Houston Shareholder & Business Dispute Lawyers

When you are a minority shareholder, partner, or small business owner in the Houston area and the people in control stop treating you fairly, you need a firm that does this work every day. Hopkins Centrich Law represents business owners across Greater Houston in shareholder oppression, partner, and closely held company disputes.

Our office is in The Woodlands, and we serve clients throughout Harris, Montgomery, and the surrounding counties. Kirby Hopkins is a third-generation Houstonian, and our attorneys have practiced business dispute law in Texas for a combined 40+ years. We have negotiated buyouts and settlements for hundreds of minority shareholders, and we won a $32 million verdict in L&S Pro-Line LLC v. Garrett Gagliano, listed among the top 20 Texas business verdicts of 2021.

Call (254) 249-5436 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. We will tell you honestly where your case stands and what your options are.

How We Help Houston Business Owners

Most of our Houston-area clients come to us in the middle of a business divorce: a falling-out between owners, a freeze-out, or a dispute over what the company or the other owner owes them. We focus on the following areas, each covered on its own page.

Business Dissolution

When owners can no longer work together, dissolution or a negotiated exit may be the way out. We advise on judicial dissolution, including the LLC remedies available under § 11.314 of the Texas Business Organizations Code, and on buyouts as an alternative to winding up the company.

Commercial & Business Litigation

We handle business disputes between owners, partners, and companies in Texas courts, from the first demand through trial.

Breach of Contract

Shareholder agreements, operating agreements, buy-sell agreements, and employment contracts are often the heart of an owner dispute. We enforce them and defend against claims that they were breached.

Non-Compete Agreements

Owners who leave, or are pushed out, often face restrictive covenants in their agreements. We help business owners enforce or challenge non-competes under Texas law.

Contract Law

We review, interpret, and dispute the agreements that define owner rights, so you know what you signed and what it means for your position.

Legal Malpractice

Sometimes the problem began with the advice an owner or company received on a deal, a buy-sell agreement, or a corporate dispute. We evaluate whether bad legal work caused business losses.

Houston Business Disputes Under Texas Law

Houston-area business disputes are decided under Texas law, and that law is less forgiving to minority owners than many people expect. Since the Texas Supreme Court's 2014 decision in Ritchie v. Rupe, courts can no longer appoint a receiver solely because majority shareholders acted oppressively. Minority shareholders still have strong claims, including breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, fraud, and statutory remedies under the Texas Business Organizations Code, but pursuing them takes experience.

Owners of Texas LLCs have an additional tool. Under § 11.314 of the Business Organizations Code, a member can petition for judicial dissolution when those in control have acted illegally, oppressively, or fraudulently. Courts can order a fair-value buyout of the minority interest as an alternative to dissolving the company.

Our practice reaches courts throughout the Houston area. We have tried cases in Montgomery County and across Texas, and we handle disputes filed in Harris County and neighboring counties. Where a dispute is filed matters, because venue affects timing, procedure, and strategy, and we weigh it from the start.

For a full discussion of Texas shareholder rights and remedies, see our Texas Shareholder Oppression Lawyer page.

Why Houston Business Owners Choose Hopkins Centrich

• Focused on owner disputes. We are "all in" for minority shareholders and small business owners. Our practice is devoted to business, so we move quickly and know how these disputes work.
• A record of results. We have negotiated buyouts and settlements for hundreds of minority shareholders. When negotiation fails, we try cases, including the $32 million L&S Pro-Line verdict.
• Recognized by peers. Hopkins Centrich PLLC is AV Preeminent® rated by Martindale-Hubbell in 2025 and 2026, the highest designation the organization awards, based on confidential peer review.
• Experienced Texas counsel. Kirby Hopkins is a third-generation Houstonian, a UT Law graduate, a former briefing attorney for the Texas Court of Appeals, and an alumnus of Baker Donelson. Joseph Centrich is a UT Austin Business Honors graduate and a UT Law Review of Litigation alumnus who played a central role in a $7 billion class action defense.

Honest advice. We will tell you the truth about your case, including when we think you should settle and when you should fight.

Our Office

• Hopkins Centrich PLLC
  • Address: 8701 New Trails Dr Ste 200, The Woodlands, TX 77381
  • Phone: (254) 249-5436

Our office is in The Woodlands, a short drive north of Houston, and we serve business owners throughout the Houston area.

Talk to a Houston Shareholder Dispute Lawyer

If you are a minority owner in a Houston-area company and believe your rights are being violated, do not wait. The longer the majority has to consolidate control and move assets, the harder your case becomes.

Call (254) 249-5436 or complete our new client intake form online. We will evaluate your matter and explain your options. There is no cost to have that conversation.