James Holmes

James enjoys a diverse practice of oil and gas cases and related transactional and regulatory work, business cases and transactional work, real-estate and contract disputes, and close-corporation and shareholder-oppression cases. Apart from his business expertise, he has handled many tort cases involving wrongful death and catastrophic injury. He has significant trial, appellate and transactional experience and is a sought-after legal and business educational speaker. Click here for a sampling of his speeches and publications. James was born, raised and educated in Texas. Before practicing law in Dallas, he earned his Bachelor of Science from Trinity University in San Antonio and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, where he served as an Editor on the Texas Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif. Following law school, James worked as a judicial clerk for The Texas Supreme Court, for Associate Justice Nathan Hecht, who became Chief Justice and the longest-serving Justice in the history of the Court. James is an active member of several professional associations, including the Dallas Bar Association and the Texas Civil Justice League. For the University of Texas System, he is a member of the Chancellor's Council, the 1881 Society, and the Ashbel Smith Circle. He serves on the Dallas Steering Committee for the University of Texas School of Law. In addition to his law practice, James operates Robur LLC, an oil and gas first purchaser and marketer. He also manages Robur Capital, L.P., a value-investing style investment partnership. James's concurrent focus on his business activities and his commercial law practice gives him a unique, superior viewpoint on his clients' legal needs and solutions therefor. Awards and Honors Super Lawyers® Selectees James Holmes included in a Super Lawyers® list Other Sources of Feedback About James Holmes Included on the 2026Texas Super Lawyers list Past Lists 2025 Texas Super Lawyers list 2024 Texas Super Lawyers list 2023 Texas Super Lawyers list 2022 Texas Super Lawyers list 2021 Texas Super Lawyers list 2020 Texas Super Lawyers list 2019 Texas Super Lawyers list 2018 Texas Super Lawyers list 2017 Texas Super Lawyers list 2016 Texas Super Lawyers list 2015 Texas Super Lawyers list 2014 Texas Super Lawyers list 2013 Texas Super Lawyers list 2012 Texas Super Lawyers list 2011 Texas Super Lawyers list 2010 Texas Super Lawyers list 2009 Texas Super Lawyers list 2008 Texas Super Lawyers list 2007 Texas Super Lawyers list 2006 Texas Super Lawyers list 2005 Texas Super Lawyers list 2004 Texas Super Lawyers list

• Founder

• The Texas Supreme Court, for Associate Justice Nathan Hecht, Judicial Clerk

• “Texas Law on Forum Non Conveniens and H.B. 4’s Changes to It,” sponsored by the State Bar of Texas, Dallas, Texas, January 2004
• “Consolidating Cases (Involving One or More Common Questions of Fact) with the Brand New Texas Multidistrict Litigation Procedure,” sponsored by the State Bar of Texas, Dallas, Texas, January 2004
• “Multi-Plaintiff Cases Under Section 15.003: Preparing, Litigating and Challenging Plaintiff Joinder and Plaintiff Intervention, and H.B. 4’s Amendments to Section 15.003,” sponsored by the State Bar of Texas, Dallas, Texas, January 2004
• “Nuisance, Why Now? Working Up the Case,” 29th Annual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference sponsored by the University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas, October 2005
• “Effective Depos: Practical Rules and Real-Life Examples,” 30th Annual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference sponsored by the University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas, October 2006
• “CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery and the Texas Oil and Gas Lawyer: You two should get to know each other,” sponsored by the Dallas Bar Foundation, Dallas, Texas, August 2007
• “Removal, Remand, and Federal Jurisdiction: How to Get (and Keep) Your Case in the Forum of Your Choice,” Litigation and Trial Tactics sponsored by the University of Houston Law Foundation, Houston, Texas, November/December 2007
• “Prove and Keep Your Attorney’s Fees Awards: Appreciate the Impact of the Texas Supreme Court’s 2006-2008 Attorney’s Fees Cases,” 32nd Annual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference sponsored by the University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas, October 2008
• “Removal, Remand, and Federal Jurisdiction: How to Get (and Keep) Your Case in the Forum of Your Choice,” Litigation and Trial Tactics sponsored by the University of Houston Law Foundation, Houston, Texas, November/December 2008
• “Demonstrative Evidence (on a Budget),” Litigation and Trial Tactics sponsored by the University of Houston Law Foundation, Houston, Texas, April 2009
• “Maximizing Contractual Damages: Lessons from Oil and Gas Work,” 33rd Annual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference sponsored by the University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas, October 2009
• “Gas Royalties,” 27th Annual NARO Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 2009
• “The Careful Fee Agreement, and Proving Your Attorney’s Fees in Litigation: Controlling Case Law and Ethics Rules,” Mastering the Art of Collection Debts and Judgment sponsored by the University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas, September 2010
• “Shale We Dance? Applying Legal Experience to Shale Gas Royalties,” 31st Annual NARO Convention, Long Beach, California, October 2011
• “Barnett Shale Gas Royalties by Large Producers,” 32nd Annual NARO Convention, Dallas, Texas, November 2012
• “Taking Care of Your Fee Agreements: Creative Approaches for the Small Firm,” 37th Annual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference sponsored by the University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas, October 2013
• “Royalties Litigation: Fundamentals & Practicalities,” sponsored by EUCI of Denver, Colorado, presentation in Houston, Texas, September 2015
• “Managing Outside Counsel in Litigation,” sponsored by EUCI of Denver, Colorado, presentation in Houston, Texas, February 2016
• “Post-Production Deductions in Gas Royalties,” 2017 NARO Texas Convention, Austin, Texas, July 2017

• University of Texas System, Chancellor’s Council, Member
• University of Texas System, 1881 Society, Member
• University of Texas System, Ashbel Smith Circle, Member
• University of Texas School of Law, Dallas Steering Committee

• Texas, 1996

• AAJ (Member)
• Dallas Bar Association (Member)
• AAJ, Oil and Gas Litigation Section (Chair)