Heather G. Hacker

Heather Gebelin Hacker has over 20 years of experience in high-stakes appellate and trial litigation. Heather has handled cases involving environmental, administrative, employment, and criminal law, interstate water disputes, class actions, ERISA, the False Claims Act, the Texas Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act, the Texas Medical Liability Act, and has extensive experience in constitutional law. Before starting Hacker Stephens LLP, Heather served as an Assistant Solicitor General in the Texas Attorney General’s office, representing the State in its most critical appellate litigation and advising senior officials and state agencies on important legal issues.



Her clients have included Texas agencies and officials (the Governor of Texas, the Attorney General of Texas, the University of Texas System, the University of Texas at Austin, the Texas Legislature, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (Texas’s largest state agency), the Texas Medical Board, the former Chief Justice of Texas’s Thirteenth Court of Appeals, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice), and Louisiana agencies and officials (the Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana Attorney General). Heather has also represented Dallas County, Smith County, Lubbock County, and the City of Lubbock, in addition to private universities, non-profit organizations, businesses, and individuals. Heather has also represented classes of Navy SEALs and servicemembers, ERISA plan participants, and gas royalty owners.



Heather has argued numerous times before state and federal appellate courts, including over a dozen times at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit alone. She has also argued before the en banc Fifth Circuit, at the Texas Supreme Court, and several times at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Heather has authored appellate briefs in the Second, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and D.C. Circuits.



Heather also has significant experience in the U.S. Supreme Court, where she has authored briefs at both the certiorari and merits stage, in an original action, as well as numerous amicus curiae briefs on behalf of multi-state coalitions, respected professionals, and non-profit organizations. She received a National Association of Attorneys General Best Brief Award for excellence in brief writing before the U.S. Supreme Court during the 2016 Term. Since starting the firm in October 2020, Heather has been counsel of record in two cases before the United States Supreme Court, resulting in two victories.



In addition to her appellate work, Heather regularly litigates cases at the trial level and has handled multiple trials involving significant constitutional, civil rights, and statutory issues, including a victorious ERISA class action tried in 2024. She consults on legislation, has testified as an expert in the U.S. Senate, and has experience negotiating high-level executive separation agreements. Heather also has unique experience litigating expedited or emergency matters involving significant issues, including at the U.S. Supreme Court. Because of her broad experience handling cases from pre-litigation through appeal, Heather understands the importance of ensuring that errors and arguments are preserved and creating a favorable record so that her clients ultimately prevail, even in the most difficult cases.

State Bar of Texas

State Bar of California

State Bar of Arizona (inactive)

U.S. Supreme Court

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

United States District Court for the Northern and Western Districts of Texas

United States District Court for the Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern Districts of California

United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida

United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois

United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin

United States District Court for the District of Arizona (inactive)

University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D., 2005 (Senior Editor, University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, Exemplary Public Service Award, Blackstone Fellow)

University of California, Los Angeles, B.A. cum laude, 2002 (Regents Scholar)