Last year was a good time to be an experienced senior associate working at a corporate law firm in Texas.
Eight- and nine-year associates received pay increases that caused their annual base salary to exceed $400,000 for the first time. In addition, corporate associates received multiple bonuses in 2021 – some because of achievement, some for retention and some just because they were there – that pushed their total compensation above a half-million dollars.
But the biggest benefit for the most senior associates came the past few months when 58 corporate law firms announced they had promoted 196 lawyers in their Texas offices to partner in 2022, according to exclusive data collected by The Texas Lawbook.
The 2022 partnership class will grow a little bigger in April when Hunton Andrews Kurth and Munsch Hardt announce their new partners.
Here are a few facts about the 196 lawyers:
- The 2022 partnership class – which combined equity and non-equity partners – is the largest on record.
- The 58 corporate law firms promoted 82 lawyers in Dallas, 77 in Houston, 24 in Austin, seven in San Antonio and six in Fort Worth.
- Eighty-eight of the 193 practice litigation and 93 of them practice corporate transactional law. The rest are split in bankruptcy and regulatory.
- Kirkland & Ellis promoted the most lawyers to partner (29). Jackson Walker voted 14 attorneys into the partnership, Winstead promoted 12. Haynes and Boone and Norton Rose Fulbright also had double-digits for the class of 2022.
Below is the list of 196 lawyers in the 2022 partnership class (Listed Alphabetically by Firm).
Akerman
Alexandra Ledyard, Houston, Litigation Practice Group — Ledyard represents both plaintiffs and defendants across a wide variety of areas, including commercial litigation, employment defense, trade secret misappropriation, and construction and real estate litigation. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University and her law degree from University of San Francisco School of Law.
Monica Summers, San Antonio, Consumer Finance Practice Group — Summers represents a wide array of financial services companies in state and federal litigation including class actions and litigation involving homeowners’ association lien priority. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Angela Webster, Houston, Litigation Practice Group — Webster represents clients in all aspects of litigation, from inception to resolution in the trial court and on appeal. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Millsaps College and her law degree from South Texas College of Law.
Akin Gump
Jon Boben, Houston, Mergers & Acquisitions and Equity Investments Practice Group — Boben represents financial and strategic buyers, sellers, investors and companies in mergers, acquisitions and investments. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M, his Master of Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
John Patrick Clayton, Dallas, Corporate and Capital Markets Practice Group — Clayton advises on complex capital markets transactions, Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure issues and corporate governance matters. He received his Bachelor of Music from the University of North Texas, his Master of Arts from New York University, and his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
Brennan Meier, Dallas, Litigation, Complex Commercial Practice Group — Meier’s practice focuses on class action and complex commercial litigation. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Duke University, his Master’s degree in Education from the University of Nevada, and his law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Laura Warrick, Dallas, Litigation, Complex Commercial Practice Group — Warrick focuses on financial restructuring litigation along with high-stakes complex commercial litigation and pre-litigation counseling. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia and her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
AZA
Rey Flores, Houston, Complex Commercial Litigation Practice Group — Flores covers a broad range of business matters including contract disputes, business torts, employment matters including overtime and trade secret cases, and wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy and his law degree from The University of Texas School of Law.
Jason McManis, Houston, Complex Commercial Litigation Practice Group —McManis has extensive experience handling high stakes patent, trade secret, employment and business disputes across the oil and gas, healthcare, real estate, automotive and aviation industries. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Baker Botts
Eileen Boyce, Houston, Corporate Practice Group — Boyce focuses on public securities offerings, private placements, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Macalester College and her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
Stephanie Cagniart, Austin, Litigation Practice Group — Cagniart’s expertise includes securities litigation, oil and gas matters, contract disputes and general commercial litigation. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Texas, her Master of Arts degree from the University of Virginia, and her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Clint Culpepper, Austin, Corporate Practice Group — Culpepper represents agent banks, underwriters, institutional investors, borrowers, issuers and other investors in connection with secured and unsecured financings, including institutional private placement transactions, acquisition financings, senior and subordinated debt, working capital credit facilities, bridge loans, asset-based financings, secured and unsecured term lending, high-yield debt offerings and other forms of debt financing. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration and his Master of Science degrees from Texas A&M University and his law degree from The University of Texas School of Law.
Harrison Rich, Dallas, Intellectual Property Practice Group — Rich helps companies navigate complex, high-stakes patent infringement disputes. He received his Bachelor of Science and law degree from the University of Louisville.
Charles Strecker, Dallas, Litigation Practice Group — Strecker’s diverse commercial litigation experience includes securities class actions, trade secret claims, professional liability matters and disputes arising from acquisitions and divestitures. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University and his law degree from Washington University School of Law.
