Ron Bankston
Phone: 713.808.9250
Fax: 713.800.7425
Ron Bankston is a Board Certified Attorney and Distinguished Credentialed Mediator with more than 30 years of first chair trial experience and 20 years of experience as a mediator. He has worked for and managed large and small law firms, and has represented plaintiffs and defendants, individuals, families, small businesses, corporations and governmental entities.
Ron has served as trial counsel and as mediator in almost every area of civil litigation, including personal injury, wrongful death, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 actions, Title IX, commercial litigation, real estate, employment, insurance, product liability, construction, appellate, probate and professional liability.
“I believe in mediation because my experience as both an advocate and a mediator has shown me that it is a cost effective and beneficial means of settling legal disputes without the risk and expense of trial or arbitration. I have found that the commitment of time and effort by the mediator is often the difference in reaching a settlement. I make that commitment in every case. I promise each party and attorney that I will not waste their time, but I also will not prematurely declare an impasse merely because of some discouraging obstacle to settlement, or because we’re near the end of the day. And if a case does not settle on the day of mediation, I give my personal commitment to all parties to continue to work with the attorneys toward settlement after mediation, for as long as it takes.”
– Ron Bankston
- Licensed attorney since June 1977
- Mediator since 1996
- Served as mediator for over 20 years in thousands of matters including personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, energy, oilfield, offshore/maritime, 42 U.S. C. §1983, Title IX, construction, premises liability, broker and other professional liability, non-subscriber liability, consumer claims, business torts, contract disputes, partnership and shareholder disputes, business dissolution, health law, medical/legal/other professional malpractice, appellate, real estate, employment, contracts, toxic tort and mass tort, probate and employment disputes
- Texas Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
- Distinguished Credentialed Mediator, Texas Mediator Credentialing Association
- Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1985; Recertified 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020
- In excess of 100 lead counsel jury trials
- In excess of 100 lead counsel mediations, and hundreds of lead counsel settlements
- Over 35 years litigation experience, representing plaintiffs and defendants, individuals, families, small businesses, professionals, corporations, insurance companies and governmental entities in civil litigation matters
- Decades of experience as Court-appointed Special Master, Guardian Ad Litem, Attorney Ad Litem and Trustee
- Over 30 years law firm management experience
- Over 30 years experience negotiating and drafting commercial leases, construction and other commercial contracts
- Best Lawyers In America
- Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Rating: AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5
- Who’s Who In American Law
- Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers in the U.S.
- Texas Super Lawyer 2007-2023
- Houston’s Top Lawyers – Mediation 2015-2017, 2019
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Legal Leaders Top Texas Lawyers 2014
- Elected by peers to American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) 2007
- AVVO rating: Superb 10.0 out of 10
- Bankston & Associates, PC, Mediation and Civil Litigation, April 2012 – present
- Houston Urban Debate League, Founding Board Member and Chair/Co-Chair of the Board of Directors 2008-2011, President & CEO, February 2012 to February 2014, Board Member February – December
2014 - Kane Russell Coleman & Logan PC, Senior Director (Partner) and Member of Board of Directors, September 2008 – March 2012
- Godwin Pappas Ronquillo, Partner 2006 – August 2008
- Bankston Riley LLP/Bankston & Associates, P.C./Bankston & McDowell, L.L.P., Partner 1983 – 2006
- Fulbright & Jaworski, 1977 – 1983
- Rice University, Academic Advisor and Lead Instructor – Rice University Paralegal Program, 2005 – 2011
- Texas Commission For Lawyer Discipline, State Bar of Texas, Special Assistant Disciplinary Counsel, 1995 – Present
- Admitted, State Bar of Texas and Supreme Court of Texas, 1977
- Admitted, U.S. District Courts for Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, U.S. Court of Claims
- Member of Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
- Sustaining Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Sustaining Life Fellow, Houston Bar Foundation
- Elected by peers to American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) 2007
- State Bar of Texas Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
- University of Houston Honors College Advisory Board
- University of Houston Speech and Debate Society Hall of Fame
- Houston Urban Debate League Emeritus Board Member
- Distinguished Faculty Houston Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Programs – Mediation and Litigation Subject Areas
