What do a former international soccer player, a former teacher, and a current legal advocate all have in common? Simple. They are all the same man.
Benny Agosto, Jr., managing partner of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, was born in New York City and raised in Puerto Rico. From a young age, Benny was taught by his parents that through hard work and determination, anything was possible – a principle he has applied throughout his life, in school, on the soccer field, and in the courtroom. “Both of my parents had a sixth-grade education and every day they would tell my siblings and me to be sure to get an education. I remember my father telling me that no one can ever take that away from you. My parents knew the struggles of being a migrant family without a formal education, "shared Benny. Hard work on the soccer field and in school paid off for Benny. An avid soccer player in San Juan, he was recruited by Houston Christian University to attend and play NCAA Division I soccer. He then went to the University of Houston to work on his graduate degree in microbiology and taught high school and college students for six years. Benny then realized that although he loved teaching and coaching soccer, he needed more. Benny was accepted to South Texas College of Law Houston, where he excelled in mock trial and academics, and is now a board-certified lawyer in personal injury trial law. Benny’s legal practice at Abraham Watkins focuses on representing individuals and family members who have been harmed by the negligence of others in cases involving catastrophic injuries, including chemical plant and refinery explosions, workplace accidents, wrongful death, premises liability, and product liability. Currently, Benny is lead/co-lead attorney in a number of large chemical plant fire and explosion cases throughout Texas.
Benny has a long history of service to the legal profession and the community as a whole at local, state, and national levels. He was Houston Bar Association President from 2019-2020 and was the first native Spanish speaker and second Latino to serve as president of the HBA. During his presidency, Benny helped the HBA establish the first Ruby Kless Sondock Award for top female attorneys in Houston, its first Diversity Summit, and its first LGBTQ+ Committee. Benny also launched the first HBA initiative to focus on wellness and self-care for attorneys, and he and his wife helped the HBA renovate the Shearn Elementary School Library.
As the Hispanic National Bar Association President from 2011-2012, Benny brought many important issues to the forefront of the national debate and voiced those issues throughout his presidency. He is the President and a Co-Founder of the HNBA’s Legal Education Fund, which is the association’s only 501(c)3 charitable group that raises money to give 100 percent of its contributions toward minority scholarships. As an advocate for gender fairness, Benny works with programs to promote flexible and sustaining practices that help women attorneys balance a family and a demanding career. “Females account for 50% of law school enrollment which is good and long overdue. But the fact remains that the percentage of women in corporate law remains relatively low and the percentage of Hispanic women in corporate law even lower,” said Benny.
Deeply committed to community, scholarship, and making a difference, Benny is also the founder of the Mexican American Bar Association of Texas (MABATx) Foundation. With the support and help of his family and his staff, Benny built the MABATx Foundation to raise money for annual scholarships for Hispanic law students in Houston. To date, the MABATx Foundation has raised over $500,000. The Foundation also sponsors a Law Student Conference and corresponding reception, where scholarships are awarded to young, aspiring attorneys. “It was a personal endeavor, and I am committed to the students who benefit from these scholarships,” said Benny.
In recognition of his successful client representation and his outstanding contributions to the legal profession and the community, Benny has earned significant honors on both local and national levels. He has been named to the Texas Super Lawyers list for 20 years, the Top 100: Houston Super Lawyers list for eight years, and the Top 100: Texas Super Lawyers list for four years. The Latino Leaders Magazine has also recognized him on the Top Latino Lawyers list annually since 2016. In 2023, Benny was named the Best Lawyers® 2023 Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs “Lawyer of the Year” in Houston. He has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the fields of Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs since 2012 and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs since 2016. Benny is a former recipient of the Presidents Award from the State Bar of Texas and the Houston Bar Association (three-time recipient) and the Outstanding Public Service Award from South Texas College of Law Houston. Additionally, he has received the Juneteenth Ally Award from the Center for the Healing of Racism, the Distinguished Lawyer Alumni Award from South Texas College of Law Houston, the Spirit of Excellence Award from Houston Christian University, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic Issues Section of the State Bar of Texas. He was also the recipient of the prestigious Ohtli Award from the Institute of Mexicans Living Abroad, which celebrates Benny’s dedication to the Mexican and Latino communities in the United States through his unwavering commitment to justice, diversity, and philanthropy.
