Joshua W. Mermis is a founding partner of West Mermis, PLLC. He has broad experience in litigation, construction, energy and business matters. Joshua has extensive trial experience having conducted jury and bench trials, as well as arbitrations involving significant multi-million-dollar commercial projects throughout Texas. He has counseled public and private clients across numerous industries, including construction, infrastructure, healthcare, technology and insurance. He represents owners, operators, general contractors, subcontractors, developers, suppliers, product manufacturers, businesses and individuals in a variety of disputes.
Joshua is board certified in construction law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is routinely recognized in multiple industry publications including Martindale-Hubbell, The Best Lawyers in America, Texas Super Lawyers and H Texas Magazine. He has been selected as a Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America (“CLSA”), an honorary society for construction lawyers to which members are admitted exclusively by invitation. The CLSA Fellowship is limited to 1,200 active practicing lawyers worldwide. Fellows are chosen based on their expertise and accomplishments in the field of construction law, as well as their outstanding ethical character.
Joshua is the past Chair of the Houston Bar Association Construction Law Section. He is a frequent speaker on construction and commercial disputes. West Mermis, PLLC has been rated a Best Law Firm by US News & World Report.
Representative Experience
- Obtained a $544,000 arbitration award for a gas station owner and operator based on counterclaims against the general contractor.
- Successfully represented a leading supplier of engines and propulsion systems in an $11 million property damage lawsuit in South Texas.
- Represented a multifamily apartment developer in a lawsuit against a framer subcontractor for construction defects.
- Obtained a favorable jury verdict and final judgment for a real estate developer against the Harris County Appraisal District in an appraised value review lawsuit concerning multiple properties.
- Represented the large health care company/hospital in a dispute with its general contractor and architect related to health clinics that had construction defects.
- Successfully represented a Korean helmet manufacturer in personal injury trial in Beaumont, Texas.
- Negotiated a multimillion-dollar EPC contract for billion-dollar, privately held commodity and logistics company
Affiliations
- Texas Bar College
- Member: Life Fellow Texas Bar Foundation
- Member: Construction Law – TADC
- Member: Construction Law Group – ABA
- Member: Construction Practice Group – DRI
- Member: Construction Law Section – State Bar of Texas
- Member: Construction Law Section – Houston Bar Association
- Fellow: Construction Lawyers Society of America
Thought Leadership
- Speech: “Cumulative Impact Claims: Is This The Real Life? Is This Just Fantasy?” North American Construction Law Symposium IV, 2022
- Speech: “Best Practices for Owners to Mitigate Risks and Liability,” Construction Owners Association of America (COAA) Fall Workshop, 2022
- Speech: “Case Law Update,” DRI, 2021
- Speech: “Trust Fund Act: All Hat and No Cattle?” HBA Construction Law Section, 2020
- Author: “Using the Rules to Your Favor – Evidentiary Techniques That Won a Fracking Fire Trial,” 2019
- Author: “Old Habits: It’s time to rethink the boilerplate arbitration provision in construction contracts.” Construction Today, 2019
- Speech: “AIA 201: General Conditions,” HalfMoon Education Seminar, 2019
- Speech: “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Construction Contract Provisions That Can Make or Break Your Construction Defect Lawsuit,” TADC, 2019
- Author: “Evidentiary Techniques That Won a Fracking Fire Trial,” DRI – For the Defense, 2019
- Author: “Condominium Construction-Defect Litigation Looks to Cool Off Following Mosaic Residential Appellate Decision,” Texas Construction Law Journal, 2019
- Speech: “War Stories from Deep in the Heart of Texas: Tales of a Fracking Fire Trial,” DRI Product Liability Conference, 2019
- Speech: “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Persuading a South Texas Jury with Old School Demonstratives and 21st Century Animation,” San Antonio Bar Association Construction Law Section, 2019
- Speech: “Harvey’s Aftermath: What Every Lawyer Needs to Know about Texas Lien and Bond Claims in Our Post-Harvey World,” Houston Bar Association, 2018
- Speech: “Contract Termination,” The Basics Course in Texas Construction Law, 2018
- Speech: “Managing Experts,” Forensic Expert Witness Association, 2017
- Speech: “Expert Checklist,” Forensic Expert Witness Association, 2015
- Author: “Shale Gas Boom: Hydraulic Fracturing and Potential Legal Claims,” RigZone, 2014
- Co-Author: “Compendium of Texas Construction Law,” USLAW, 2013
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Recognitions
- Texas Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2010 – present
- The Best Lawyers in America, 2018 – present
- Best Law Firms, US News, 2020 – present
- Top Verdict 2016 – Seventh Largest Arbitration Award in Texas
- Board Certified Construction Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
- Top Lawyer in H Texas Magazine & Houstonia Magazine
- Fellow: Construction Lawyers Society of America
- Former Chair, Houston Bar Association – Construction Law Section
- Council Member, State Bar of Texas – Construction Law Section
