© 2013 The Texas Lawbook.
By Brooks Igo
Dallas firm Taber Estes Thorne & Carr has changed its name to Estes Okon Thorne & Carr after promoting Melanie Okon to name partner.
Former name partner Jane Taber is stepping back from managing the firm to focus on new opportunities for the firm in the healthcare industry, particularly in connection with the Affordable Care Act and its regulatory deadlines.
Okon, who worked with Taber, Dawn Estes, Lori Carr, and Jessica Thorne early in her career at Gardere, said she joined the women-owned firm in 2009 because she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with her former colleagues. She was previously a partner at Gruber Hurst and senior litigation counsel at Energy Future Holdings Corp.
“I really enjoy the culture we have created at our firm,” she said. “We respect family and personal time and we know well-balanced lawyers make better lawyers in the courtroom and boardroom.”
The 1999 Baylor Law School graduate and former briefing attorney for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott recently successfully represented a midstream natural gas company in litigation brought by property owners complaining of noise from a natural gas compressor station and processing plant. The case marked the first known defense verdict in a lawsuit of its kind involving an operating gas compressor station in Texas.
The new name partner passed the praise to her team on the case.
“I was fortunate to have a client with outstanding, credible people to put on the stand to tell their story,” she said. “We all worked very hard for that victory, especially our associate Kevin Muenster. He is a natural in the courtroom.”
Okon is currently set for trial in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit involving a dispute over the construction of three natural gas pipelines in Panola County, Texas.
In 2013, Okon expects clients, more than ever, will be looking for nuanced representation that focuses on business and value. She adds that one of the major achievements of the firm in its first five years has been to keep billable rates at a reasonable level.
“That means we actually get to take cases to trial,” she said while boasting Carr’s undefeated trial record of 4-0 last year.
The new name is only one of the changes the young firm has made impending its five-year anniversary. It has also added nine lawyers in 2011 and 2012 and successfully negotiated the lease of expanded office space.
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