The Heart of Bexar County

NICHOLAS &
BARRERA, P.C.
For nearly sixty years, a firm founded on a
handshake has provided expert legal assistance
for all individuals, without regard to race,
gender, religion, civic, and/or political affiliation.
This long record of professional service has made
Nicholas & Barrera, P.C. one of the most
successful and respected law firms in Texas.
As experienced trial lawyers, Nicholas &
Barrera represents clients in a wide variety of
litigation matters, including criminal trial
defense, civil litigation, state and federal
criminal appeals, personal injury and wrongful
death, and family/divorce law/custody matters,
wills and probate.
It all began in 1951 when Anthony Nicholas
and Roy R. Barrera, Sr., were assistant district
attorneys with the Bexar County District
Attorney’s office under Austin Anderson. After
several years with the D.A.’s office, Roy decided
it was time to open his own office. When he
informed his friend “Nic” of his plans to leave,
Nic suggested he “think of it over for a time
before leaving.” Roy replied that Nic had about
ten minutes to think about joining him because
he had already turned in his resignation! On a
handshake, Roy and Anthony became full
partners under the condition that everything
would be split fifty-fifty, all income and
expenses would be shared equally. This
relationship lasted more than fifty years until
Nic’s death in 2011. Research reveals this was
the oldest unchanged legal partnership in the
state’s history.
By 1968, the partnership was on a firm
footing and Anthony directed the firm while
Roy accepted an appointment from then
Governor John Connally. Roy was named
Secretary of State to fill the unexpired term of
Secretary John Hill, who had vacated the office
to run for governor. To the delight of his wife,
Carmen, Roy and Carmen acted as official hosts
of the world’s Visiting Dignitaries to Hemisfair
68, most notably, Prince Rainier, III and Princess
Grace (Kelly) of Monaco.
From its beginnings, Nicholas & Barrera has
been involved in a number of high-profile cases
that have attracted national attention, some of
which have gone all the way to the U.S.
Supreme Court.
Shortly after their departure from the
D.A.’s office, a case Roy had handled as an
assistant D.A. went to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The D.A. asked Roy to defend his position
in the case of Alcorta v. State of Texas and make
the oral argument before the nation’s highest
court. In this case, a man had been convicted of
murdering his wife, but claimed it occurred in a
fit of passion. The court held that the
petitioner was denied due process of law and
the case was remanded.
Roy was part of the defense team that tried a
case in state court where, for the first time, a
corporation, rather than an individual, was
charged with murder. In this 1985 case,
documented in the book Death Without Dignity,
the State of Texas charged Autumn Hills
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