What Chamberlain Hrdlicka does

Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Aughtry, PC is a Texas-organized private professional corporation (PC) law firm founded in 1965 in Houston. The firm originated as a tax boutique and has expanded into a full-service platform with four U.S. offices (Houston HQ, San Antonio, Philadelphia/West Conshohocken, Atlanta) and approximately 100+ attorneys and 251–500 total employees. Approximately half of all lawyers practice in various fields of tax law, with many board certified in tax or estate planning and prior IRS or Department of Justice Tax Division experience. The firm serves Fortune 500 companies, privately held businesses (partnerships and LLCs), high-net-worth individuals and families, and tax-exempt organizations across sectors including automotive, entertainment, financial services, manufacturing, medical, natural gas, education, and technology. Revenue is generated through hourly professional fees for legal services including tax planning, tax controversy and litigation, employee benefits, estate planning, international/SALT tax, M&A, and litigation matters, billed monthly under engagement-letter-governed arrangements; the firm is privately held by its equity shareholders with no external institutional investment.

The firm's product portfolio encompasses core tax services (domestic and international tax planning, tax controversy, tax litigation, SALT), employee benefits and ERISA, estate and wealth transfer planning, business transactions and M&A, plus specialized practices (immigration, labor and employment, criminal tax defense, qualified opportunity zones, real estate, maritime, construction, IP/technology, government investigations, appellate). Distribution is direct, enterprise attorney-client engagement through the four offices plus inbound flow from thought-leadership channels — nine specialized blogs (TaxBlawg, E-Blawg, SALT Blawg, Business and International Tax Blog, Construction, Immigration, Labor & Employment, Maritime Proctor, Appellate), 48 consecutive years of annual Houston Tax and Business Planning Seminars (34+ years Atlanta, San Antonio since 2018, plus Laredo/McAllen cross-border programming), social media presence (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram), and Meritas international referral network membership. Recent strategic moves include first-time Am Law 200 entry in 2024, appointment of a first-ever COO/CBDMO/CIO executive team, formation of an AI Practice Group, and cross-border programming through a 2026 International Tax Conference co-hosted with University of San Diego School of Law in Mérida, Yucatán.

Key recognition includes first-time Am Law 200 inclusion (2024), Legal 500 United States 2026, Best Lawyers in America (87 attorneys in 2024, 72 in 2025), U.S. News-Best Lawyers Best Law Firms (8 national, 36 metro designations in 2025), Houston Business Journal Best Places to Work (2022 and 2023), and two International M&A Advisor Deal of the Year honors at the 17th Annual Awards. Ownership remains wholly internal — 11 attorneys were promoted to equity shareholder/shareholder positions in 2026 — and no PE or strategic acquirer has been identified in available data.

Name

Chamberlain Hrdlicka

Legal name

Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Aughtry, PC

Website

https://chamberlainlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Chamberlain Hrdlicka is a Houston-founded (1965) private tax-specialty law firm with 100+ attorneys across four U.S. offices serving Fortune 500 companies, privately held businesses, high-net-worth individuals, and tax-exempt organizations on tax planning, controversy, employee benefits, and M&A matters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services (Tax and Full-Service Law)

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD), Litigation & Dispute Valuation (damages, shareholder disputes) (FSAEAHAI)

Keywords

• Tax law services
• Estate planning
• Employee benefits
• Tax controversy
• Corporate legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: Chamberlain Hrdlicka generates revenue through providing legal services to clients including tax planning, tax controversy, litigation, employee benefits, estate planning, and other legal matters. The firm charges professional fees for legal counsel, representation, and advisory services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chamberlain Hrdlicka is a full-service law firm that delivers legal counsel across tax planning, tax controversy and litigation, employee benefits, estate planning, international tax, SALT, corporate/M&A, and multiple specialty practices (litigation, immigration, construction, maritime, IP, criminal tax defense) to corporations, partnerships, high-net-worth individuals, and tax-exempt organizations. Approximately half of the firm's lawyers practice in tax law, and the firm complements client engagements with nine specialized legal blogs and an annual tax and business planning seminar series.

