Overview
Andrew’s practice focuses on civil litigation, including intellectual property, constitutional, product liability, and commercial disputes. He represents a diverse set of clients, including governmental entities, corporations, and individuals. Andrew offers his clients a broad perspective on litigation matters, having significant experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants. Andrew’s experience spans state and federal courts at the trial and appellate levels, arbitration, and administrative forums.
Andrew is an integral member of the McGinnis Lochridge Products Liability Group which was named the 2015 Product Liability Litigation Department of the Year by Texas Lawyer.
Honors & Recognitions
Cliff Ernst - The Best Lawyers in America 2025
Cliff has been recognized in:
- Banking and Finance Law
- Corporate Law
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law
- Securities / Capital Markets Law
Experience
Intellectual Property
- Assisting in representation of a software company’s dispute with a major customer’s breach of software license and misuse of trade secrets. Andrew directed multiple on-site software audits, prepared the dispute for arbitration, and assisted in obtaining a settlement.
- Assisting in representation of a software company asserting misappropriation of trade secrets and related claims against a competitor, obtaining a settlement.
Personal Injury & Wrongful Death
- Assisting in the representation of individuals seriously injured by BOTOX®, obtaining multiple settlements. In the course of this representation, Andrew has appeared in federal and state courts in Oklahoma, California, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
- Assisting in representation of an individual critically injured by an improperly installed aftermarket recreational vehicle modification, obtained a settlement against the dealer.
- Representing an individual injured by medical malpractice, obtained a settlement.
Constitutional Litigation
- Assisted in defense of Texas County sued under § 1983 for alleged civil rights violations, obtaining summary judgment.
- Assisted in defense of district attorney sued under § 1983 for alleged violation of the First Amendment, obtained dismissal.
- Assisting in defense of a public hospital system in a “reverse discrimination” employment dispute, including internal investigation and litigation, leading to summary judgment.
- Assisted in defense of municipality sued under a regulatory takings claim.
General Litigation
- Representing a leading space transport company facing prosecution and potential civil liability for noise generated at a testing site. Andrew advised on Texas civil nuisance law, Texas public nuisance and noise control regulation, and federal preemption under the government contractor doctrine.
- Representing a pharmaceutical consulting company in contract disputes with former clients, obtaining settlements.
- Representing a property management company in a dispute concerning several contracts with a former client, obtaining a settlement.
- Representing homeowners who purchased a home with an undisclosed mold infestation, obtained settlement.
News & Publications
News
Publications
Community & Professional
- State Bar of Texas
- Austin Young Lawyers Association
- Austin Bar Association: Litigation Section
Practice Areas
Education
The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 2010 (with high honors; Order of The Coif; Chancellors: Keeper of the Peregrinus; Texas Law Review; Dean’s Awards in Torts and Federal Courts)
Pitzer College, The Claremont Colleges, B.A., Economics, Sociology, 2004 (with honors)
Law Clerk for the Honorable R. Gary Klausner, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (2010–2011)
Bar admissions
- Texas
- Wisconsin
Court admissions
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit