Jonathan Travis Harris

Jonathan “Jon” T. Harris was born and raised in Houston.  He graduated with honors from Pasadena High School and then earned his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Houston.  After college, attended the University of Houston College of Law and earned his license to practice law in Texas in 1998.

Since graduating from law school, Jon has gained a broad-base of hard-fought courtroom experience.  He first worked for a small law firm in the Clear Lake area helping clients in Houston and Galveston with their personal injury claims and family disputes.  From there, Jon moved on to work at the oldest law firm in Texas defending doctors against medical negligence claims.

As Tort Reform in Texas almost completely destroyed the ability to bring even legitimate cases against doctors, there became little need for medical malpractice defense lawyers.  So, Jon was recruited to work in the legal department of the biggest automobile insurance company in the United States.

For more than a decade, Jon worked as a hired gun for the insurance company defending drivers who were accused of causing automobile accidents with their wrongful behavior.  During that time, he tried more than 100 cases to verdict in Harris, Galveston, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Montgomery and Matagorda counties.  Losing only 5 times at trial, Jon perfected the tactics insurance companies use to dissect cases and turn juries against the victims.

It was during his time defending car wreck lawsuits that Jon witnessed first hand how even serious injuries and damages were minimized or completely dismissed by insurance companies, judges and juries.  After practicing law for more than 15 years, at the age of 43, Jon decided to change the direction of his career.  He joined Eberstein & Witherite to use his knowledge and expertise to protect and defend the rights of injured victims instead of helping to serve the interests of a multi-billion dollar insurance company.

Jon is board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  In order to earn such a prestigious honor, he had to meet stringent criteria regarding the number of cases he tried to verdict and the number of hours he spent attending legal education seminars on personal injury topics. Judges and lawyers Jon had opposed in the courtroom submitted written evaluations of his trial skills, and Jon also passed a grueling written examination to demonstrate his competence and experience in personal injury litigation.

Jon is a member of the Elks Lodge in Kemah.  He has been a member of the Texas State Bar Committee for the Unauthorized Practice of Law and has served as a mentor to other lawyers through his membership in the Houston Bar Association.