Tony Buzbee

Tony Buzbee grew up in Atlanta, Texas. His father was a butcher and his mother worked in a school cafeteria. An ROTC scholarship enabled him to attend Texas A&M University.⁠[1][2]

He graduated from Texas A&M University with a psychology degree, having served as a battalion commander in the Corps of Cadets.⁠[1]

He served as an infantry officer in the Persian Gulf and Somalia, later becoming a reconnaissance officer. He reached captain and received the Navy Commendation Medal.⁠[1][3]

At the University of Houston Law Center, he served as managing editor of the Houston Law Review and became a state and regional mock-trial champion in 1996.⁠[4]

He earned his law degree from the University of Houston in May, graduating summa cum laude and second in his class. The State Bar of Texas records his name as Anthony Glenn Buzbee and his Texas admission date as November 7.⁠[5][2]

He served as a briefing attorney for a federal judge in the Southern District of Texas in 1997–1998, then practised at Susman Godfrey in 1998–1999.⁠[3][2]

He founded The Buzbee Law Firm after leaving Susman Godfrey. The University of Houston’s 2016 alumni magazine dates the founding to 2000, while a 2012 Texas A&M report gives 1999; the institutional accounts differ by one year.⁠[4][1]

He ran for the Texas House as a Democrat in 2002 and later chaired the Galveston County Democratic Party. His managed profile dates that chairmanship from August 2003 to April 2005.⁠[6][3]

He represented ten workers over a 2007 chemical release at BP’s Texas refinery. A jury awarded $100 million in punitive damages in December 2009. In March 2010, the judge set that award aside for insufficient proof of gross negligence, leaving approximately $326,000 in compensatory damages. Buzbee criticised the ruling; BP said it would appeal the remaining award.⁠[7]

He and then-wife Zoe pledged $3 million to the Texas A&M Foundation for cadet learning facilities.⁠[1]

Rick Perry appointed him to the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents in 2013. His profile records service through 2019.⁠[6][3]

He led Rick Perry’s defence in an abuse-of-power prosecution. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ordered the remaining charge dismissed in February 2016, and the trial court formally dismissed the case on April 6.⁠[6][8]

Texas Lawyer named him its 2015 Attorney of the Year.⁠[9]

He was charged with driving while intoxicated in 2016. The case was dismissed that December; he later publicly denied being drunk when arrested.⁠[10]

The University of Houston Law Center gave him its Dean’s Award, recognising his pro bono lead-counsel role in the school’s 2016 trademark dispute. He also taught as an adjunct, hired graduates and supported the institution.⁠[9]

He reached the runoff in Houston’s mayoral election but lost to incumbent Sylvester Turner.⁠[11]

Representing women who accused Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct, he announced confidential settlements in twenty of the twenty-four civil cases then filed.⁠[12]

He announced a confidential settlement for the family of Astroworld victim Axel Acosta. The earlier $750 million demand was a claimed amount, not the disclosed value of the settlement.⁠[13]

He served as a principal defence lawyer in Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial. The Texas Senate acquitted Paxton on all sixteen articles tried, allowing him to return to office.⁠[14]

He lost the Houston City Council District G runoff to incumbent Mary Nan Huffman, despite support from former clients Paxton and Perry.⁠[15]

He was Rebecca Grossman’s lead trial lawyer. On February 23, a jury convicted her of two second-degree murders and three other offences. The conviction was affirmed on appeal on March 17, 2026.⁠[16][17]

He represented plaintiffs bringing sexual-assault civil claims against Sean Combs and added Jay-Z to one case. Both defendants denied the allegations.⁠[18]

The plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the complaint against Jay-Z and Combs with prejudice. The dismissal was not a trial finding about the truth of the allegations.⁠[19]

The Southern District of New York refused his general admission application in February after finding that he had practised there without admission, while allowing applications in individual cases. He withdrew from several cases in March. Buzbee said he learned of the grievance only on the day of refusal. This concerned admission to that federal court, not cancellation of his Texas licence.⁠[20]

He hosts Swimming with the Sharks, discussing law, politics and business and interviewing operators and lawyers. The programme also appears on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry at https://www.youtube.com/@buzbeepod (opens in a new window).⁠[21][22]

Associated Press reported that the final two related civil cases had been dismissed. Buzbee confirmed his client’s settlement. Watson continued denying wrongdoing, and two grand juries had declined to indict him.⁠[23]

A Houston judge dismissed Buzbee’s side’s suits over alleged client recruitment involving Jay-Z, Roc Nation and others. Buzbee said he would appeal or refile differently.⁠[24]

A California appellate court affirmed an anti-SLAPP dismissal of Jay-Z’s suit against Buzbee and his firm, addressing litigation privilege for pre-suit communications and evidence required for defamation claims. This ruling did not establish that the original sexual-assault allegation was true or end separate New York proceedings.⁠[25]

On September 24, the former Jane Doe plaintiff stated that she had never met Jay-Z and had received or been promised no payment. Jay-Z dismissed his claims against her without prejudice. Buzbee disputed the statement, asking that it be excluded or considered alongside her earlier accounts. The New York case against him and fellow lawyer David Fortney continued.⁠[26]

Bibliographic records date G&D Media’s publication of his 180-page How to Swim with Sharks: Success Tips They Don’t Teach You in School to October 6, 2026, with ISBN 9781722599287.⁠[27]

In a Houston interview with School of Hard Knocks, he discussed cash flow, reinvesting in future cases, buying property and avoiding debt. The programme’s billionaire description and his stated annual earnings do not independently establish his personal net worth.⁠[28]

Beyond law, he has interests in real estate, commercial buildings and hotels and has served on Hometown Bank’s board. His personal X account is https://x.com/TonyBuzbee2 (opens in a new window). The firm separately maintains https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBuzbeeLawFirmHouston (opens in a new window).⁠[2][29]