Harper Estes joined the firm in March of 1980 upon graduation from Baylor Law School. He serves as lead trial counsel in civil lawsuits primarily related to the oil and gas industry. He has tried cases to jury verdict ranging from the simplest surface damage disputes to significant groundwater contamination and a royalty class action. He also frequently serves as mediator and arbitrator, having conducted thousands of mediations and served and chaired on both domestic and International Arbitration Tribunals. Harper has argued appeals before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, numerous Texas intermediate appellate courts and the Supreme Court of Texas. Regardless of the case or the circumstances, Harper’s goal is to help clients achieve results, and help lawyers and their clients achieve a successful resolution in mediation and arbitration. He served as the President of the State Bar of Texas, has published numerous articles, book reviews and opinion columns in the Texas Bar Journal, and is a frequent speaker at Continuing Legal Education events.

In 2020 Harper was the recipient of the Luke Soules Award for Excellence in Litigation, awarded annually by the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas

Aside from his law school years in Waco, Harper has spent his entire life in West Texas. He and his wife Dee moved to Midland in 1980, raised their children here, and now enjoy watching their grandchildren grow up here. Harper occasionally sings with and writes songs for the Standolin Holler, a bluegrass-gospel group that performs at retirement homes, churches, and “wherever they’ll have us or are hard of hearing”.