Donato, Brown, Pool & Moehlmann

What Donato, Brown, Pool & Moehlmann does

Donato, Brown, Pool & Moehlmann, PLLC (DBPM) is a Houston-based boutique litigation law firm founded in 1995, operating from 3200 Southwest Freeway Suite 2300 with 59 employees including 14 partners, 1 senior associate, and 5 associates. The firm specializes in sophisticated, high-stakes civil litigation, with core practices in insurance defense, insurance coverage counseling (including bad-faith defense and declaratory-judgment actions), subrogation prosecution for domestic and international insurers, and adjacent tort/commercial litigation spanning products liability, premises liability, construction, trucking/transportation, maritime, and professional liability matters. Client concentration sits in institutional insurance carriers (including Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's London and Canopius US Insurance) and major energy, petrochemical, and refining operators (CITGO Petroleum, Valero Energy, Williams Field Services, BJ Services, Fluor Daniel), with engagements typically involving large-loss, document-intensive matters such as refinery fires, chemical-plant explosions, and maritime incidents.

Revenue is generated through two models: traditional hourly billing across most defense and coverage work, and contingency/fee-arrangement billing tied to recovery outcomes in subrogation matters. Go-to-market is exclusively direct attorney-client engagement with enterprise insurers and corporates, supported by 24/7 partner availability, industry reputation, referrals, Primerus International Society membership, WSIA affiliation, and a content-marketing blog. The firm cites a $387,421,694.65 subrogation net verdict (CITGO refinery fire) and $455M+ aggregate verdicts and settlements, and holds Tier 1 ranking in Houston for Personal Injury Litigation (Defendants) plus Tier 2 in Admiralty & Maritime Law.

Technically, DBPM positions itself as "21st century lawyers" using advanced document-management systems and trial-presentation technology for document-intensive cases, alongside adjuster continuing-education seminars registered with the Texas Department of Insurance. The firm is privately held as a Texas PLLC, with no parent company, no funding rounds, and no public financials disclosed. Founding partner Randy G. Donato (trial lawyer for 38+ years, ABOTA full member, Texas Super Lawyers since 2007) remains active, and the partnership has expanded through 2024-2025 with multiple associate hires and elevation of next-generation partners such as Jonathan D. Cavanagh (Best Lawyers in America, Insurance Law, 2023-2024).

Name

Donato, Brown, Pool & Moehlmann

Legal name

Donato, Brown, Pool & Moehlmann, PLLC

Website

https://donatobrown.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Houston-based boutique litigation firm founded in 1995, with 20+ attorneys specializing in insurance defense, coverage counseling, and subrogation prosecution for global insurers and major energy and petrochemical corporations. The firm is trial-ready, holds Tier 1 Houston ranking for Personal Injury Defense, and has secured $455M+ in verdicts and settlements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Defense Litigation Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

Keywords

• Insurance defense litigation
• Insurance coverage counsel
• Subrogation prosecution
• Commercial civil litigation
• Maritime and oil gas law

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Hourly Billing: Traditional hourly billing for legal services including insurance defense, coverage counseling, and general civil litigation matters
2. Legal Services - Contingency/Victory-Based: In subrogation matters, the firm prosecutes claims on behalf of insurers, typically on a contingency or fee-arrangement basis tied to recovery outcomes

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Donato, Brown, Pool and Moehlmann is a Houston-based boutique litigation firm that provides sophisticated civil litigation and trial representation to insurance carriers and corporate clients. The firm's core offering encompasses insurance defense, insurance coverage counsel, subrogation prosecution, and a broad range of civil litigation practice areas including maritime, products liability, premises liability, trucking and transportation, construction, and professional liability. The firm combines advanced document management and trial presentation technology with traditional courtroom advocacy to manage large-loss, document-intensive cases.