Benny is also recognized as an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. Through a $4 million donation made by Benny and Nikki to his alma mater in 2021, The Agosto Justice Center for Leadership and Empowerment, dedicated to expanding diversity in legal education, was built at South Texas College of Law Houston. In 2024, Benny and Nikki donated $1 million to the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, benefiting the Emerging Leaders Institute and positively impacting the lives of young Latinos in Houston for generations to come.
Continuing on the trend of community outreach, Benny has been credited for rewriting a Texas law concerning police officers assisting one another regardless of on-duty/off-duty status. In his landmark case (Hinojosa v. Harris County), Benny’s client had previously been denied workman’s compensation benefits after being injured because he was deemed off duty when he had responded to an officer’s call for assistance. Notably, the case, which resulted in a million-dollar award in benefits in favor of the client, was taken by Benny on a pro bono basis.
Although a named partner in the longest standing plaintiffs’ personal injury law firm in Texas, Benny continues his outreach to help and mentor young people in the community through his guest lecturing and speaking appearances. Benny frequently speaks to students attending Houston-area schools, colleges, and universities on the importance of jury service and the Constitution of the United States. He also delivers his inspirational advocacy message to Spanish-speaking communities as well as other attorneys, businessmen, and law professors, and is a frequent speaker on issues relating to civil litigation across the country. “I’m blessed to be able to make a difference in today’s world,” Benny said. “I put everything I have into learning and challenging myself, to love and support my family, and to help better my community. Change can begin in your own community, but when you reach out to other communities, you can change the world, one act of kindness at a time.”
YEAR JOINED FIRM
1998
PUBLISHED WORKS
"Golf Cart Ejections: Injuries and Deaths on the Rise", The Houston Lawyer, July/August, 2018
"Off Course", Trial, August, 2018
"Can Friends Still Let Friends Drive Drunk?", Texas Bar Journal, May, 2013
"Appeal by Ambush: Is the Texas Supreme Court Setting the Stage for a New Trial Tactic?", Thurgood Marshall Law Review, a Publication of Texas Southern University, 2012
"Expanding the Coming and Going Rule?One Officer's Struggle", The Houston Lawyer, vol. 49, January/February, 2012
"The Scarlet I", Trial, April, 2011
"But Your Honor, He's an Illegal! Can Undocumented Worker's Alien Status be Introduced at Trial?", Texas Bar Journal, April, 2011
"Can Undocumented Worker's Alien Status Be Introduced at Trial?", Litigation Commentary & Review 43, March/April, 2011
"Lessons to be Learned from In re Weekley Homes, L.P.", The Houston Lawyer (Online Edition), September/October, 2010
"Hard Works Pays Off", Hispanic National Bar Association Journal of Law and Policy, Summer, 2010
"Another Look at Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 95", Texas Bar Journal, 2010
"Can Undocumented Worker's Alien Status Be Introduced at Trial?", 48 Hours. Lawyer 28, 2010
"Dreams do Come True.", Editor's Note, Hispanic National Bar Association Journal of Law and Policy", Summer, 2008
"Can the Injured Migrant Worker's Alien Status Be Introduced at Trial?", Thurgood Marshall School of Law, 2005
"Supreme Court Set To Implement New Rules Regarding Referral Fees", Texas Bar Journal, 2005
"Texas Rising Star", Texas Monthly and Law & Politics, 2004
"Texas Supreme Court Update", Houston Trial Lawyers Newsletter, August, 2003
"Experts: How to Pick Them, Protect Them, and Pick Them Apart", Houston Bar Association On-Line CLE Course, August, 2003
"Changing Faces of the HBA", The Houston Lawyer, May/June, 2003
"What About the Parents?", Texas Bar Journal, May, 2003
"Ethics in Personal Injury", Houston Bar Association On-Line CLE Course, January, 2003
