Award-Winning Attorney
Paul Cannon earned his law degree and passed the bar in 1995. He began his practice in personal injury trial law with Simmons and Fletcher, P.C. as a law clerk in 1994 in what was supposed to be a “law clerk position with no opportunity for advancement.”
His dedication and hard work earned him earned him an associate's position shortly after obtaining his law license in 1995. Paul went on to become a partner in the firm and is now the Managing Partner at Simmons and Fletcher, P.C.
In 2005, Paul became Board Certification in Personal Injury Trial Law. Since then, he has accumulated a wealth of Awards and recognitions for his dedication to helping injury victims. His awards include recognition as a “Super Lawyer” by Thompson Reuters in from 2017-2024; recognition as a “Top 100 Trial Lawyer” by the National Trial Lawyers Association, 2017-2024; recognition as a “Top Lawyer” by H Texas Magazine in 2019; a Lead Counsel Rating from Thompson-Reuters 2018-2024, and’ he received the ‘Outstanding Mentor Award’ from the Houston Young Lawyers Association in 2020. Additionally, The top two lawyer rating websites rate him a 10/10 by AVVO and a 5/5 AV Rating by Martindale Hubble.
Paul Cannon is Creative, Energetic, and Compassionate.
“I think that a lot of what drives me to do this kind of work is compassion,” Paul says. “I’ve always been good at listening to people, listening to their complaints, and developing a plan to address their problems. I have a knack for listening to people and not just acknowledging what they have to say but really hearing them and understanding the problems that lie beneath the surface.”
Paul believes that his involvement with church mission groups has helped him develop a compassionate spirit. As a mission’s leader for his Sunday school class at Second Baptist Church, he volunteered with the Angels of Light project, providing meals and Bibles to less fortunate families. He organized a project that prepared and delivered over 300 sack lunches to the homeless in downtown Houston, coordinated a project to take the children of the Star of Hope Single Mom’s Shelter to a hockey game, and organized a team to strip and repaint an elderly wheelchair-bound Houstonian’s home. At Metropolitan Baptist Church, he coordinated a project that involved having the entire Metropolitan Baptist Church’s nursery create Mother’s Day Cards (about 300) that he and his family then delivered and distributed to Houston nursing home residents. He also led groups to do volunteer work including land clearing, maintenance, building restoration, and fund-raising for the Home of Hope, Texas, a mission that assists the victims of human trafficking.
Paul believes that there is a mission aspect to his work as an attorney, as well.
“There are people who need help, and part of what we do here is to help those people. People who have been injured don’t know where to turn, where to go. My job is to step in and help them put their lives back together.”
Unlike some lawyers who are primarily concerned about the financial aspect of the case, Cannon takes the time to talk with clients and develop a relationship so that he can understand all the ways a case has impacted their lives.
“This enables me to turn around and present their case to the jury in a way that they can fully understand,” he explains. “It’s not all about money. Part of my client’s life has been stripped away. It’s about putting their life back together.”
Board-certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas State Board of Legal Specialization, Paul genuinely enjoys the process of litigating cases before a jury.
Inspired to do Personal Injury Trial Law
“The only thing I ever wanted to do was trial law. I turned down an opportunity to do appellate work because I wanted to do trial work. Contract law has no heart or soul. This is riskier, but the reward is a lot higher, too. When you win a case for someone whose life has been turned upside down–it’s a good feeling. It is what inspires me to strive to be the best personal injury lawyer I can be.”
Paul Cannon received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Texas and attended South Texas College of Law, where he received his degree in 1995. While in school, he was an active member of the Phi Delta Phi Honorary Legal Fraternity, the Student Bar Association Student Concerns Committee, and the Houston Young Lawyer’s Association Environmental Committee.
Paul and his wife were married in 2001 and are the proud parents of two children. They currently attend Fairfield Baptist Church in Cypress, Texas.
Certifications:
Personal Injury Trial Law, State Bar of Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 2005
Mediation Certified in Compliance with Tex.Civ.Prac.&Rem.Code 1504.052, Spring 1994
Areas of Practice:
Truck Accidents
Car Wrecks
Slip and Falls
Work Injury
Defective Products
Offshore Accidents
Dog Bites
Dram Shop Liability
Wrongful Death
Forklift Accidents
Personal Injury
Accidental Drowning
Inadequate Fall Protection
Honors and Awards:
‘Outstanding Mentor Award’ Houston Young Lawyer’s Association, 2019.H Texas Top Lawyerlead counsel rated attorney Paul cannon
Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyers Association (Practice Area - Truck Accident), 2020 - 2021
Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers Association (Practice Area - Car Accident), 2018 - 2021
'Super Lawyer' Thomson Reuters, 2017-2020
‘Lead Counsel Rated’ Thomson Reuters, 2018-2020
‘Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers’ National Trial Lawyers Association, 2018-2020
‘Top 100 Trial Lawyer’ National Trial Lawyers Association, 2017-2020
‘Top Lawyer’ Houstonia Magazine, 2013-2015, 2020
‘Top Lawyer’ H Texas Magazine, 2013, 2019
Preeminent 5.0/5.0 AV Peer Review Rating – Martindale-Hubbell, 2017-2020
’10 Best Attorney’ American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, 2018
10/10 Avvo.com Rating
National Registry of Who’s Who – American Biographical Publications, Inc., 2001- present
Phi Delta Phi Honorary Legal Fraternity, 1995
South Texas College of Law Deans List, 1994
Bar Admissions:
Texas, 1995
U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 1996
Education:
South Texas College of Law, Houston, Texas, 1995
Juris Doctorate
Honors: Student Bar Association Student Concerns Committee (1993-1994)
Honors: Houston Young Lawyer’s Association Environmental Committee (1993)
The University of Texas, Austin, Texas
Bachelor of Arts
Major: Philosophy