Heard & Smith
Heard & Smith LLP is a Texas-based law firm with 150+ professionals operating eight offices statewide, specializing in Social Security disability (SSDI/SSI/VA) representation and estate planning, probate, guardianship, and fiduciary litigation for individual clients across Texas.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersSan Antonio, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Heard & Smith does
Heard & Smith LLP is a Texas-based law firm founded in 1976 by John R. Heard in San Antonio, specializing in two practice areas: Social Security disability law (SSDI, SSI, and VA disability benefits) and estate planning/probate law (probate, wills, trusts, guardianship, inheritance, and fiduciary litigation). The firm operates with more than 150 professionals — attorneys, paralegals, and support staff — across eight Texas offices, including the San Antonio headquarters at 10715 Gulfdale St. plus branch locations in El Paso, Harlingen, Longview, Lubbock, McAllen, Victoria, and a dedicated San Antonio probate division. Its customer base is composed entirely of individual consumers: disabled individuals seeking federal benefits, veterans pursuing VA claims, and elderly clients and families needing estate administration or guardianship services.
The firm generates revenue through two distinct streams with different economic structures. Disability representation operates on a contingency model statutorily capped at the lesser of 25% of the back award or $9,200 per case, with no fee charged if benefits are not awarded; this structurally limits per-case revenue but aligns incentives and eliminates barriers to client acquisition. Estate planning and probate services are billed on a professional-services basis with fees quoted in advance and the firm accepting major credit cards, providing higher-margin work that is not subject to the federal fee cap. Technology is limited to standard law firm practice management software and an encrypted client portal; the firm has no mobile app, no public API, no disclosed integrations, and no proprietary technology assets.
Client acquisition is sales-led and direct-to-consumer: free initial consultations, a downloadable disability guidebook, Spanish-language services, monthly email newsletters, TV commercials, referral programs, and organic SEO content drive inbound leads across Texas. The firm's competitive position rests on founder expertise (Heard as Past President of NOSSCR, Mark Stanton Smith as two-term President of the National Guardianship Association), a 30+ year operating history, multi-office physical distribution, and peer-review credentials (Martindale-Hubbell, Texas Super Lawyers, BBB accreditation). Ownership remains with the founding partners as a Texas Limited Liability Partnership with no external institutional investment.
Heard & Smith firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Heard & Smith
- Legal name
- Heard & Smith LLP
- Website
- https://heardandsmith.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Heard & Smith LLP is a Texas-based law firm with 150+ professionals operating eight offices statewide, specializing in Social Security disability (SSDI/SSI/VA) representation and estate planning, probate, guardianship, and fiduciary litigation for individual clients across Texas.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Heard & Smith industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (54111), Other Legal Services (54119)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)
Keywords
Where Heard & Smith is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Antonio
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
Heard & Smith business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Social Security Disability Legal Fees: Attorney fees for disability cases are contingency-based: limited to 25% of the back award or $9,200, whichever is less. No fees are charged if no benefits are received. Fees are capped and quoted in advance.
- Estate Planning and Probate Legal Services: Fees for probate, estate planning, guardianship, and inheritance legal services. All fees are quoted in advance and disclosed on the firm's website. Accepts major credit cards.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Pay-as-you-go | Social Security Disability — contingency fee with statutory cap |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Estate Planning, Probate, and Guardianship — fee arrangements quoted in advance |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Heard & Smith product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Heard & Smith is a Texas-based law firm that provides legal representation for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claims and appeals, as well as VA disability benefits claims. The firm also provides estate planning, probate, inheritance, guardianship, and fiduciary litigation services through a separate probate/inheritance division. Disability cases are handled on a contingency basis capped at 25% of the back award or $9,200, whichever is less, with no fees if no benefits are awarded.
Product overview
Heard & Smith is a Texas-based law firm offering legal services across two primary practice areas: Social Security Disability Law and Estate Planning/Probate Law. The firm provides representation for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and VA Disability Benefits claims, as well as comprehensive estate planning services including probate, inheritance, guardianship, and fiduciary litigation. The firm operates as a unified legal practice rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, with attorneys specializing in disability law and probate/estate matters serving clients throughout Texas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Social Security Disability Law (SSDI/SSI) Representation Legal representation for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claims and appeals, including application assistance, gathering medical documentation, and representation at Social Security Administrative Law Judge hearings. Targeted at individuals unable to work due to illness, injury, or emotional problems.
