Today we’d like to introduce you to Rex Mann.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Rex. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
On one side my family were Scottish and English Colonists, who settled in the South, prior to the American Revolution and my family has been in Texas since the mid 1800’s. On the other my family hails from the Cayman Islands by way of England. I am a Houston native, and have lived here my entire life. I grew up in the Montrose area of town as well as Old Braeswood near the Medical Center. I attended the University of Houston where I graduated Cum Laude from the Bauer School of Business. While attending the University of Houston, I was initiated as a member of the Epsilon Omicron chapter of the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, where I served as the Historian, Treasurer, and President. I also served in Student Government on the Student Fee Advisory Committee for multiple terms. At South Texas College of Law, I graduated Cum Laude, with a CALI award in my Property II Course for the highest grade earned. I was a Langdell scholar for Professors Jeff Rensberger, and Professor Olga Moya in courses related to Property Law where I taught review sessions for the same.
I learned the value of hard work and the results of it from my father who came from the woods of East Texas, from a financially poor but spirit rich family, and saw that through hard work, an individual can build a life of success for themselves. However, it was not until law school that I garnered a deeper appreciation of the value of dedicated work and study. I was passionate about my time as a law student and found that I excelled in that environment.
When I graduated from South Texas College of Law, I worked for a time with my father at his Oil and Gas staffing agency. It was at that time that my law partner Bryan William Phillips, III and I began to work together. Bryan was waiting for his Texas BAR results as well and needed some work in the interim. My father agreed to bring him on to do some administrative work. When I started working with Bryan, I saw that he did every task in life with great care and diligence. I had been mulling over the idea of starting my own law Firm for some time, and seeing how well we got along, and how hard he worked the idea struck me to ask him to partner up. One day I sat down with Bryan and told him point blank that I thought we should hang a shingle and start our own Firm. Though the thought had not occurred to him previously he was enthused. On a handshake our Firm Mann Phillips, PLLC was formed.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No. It has not. Anything but. Law school taught us a great deal about the theory of law, but very little about the practice. Though we were confident about our work ethic and intelligence, we had no idea just how difficult it would be. It is not just the practice we had to learn but the logistics of building a Firm. The administrative work, accounting, and marketing take just as much time and sometimes more than the practice of law. Bryans attention to detail and meticulous nature have been crucial in making sure the foundation of our Firm is a solid one. Neither Bryan nor I took a paycheck in the first year of our business as we grew. Our office, though properly located, beautiful, and well-furnished is a far cry to the humble personal life we have endured.
I am happy to report however that our Firm has been steadily picking up business, and Bryan and I have grown tremendously the last year. We were fortunate to have an excellent, land and oil and gas attorney come on board early on as Of Counsel. Rex Bennett had been a tremendous asset to the Firm.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Mann Phillips, PLLC – what should we know?
The Firm is focused on business law, real estate, estate planning, and bankruptcy. The Firm handle both transactional and litigation matters. My partner handles the transactional and bankruptcy side, and we share the real estate duties. I handle the litigation arm of the Firm. We have been very excited most recently about opening a Fee Attorney’s Office with THE Title Co. Our Firm now offers assistance related to Title Insurance and closings for Commercial and Residential Real estate!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Rex Bennett, our Of Counsel has been a tremendous help as we build our Firm. With over thirty years as a practicing attorney in Texas, Rex brought invaluable knowledge as to the fundamentals of practice in Texas. We were fortunate that when we were stuck with a thorny legal issue or needed guidance on strategy that we could look to him for guidance.
Rex allowed me to live with him for the last year as I prepared to move into my home. He has been a friend and mentor of the highest order, and our Firm is hugely indebted to him for his kindness and his being a mentor to myself and Bryan.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
If I had to pick just one, it would be the willingness to work harder than everyone else. When I was in law school I partnered up with Adrian Ruiz, who is now a successful personal injury attorney in San Antonio. He was the only person I met in my life that was willing to work as hard as my father. Adrian, who is from a small border town named Eagle Pass, and I were a dynamic team throughout the law school experience. We would study diligently the entire semester and study twelve hours at a time when finals came around. I particularly enjoyed a phrase he often said. “No me rajo.” The meaning is that “I do not back down.” I made that phrase part of my life. You must be willing to work harder than anyone else is willing to, and you have to make that a daily charge. I like to think that he and I were examples of Anglo-Mexican excellence and cooperation that is such a dear part of our combined Texan heritage.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1717 St. James Place. Ste. 205
Houston, Texas 77056 - Website: https://mannphillipspllc.com/
- Phone: 713-401-1106
- Email: Rex@MannPhillipspllc.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mannphillipspllc/
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