In early 2011, three lawyers from two Big Law firms were asking themselves the same question: What would a trial boutique built around courtroom work, lean teams, and lawyers who actually tried cases look like?

Fifteen years later, that answer is Reese Marketos, a nationally recognized trial firm with a reputation for handling some of the most complex and high-stakes disputes in the country.

Throughout February, Reese Marketos is celebrating its 15th anniversary. To mark the milestone, we’re looking back at 15 moments that shaped the firm — not just verdicts and awards, but the decisions, risks, and people who defined who we are and how we practice.

#1

The lunch that started it all

The foundation for Reese Marketos was cemented over a momentous lunch in Bishop Arts in January 2011. Joel Reese and Brad Gordon had talked over drinks during a holiday party about the kind of firm they wanted to build — and they decided the next month to go for it. At the same time, Pete Marketos had been speaking with their colleague and mentor about starting his own boutique where courtroom work and trials came first. The mentor told Joel, Brad, and Pete that they should meet with each other and discuss joining forces. They met the next day over grilled cheeses and chicken salad sandwiches at a popular Southern bistro. After several more breakfasts, lunches, and dinners — with each other and their wives — the synergy and compatibility were undeniable.

#2

Firm opens during the 2011 Super Bowl ice storm

Reese Marketos officially opened its doors Feb. 1, 2011, in downtown Dallas — in the midst of the infamous Super Bowl ice storm. While much of the city shut down, the firm did not. Clients were already waiting, and the work couldn’t pause for weather. From day one, the firm skipped any soft launch and went straight to work.

#3

Early hires who became firm leaders

Within its first year, the firm made a handful of early hires who would grow alongside it. Those lawyers didn’t just join Reese Marketos; they helped build it — shaping its culture, trying cases early in their careers, and eventually leading key practices within the firm.

#4

The $136 million Mercedes-Benz verdict

In 2013, just two years after opening, Reese Marketos secured a $136 million jury verdict against Mercedes-Benz USA. At the time, it was the largest commercial litigation verdict in Texas and, for much of the year, the largest in the country. At the same time, Reese Marketos won a high-profile case against T. Boone Pickens through a summary judgment that was affirmed by the Fifth Circuit in 12 days. The results placed the firm on the national map for high-stakes, plaintiff-side business disputes and later earned Texas Lawyer’s Litigation Department of the Year award in the small firm category, reinforcing that a young boutique could take on — and beat — global corporations in the courtroom.

#5

Proving it wasn’t a fluke: six trial wins in a row

Between 2013 and 2015, Reese Marketos won six consecutive trials. The streak confirmed that the Mercedes verdict was not an outlier. The firm had built a repeatable trial model — one grounded in preparation, efficiency, and courtroom experience — and it continually prevailed against many of the top trial lawyers and firms across the country.

#6

A take-nothing defense verdict in East Texas

In 2017, the firm secured a take-nothing defense verdict in a patent infringement trial in the Eastern District of Texas, one of the most plaintiff-friendly venues in the country. The verdict demonstrated that Reese Marketos could win complex jury trials on both sides of the “v,” expanding its identity beyond plaintiff-side commercial litigation.

#7

The AT&T/FTC trial

In 2017, Reese Marketos defended AT&T’s DIRECTV as co-lead counsel in a high-stakes federal trial brought by the Federal Trade Commission, ultimately clearing the company of $4 billion in alleged liability. The case became one of the most closely watched business trials of the year and reinforced the firm’s growing national profile in bet-the-company litigation.

#8

The launch of the whistleblower-side False Claims Act practice

In 2019, Reese Marketos expanded into whistleblower litigation with the launch of its False Claims Act practice. The move marked a significant evolution in the firm’s niche, adding healthcare and FCA matters to its growing docket of high-stakes disputes.

#9

Becoming a go-to firm for late-stage takeovers

As the firm’s reputation grew, so did the calls. National firms increasingly turned to Reese Marketos when cases were headed to trial. Stepping in months — sometimes weeks — before trial became a defining niche, reflecting the firm’s trial-first approach and comfort operating under pressure.

#10

The MD Helicopters FCA verdict

In 2021, the firm tried its first FCA case to verdict, securing a $36 million jury award against the Lynn Tilton-led military contractor, MD Helicopters. The result validated the firm’s FCA practice and earned national recognition for its courtroom work in a notoriously difficult area of litigation.

#11

Landmark FCA results in Janssen and PharMerica

The firm’s FCA practice continued to mature with significant results against a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary and PharMerica: a historic $1.64 billion trial judgment and a $100 million eve-of-trial settlement, respectively. Those matters reinforced Reese Marketos’s role in high-impact whistleblower litigation and underscored the firm’s ability to handle complex, high-stakes cases across industries.

#12

Taking on energy giants

Between 2022 and 2025, Reese Marketos took on one of the largest midstream energy companies in the nation across multiple disputes — reaching an eve-of-trial settlement after prevailing on a $112 million affirmative summary judgment, defeating a separate lawsuit brought in Delaware against corporate officers, and securing a $51.98 million plaintiff-side trial judgment. The matters reinforced the firm’s ability to go toe-to-toe with energy industry heavyweights — on both offense and defense — in complex, bet-the-company litigation.

#13

A people-first hiring model

As Reese Marketos grew, it adopted a flexible hiring model designed to retain top trial talent — including experienced lawyers seeking nontraditional paths — without sacrificing responsibility, compensation, or courtroom opportunity. The model reflects the firm’s belief that great trial lawyers come from many backgrounds but thrive with early responsibility. The results speak for themselves — no partner has ever left the firm for any other law firm.

#14

National recognition alongside firms many times larger

At only 15 lawyers, Reese Marketos has been repeatedly recognized by national legal publications for its trial work — often alongside firms with hundreds or thousands of lawyers. In the past year alone, the firm and its lawyers have been honored by outlets including Law360, The National Law Journal, and Litigation Daily for both plaintiff- and defense-side trial results, underscoring the firm’s outsized impact relative to its headcount.

#15

What’s next

Fifteen years in, Reese Marketos remains focused on what it has always done: trying cases. With major trials on the horizon across commercial, patent, and False Claims Act litigation, the firm’s next chapter is already being written in the courtroom.

With gratitude

Reese Marketos’s first 15 years reflect the work of many lawyers, staff members, and clients who trusted the firm at critical moments. From early associates who helped build the foundation, to later additions who expanded the firm’s reach into new practice areas, the firm’s success has always been a collective effort — one rooted in collaboration, trust, and a shared commitment to the courtroom.