Richard W. Rodriguez
Benson Varghese likes to say that long before he built a law firm, developed legal technology, and wrote a book — he ran a rubber plantation in India.
And it’s true. He did.
Born in India and raised in Dallas, Varghese was sent back to South Asia after “one too many schoolyard dustups,” where he attended boarding school and managed his family’s business — rubber — by age 15.
At 18, he returned to Texas, earned his GED, graduated from SMU, and received his law degree from Texas Tech University. After serving as a prosecutor in the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, he launched his own defense firm in 2014 with $9,000 borrowed from an uncle.
In less than a decade, Varghese Summersett, the firm he runs with his wife, has become one of America’s fastest-growing private companies — recognized three times by Inc. 5000. From 2021-24, revenue surged 335%, transforming the firm into an eight-figure enterprise with offices in Fort Worth, Dallas, Southlake, and Houston, practicing criminal defense, family law, and personal injury.
This year, Varghese launched Lawft, a law firm growth platform, and published Tapped In: Lessons for Law Firm Growth.
He was also honored with the Richard L. Knight Rotary Minority Business Award for leadership and innovation.