Practice areas: Personal Injury, Civil Litigation, Estate & Trust Litigation; view more
Licensed in Texas since: 1984
Education: Baylor University School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2011 - 2012, 2019 - 2026 A managing partner at Phenix & Crump Law Firm in Henderson, Texas, J. R. "Rusty" Phenix serves clients across east Texas, including Carthage, Jacksonville, Lufkin, Kilgore, Nacogdoches and Rusk. His practice is focused on personal injury law, and he works on cases involving:
- Commercial vehicle accidents
- Car wrecks
- Products liability
- Medical malpractice
- Nursing home neglect
- Wrongful death
Mr. Phenix is a Baylor University graduate, completing his bachelor’s with a major in history in 1982 and his Juris Doctor in 1984. The same year, he passed the bar and got his license to practice in Texas. His other bar admissions include the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Eastern and Northern Districts of Texas.
Board-certified in civil trial advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Mr. Phenix has a successful track record throughout the state of Texas. He is also certified in personal injury and civil trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Rated 10 out of 10 on Avvo, he is a zealous advocate for people injured by others’ negligence. Furthermore, he has been chosen to be a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
The National Trial Lawyers has listed Mr. Phenix as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers and he has been voted the Best Trial Lawyer in Henderson, Texas, by The Henderson News. A diligent member of the local community, he has devoted several hours to pro bono legal services over the years. He is also the executive board member of the East Texas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Maintaining professional affiliations with several prominent legal associations, Mr. Phenix is a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, the East Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Civil Litigation: Plaintiff, Estate & Trust LitigationFocus areas
Animal Bites, Brain Injury, Construction Accident, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Sexual Abuse - Plaintiff, Slip and Fall, Trucking Accidents, Will Contests, Wrongful Death
- 70% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 20% Civil Litigation: Plaintiff
- 10% Estate & Trust Litigation
First Admitted: 1984, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://www.phenixlawfirm.com
Bar / Professional Activity
- TEX-ABOTA STATE CHAIRMAN 7TH AMENDMENT SYMPOSIUM, 2026
- Excellence Civility & Ethics Award - East Texas Chapter ABOTA, 2025
- Rusk County Bar Vice President , 2025
- Vice President of the Rusk County Bar Association, 2025
- Vice President Rusk County Bar Association, 2023
- Member Texas Trial Lawyer's Association since 1984, 2022
- EAST-TEX ABOTA Membership Chairman , 2023
- TEX-ABOTA State Chairman of the 7th Amendment Symposium Committee , 2023
- Member TEX-ABOTA Awards Committee , 2022
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1985., 2022
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 2022
- Member, East Texas Trial Lawyers Association, 2022
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 2022
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas Since 1986, 2022
- EAST TEX-ABOTA (American Board of Trial Advocates) Past President, 2022
- The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, 2022
- Past President - East-Tex ABOTA Executive Board Member of Executive Board since 2016., 2022
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, 2022
- Member, American Association for Justice Since 1984, 2022
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- Settled Adult Child Wrongful Death Case $3,000,000.00, 2025
- Settled Trucking Accident Claim for $1,750,000.00, 2025
- Settled Car Accident claim for $1,000,000, 2024
- Settled bicycle accident case against contractor for $1,000,000, 2023
- Settled bicycle accident case for $600,000.00, 2023
- Jury verdict against State Farm in the amount of $277,000.00 on a finding of unfair claims settlement practices. , 2023
- Settled contested probate case for 1.1 million. , 2023
- Settled Log Truck Accident for $325,000.00, 2021
- Settled car truck accident for $350,000.00., 2022
- Settled Car Cow accident for $290,000.00, 2022
- Settled auto accident claim for $300,000.00 , 2022
- Settled Trucking Accident Property Damage Claim for $275,000.00, 2023
- Settled post procedure recovery room fall, medical malpractice claim for $125,000.00 , 2021
- Settled car accident claim for $275,000.00 , 2021
- Settlement - Trip and Fall Claim - $145,000.00, 2020
- Settlement - Premises Liability Claim - Fireworks Accident - $300,000.00 , 2020
- Settlement - Trucking Accident - $300,000.00, 2020
- Settlement - Trucking Accident - $350,000.00, 2020
- Car Wreck, Plaintiff rear-ended - Settlement $350,000., 2020
- Settlement of Trucking Accident case for $2,000,000.00, 2017
- Settled uninsured motorist and insurance agent E&O claim -$287,500.00, 2020