Product overview

Chamberlain Hrdlicka is a full-service law firm organized as a platform of distinct legal practice areas, with tax law serving as its foundational core since the firm's founding in 1965. Approximately half of the firm's attorneys practice in various fields of tax law. The portfolio includes core tax services (planning, controversy, litigation, international, SALT), employee benefits and ERISA, estate planning and administration, business transactions, litigation, and specialized practice areas including immigration, maritime, construction, IP/technology, and corporate counsel. The firm offers educational content through multiple blogs (TaxBlawg, E-Blawg, SALT Blog, Business and International Tax Blog) and hosts annual Tax and Business Planning Seminars in Houston, San Antonio, and Rio Grande Valley locations. The firm has formally established an AI Practice Group under Chief Innovation Officer Aly Dossa to advance client-focused legal services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Law Services Comprehensive tax law services covering domestic and international tax planning, tax controversy, and tax litigation for corporations, partnerships, trusts, estates, individuals, and nonprofit organizations.
• Tax Controversy & Litigation Federal tax controversy and litigation services including IRS administrative audits, appeals, and federal court litigation against the IRS and Department of Justice.
• Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
• Estate & Income Tax Planning & Estate Administration
• State and Local Tax (SALT) Controversy & Planning
• International Tax
• Litigation Practice
• Criminal Tax Defense
• Corporate Counsel
• Real Estate
• Immigration Services
• Labor & Employment
• Intellectual Property & Technology
• Construction Law
• Maritime Law
• Product Liability
• Appellate Practice
• Government Investigations
• Exempt Organizations
• Qualified Opportunity Zones
• ERISA/Benefit Plan Investors
• Tax and Business Planning Seminars Annual and regional educational seminars on tax planning, business planning, and tax controversy topics offered in Houston, San Antonio, Laredo, McAllen, and other Texas locations for CPAs and attorneys, with CPE/CLE credits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully represented Page in sale to Stantec, creating second-largest U.S. architecture firm
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• University of San Diego School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2026Chamberlain Hrdlicka co-hosting the 2026 International Tax Conference with the University of San Diego School of Law on February 16-17, 2026 in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. The conference features 17 advanced panels on U.S.-Mexico cross-border tax and estate issues with keynote speakers including former IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig, former Mexican treasury secretary and central bank chair Dr. Agustín Carstens, and Bitso general counsel Luis Urrutia Corral.
• Meritas Law Firms WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamberlain Hrdlicka is a member of Meritas, an international network of independent law firms providing access to legal services across global markets. This affiliation enables cross-border referrals and coordinated legal services for clients with international needs.
• StantecnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamberlain Hrdlicka served as lead advisor to Page (multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firm) in its acquisition by Stantec. The transaction resulted in creation of the second-largest architecture firm in the United States and enhanced Stantec's presence in key U.S. markets.
• GulfStar GroupnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamberlain Hrdlicka advised BWFS Industries in its transition and sale to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), with GulfStar Group serving as the financial advisor in the transaction.
• Habeeb 'Hobbs' Gnaim (Houston Team)coreOthersHabeeb 'Hobbs' Gnaim leads Chamberlain Hrdlicka's Houston M&A practice and has led multiple notable transactions including Page/Stantec, Centex Construction/O2 Investment Partners, NOVUM/Aperture LLC, and others, establishing the firm as a significant player in middle-market M&A.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered: Washington, D.C.-based elite tax controversy and planning boutique. Competes head-to-head with Chamberlain Hrdlicka for high-end federal tax controversy and exempt organizations work, though it is single-office and more narrowly focused on tax.
• Kostelanetz & Fink LLP: Elite New York-based tax controversy and white-collar tax defense boutique. Competes with Chamberlain Hrdlicka's criminal tax defense and high-end tax controversy practices, though on a narrower, single-office basis.

Broad incumbents

• BakerHostetler: Larger national firm with one of the deepest federal tax controversy and ERISA practices in the country. Comparable in its tax/ERISA emphasis and similar full-service multi-office model, but at meaningfully greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• Polsinelli PC: National mid-size full-service firm with comparable Am Law 200 profile, multi-office footprint, and full-service platform including tax, ERISA, and corporate. Both firms serve the middle-market enterprise segment with overlapping practice breadth.
• Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: National full-service firm formed from mid-size firms (Faegre Baker Daniels + Drinker Biddle) with comparable headcount and multi-state footprint. Overlap in tax planning, employee benefits, and litigation practices serving enterprise and mid-market clients.
• McDermott Will & Emery: National full-service firm with a top-tier tax practice following its merger with tax boutique Roberts & Holland. Direct competition for sophisticated federal tax controversy, international tax planning, and benefits work, though at significantly larger scale than Chamberlain Hrdlicka.

Direct peers

• Porter Hedges LLP: Houston-based full-service law firm of comparable size and Texas-centric client base. Both firms serve Houston-based enterprises in tax, energy, and corporate matters, with overlapping middle-market M&A and tax controversy work.
• Bracewell LLP: Houston-rooted full-service firm with strong tax controversy and litigation presence. Both firms are Texas-based, serve similar regulated industries (energy, construction, financial services), and compete for the same Houston enterprise and middle-market mandates.
• Adams and Reese LLP: Mid-size Southeastern U.S. law firm with comparable multi-office footprint (Atlanta, Houston-aligned presence). Both firms pursue similar Am Law Second Hundred trajectory with full-service offerings including tax, labor & employment, and litigation.
• Jackson Walker LLP: Texas-headquartered full-service firm with comparable headcount and multi-office Texas footprint. Both firms compete for the same Houston-based enterprise, energy, and middle-market M&A mandates, with overlapping tax, real estate, and corporate practices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Chamberlain-Hrdlicka-1475492075827605
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chamberlain-hrdlicka
• Instagraminstagram.com/chamberlainlawfirm
• Xx.com/ChamberlainHrd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chamberlain Hrdlicka