Practice areas: Business Litigation, Personal Injury, Professional Liability; view more
Licensed in Texas since: 2006
Education: The University of Texas School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2014 - 2026 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2012 - 2014 William did not inherit a courtroom reputation. He has spent his career building one.
His practice is deliberately broad. Recent matters have involved breach of contract, catastrophic trucking negligence, insurance coverage, oilfield negligence, professional negligence, non-compete agreements, and trade secret and copyright disputes. He is comfortable in a commercial arbitration and comfortable in front of a Harris County jury, and he believes the second is what makes a lawyer useful in the first.
William is board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Thomson Reuters has named him a Texas Super Lawyer every year since 2014 and a Top 100 Houston Super Lawyer for the last two years. In 2026 he was elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates, a national invitation-only organization of experienced trial lawyers and judges; an honor extended by peers and by the judges who have watched them work.
He has given the same energy to the profession itself. William is a past chair of the State Bar of Texas Professionalism Committee, co-chairs the Houston Bar Association’s Civil and Appellate Bench Bar Conference committee, and is the past Fellows Chair of the Texas Bar Foundation. He is also the past board chair of the Houston chapter of Breakthrough T1D, formerly JDRF.
William’s Texas roots run deep. He was born and raised in Houston. He and his wife, Jance, were married in the same Austin church where his parents, his grandparents, and his aunt and uncle were married. Their son, William Jr. (Liam) was in Rockets and Longhorns gear before he could walk.
Practice areas
Business Litigation, Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Professional Liability: PlaintiffFocus areas
Brain Injury, Legal Malpractice, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Professional Malpractice - Other, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 40% Business Litigation
- 40% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 20% Professional Liability: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 2006, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://hagans.law/attorneys/william-g-hagans/
Bar / Professional Activity
- Fellows Chair, 2025-2026, Texas Bar Foundation., 2025
- Past Fellows Chair, 2026-2027, Texas Bar Foundation, 2026
- Professionalism Committee, 2020-2026 (Chair 2024-2025; Vice-Chair 2023-2024), State Bar of Texas, 2024
- Sustaining Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Board of Trustees, 2023-present, Texas Bar Foundation, 2023
- Fellows Secretary, 2023-2024, Texas Bar Foundation, 2023
- Fellows Chair-Elect, 2024-2025, Texas Bar Foundation, 2024
- Nominating Committee for District Four, 2012-2026 (Co-Chair 2016-2022), Texas Bar Foundation, 2025
- Professionalism Committee, 2012-2020; 2023-2027 (Co-Chair 2012-2013, 2018-2019), Houston Bar Association, 2026
- Fee Dispute Committee, 2012-2013, 2014-2019, 2022-2027, Houston Bar Association, 2026
- Bench Bar Conference Committee, 2023-2027 (Co-Chair 2026-2027), Houston Bar Association, 2026
- Speakers Bureau, 2012-2016, Houston Bar Association
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- Cause No. 2007-29729; Tinsley v. Nutt; In the 129th Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas. Jury verdict in excess of $2.6 million resulting from a pedestrian hit by a tow truck. Named the #10 Motor Vehicle Verdict in the Top Texas Verdicts of 2010.
- Cause No. 15-08-23266; Teddy Glenn Abrams, Jr. v. Jjelcor, Inc. d/b/a Action Rentals; In the 506th Judicial District Court of Waller County, Texas. Jury verdict in excess of $500,000 resulting from a customer who purchased a track loader that was missing safety bolts on the cage, causing the cage to raise unexpectedly and land on his feet.
- Cause No. 2015-18075; Endeavor Energy Resources, L.P., et al. v. Ironshore Specialty Insurance Company, et al.; In the 113th Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas. Bench trial on attorneys’ fees after court granted summary judgment on declaratory judgment action seeking coverage from excess insurance company.
- Cause No. 2011-14607; D.L., Individually and as Next Friend of M.L., a Minor v. Angela Denise Aaron, d/b/a Law Office of Angela Aaron; In the 80th District Court, Harris County, Texas. Legal malpractice bench trial, where the judge awarded in excess of $475,000 (including $269,100 in exemplary damages). The defendant’s license to practice law was subsequently suspended.
