Premier trial and appellate boutique Hicks Johnson PLLC formally launched its presence in Chicago yesterday with an event, and welcomed two accomplished trial lawyers to the team.

Founded in 2007, Hicks Johnson is known for delivering successful outcomes in high-stakes, complex litigation nationwide, with a focus on multidistrict litigation, mass tort and energy-industry cases. The growing 22-lawyer firm expanded its geographic reach to meet market needs by opening the new office at 353 N. Clark St.

“With several University of Chicago Law School alumni practicing at Hicks Johnson, opening the new office is both a mark of our firm’s success and a homecoming of sorts,” Hicks Johnson Managing Partner Andrew Hicks said. “Our expanded presence in Chicago represents a pivotal moment in the firm’s growth strategy, which remains fundamentally driven by our clients’ business objectives.”

The firm also continues to add to its roster of top-notch legal talent, most recently adding two new Senior Counsel to the Chicago office.

Jordan V. Hill joins the firm from Eimer Stahl and focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation and arbitration matters. Before entering private practice, Hill served as a law clerk to the Honorable James C. Ho of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School.

Corbin Houston is a former Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and the Western District of Oklahoma. Prior to his government work, Houston was an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. He served as a law clerk to the Honorable David J. Hale of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky and is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School.

In addition, in January 2025, Hicks Johnson promoted Lori Arakaki and Daniel Scime to partner. Scime is resident in the Chicago office.

“Our bench strength has always been a key aspect of the firm’s success,” Founding Partner Logan Johnson said. “We hire top legal talent and develop lawyers with substantial trial and appellate experience at every level. Our clients reap the benefits.”

The firm’s growth is not limited to the Chicago market; Hicks Johnson also recently signed a new lease to double the headcount of its Houston office.

Notable work from the past year includes representing:

• The City of Houston in an ongoing case arising from a $1.8 billion critical infrastructure project related to a massive expansion of the City’s northwest water treatment plant;
• Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International Inc. (HSSSI, known as Collins Aerospace) in a contract dispute with Bastion Technologies Inc. (BTI) regarding a Teaming Agreement related to a $3.5 billion contract for the development and production of NASA’s next-generation spacesuit;
• and one of the largest exploration and production companies in the U.S. in a far-reaching indemnity dispute involving federal offshore oil and gas leases off the coast of Santa Barbara, California.