- Guest Lecturer and Instructor in Trial Advocacy, University of Houston Law Center
- Invited Lecturer on Personal Injury, Product Liability, Premises Liability, Construction Liability, Water Park and Aquatic Safety Liability, Rental Equipment Liability, Litigation Ethics and Mediation
- Publications include:
- Personal Injury Forms: Discovery & Settlement (James Publishing, 2007)
- The New Litigator’s Guide to Trial Practice (“Courtroom Ethics” and “Lessons From Seasoned Litigators”) NBI Seminar Presentation and Written Materials January 2008
- Stowers Today: Settlement Demands and Settlement Responses , University of Houston Law Center 2007
- Advanced Personal Injury Trial Law Seminar Fall 2007
- Seminar Presentation, Houston, Texas, October 2007
- Plaintiff’s Personal Injury: Practice Tips and Application (“Understanding the Law of Damages” and “Basics of Civil Practice, Procedure and Discovery” ) NBI Seminar Presentation and Written Materials, Houston, Texas, February 2007;
- “Legal Affairs: Using Mediation Rather Than Litigation To Reduce Your Legal Expenses,” Smart Business Magazine, September 2006
- Construction Site Safety Issues: Seeing Yourself As Trial Lawyers Do; “Public Safety Laws For Texas Architects, Engineers and Construction Professionals,” Seminar Presentation and Written Materials, Houston, Texas, February 2006
- University of Houston Law Center – JD 1977
- University of Houston – BA 1974
- Harvard School of Public Health, Office of Continuing Education – Health Effects of Asbestos: Pulmonary Anatomy & Physiology, X-Ray Interpretation and Epidemiology of Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer and Other Malignancies: 1986
- Attorney-Mediators Institute, Houston, Texas
- Basic Mediator Training, January 1996
- Skills Based Mediation Seminar, October 1997
Ron Bankston
Phone: 713.808.9250
Fax: 713.800.7425
Ron Bankston is a Board Certified Attorney and Distinguished Credentialed Mediator with more than 30 years of first chair trial experience and 20 years of experience as a mediator. He has worked for and managed large and small law firms, and has represented plaintiffs and defendants, individuals, families, small businesses, corporations and governmental entities.
Ron has served as trial counsel and as mediator in almost every area of civil litigation, including personal injury, wrongful death, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 actions, Title IX, commercial litigation, real estate, employment, insurance, product liability, construction, appellate, probate and professional liability.
“I believe in mediation because my experience as both an advocate and a mediator has shown me that it is a cost effective and beneficial means of settling legal disputes without the risk and expense of trial or arbitration. I have found that the commitment of time and effort by the mediator is often the difference in reaching a settlement. I make that commitment in every case. I promise each party and attorney that I will not waste their time, but I also will not prematurely declare an impasse merely because of some discouraging obstacle to settlement, or because we’re near the end of the day. And if a case does not settle on the day of mediation, I give my personal commitment to all parties to continue to work with the attorneys toward settlement after mediation, for as long as it takes.”
– Ron Bankston
- Licensed attorney since June 1977
- Mediator since 1996
- Served as mediator for over 20 years in thousands of matters including personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, energy, oilfield, offshore/maritime, 42 U.S. C. §1983, Title IX, construction, premises liability, broker and other professional liability, non-subscriber liability, consumer claims, business torts, contract disputes, partnership and shareholder disputes, business dissolution, health law, medical/legal/other professional malpractice, appellate, real estate, employment, contracts, toxic tort and mass tort, probate and employment disputes
- Texas Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals
- Distinguished Credentialed Mediator, Texas Mediator Credentialing Association
- Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1985; Recertified 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020
- In excess of 100 lead counsel jury trials
- In excess of 100 lead counsel mediations, and hundreds of lead counsel settlements
- Over 35 years litigation experience, representing plaintiffs and defendants, individuals, families, small businesses, professionals, corporations, insurance companies and governmental entities in civil litigation matters
- Decades of experience as Court-appointed Special Master, Guardian Ad Litem, Attorney Ad Litem and Trustee
- Over 30 years law firm management experience
- Over 30 years experience negotiating and drafting commercial leases, construction and other commercial contracts
- Best Lawyers In America
- Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Rating: AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5
- Who’s Who In American Law
- Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers in the U.S.
