James W. Walker is a highly skilled trial lawyer with more than 35 years of experience in complex litigation matters. His experience includes the litigation of complex adversary proceedings and suits in bankruptcy and federal district courts in multiple federal circuits. Mr. Walker’s practice has included the successful defense of results he achieved at the trial court level in the Fifth Circuit and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal and multiple Texas appellate courts, including the Supreme Court of Texas.
Mr. Walker has experience in prosecuting and defending commercial contract and business tort claims within the context of executive and professional liability, executive severance agreements, fraudulent transfer and related commercial torts, energy and electric utilities, and commercial insurance and reinsurance claims. Mr. Walker also has experience conducting claims investigations in significant chapter 11 bankruptcies. Mr. Walker has further experience in ICDR-AAA arbitration proceedings involving a variety of commercial disputes. In addition to his experience in the courtroom and in arbitrations, Mr. Walker enjoys substantial experience in negotiating and structuring complex dispute settlements in a variety of cases.
More specifically, Mr. Walker recently served as lead counsel in an ICDR AAA arbitration arising from a contractual dispute with a multinational conglomerate exposed to an $87 million commercial lease exposure and secured an award approximating 98% of the asserted damages.
As lead litigation counsel, Mr. Walker secured a settlement of director and officer liability claims asserted in response to a series of equity transfers and illegal dividends that resulted in a favorable resolution for the debtors’ unsecured creditors.
Mr. Walker was lead trial counsel for the litigation trustee for the Think Finance Litigation Trust in fraudulent-transfer litigation against a publicly traded fintech lender and certain shareholders that resulted in over $100.0 million of recoveries for the estate and the voiding of $1.0 billion of consumer loans.
Mr. Walker has served as trial counsel for the creditors’ committee in the Neiman Marcus chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding and had a key role conducting an intensive investigation into potential claims against private equity owners and lenders, resulting in plan concessions that proved to be highly favorable to the debtors’ unsecured creditors.
Mr. Walker was trial counsel in an extensive investigation into certain private equity lenders on behalf of the unsecured creditors in the Hornblower Holdings chapter 11 bankruptcy, which resulted in a favorable recovery for the committee.
Mr. Walker represented the plan administrator in the FedNat Holdings chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding, negotiating a resolution of various claims and interests with the Florida Department of Financial Services appointed as receiver of FedNat Insurance Company.
Mr. Walker is a highly respected member of the Texas legal and business communities. He currently enjoys a Chambers USA rating in business litigation, has been named among Lawdragon‘s “500 Leading Litigators in America,” is rated a Texas Super Lawyer in business litigation, and has continuously enjoyed a “Preeminent” A/V Martindale rating since 1995.
Mr. Walker received his B.A. from Austin College and his J.D. from Southern Methodist University. Mr. Walker is resident in our Houston office.
News
PSZJ Wins Fifth Circuit Appeal for Stairway Legacy Assets, L.P.
February 3, 2026
James W. Walker Recognized Among Lawdragon's 2026 “500 Leading Litigators in America'
Lawdragon September 5, 2025
PSZJ Continues to Rank Among Leading Law Firms in Prestigious Chambers USA Guide
Chambers USA
June 5, 2025
James W. Walker Named to 2024 Texas “Super Lawyers” List; Benjamin L. Wallen Earns 'Rising Star' Honor
September 17, 2024
PSZJ Continues to Rank Among Leading Law Firms in Prestigious Chambers Guides Chambers Global, Chambers USA
June 4, 2024
Veteran Trial Lawyer James W. Walker Joins Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones, Reinforcing Firm’s Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Capabilities
August 1, 2023