- VA Disability Benefits Representation Legal services for veterans seeking VA disability benefits and survivors' benefits, including claims and appeals. Targeted at qualifying disabled veterans.
- Probate and Estate Planning Legal services for estate administration, will drafting, probate proceedings, and estate tax planning. Targeted at families and elderly individuals in Texas needing to transfer property upon death and avoid probate delays.
- Inheritance Law Legal representation for inheritance matters, including will contests, heir rights, and estate dispute resolution. Targeted at Texas families and beneficiaries involved in inheritance disputes.
- Guardianship Law Legal services for establishing guardianships for incapacitated individuals, including guardian of person and guardian of estate matters. Targeted at families of incapacitated adults and minors in Texas.
- Fiduciary Litigation Legal representation in fiduciary disputes including breach of fiduciary duty claims, will contests, and guardianship litigation. Targeted at parties to estate and guardianship disputes in Texas.
Companies that use Heard & Smith
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Heard & Smith technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Heard & Smith partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Heard & Smith competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Disability Law Group: SSDI/SSI-focused disability law firm with national intake. Comparable contingency model and specialization in the same disability representation niche.
- Allsup: National SSDI/SSI/Medicare representation firm using a similar contingency-fee model across multiple states. Closest direct competitor to Heard & Smith's disability practice in scale and go-to-market approach.
- Hill & Ponton: VA disability and Social Security disability law firm with national intake. Directly comparable in practice mix (SSDI + VA) and contingency-fee positioning.
- Bemis, Roach & Reed: Texas-based disability law firm focusing on Social Security disability representation. Competes with Heard & Smith in the same Texas geography for the same claimant pool.
- Disability Advocates Group: Social Security disability law firm with similar contingency pricing and claimant-focused GTM. Direct overlap in core service line.
- Marcari, Russo, Brandt & Shaffer: Disability and VA disability law firm with multi-state SSDI/VA appeals practice. Comparable contingency-fee structure and target client base of disabled individuals and veterans.
Others
- Nolo: Legal information and self-help publisher (wills, probate, disability). Adjacent competitor on the DIY/self-help side rather than full-service representation.
- Avvo: Online lawyer directory and Q&A platform. Provides marketing channel and competitive intelligence for disability and estate planning attorneys.
Regional players
- Cordell & Cordell: Texas-based family law firm with multi-office presence across the state. Comparable in scale, multi-office Texas footprint, and client-facing law firm marketing approach, though family-law focused.
Broad incumbents
- LegalZoom: Online legal services platform offering DIY estate planning, wills, and trusts. Competes with Heard & Smith's estate planning division on price-sensitive, simpler matters.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Heard & Smith social profiles
Digital presenceHeard & Smith financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Heard & Smith leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Heard & Smith funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Heard & Smith M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Heard & Smith
What does Heard & Smith do?
Heard & Smith is a Texas-based law firm that provides legal representation for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claims and appeals, as well as VA disability benefits claims. The firm also provides estate planning, probate, inheritance, guardianship, and fiduciary litigation services through a separate probate/inheritance division. Disability cases are handled on a contingency basis capped at 25% of the back award or $9,200, whichever is less, with no fees if no benefits are awarded.
Is Heard & Smith a public or private company?
Heard & Smith is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Heard & Smith founded?
Heard & Smith was founded in 1976. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Heard & Smith based?
Heard & Smith is headquartered in San Antonio, United States, in the North America region.
How does Heard & Smith make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Social Security Disability Legal Fees are the primary driver. The others are estate Planning and Probate Legal Services.
Who are Heard & Smith's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Disability Law Group, Allsup, Hill & Ponton, Bemis, Roach & Reed, Disability Advocates Group and Marcari, Russo, Brandt & Shaffer. Others are Nolo and Avvo. Cordell & Cordell is listed as a regional player. LegalZoom is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Heard & Smith have an API?
No public API is recorded for Heard & Smith.
What industry is Heard & Smith in?
Heard & Smith's product category is Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAK, Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law. Its NAICS code is 54111 and its SIC code is 8111.