The Firm the OppositionDoesn't Want to Face.

In the gritty expanse of a Houston motocross track in the 1970s, known as Rio Bravo, a fellow rider caught Mr. Cogdell's attention — it was Richard “Racehorse” Haynes, a legal juggernaut who once tried 163 DWI cases consecutively, resulting in a mere two convictions. About a year later, Haynes took on the John Hill case, the basis for the book Blood and Money.

It inspired Mr. Cogdell so much that he attended law school with the sole intention of working alongside Haynes. Despite a less-than-stellar undergraduate record, determination led to academic excellence at South Texas College of Law — and, ultimately, an interview with Haynes himself.

The interview was unorthodox. Rather than deliver the expected mock closing argument, Cogdell recounted Haynes' distinctive style on the motocross track, jolting his memory and earning an invitation for drinks. His rationale was simple: if they were to collaborate on grueling trials, they might as well gauge their camaraderie first.

More than a mentor, Haynes became a father figure — imparting lessons that transcended legal strategy and reached into the core of human connection with juries, bailiffs, and clerks alike. When everything is on the line and liberty is at risk, hire the best.