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Barry Barnett
Firm: Susman Godfrey LLP
Forbes Ranking: America鈥檚 Best-in-State Lawyers 2025
Barry Barnett describes his career path as 鈥渆clectic, providential, and lucky,鈥 bolstered by a series of 鈥渉appy accidents.鈥 He鈥檚 been with one firm鈥擲usman Godfrey鈥攆or the entirety of his nearly 40-year practice. But the reason for that isn鈥檛 just serendipity.
鈥淭he firm keeps growing, and we鈥檝e had decent success, but our ethos is we鈥檙e modest about it,鈥 Barnett says, describing the exceptional trajectory of one of the premier litigation boutiques in the country. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 an important thing to be. Honesty, candor, insistence on doing the right thing and telling the truth. That tends to keep you.鈥
At Susman, Barnett specializes in antitrust work and complex litigation. Based out of the firm鈥檚 Houston and New York offices, he is a go-to commercial trial attorney who has represented such companies as KK&R, Cisco Systems, Duane Reade and Texas Instruments, as well as smaller firms against the likes of Apple, Samsung and Bank of America. Before earning his law degree from Harvard, Barnett studied American History and Economics at Yale and says the antitrust field feels like a combination of both fields鈥攁nd he relishes the intellectual challenge and hard work required to yield results. Despite his successes and stellar record, Barnett stays humble, a trait ingrained through small-town Texas roots and law firm culture.
鈥淚 think people know that they can trust me. Clients know I鈥檒l do every honest thing I can to achieve their legitimate goals,鈥 says Barnett, a Fellow in the American College of Trial Attorneys. 鈥淧eople know when I say something I鈥檓 going to do it. And if I tell them something, they鈥檒l be able to rely on it being true.鈥
Given the uncertain economic outlook, Barnett says that while businesses may be in a holding pattern, there鈥檚 no lull in the legal industry, particularly for firms that are distinguishing themselves through integrity, values and exceptional service.
鈥淚t helps to know that we鈥檒l fight鈥攖hat鈥檚 what clients want,鈥 Barnett says. 鈥淭hey want to know you鈥檝e got a backbone and you don鈥檛 give in to pressure. Credibility is a huge advantage. Lack of it, a huge disadvantage.鈥
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