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For over 40 years, our attorneys have provided clients with
unparalleled service in matters ranging from insurance mergers to
complex litigation to real estate and employment counsel. Clients choose
us because we combine exceptional legal ability and experience with the
personal attention and collaboration that distinguishes our firm. We
place a premium on clear communication, persistence, diligent research,
honest debate, and community involvement.
We work closely with our clients to create a strategy that
is decisive, comprehensive and achieves our client’s core goals. Today,
we offer a wide range of legal services, including commercial
litigation, insurance and insurance regulatory law, labor and
employment, real estate, corporate regulation, appellate law,
administrative law, government relations, and estate planning,
trademark, and probate work.
Our attorneys are constantly innovating for our clients,
while remaining focused on the core values instilled by the firm’s
founder, Hector De Leon. De Leon Washburn & Ward has a long-standing
commitment to the community through its work with pro bono clients,
assisting nonprofit and charitable organizations, and civic endeavors.
Our success is measured by the success of our clients and our community.
De Leon Washburn & Ward, P.C. was founded in 1977 by Hector De
Leon, after serving as the youngest ever General Counsel of the Texas
State Board of Insurance. From its origins as an insurance law firm 40
years ago, the firm has steadily added talent and expertise in the areas
of administrative law, commercial litigation, corporate transactions,
and legislative affairs services. A nationally renowned leader in
administrative and insurance law, Hector De Leon has received numerous
accolades and honors for his legal work and his work benefitting the
community and The University of Texas. As the firm has grown, it has
expanded its expertise to include labor and employment law, real estate,
appellate law, and estate planning and probate.
Mr. Washburn joined our firm in 1983, when he was a second-year law
student at the University of Texas School of Law. Over the course of
three decades, Mr. De Leon and Mr. Washburn have driven a law firm that
is unique in its commitment to its clients and the community. Mr. De
Leon and Mr. Washburn’s lasting relationship, which is marked by respect
and dedication to their clients, sets the standard for all attorneys at
the firm. Mr. Washburn provides the firm with a wealth of knowledge and
experience in several active practice areas, including corporate
transactions and insurance law.
Ben De Leon, a Shareholder and firm President, joined the firm in
2005 as an associate, and quickly gained valuable experience in
insurance law, administrative law, commercial litigation, and
construction and real estate. Today he maintains an active litigation
and transactional practice, while also managing the firm and remaining
fully engaged in several community service projects.
George B. Ward, IV has practiced law since 2004. He joined the firm
in January of 2010, after several years of litigation and employment
practice with a large private firm and the Attorney General’s Office. As
a Shareholder and firm Vice President, he helps shape the future of the
firm, while maintaining an active commercial litigation and employment
practice.
Athena Ponce joined the firm in 2012, after working for many years in
the state legislature. A member of the Texas Law Review, she brings an
unmatched level of diligence and persistence to each project, fully
committing her skills to each client.
De Leon Washburn & Ward is focused on providing the utmost
service and best legal advice to its clients while serving the
community, and continuing to be a fixture in the Austin community for
the next generation.