“We have a firm of like-minded people who are committed to our mission and values. It is second nature to who we are. This is a great place to work, but it isn’t great for everyone. If you connect with our mission and live our values, it is the right place with a lot of opportunity.”

– Lee Collins, Shareholder, Litigation Group

Lee Collins was destined to become an attorney. The defining moment occurred when he was a stubborn and self-described rebellious pre-teen quarreling with his mother about everything, and she stated that he should be a lawyer because he liked to argue. He was intrigued from that day forward.

Raised in Austin, Lee graduated from the University of Texas and then South Texas College of Law Houston and practiced at a “big law” firm for several years. He became disillusioned and starting thinking of a new path for his law career. That’s when a friend suggested he talk to Houston law visionary Bill Boyar.

“Bill and I met for almost two hours and no other lawyer at the time talked about a firm’s culture and a commitment to its mission and values,” said Lee. “Although more commonplace today, such a discussion was visionary and new. I left the meeting with a different perspective about the business of law and intrigued about the possibilities.”

Lee was fortunate to have had many options to consider at the time, and it was the wisdom of his grandfather, who advised him to do what his heart was telling him, that led to a decision. It was a moment of clarity that resulted in Lee joining BoyarMiller in 1999.

“We have a firm of like-minded people who are committed to our mission and values. It is second nature to who we are. This is a great place to work, but it isn’t great for everyone. If you connect with our mission and live our values, it is the right place with a lot of opportunity,” said Lee, who became a firm shareholder in 2003.

The best part about his practice is being a problem-solver. “Of course as a litigator I like to win,” said Lee. “But for me, it is really about helping clients solve their problems and conflicts, so they can move forward.”

Lee and his wife Kristy have been married 14 years and have a 12-year-old son Taylor, and daughter Madeleine, who is eight years old. They take annual family vacations that expose the children to new cultures and experiences.

“They are old enough now to appreciate the differences between countries and to see how other people live,” said Lee. “This year we are taking the kids to northern Italy and Switzerland.”

Lee loves spending time outdoors and enjoys hunting, fishing and sitting around a fire pit in the country. His passion for being outdoors extends to urban greenspace in his position on the Board of Directors of Trees for Houston, a 35-year-old nonprofit organization with a focused mission to plant, protect and promote trees throughout the greater Houston area.

Lee said that BoyarMiller is firmly planted for the future while many other law firms today are undergoing significant changes.