The Best Lawyers in America® has included seven Bickerstaff attorneys across multiple practice areas in its 2027 edition.

Recognition by Best Lawyers® is based entirely on peer review surveys designed to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical region and practice area.

Congratulations to our attorneys who were named in the 2027 guide:

Stefanie P. Albright – Water Law

Philip B. Arnold – Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law

Cobby A. Caputo – Litigation-Municipal

Douglas G. Caroom – Water Law

Bill Dugat – Water Law

Emily W. Rogers – Water Law

Gunnar P. Seaquist – Litigation-Labor and Employment

Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta is pleased to announce that seven of the firm’s attorneys have been included in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.

Recognition by Best Lawyers® is based entirely on peer review surveys designed to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical region and practice area.

Below are the BHDA attorneys listed in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Philip B. Arnold – Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law

Cobby A. Caputo – Litigation-Municipal

Douglas G. Caroom – Water Law

Bill Dugat – Water Law

C. Robert Heath – Administrative/Regulatory Law

Emily W. Rogers – Water Law

Gunnar P. Seaquist – Litigation-Labor and Employment

BHDA partner Philip B. Arnold was a speaker at the 67th Annual County Auditors Institute, an educational program hosted by the V.G. Young Institute of County Government featuring presentations from industry professionals from across the state.

In his presentation, Philip provided a detailed overview of the Texas County Purchasing Act, including statutory requirements, common exemptions, procedural guidelines affecting county procurement practices, and the penalties for noncompliance. As part of his presentation, Philip also shared a paper he authored on the Texas County Purchasing Act with conference attendees.

About Philip Arnold
Philip represents local governments and public entities throughout Texas in litigation and as general counsel, advising on matters such as contracts and procurement, eminent domain, open government compliance, and legal issues unique to counties and municipalities.

BHDA partner Philip B. Arnold was a speaker at the 67^th Annual School for County Commissioners Courts, a program of the V.G. Young Institute of County Government. The multi-day conference, designed for county commissioners and judges, featured educational sessions on a range of issues affecting Texas counties.

Mr. Arnold’s presentation, “Texas Interlocal Cooperation Agreements,” covered the essential requirements of agreements between governmental entities and provided an overview on regulating subdivisions in a city’s ETJ.

In addition to interlocal agreements, this year’s program agenda included topics related to judicial ethics, emergency management, and groundwater supply, to name a few. The full agenda and more can be found on the Texas Association of Counties website.

About Philip Arnold         

Philip Arnold focuses his practice on representing local governments throughout Texas in litigation and general counsel matters. He works with clients on various issues affecting governmental entities, including contracts and agreements, eminent domain, open government compliance, elections, civil rights defense, employment, and redistricting. Mr. Arnold is a frequent speaker at government law seminars and programs statewide.

BHDA is pleased to announce the recognition of seven attorneys in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

• Philip B. Arnold – Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law (2024-2025)
• Cobby A. Caputo – Litigation-Municipal (2024-2025)
• Douglas G. Caroom – Water Law (2007-2025)
• Bill Dugat – Water Law (2024-2025)
• C. Robert Heath – Administrative/Regulatory Law (2022-2025)
• Emily W. Rogers – Water Law (2024-2025)
• Gunnar P. Seaquist – Litigation-Labor and Employment (2024-2025)

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Selection is based entirely on peer review surveys from thousands of attorneys who evaluate the legal abilities of other lawyers within the same geographical area and legal practice area. Lawyers are not required nor allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a significant honor.

BHDA partner Philip B. Arnold will present at the 90th Annual South Texas County Judges & Commissioners Association Conference on Wednesday, June 26. The conference will feature county government professionals and advisors from across the state presenting educational sessions on topics ranging from cybersecurity to legislative updates to investment policies.

Mr. Arnold’s presentation will offer valuable insights on the County Purchasing Act, Alternative Construction Delivery Methods, and the Professional Services Procurement Act. It will also address the practical application of certain statutes when entering into contracts and how to ensure compliance with the laws that regulate county purchases.

The event is scheduled for June 24-27, 2024, in South Padre Island. More information is available in the conference program.

About Philip Arnold
Philip Arnold focuses his practice on representing local governments throughout the state in litigation and general counsel matters. He works with clients on various issues affecting governmental entities, including contracts and procurement, eminent domain litigation, open government compliance, elections, and redistricting. In addition, Mr. Arnold is a frequent speaker at government law conferences and programs throughout Texas.

BHDA partner Philip B. Arnold recently presented at the 66th Annual County Auditors Institute, a four–day conference hosted by the V.G. Young Institute of County Government that featured speakers from across the state and educational sessions on various industry-related topics.

Mr. Arnold’s presentation, “Public Information Act Requests,” covered how to comply with the Public Information Act and also included a discussion of the legal issues and consequences of failing to follow the law and meet required deadlines.

Mr. Arnold frequently speaks on legal issues affecting local governmental entities. He focuses his practice on representing local governments throughout the state in litigation and general counsel matters.

BHDA is pleased to announce the recognition of seven attorneys in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. This edition includes the largest number of attorney selections from the Firm and marks the addition of five first-year honorees.

• Philip B. Arnold – Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law (2024)
• Cobby A. Caputo – Litigation-Municipal (2024)
• Douglas G. Caroom – Water Law (2007-2024)
• Bill Dugat – Water Law (2024)
• C. Robert Heath – Administrative/Regulatory Law (2022-2024)
• Emily W. Rogers – Water Law (2024)
• Gunnar P. Seaquist – Litigation-Labor and Employment (2024)

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Selection is based entirely on peer review surveys from thousands of attorneys who evaluate the legal abilities of other lawyers within the same geographical area and legal practice area. Lawyers are not required nor allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a significant honor.

BHDA attorney Philip B. Arnold was a featured speaker at the TexasBarCLE’s 35^th Annual Advanced Government Law Course on August 3, 2023. In his presentation “Recent Trends in Eminent Domain Case Law,” Mr. Arnold discussed some of the significant eminent domain cases that have occurred within the last year and the resulting opinions issued by the Texas Supreme Court and the First District Court of Appeals.

Mr. Arnold has practiced eminent domain law for more than 15 years. He represents condemning authorities in all aspects of eminent domain proceedings including negotiations, Special Commissioners Hearings, jury trials, and appeals. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and programs across Texas on topics related to eminent domain law and litigation.

BHDA attorney Philip B. Arnold will present during the annual Texas City Attorneys Association (TCAA) Summer Conference on June 14, 2023. His presentation will provide an overview of eminent domain law in Texas and the important steps that a municipality must follow when using the power of eminent domain to acquire private property for a public purpose.

BHDA is a sponsor of this year’s TCAA conference which will take place June 14th-16th in San Antonio.

About Philip Arnold
Philip has practiced eminent domain law for more than 15 years. He represents condemning authorities in all aspects of eminent domain proceedings including negotiations, Special Commissioners Hearings, jury trials, and appeals.