The onetime Houston office leader of an Alabama-based midsize firm has made a move to Husch Blackwell, citing its growth in his home state.

Former Lightfoot, Franklin & White partner Jerry Rios joined Husch as a partner in Houston, where he plans to build a products liability and transportation defense practice.

"Husch Blackwell has demonstrated a real commitment to growing the practice in products liability and transportation and general negligence matters, and provides the resources to handle those areas," Rios said.

Rios spent about three years in the Houston office of Alabama litigation firm Lightfoot Franklin. Before that, he had his own firm in Houston for 28 years.

He declined to identify clients but said he has tried lawsuits throughout Texas.

Rios said he is working closely with two associates who were already at Husch Blackwell's Houston office when he joined it late last month, but he expects to add two additional lawyers within the next six months.

Joe Orlet, the leader of Husch Blackwell's technology, manufacturing and transportation industry team, said in a press release that expanding the products liability practice in Texas is a "strategic imperative" for the firm and that Rios adds depth to that team.  Across offices, Orlet wrote, the firm has nearly 60 lawyers focused on products liability matters.

Husch Blackwell has offices in Austin, Dallas and Houston.

In a statement, Lightfoot Franklin managing partner Melody Eagan wrote that the firm wishes Rios "much success." She noted that the firm will continue to strategically grow its five-lawyer Houston location, which opened in January 2017.

Rios said he managed his prior firm's Houston office until September 2018, when he gave up management responsibilities to devote more time to his practice.

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