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(Philadelphia, PA) — Chartwell’s presence in Texas continues to grow following its expansion into Dallas in March, when 41 attorneys and staff joined the firm. Chartwell has now opened a new office in Houston, where experienced partners Garett Willig and Eric Gruetzner have joined the team.
The move strengthens Chartwell’s presence in one of the country’s largest legal and business markets, further deepening the firm’s litigation capabilities and increasing the depth of experience and resources available to clients across the state. Willig and Gruetzner bring extensive experience representing businesses, insurers, professionals, and other clients in civil litigation and high-exposure matters.
The new Houston office builds on the firm’s established presence in Austin and Dallas. Since expanding its Dallas operations in March, Chartwell has continued to grow its teams there and in Austin. Willig and Gruetzner will soon be joined by an associate in Houston, giving the firm an immediate team on the ground and complementing Chartwell’s growing bench of attorneys across its Texas offices.
“I could not be more excited or motivated to join Chartwell and establish the firm’s footprint in the great city of Houston,” said Willig. “Texas is a tremendous legal market, and case filings in Harris County and the surrounding area are growing exponentially. It is an honor to lead Chartwell’s entry here, and I look forward to growing our team and working to solve problems for our clients.”
“Houston is an important market for our clients and a natural next step in Chartwell’s growth in Texas,” said Chartwell Managing Partner Chuck Barreras. “Garett and Eric bring significant trial and litigation experience and strong relationships within the Texas legal and business communities.”
Mike Bassett, a partner in Chartwell’s Dallas office, added, “We’re excited to establish a presence in Houston as we continue building our team of high-quality litigators across the state.”
Willig represents retail and hospitality companies and other businesses in a wide range of civil litigation, including general liability, product liability, and construction defect matters. His practice also includes representing real estate, engineering, insurance, and other professionals in professional liability matters, including errors and omissions claims for national property management and brokerage firms. His background in the real estate and insurance industries informs his approach to evaluating liability and exposure, developing litigation strategy, and resolving claims.
Gruetzner is a veteran Texas trial lawyer with more than two decades of experience and an extensive record in the courtroom, including 28 jury trials, 30 bench trials, and multiple successful appellate matters. His practice has included premises liability, product liability, commercial auto and trucking litigation, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and other civil disputes. In addition to managing high-exposure litigation, Gruetzner has significant experience mentoring and training attorneys in litigation strategy, depositions, negotiation, and client reporting.
“I’m thrilled to join Chartwell and to help build the firm’s presence in Houston from the ground up,” said Gruetzner. “After more than two decades working cases across Texas, I know how much clients in this market value experienced trial counsel, and Chartwell gives us the platform to deliver exactly that. The future looks bright — for the firm in Houston and for my practice here.”
About Chartwell Law
Chartwell Law is a nationally ranked law firm with over 300 attorneys across nearly 40 offices throughout the country. Our attorneys advise and defend our clients in complex, multi-party cases involving insurance coverage, bad faith, and reinsurance; construction defect and site accidents; automobile and trucking accidents; trucking and transportation law; retail, entertainment, and hospitality matters; employment law; workers’ compensation; first-party property; creditors’ rights; and maritime law, among various other facets of general civil and commercial litigation. Fostering a collaborative approach to legal services, we maintain a national presence, while providing a boutique experience to our clients.
To learn more, please visit www.chartwelllaw.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
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