"Construction Law/Contractor Liability: Control is Key", Texas Bar Journal, January, 2003
"Crunching the Numbers: The Economics of Handling an Automobile Injury Case", South Texas College of Law Houston On-Line CLE Course, January, 2000
"Should Clinical Medical Testimony be Subject to Daubert Analysis?", Texas Bar Journal, January, 1999
"Social Host Liability: Friends Can Let Friends Drive Drunk!", Texas Bar Journal, July, 1995
"Social Host Liability: Friends Can Let Friends Drive Drunk!", The Houston Lawyer, August, 1994
"Crunching the Numbers: The Economics of Handling an Automobile Injury Case", South Texas College of Law Houston
Classes/Seminars
Expert Witnesses: How to Pick Them, Protect Them, and Pick Them Apart, American Academy of Physician Life Care Planners 2021 Annual Assembly, 2021
Guest Speaker, Hispanic Heritage Night, Hispanic Law Students Association, South Texas College of Law Houston, 2020
Role of the Expert in American Justice, Forensic Expert Witness Association National Conference, 2020
Ethical Responsibility to Comply with the Stay Home, Stay Safe Order Using Technology to Connect with Clients, Practicing Law in the Time of Coronavirus: How to Conduct Effective Hearings and Remote Depositions, Houston Bar Association CLE, 2020
Personal Injury Trial Law, Houston Bar Association CLE Seminar, 2020
Insurance Coverage Issues, 9th Annual Advanced Trial Strategies Course, State Bar of Texas and American Board of Trial Advocates, 2020
Trending Issues in Texas Litigation – Immigration Issues Impacting Non-Immigration Lawyers, State Bar of Texas 35th Annual Litigation Update Institute Course, 2019
Witness Background Issues, Ethics Extravaganza CLE, Houston Northwest Bar Association, 2019
Panelist, Becoming Indispensable to Your Law Firm: How to Fit In and Make Money, Houston Bar Association Career Building and Networking Happy Hour, 2018
Insurance Litigation Strategies, State Bar of Texas 7th Annual Advanced Trial Strategies Course, 2018
Representing Undocumented Plaintiffs, TTLA Annual Meeting and CLE Seminar, 2017
Anatomy of a Bus and 18-Wheeler Case, Mexican American Bar Association of Texas and State Bar of Texas Hispanic Issues Section 2017 CLE and Legislative Update, 2017
Speaker, LeadershipSBOT, State Bar of Texas, 2017
Damage Issues Relating to Standing and Capacity, 8th Annual Damages in Civil Ligation Course, State Bar of Texas, 2016
Public Interest Law Panel, Hispanic Law Students Association, University of Houston Law Center, 2015
Court: Best Practices, Roundtable Discussion, Harris County Judicial Education Conference, 2015
How to Hire an Attorney, Emerging Leaders Institute, 2015
How to Hire an Attorney, People’s Law School, University of Houston Law Center, 2015
The Pros and Cons of Executive Action in Immigration Law, HNBA Corporate Counsel Conference, 2015
Insurance Coverage, 4th Annual Advanced Trial Strategies Course, TexasBarCLE, 2015
Expedited Trials Plus the New Rule to Dismiss, Texas Minority Counsel Program, 2013
Damages for Undocumented Workers, 5th Annual Damages in Civil Litigation Course, TexasBarCLE
Can the Undocumented Worker’s Alien Status be Introduced at Trial?, Houston Metropolitan Paralegal Association, 2012
Admissibility of Alien Status at Trial, Texas Trial Lawyers Association Seminar in Las Vegas, NV
Guest Speaker on the topic of Criminal Justice, Klein High School
Speaker, Swearing In Ceremony at the Harris County Courthouse, Hispanic Bar of Houston
Speaker, LULAC Veterans Legal Clinics/Initiative, Legal Services for Veterans
Speaker, Regarding the Admissibility of the Alien Status at Trial, Texas Trial Lawyers Luncheon, El Paso, Texas
Speaker, Gender Fairness Committee Networking Luncheon, Houston Bar Association
Speaker at the Judicial Mixer, Houston Hispanic Bar Association
State Bar College Spring Training
Your Case and The Mexico Connection
Lawyer Advertising, Contingent Fee Referrals, and Other Topics, Automobile Injury Conference
