Inside the Legal Labyrinth: Ashish Mahendru Shares Litigation Insights on Open Forum
By Somdatta Basu
HOUSTON, TX – “If you are married and have irreconcilable differences, you go into a family court, say those words, and the judge stamps it: Divorce approved. But in business? It’s never that easy.”
That was Ashish Mahendru, founding partner of Mahendru, P.C. – The Litigation Group, during his guest appearance on the IACCGH Business Hour on Open Forum radio on March 22. Hosted by Dr. Subodh Bhuchar and Jagat Kamdar, the show offered a lively, insightful dive into Mahendru’s 25+ year legal career and his perspective on litigation, partnership disputes, arbitration, and even the future of law in an AI-dominated world.
Introduced as one of America’s leading litigators and a “Super Lawyer,” Mahendru began the program with a touch of humor: “I’m glad to be alive. I’m eight weeks post open-heart surgery, and the first true test the Chamber has put me to is to be subjected to your crossfire this afternoon!”
Mahendru, who moved to Houston in 2001, explained that his firm specializes in high-stakes business litigation, often in the realm of what he calls “business divorce.”
“When you’re in a marriage and can’t reconcile, you go to court and get out. But for business partners, there’s no easy exit. If you put in your contract that your partner can’t wear blue shirts, and he shows up in one, you have got a problem. That’s where we come in.”
He spoke candidly about the pitfalls of arbitration, which is often promoted as a faster, more affordable alternative to litigation. “That’s a myth,” Mahendru said. “In arbitration, you give up discovery. And if the arbitrator falls asleep, and we’ve had that happen, there’s no appeal. You’re stuck.”
When asked how he creates impact even in cases with slim chances of winning, he explained, “As litigators, we are creators of risk. Even if your case is weak, I’ll find ways to create risk for the other side, so they think twice before underestimating you.”
The show took a deeper turn as Mahendru shared his personal journey: born in India, raised in New York, India, and Saudi Arabia, and eventually settling in Austin in 1986.
The IACCGH Business Hour covered a wide range of legal challenges. Mahendru aimed at poorly written contracts and non-compete clauses, especially in physician partnerships. “Doctors are stellar at what they do, but often very bad at business,” he said bluntly. “They borrow documents from their friends and don’t realize that one bad clause can infect their entire agreement.”
When asked about the cost of hiring a lawyer, Mahendru acknowledged the expense but pointed out the trade-off: “You might pay me $900 an hour and get the case resolved quickly, or hire someone for $300 and be in court for five years. You get what you pay for.”
He also addressed overcrowding in the courts. “There are 52 weeks in a year. A judge who tries one jury trial per week can only do 52 a year. Some judges have 1,500 to 2,000 cases. Do the math.”
One of the most engaging segments of the show was Mahendru’s reflection on how AI is reshaping the legal profession. “There are already AI systems representing people in traffic court. That’s real. The future of law—and what that means for our kids—is something we need to watch very closely.”
The session ended with a call-in from Jagdip Ahluwalia, Founding Secretary and the Executive Director of IACCGH, who thanked Mahendru for his public service and reminded listeners, “Please treat this show as an educational program, not legal advice. If you need legal help, hire a lawyer.”