Our 2013 Litigation Departments of the Year award has two distinct categories: one for the top department in general litigation and one for the top specialty-litigation practice groups. The award was open to any law firm in Texas or litigation groups led by Texas attorneys. Here are this year’s winners.

A San Antonio lawyer has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 42 health care fraud related counts, alleging that he marketed $16.8 million in “reinsurance” policies to third parties but used some of that money for personal expenses.

In only three years, Houston’s Burleson has more than tripled its size from 30 to 130 lawyers. The growth reflects the firm’s relationships with oil and gas clients, whose legal needs have skyrocketed with that industry’s growth in recent years due to hydraulic fracturing technology.

On Aug. 13, 419th District Judge Orlinda Naranjo of Austin dismissed a suit between the Texas Ethics Commission and Sharon Keller, presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The dismissal comes after the criminal-court judge paid $25,000 to the TEC under a settlement agreement.

A mobile phone or tablet app that can speed, simplify, or clarify key aspects of life on the road can be a real lifesaver, saving time, money, and sanity. While there are now thousands of road warrior apps, only a handful are actually worth downloading. Here’s our Top 15.