Real Evidence for the Trial Practitioner in Texas, Lorman Educational Services Seminar
Common Law Marriage in Mexico Ain’t So Common, Navigating Cross Border Issues
Rule 8a-The New Referral Rules, Houston Bar Association’s All Day Ethics Program
Guest speaker to Houston area law students, Professionalism Day
Construction Law Update, Mexican American Bar Association Texas
Brown v. Board of Education, Houston Bar Association CLE, 2004
Power to Persuade, University of Houston Comm. Dept., 2004
Tort Reform Update: One Year Later, Mexican American Bar Association Houston
Using Your Bar Association Membership to Help Advance Your Career, ABA Minority Bar Summit, 2004
Experts: How to Pick Them, Protect Them, and Pick Them Apart, Houston Bar Association CLE, 2003
Ethics in Picking Your Client, Houston Bar Association CLE, 2003
Guest Speaker, Burton Elementary 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 2003
Chairman & Moderator, Construction Law/Contractor Liability, South Texas College of Law Houston: Personal Injury Law Conference, 2003
Tort Reform, MABAT Annual Meeting CLE Program, 2003
Experts: How to Pick Them, and Pick Them Apart, Houston Bar Association CLE, 2003
The Homestretch: Preparing PI Cases from 60 Days Out, Houston Bar Association Bench Bar Conference CLE, 2003
Practical Tips for Lawyers in The Post-Tort Reform Era, Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Matthews & Friend In-House CLE, 2003
Speaker, Wrongful Death Cases in Texas-Experts, Lorman Educational Services Seminar, 2002
Mediation of an Automobile Accident Case, South Texas College of Law Houston: Mediation for Litigators, 2002
Experts: How to Pick Them, Protect Them, and Pick Them Apart, Legal Assistants Division, State Bar of Texas: Legal Assistants U-A Three Day Seminar with a Collegiate Theme, 2002
Chairman and Moderator, Experts: How to Pick Them, Present Them, Protect Them and Pick Them Apart, South Texas College of Law Houston, Personal Injury Law Conference, 2002
Houston Bar Association CLE, Ethics in Personal Injury, 2002
Speaker, University of Houston Law Center, 2002
Wrongful Death Cases in Texas-Experts, Lorman Educational Services Seminar, 2002
A Road Map For Sports & Recreational Injury Lawsuits, Sports & Entertainment Law in the Year 2001 Seminar, 2001
Chairman and Moderator, Discovery About Experts, Advanced Civil Discovery Seminar, University of Houston Law Center CLE Program, 2001
Chairman and Moderator, Document Production and Organization, Lorman Educational Services Seminar, Houston, 2001
Chairman and Moderator, Practice Pointers from the Bench, Automobile Injury Conference, South Texas College of Law Houston CLE Program, 2001
Speaker, Litigation Updates: New Discovery Rules/New Evidence Rules, Houston Association of Legal Secretaries, 2001
Chairman and Moderator, Self-Insurers and Non-Subscribers: Special Considerations in Suing and Defending, Insurance Law Seminar, University of Houston Law Center CLE Program, 2001
Moderator and Seminar Chairman, Houston Trial Lawyers Association Masters of Trial 2000 Seminar, 2000
Speaker, Life of a Trial Lawyer, University of Houston Law Center, 2000
Chairman and Moderator, The Economics of Handling Car Wreck Cases With Forms, South Texas College of Law Houston, CLE Program, Automobile Injury Conference, 2000
Panelist Speaker, Preparing the Total Package, South Texas College of Law Houston, 2000
Speaker, Accident Reconstruction, Houston Trial Lawyers Association, Daubert/Robinson Challenge Seminar, 2000
Panelist Speaker, Gearing Up to Get Hired, South Texas College of Law Houston, 1999
New Discovery Rules, Houston Association of Legal Secretaries, CLE Seminar, 1999
Crunching the Numbers: The Economics of Handling an Automobile Injury Case, Automobile Injury Conference-Planning Committee, 1999
Discovery/Discovery Analysis and Document Control, Houston Association of Legal Secretaries, Litigation Paralegal Course, 1999
Recent Developments in Construction Law, MABAH CLE Program
South Texas College of Law Houston CLE Program
Preparing Your Case: From Discovery to Trial
