Pillsbury Welcomes Acclaimed Texas Trial Lawyer Amy Ruhland

“Across industries and jurisdictions, whether at trial or the bargaining table, Pillsbury clients rely on our proven litigators to see them through resolution of their complex and critical disputes,” said Firm Chair David Dekker. “Amy’s extensive practice experience and deep industry knowledge further advance our global disputes capabilities, while also adding important litigation depth in Texas, where client demand continues to grow.”

Ruhland has more than 20 years of experience handling an array of complex, bet-the-company disputes in Texas and beyond. She represents Fortune 500 companies and leading international businesses in the technology, energy, financial, life sciences & digital health, and other industries in all kinds of commercial litigation, including class action defense, bankruptcy, insurance coverage and trade secrets matters. She has appeared before a wide variety of state and federal courts across the U.S. and has handled appeals before the Texas Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. She also represents clients before the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the United Nations Commission of International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and JAMS tribunals.

Among her notable trial achievements, Ruhland co-chaired a month-long jury trial in New York where her team secured a complete defense verdict in a multimillion-dollar breach of contract lawsuit brought by 31 plaintiffs against one of the largest logistics companies globally. She also successfully represented a private equity fund in a two-week bench trial in Delaware Chancery Court, defeating breach of contract and tort claims involving hundreds of millions of dollars.

“We are exceptionally proud of our record of trial wins for important clients in important matters; Amy has a fantastic reputation for winning at trial, so she fits in perfectly at Pillsbury and makes a wonderful addition to our team,” said Global Head of Litigation Deborah Baum. “We are just delighted to have her join us in Austin.” 

Ruhland’s arrival marks the latest in a series of distinguished litigators to join the firm in the past 12 months, in the U.S. and abroad. Notable recent U.S. additions include leading Insurance Recovery & Advisory litigator Jay Konkel (DC); cross-border disputes and international arbitration partner Laurence Lieberman (London); energy and construction litigator Derrick Carson (Houston); former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Chris Caffarone (New York); renowned appellate partner Anne Voigts (Silicon Valley); employment litigation partner JoAnna Brooks (San Francisco); and partner Waleed Nassar (DC), who focuses on disputes emanating from the Middle East. Internationally, the firm has also welcomed dispute practitioners such as China-based partner Jia Yan (Shanghai) and corporate investigations, white collar and anti-bribery partner Audrey Koh (London).

“Amy’s arrival is a welcome addition to our Austin office,” said local office managing partner Edward Cavazos. “The firm continues to grow its Texas presence to meet the evolving needs of our clients here. Amy is a highly collaborative lawyer and a dynamic litigator who continues our expansion and adds meaningfully to our local team. We are thrilled to have her join us.”

Consistent with developments in the litigation practice and across the broader firm, Pillsbury’s Austin and Houston offices have likewise experienced significant growth of late. The firm now has nearly 70 lawyers in Texas, increasing its headcount by nearly 50 percent since 2022, with recent notable developments including the arrival of Emerging Companies & Venture Capital partner Andy Smetana (Austin) and counsel Margarita Kelrikh (Houston) and the elevation of Austin lawyers Ashleigh Myers and Sandro Serra to partnership. The firm also secured new office space in both Austin and Houston to accommodate its rapid expansion.

“Pillsbury’s renowned international litigation capabilities, strong global platform and well-known reputation for collaboration present exciting new opportunities to better serve clients and broaden those relationships,” Ruhland said. “This is an exciting new chapter for me, and I look forward to working with such a talented and multifaceted team of lawyers.”

Pillsbury’s award-winning team of more than 200 litigators works with clients around the world to help them successfully resolve disputes, both in trial winning the old-fashioned way and out of court, leveraging that win record so opponents know we mean business. The firm has garnered dozens of top-tier recognitions as a result of its exceptional litigation prowess and is regularly identified as one of the most feared law firms CLOs and GCs come up against in litigation according to BTI Consulting Group.