Product overview

Donato, Brown, Pool & Moehlmann is a Houston-based boutique litigation law firm founded in 1995. The firm offers a comprehensive suite of legal services organized around core practice areas: Insurance Defense & Coverage (including Bad Faith Defense, Insurance Coverage, Insurance Defense, Insurance Claims Resolution, and Subrogation), Litigation Services (including Maritime, Personal Injury/Wrongful Death, Trucking/Transportation, Professional Liability, Premises Liability, Construction Litigation, Products Liability, Fire/Explosion, and General Civil Litigation), Commercial Transactions & Litigation, and Adjuster Continuing Education. The firm leverages cutting-edge technology including advanced document management and trial presentation systems to handle large-loss, document-intensive cases, combining technology with traditional courtroom advocacy. The firm maintains Tier 1 ranking in Houston for Personal Injury Litigation (Defendants) and Tier 2 placement in Admiralty & Maritime Law.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Insurance Defense Insurer-retained defense counsel across Texas handling significant defense cases in all aspects of tort law, including wrongful death, serious injury, and property damage claims involving construction defect, malpractice, premises liability, professional lines, and trucking and transportation.
• Insurance Coverage Counsel Coverage counsel services for domestic and surplus lines insurers covering Commercial General Liability, Auto Liability, Homeowners, Inland Marine, Environmental, Legal Malpractice, Professional Lines, Property, Errors and Omissions, and Manuscript policy forms. Includes policy limit demand review counsel and declaratory judgment actions.
• Bad Faith Defense Defending insurers from bad faith actions across Texas involving first-party property claims (driven by storm litigation) and third-party liability claims regarding denial of duty to defend and/or duty to indemnify.
• Subrogation Prosecution Prosecution of subrogation actions for domestic and international insurers, with expertise in refineries, chemical plants, and power generation facilities. Coordinates investigations, retains experts, and preserves evidence.
• Insurance Claims Resolution Assistance for underwriters, insurers, brokers, and coverholders in resolving difficult insurance claims through cause and origin reviews, financial investigations, property value assessments, and insured misconduct investigations.
• Maritime Litigation Blue water and brown water marine cases involving bodily injury claims for offshore oil and gas operators, MODU operators, and maritime entities.
• Commercial Transactions and Litigation Commercial trial attorneys handling complex business disputes in state and federal courts throughout Texas and nationally, including contract disputes, real estate, unfair competition, and creditor's rights matters.
• Fire and Explosion Litigation Fire and explosion litigation for both plaintiff and defense, with expertise in reaching fair settlements through knowledge and understanding of fire and explosion causes of action.
• Products Liability Litigation Technical experience allowing successful defense and prosecution of products liability suits for manufacturers and suppliers, including transportation, premises liability, and other tort cases.
• Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Defense Technical experience in successfully defending and prosecuting personal injury and wrongful death suits, defending numerous manufacturers and suppliers.
• Trucking and Transportation Litigation Legal representation for trucking clients with 24/7 attorney availability, scene attendance for major accidents, and expert necessity evaluations.
• Professional Liability Litigation Defense of providers of professional services involved in litigation, with expertise in understanding legal issues and professional nature of work for effective defense.
• Premises Liability Litigation Handling premise cases ranging from routine slip and falls to serious injuries and deaths at manufacturing facilities, with success in defending defendants at trial under Texas law favorable to landowners and occupiers.
• Construction Litigation Representation of construction companies in litigation involving construction defects, construction accidents, and construction contract disputes, including lien filings against construction projects.
• General Civil Litigation Handling civil matters of a general nature, successfully defending and prosecuting personal and commercial cases with qualified expert assistance.
• Adjuster Continuing Education Texas Department of Insurance-registered provider of continuing education seminars for adjusters covering Texas Tort Reform, Bad Faith Law, Transportation Claims, and Subrogation Issues.

Quantifiable outcome

• $387,421,694.65 subrogation net verdict - largest verdict in Cook County, second-largest non-class action verdict in Illinois
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 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

One partnership is on record.

• Primerus International Society of Law FirmsminorOthersDBPM is a proud member of the Primerus International Society of Law Firms, an international network of boutique law firms. This membership provides visibility among peer firms and potential clients seeking quality legal services.

Scale indicators4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hurwitz & Fine PC: Buffalo-based insurance defense and coverage boutique with strong carrier relationships. Comparable in serving Lloyd's of London and major U.S. insurers on coverage, subrogation, and bad faith matters.
• Traub Lieberman Straus & Shrewsberry: Mid-sized insurance defense and coverage firm serving domestic and international insurers including Lloyd's syndicates. Highly comparable practice mix of coverage, bad faith, and subrogation matters with strong carrier-panel relationships.
• Mound Cotton Wollan & Greengrass: New York-based insurance defense and coverage boutique with a comparable focus on insurer-retained defense, coverage opinions, and complex civil litigation. Similar partner-led boutique model, similar panel-counsel positioning with major carriers.
• Litchfield Cavo LLP: National insurance defense boutique with a multi-office footprint but a similar focus on insurer panel work, coverage, and complex civil litigation. Comparable in size and orientation toward sophisticated carrier clients.
• Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP: Insurance coverage boutique known for representing insurers in complex coverage disputes and bad faith defense nationally. Closely comparable niche and client base to DBPM's insurance practice.

Broad incumbents

• Goldberg Segalla LLP: National insurance and civil litigation firm with strong carrier-defense practice. Competes for similar insurance panel work but at a meaningfully larger scale with broader geographic reach.
• Duane Morris LLP: Full-service AmLaw firm with a substantial insurance practice including coverage, bad faith, and subrogation. Competes for the same sophisticated insurer clients but offers much broader practice scope.
• White and Williams LLP: Larger multi-office firm with a nationally recognized insurance practice covering coverage, bad faith, and subrogation. Comparable practice areas but broader geographic reach and additional practice lines.
• Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP: Large national firm with one of the largest insurance defense practices in the U.S. Comparable carrier-panel positioning but vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint than DBPM.
• Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin: One of the largest U.S. insurance defense firms with deep carrier-panel relationships and a similar coverage and bad faith practice. Significantly larger scale but directly competes for the same insurance carrier mandates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/donato-brown-pool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Donato, Brown, Pool & Moehlmann