Philip Werner was born in Texas, raised in Costa Rica, and after serving are a sargeant in the United States Army in The Republic of Vietnam, returned to Texas where he received his undergraduate degree cum laude from North Texas State University in 1972. He obtained his J.D. in 1976 from the University of Texas and began his practice that same year with Mills, Shirley, Eckel & Bassett, L.L.P. in Galveston, Texas, the state'’s oldest existing law firm. His practice was concentrated in litigation, but also included various banking, oil and gas and transactional matters. After leaving Mills, Shirley in 1992, he joined Patricia Kerrigan to form what became Werner, Kerrigan & Ayers, L.L.P. (now Werner Ayers, L.L.P.), a litigation firm.  He is Board Certified in both Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Litigation by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He has first chair trial experience in State and Federal Courts trying a wide variety of cases involving commercial law, toxic tort, breach of contract, products liability, insurance claims on behalf of insureds, oil and gas, real estate property disputes, wrongful termination. He has tried over 100 jury cases to conclusion, on both sides of the docket.