Mr. Bell graduated with honors from the University of Houston in 1978, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting. While attending the University of Houston, Mr. Bell was an academic scholarship recipient; a regular on the Dean’s List; and a member of the following honor societies: Beta Gamma Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, and Phi Theta Kappa. Following graduation, he successfully completed the Certified Public Accountants Examination and accepted a position with a "Big-6" accounting firm, where he became a senior auditor.

Mr. Bell subsequently left public accounting to attend the University of Texas School of Law and earned his Juris Doctor in 1983. In late 1988, he established a gen­eral civil practice in Austin, which has been primarily engaged in general business and corporate representation, civil litigation, administrative law, insurance defense, banking, bankruptcy, receiverships, and director and officer liability matters. Mr. Bell  has practiced before many State agencies that are headquartered in Austin. He has handled claims exceeding $20 million. Mr. Bell is rated as "AV-Preeminent" by Martindale Hubble. Prior to starting the law firm, Mr. Bell worked for the Texas Railroad Commission and the Texas Banking Department. At the Texas Department of Banking, he was directly involved in enforcement actions, bank chartering and administrative hearings, and appeals to district and ap­pel­late courts. In 1993, Mr. Bell was nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate to serve on the Finance Commission of Texas.

Mr. Bell has written articles on various legal issues and has spoken at seminars sponsored by the University of Texas School of Law, the Texas Asso­ciation of Bank Counsel, the American Institute of Banking, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the South Texas College of Law. He is a member of the bar of the State of Texas and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, and in the Federal Courts in the Western, Eastern and Southern Districts of Texas. Mr. Bell is a member of various professional organizations, including the Commercial and Consumer Law Section, and the Litigation Section of the State Bar, the Austin Black Lawyers Association, and others.

Email Address: HBell@BSHAustinLaw.com