- Texas Super Lawyer 2007-2023
- Houston’s Top Lawyers – Mediation 2015-2017, 2019
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Legal Leaders Top Texas Lawyers 2014
- Elected by peers to American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) 2007
- AVVO rating: Superb 10.0 out of 10
- Bankston & Associates, PC, Mediation and Civil Litigation, April 2012 – present
- Houston Urban Debate League, Founding Board Member and Chair/Co-Chair of the Board of Directors 2008-2011, President & CEO, February 2012 to February 2014, Board Member February – December
2014 - Kane Russell Coleman & Logan PC, Senior Director (Partner) and Member of Board of Directors, September 2008 – March 2012
- Godwin Pappas Ronquillo, Partner 2006 – August 2008
- Bankston Riley LLP/Bankston & Associates, P.C./Bankston & McDowell, L.L.P., Partner 1983 – 2006
- Fulbright & Jaworski, 1977 – 1983
- Rice University, Academic Advisor and Lead Instructor – Rice University Paralegal Program, 2005 – 2011
- Texas Commission For Lawyer Discipline, State Bar of Texas, Special Assistant Disciplinary Counsel, 1995 – Present
- Admitted, State Bar of Texas and Supreme Court of Texas, 1977
- Admitted, U.S. District Courts for Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, U.S. Court of Claims
- Member of Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
- Sustaining Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Sustaining Life Fellow, Houston Bar Foundation
- Elected by peers to American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) 2007
- State Bar of Texas Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
- University of Houston Honors College Advisory Board
- University of Houston Speech and Debate Society Hall of Fame
- Houston Urban Debate League Emeritus Board Member
- Distinguished Faculty Houston Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Programs – Mediation and Litigation Subject Areas
- Guest Lecturer and Instructor in Trial Advocacy, University of Houston Law Center
- Invited Lecturer on Personal Injury, Product Liability, Premises Liability, Construction Liability, Water Park and Aquatic Safety Liability, Rental Equipment Liability, Litigation Ethics and Mediation
- Publications include:
- Personal Injury Forms: Discovery & Settlement (James Publishing, 2007)
- The New Litigator’s Guide to Trial Practice (“Courtroom Ethics” and “Lessons From Seasoned Litigators”) NBI Seminar Presentation and Written Materials January 2008
- Stowers Today: Settlement Demands and Settlement Responses , University of Houston Law Center 2007
- Advanced Personal Injury Trial Law Seminar Fall 2007
- Seminar Presentation, Houston, Texas, October 2007
- Plaintiff’s Personal Injury: Practice Tips and Application (“Understanding the Law of Damages” and “Basics of Civil Practice, Procedure and Discovery” ) NBI Seminar Presentation and Written Materials, Houston, Texas, February 2007;
- “Legal Affairs: Using Mediation Rather Than Litigation To Reduce Your Legal Expenses,” Smart Business Magazine, September 2006
- Construction Site Safety Issues: Seeing Yourself As Trial Lawyers Do; “Public Safety Laws For Texas Architects, Engineers and Construction Professionals,” Seminar Presentation and Written Materials, Houston, Texas, February 2006
- University of Houston Law Center – JD 1977
- University of Houston – BA 1974
- Harvard School of Public Health, Office of Continuing Education – Health Effects of Asbestos: Pulmonary Anatomy & Physiology, X-Ray Interpretation and Epidemiology of Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer and Other Malignancies: 1986
- Attorney-Mediators Institute, Houston, Texas
- Basic Mediator Training, January 1996
- Skills Based Mediation Seminar, October 1997
