. of Williams Hart & Boundas shows board certification, in Personal Injury Trial Law. The other bar profiles we read show none.
Is there a low-cost way to get a first opinion?
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Yes. The Houston Lawyer Referral Service makes free referrals, and its member attorneys give a 30-minute consultation for $20. All five firms on this page also offer a free first consultation.
A lawyer contacted my family right after the death. Is that allowed?
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Texas Penal Code 38.12 bars lawyers from soliciting a wrongful death client who has not asked for help within 30 days of the accident. A family can void a contract obtained that way and recover fees plus a $10,000 penalty.
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Method and sources
How we checked these firms+
This is a shortlist of five Houston firms that take wrongful death cases, not a ranking. For each one we read its own wrongful death page, attorney bios, fee language and published results, then looked up each lead attorney in the State Bar of Texas Find a Lawyer directory for bar number, licence date, status, board certification and public discipline.
We checked each firm’s Google Business Profile for address, phone, hours and review count, and read the review text ourselves. Results, totals and years in practice are the firm’s own statements unless a bar record confirms them. The deadline and beneficiary rules come from the text of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
Sources+
- Firm websites: charlesargento.com, sneedmitchell.com, whlaw.com, terrythweatt.com, morrowsheppard.com (read October 2026)
- State Bar of Texas, Find a Lawyer directory profiles for each lead attorney (checked October 2026)
- Google Business Profiles for each firm: address, phone, hours, rating, review count and review text (checked October 2026)
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code sections 16.003(b), 71.002 and 71.004
- Texas Government Code sections 82.065 and 82.0651; Texas Penal Code section 38.12
- Houston Lawyer Referral Service, hlrs.org (referral and consultation fee terms)