- Cause No. 985,386; Vyas v. Golnick; In County Court at Law No. 2 of Harris County, Texas. Jury verdict of medical costs and additional pain and suffering amounts resulting from a car crash after winning summary judgment finding defendant liable and dismissing defendant’s responsible third party designation.
- Cause No.: 2010-CI-00419; Leif Clark and Rochel Lemler-Clark vs. Don Craighead Homes, Inc., Don Craighead Homes, Ltd., et al.; In the 408th Judicial District Court of Bexar County, Texas. After jury returned take-nothing verdict, won a hearing seeking a new trial. Case settled before second trial.
Special Licenses / Certifications
- Board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
- 2012-2014 Texas “Rising Star” recognition
- 2014-2026 Texas Super Lawyers recognition
Pro bono / Community Service
- Community Board, 2021-2026, Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) Houston Gulf Coast / Southern Texas Chapter, 2026
- Executive Committee, 2014-2019, 2020-2026, Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) Houston Gulf Coast / Southern Texas Chapter, 2026
- Volunteer Legacy Leader, 2024-present, Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) Houston Gulf Coast / Southern Texas Chapter, 2024
- Executive Chair, 2023-2024, Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) Houston Gulf Coast / Southern Texas Chapter, 2024
- Executive Counsel, 2021-2023, Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) Houston Gulf Coast / Southern Texas Chapter, 2023
- President, 2021-2023, Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) Houston Gulf Coast / Southern Texas Chapter, 2023
- President-Elect, 2020-2021, Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) Houston Gulf Coast / Southern Texas Chapter, 2021
- Board of Directors, 2013-2019, 2020-2021, Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) Houston Gulf Coast / Southern Texas Chapter, 2021
Educational Background
- J.D., The University of Texas School of Law, 2006
- B.A., University of Northern Iowa, 2002
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Speaker and author (with Marie Jamison), Jury Charge. Texas Advanced Personal Injury Law Course 2024, State Bar of Texas, Texas Advanced Personal Injury Law Course, Texas Bar CLE, Speaker and author (with Marie Jamison), Jury Charge, State Bar of Texas, Texas Advanced Personal Injury Law Course, Texas Bar CLE, 2024
- Speaker and author (with Zach Bowman), Discovery Disputes in Insurance Litigation. Texas Advanced Insurance Law Course 2024, State Bar of Texas, Texas Advanced Insurance Law Course, Texas Bar CLE, Speaker and author (with Zach Bowman), Discovery Disputes in Insurance Litigation, State Bar of Texas, Texas Advanced Insurance Law Course, Texas Bar CLE, 2024
- Speaker (with Hon. Manpreet Singh), Texas Lawyers Creed Discussion—35 Years Later, Houston Bar Association Day of Civility, April 4, 2024, Speaker (with Hon. Manpreet Singh), Texas Lawyers Creed Discussion—35 Years Later, Houston Bar Association Day of Civility, Houston Bar Association, 2024
- Speaker and author, Proving Up Attorneys’ Fees. Texas Advanced Personal Injury Law Course 2023, State Bar of Texas, Texas Bar CLE, Speaker and author, Proving Up Attorneys’ Fees, State Bar of Texas, Texas Advanced Personal Injury Law Course, Texas Bar CLE, 2023
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Member, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), 2026
These comments were made by fellow attorneys during the annual nomination process.
“Professional, knowledgeable, skilled.”
“William is hard working, well prepared, and has a great presence in court. He works well with opposing counsel.”
“William is an excellent trial lawyer.”
“I would want William representing me in any lawsuit. He is smart, dedicated, and a superb trail lawyer. He loves the law and is driven to get outstanding results for his clients.”
Office location for William G. Hagans
3200 Travis Street
4th Floor
Houston, TX 77006
Phone: 713-965-6291
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2014 - 2026
- Rising Stars: 2012 - 2014
Top Lists
Top 100: Houston Super Lawyers: 2025 - 2026Certificates and credentials
Personal Injury Trial Law
