Rand Nolen is a nationally recognized trial lawyer with more than 30 years of experience representing plaintiffs in complex litigation. Board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Rand has taken on some of the largest corporations in the world — including Exxon, Ford, Pfizer, Wyeth, and Sanofi — and has tried cases to verdict in state and federal courts across Texas and throughout the United States.
Over the course of his career, Rand has played key leadership roles in high-stakes mass torts, class actions, and multi-district litigations. He was appointed by federal judges to serve on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Taxotere® Products Liability Litigation and as Co-Lead Counsel in the Addicks and Barker Reservoir Flooding litigation, among others. He has successfully represented thousands of clients in cases involving dangerous pharmaceuticals, defective products, toxic chemical releases, and catastrophic personal injuries. His experience includes mass actions related to the Fen-Phen diet drug, Ford-Firestone rollovers, Asbestos, Rezulin™ diabetes drug, Hydroxycut™, Accutane®, Ortho Evra® Contraceptive Patch, Hormone Replacement Therapy, AndroGel® Testosterone Replacement Therapy, Taxotere® permanent hair loss, Inferior Vena Cava filters, and Roundup®.
Rand’s legal expertise extends beyond the trial court. He has argued appeals before the Texas Supreme Court, multiple U.S. Courts of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He also lectures nationally on trial strategies, pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, and class actions, sharing insights from decades of experience. Rand is known for explaining the process clearly, setting realistic expectations, and pursuing the best outcome for every client.
His accomplishments have earned him consistent recognition from peers and national publications. Rand has been named to Texas Super Lawyers® every year since 2012 and is listed in Best Lawyers in America® for Personal Injury, Mass Tort, and Product Liability Litigation. He is AV® Preeminent™ rated by Martindale-Hubbell, a Senior Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, and an Associate of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has also been honored by Houstonia Magazine, H Texas Magazine, and The National Trial Lawyers “Top 100.”
A Houston native, Rand graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University and earned his law degree from South Texas College of Law. For three decades, he has dedicated his career to representing individuals and families in high-stakes litigation, building a reputation as one of Texas’s most accomplished trial lawyers. Today, as a Partner at Kherkher Garcia, he continues to bring both skill and experience to his work, driven by a lifelong belief that the law is one of the most powerful ways to create change and help people rebuild their lives.
Education
- Doctor of Jurisprudence 1993, South Texas College of Law
- Bachelor of Arts – 1986, Stephen F. Austin State University
Professional Affiliations
- State Bar of Texas
- Houston Bar Association
- Houston Trial Lawyers Association
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
- American Association For Justice
Honors & Distinctions
- Associate – American Board Of Trial Advocates
- Texas Super Lawyers® 2012 – 2025
- The Best Lawyers in America
- Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs 2022 – present
- Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs 2024 - present
- Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs 2024 - present
- Senior Fellow – Litigation Counsel of America
- Trial Law Institute
- Diversity Law Institute
- Barrister, Order of Veritas
- Advocate, Order of Certus.
- AV® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- The American Trial Lawyers Association “TOP 100 TRIAL LAWYERS 2007"
- The National Trial Lawyers “TOP 100 TRIAL LAWYERS” 2011 – present
- H TEXAS MAGAZINE “Houston’s Top Lawyers” – 2006 – 2010, 2012 – 2014
- H TEXAS MAGAZINE “Lawyers For The People” – 2007 – 2009
- HOUSTONIA magazine “Top Lawyer” 2013 – 2015
- AVVO “Superb Rated Attorney” 2015
Board Certification
- Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law — Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Notable Trials
- Batson v. Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories Division of American Home Products Corporation, et al., No. 99CV0306 (Cir. Ct. of Coos County, Oregon) (Trial Team George M. Fleming, Mike O’Brien, Rand Nolen, Local Counsel Dan Clark) – Verdict $15,042,000. Judgment paid.
- Wirt v. Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories Division of American Home Products Corporation, et al., No. 99CV0307 (Cir. Ct. of Coos County, Oregon) (Trial Team George M. Fleming, Mike O’Brien, Rand Nolen, Local Counsel Dan Clark) – Verdict $14,205,000. Judgment paid.
- Mathis, et al. v. Exxon Corporation; Civil Action No. C-99-033; In the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas; Corpus Christi Division, (Trial Team George M. Fleming, Mike O’Brien, Rand Nolen, Local Counsel Tony Martinez) – Verdict $10,098,150.86, affirmed Mathis v. Exxon Corp., 302 F.3d 448 (5th Cir. 2002). Judgment paid.
- Olsen v. Wyeth, et al., No. 003785, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania (Trial Team Rand Nolen, Scott Love, Local Counsel Cynthia A. Clark) – Verdict $500,000 (Confidential settlement after appeal).
- Vega v. Wyeth, et al., No. 003892 Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania (Trial Team Rand Nolen, Scott Love, Local Counsel Cynthia A. Clark) – Verdict $5,000,000 (Confidential settlement after appeal).
- In re: Taxotere (Docetaxel) Products Liability Litigation 16-MD-2740: Earnest v. Sanofi U.S. Services, Inc., 16-CV-17144, In the United States District Court Eastern District of Louisiana, (Trial Team Darin L. Schanker, David Miceli, Rand Nolen) – first Taxotere MDL trial – Defense Verdict, reversed and remanded Earnest v. Sanofi U.S. Servs., 26 F.4th 256 (5th Cir. 2022)(Confidential settlement after remand).
- The Heights Lions Club, Inc. v. Oak Forest Lions Club Youth Stadium, Inc.; Intervenor/Cross Plaintiff Oaks Dads’ Club, Cause No. 2020-02883, In the 55th District Court of Harris County, Texas (Trial Team Rand Nolen) – Verdict – Cy Pres Award of real property located at 1025 Judiway St., Houston, Texas, $4,700,000 Market Value, and Verdict against The Heights Lions Club, Inc. for damages in the amount of $62,200, attorney’s fees and expenses in the amount of $89,420.56.