- Settlement of a Car accident claim for $500,000.00, 2017
- Settlement of Car - Tractor accident claim for $367,000.00, 2019
- Settlement of a defamation claim in the amount of $150,000.00. , 2018
- Settlement of a trucking accident claim for the amount of $1,250,000.00, 2018
- Judgement on verdict in a trucking accident claim in the amount of $431,222.78, 2015
- Verdict in a car accident claim in the amount of $333,707.94, 2015
Representative Clients
- Settlement of an auto accident in the amount of $500,000.00, 2019
Special Licenses / Certifications
- Recognized by Super Lawyers as one of the top trial lawyers in the State of Texas, 2025
- Recognized by Super Lawyers as one of the top trial lawyers in the State of Texas, 2024
- Executive Board Member of the East Texas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates from 2016 to present - Past President, 2022
- Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization from 1994 to present, 2022
- Member American Board of Trial Advocates from 2012 to present, 2022
- Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization from 1994 to present, 2022
- Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate, National Board of Trial Advocacy from 1998 to present, 2024
Pro bono / Community Service
- Donated over 75 hours in Pro Bono legal services, 2023
- Donated over 75 hours in Pro Bono legal services, 2024
- Donated over 75 hours in Pro Bono legal services , 2021
- Donated over 75 hours in pro bono legal services..., 2019
- Donated over 75 hours in pro bono legal services to the poor, 2020
- Donated over 75 hours in pro bono legal services, 2016
- Donated over 75 hours in pro bono legal services, 2015
- Donated over 75 hours in pro bono legal services, 2017
- Donated over 75 hours in pro bono legal services, 2018
- Service on State Bar Grievance Committee, 1996, 1996
Educational Background
- Baylor University, B.A. in History, 1982-1984
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- We organize a Seventh Amendment Symposium Each year for high school students considering a career in law. It is a daylong symposium in which we educate students about their rights to trial by jury in civil cases at various levels of the judicial system in Rusk County Texas. The average attendance is 100 students. , Moderator & Lecturer, Seventh Amendment Symposium Sponsored by the American Board of Trial Advocates, 2021
- Acting for the American Board of Trial Advocates, we organize and put on a symposium educating High School Students (Approximately 70 to 100) about the importance of civil trial by jury and we allow them to participate in a student lead mock jury trial officiated by our local district judge and courthouse personnel. The year marks our 4th consecutive year of hosting this event. , Moderator & Lecturer, Seventh Amendment Symposium Sponsored by the American Board of Trial Advocates, Students Of Henderson High School, 2024
- We organize a Seventh Amendment Symposium Each year for high school students considering a career in law. It is a daylong symposium in which we educate students about their rights to trial by jury in civil cases at various levels of the judicial system in Rusk County Texas. The average attendance is 100 students. , Moderator & Lecturer, ABOTA SEVENTH AMENDMENT SYMPOSIUM, Henderson High School Students, 2023
- We organize a Seventh Amendment Symposium Each year for high school students considering a career in law. It is a daylong symposium in which we educate students about their rights to trial by jury in civil cases at various levels of the judicial system in Rusk County Texas. The average attendance is 100 students. , Moderator & Lecturer, ABOTA SEVENTH AMENDMENT SYMPOSIUM, 2022
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Rusty was one of the final six candidates to be elected as the Alumni Elected Regent to Baylor University, 2018
Honors
- Voted Henderson's Best Law Firm, Henderson News, 2023
- Voted Henderson's Bests Lawyer, Henderson News, 2025
- Voted Henderson's Best Law Firm, Henderson Daily News, 2024
- Voted Henderson's Best Lawyer, Henderson Daily News, 2024
- Voted Henderson's Best Law Firm, Henderson News, 2020
- Voted Henderson's Best Law Firm, Henderson's Best Law Firm, Henderson Daily News, 2022
- Voted Henderson Best Law Firm, Henderson News, 2021
- Voted Henderson's Best Law Firm for the third consecutive year, Voted Henderson's Best Law Firm, Henderson News, 2019
- J. R "Rusty" Phenix is a member of The Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Member, The Million Dollar Advocates Forum Since 2012, 2019
- The Phenix & Crump law firm was voted Henderson's Best Law Firm for 2018, Henderson's Best Law Firm, Henderson News, 2018
- Rusty was voted Henderson's Best Trial Lawyer, Voted the Best Trial Lawyer in Henderson Texas, Henderson Daily News, 2017
- J. R. "Rusty" Phenix is a member of The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers Since 2014, 2019
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2011 - 2012, 2019 - 2026
