About Richard Pena, P.C.

About Richard Pena

Richard Pena is the founder and CEO of the firm. He was elected by his peers to serve as the President of the State Bar of Texas from 1998-1999. He currently serves as President of the American Bar Foundation as well as on the Board of Governors for the ABA. He is also past president of the Travis County Bar Association, former Chair of the Texas Bar Foundation, and former Chair of the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation Page 1 2 3. He was a director to the State Bar of Texas and a State Delegate to the American Bar Association (ABA). He has received three Presidential Citations from the State Bar of Texas for his meritorious service to the profession and has been selected a member of the prestigious American Inns of Court. Richard received the Distinguished Lawyer Award presented by the Austin Bar Association in 2007. You can view the award here. Richard was also profiled on the State Bar of Texas Web Site.

Richard graduated with Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Jurisprudence degrees from the University of Texas, where the law school faculty awarded him an honorary membership in the Order of the Coif. Listed in Who's Who in American Law, he is licensed to practice law in Texas, Illinois, and Colorado. Richard has lectured frequently on Workers Compensation and is a Vietnam veteran.

Richard Pena is rated "AV" by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, indicating a "very high to preeminent" reputation for legal ability and a "very high" general recommendation.

Richard is a national leader in the legal field, and is active in the American Bar Association (ABA), where he led the Texas Delegation to the ABA. He is also active in The American Bar Foundation, where he is currently President. He has recently served as Chair of the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, which is the preeminent attorney group in the country with membership limited to one third of one percent (1/3 of 1%) of the lawyers in America. A partial list of recognitions he has received can be viewed here, as well as an expanded resume.

Richard is on the Advisory Board of People to People Ambassador Program and has led Delegations of Texas and U.S. Lawyers to South Africa, China, Tibet, Cuba, Vietnam, Cambodia, Egypt, India and Israel. See Texas Bar blog on India trip. He was also Chair of a U.S.-Russian Joint Conference on the Rule of Law in St. Petersburg, Russia. See photos from various delegations. In 2006 he received the Eisenhower Achievement Award from the program. You can view the award here. Richard's trip to Egypt was also featured in an article in the Austin American-Statesman as well as in an article in the Austin Business Journal.

Most of Richard’s professional practice has involved bringing opposing sides together and working for successful resolutions to conflicts, be it working with other attorneys as President of the State Bar of Texas, meeting with leading lawyers throughout the world as leader of numerous People to People Ambassador Program legal delegations, or in handling and successfully resolving thousands of cases through the years. He is also the founder of Center Court Mediation Group.