For every year since Texas Monthly began its annual survey of the “Texas Super Lawyers,” James Holmes has achieved the ranking of Super Lawyer. To formulate its Super Lawyers list, Texas Monthly asks tens of thousands of practicing attorneys to select the best lawyers in Texas for various practice areas. Very few attorneys make the list, and even fewer make the list year after year. James has achieved a Super Lawyers ranking unmatched by most. James's trial and appellate experiences are substantial and well surpass the norm in number, complexity and profile.
In October 2018, James Holmes presented his speech and paper on "Post-Production Deductions in Gas Royalties" to the NARO National Convention in Denver. In July 2017, James Holmes presented his speech and paper on "Post-Production Deductions in Gas Royalties" to the NARO Texas Convention in Austin. In February 2016, James presented his speech and paper on "Managing Outside Counsel in Litigation" to oil and gas and insurance executives and in-house counsel in Houston. In September 2015, James gave a one-day seminar to oil and gas industry professionals in Houston on upstream accounting and royalty administration. In October 2013, James spoke in Austin on engagement letters and applicable ethics rules for the continuing legal education program of the University of Texas School of Law. In October 2011, James spoke at the NARO annual convention in Long Beach, California on upstream oil and gas pricing and related royalty-payment standards. For over 20 years, James has regularly presented papers and has given numerous legal-education speeches for U.T. Law, the State Bar of Texas, the University of Houston, the National Association of Royalty Owners, and Electric Utility Consultants, Inc. He is a sought-after and frequent continuing education speaker. He knows that by teaching a subject to others he continuously improves his own legal and business skills for the firm's clients. Click here for a sampling of his speeches and publications.
Whether as an attorney or businessman, James Holmes strives to obtain competitive oil and gas pricing and measurement for his clients and industry colleagues. To that end, he formed the oil and gas marketing company Robur LLC, which has enjoyed expansive growth over the past decade and currently markets over $60 million annually for its diverse client base. James intends to grow Robur LLC to help a broad variety of royalty owners, working-interest owners and producers in their marketing of oil and gas production.
In 2010 the Texas State Securities Board issued a Certificate of Registration for James Holmes as an Investment Adviser. The Investment Adviser status has enabled Mr. Holmes on a fee basis to consult with colleagues, family members, and investment partnerships, such as Reg D funds (e.g., 17 C.F.R. § 230.506), regarding their investment selections and strategies. Further, Mr. Holmes formed Robur Capital, L.P., a value-investing style investment partnership in order to manage certain capital needs for Robur LLC.
James Holmes served as the Dallas Bar Association’s chair or co-chair for the Law Day Committee for most of the 2000s and early 2010s. The American Bar Association sponsors Law Day through regional Bar Associations, like the Dallas Bar Association. Law Day provides opportunities for public-school students to learn about our government and its legal system. Law Day typically educates these students by focusing their attention on an important constitutional aspect of our government.
Whether by legislation in a Texas legislative session, or by gradual case-law development, Holmes continuously seeks to improve the civil justice system for Texas businesses and business owners. To that end, he has focused his efforts in recent years on reforming Texas's "supersedeas laws" -- the laws in play when a business or businessperson needs to prevent judgment execution while pursuing an appeal. In February 2020, Holmes published “Superseding Money Judgments in Texas: Four Proposed Reforms to Help the Business Litigant," 51 ST. MARY'S L.J. 69 (2020). He is actively informing Texas businesspeople and lawmakers of the importance of this initiative.
