South Texas’ distinct cultural heritage sets it apart from the rest of the state in many ways. McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore’s history in South Texas began in the 1940s with name partners Joe Kilgore, who served as an area Congressman for many years, and Lloyd Lochridge, who practiced law for 13 years in the Valley.

The South Texas Practice Group continues the firm’s long tradition of representing both the “little guy” and large corporations from the Rio Grande Valley to Laredo and along the Texas-Mexico Border. The South Texas Practice Group has served as lead counsel, co-counsel, local counsel, or as a referral for companies seeking counsel in the area.

The South Texas Practice Group draws upon the experience and expertise of other practice groups to provide consultation and representation in virtually any legal matter, from energy, real estate and financial services to environmental issues, from wrongful death/serious personal injury to employment and labor to insurance and health care. More recently, the South Texas Practice Group has expanded to include the representation of clients in other Mexico Border areas including Eagle Pass, Del Rio, and El Paso. Several of our lawyers are fluent in Spanish and also have experience representing clients in matters involving cross-border legal issues.

Among the services provided by the South Texas Practice Group are:

• Commercial and Personal Injury Litigation – Providing consultation and representation in wrongful death/serious personal injury cases (both plaintiff and defense), toxic tort, class action insurance, lender liability and other financial claims, defective commercial construction, hunting/ranching and other land disputes, hotel and hospitality industry, patent infringement, misappropriation of confidential information, antitrust, libel, and slander.
• Energy – Representing local, regional and global producers, as well as royalty owners, the group is well-respected on both sides of the docket for its in-depth knowledge and experience, honesty and integrity. It provides representation running the gamut from royalty owner disputes to class actions to environmental torts involving both the oil and gas industry and the uranium mining industry. The group has long-standing relationships with the most respected and effective consulting and technical experts who work in South Texas.
• Electric Power – Representing a number of power co-ops and other generators and participants in the electric power industry with operations in the South Texas region in a variety of power, regulatory, real estate and general business matters.
• Business Representation – Representing businesses, financial services providers and others in business transactions and bankruptcy proceedings. The firm also represents South Texas clients in administrative proceedings both in South Texas and in Austin.
• Water – The South Texas Practice Group working together with the firm’s Water and Environmental Practice Group handles permitting, enforcement, and litigation activities involving surface and groundwater rights, and water and wastewater transactions. The group also provides consultation regarding water quality evaluations, supply, and planning for public and private water providers.
• Environmental – The firm’s Environmental Practice Group also is recognized for its environmental expertise, including permitting, enforcement, and litigation activities involving solid waste disposal, water discharges, air permitting and enforcement, Superfund compliance and litigation, radioactive materials and disposal, EMF levels, oil, gas, coal, uranium, and other mining and mineral resources issues.
• Probate/Estate Planning – The South Texas Practice Group works together with the firm’s Probate/Estate Planning practice group in connection with representing private and public entities on Texas state tax issues involving ad valorem taxes, sales and franchise taxes, and also in dealing with the Comptroller of Public Accounts. They also represent clients in federal income, estate, gift and employment taxation matters. Group members have provided risk management services to institutional clients serving as trustees and in other fiduciary capacities, and have extensive experience representing such clients in contested and uncontested fiduciary law issues and controversies, including breach of fiduciary duty litigation.
• International disputes involving Mexican parties – Many of the lawyers in the South Texas Practice Group have represented either Mexican clients or American clients in disputes with Mexican parties or otherwise involving cross-border or other private international law issues including mining, real estate, telecommunications, and transportation.