Kim Tuthill White, Houston, Litigation Practice Group — White advises clients on federal and state environmental regulatory compliance and represents them in environmental enforcement, litigation, permitting and transactional matters. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the South and her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School.
Megan LaDriere White, Dallas, Intellectual Property Practice Group — White is experienced in all areas of patent law, including complex patent litigation, post-grant trials such as inter partes reviews, as well as patent prosecution and counseling. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame and her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School.
BakerHostetler
Kimberly C. Gordy, Houston, Healthcare Practice Group — Gordy counsels clients across the healthcare space on cybersecurity breach response, regulatory defense, and state and federal privacy compliance. She received her Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M, her Masters of Art from The University of Texas Medical Branch, and her law degree from University of Houston Law Center.
Baker McKenzie
Yoon Chae, Dallas, Intellectual Property & Technology Practice Group — Chae has litigated patent cases covering a wide range of technologies, such as financial products, medical devices, electronic circuits, projection and display technologies, encryption and authentication protocols, engine control, mobile applications and telecommunication systems. He also advises on patent prosecution, trade secrets and other IP and technology issues, with a focus on artificial intelligence. He received his Bachelor of Science from University of Texas at Austin and his law degree from University of Michigan Law School.
Jonathan S. Farrokhnia, Dallas, Transactional Practice Group — Farrokhnia focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, public and private affairs, securities law compliance, corporate governance and other transactional matters. He received his Bachelor of Science Management from Tulane University and his law degree from Duke University.
Eugenie Rogers, Dallas, Litigation & Governmental Enforcement Practice Group — Rogers supports clients across a broad range of industries including EPC construction and engineering services, energy, financial services, healthcare, retail and hospitality. She received her Bachelor of Science from Vanderbilt University and her law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Balch & Bingham
Cyrus Chin, Houston, Corporate Practice — Chin represents clients across multiple industries in all phases of the business life-cycle, from corporate structuring and formation, to daily operations, to negotiating the acquisition and sale of businesses. He also works with private companies, private equity funds and their portfolio companies in connection with strategic investments, joint ventures and mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. Chin received his Bachelor of Arts from Notre Dame and earned a law degree at Northeastern University and Master of Laws in Taxation from Temple University.
Barnes & Thornburg
Alicia Raines Barrs, Dallas, Litigation Practice Group — Barrs is experienced in all phases of traditional litigation and alternative dispute resolution, including injunctions, written discovery, depositions, pretrial motions, mediations and jury trials. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University Kelley School of Business and her law degree from The College of William & Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law.
Reid Johnson, Dallas, Corporate Practice Group — Johnson has significant experience in private equity, venture capital, real estate, oil and gas, healthcare, technology, advertising and marketing, finance, manufacturing and mining. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from University of North Texas and his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.
Danny Valenzuela, Dallas, Intellectual Property Practice Group — Valenzuela represents clients who work with a wide range of technologies, primarily in the telecommunications, automotive, LED, railcar and gaming industries. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from University of Texas at El Paso and his law degree from University of North Dakota School of Law.
Beck Redden
Jacqueline M. Furlow, Houston, Litigation Practice – Furlow’s practice spans commercial litigation, employment litigation, energy litigation and professional liability defense. She chairs the firm’s pro bono committee. Furlow received her bachelor degree from Vanderbilt University and her law degree from the University of Texas.
Bell Nunnally
Perrin B. Fourmy, Dallas, Litigation and Creditors’ Rights Practice Group — Fourmy has represented clients in civil litigation matters across multiple practice areas, including oil and gas, premises liability, personal injury, contracts, vehicle products liability, property disputes, debtor/creditor, and consumer rights in state and federal matters throughout Texas and the U.S. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from North Carolina State University and his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.
Peter J. Kosydar, III, Dallas, Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate and Securities Practice Group — Kosydar has extensive experience representing a wide range of clients in all phases of entity formation, contract drafting and negotiation, and merger and acquisition transactions. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration and his Master of Arts from the University of Oklahoma; he received his law degree from Notre Dame Law School.
Kartik R. Singapura, Dallas, Litigation Practice Group — Singapura regularly represents owners, investors, operators and developers in the commercial real estate industry in nearly any matter that involves protection of their assets and investments. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas Austin and his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
Saba F. Syed, Dallas, Complex Commercial Litigation Practice Group — Syed represents companies and high-net-worth individuals in a variety of areas, including securities, business torts, patent and trademark disputes, partnership disputes and real estate litigation. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from Baylor Law School.
Bracewell
Amber K. Dodds, San Antonio, Labor and Employment Practice Group — Dodds advises employers on labor and employment issues, such as leave administration, employee investigations, OSHA compliance, the use of background checks and consumer reports, employee discipline and preventing harassment and retaliation claims. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity University, her Master of Theological Studies from Boston University and her law degree from The University of Texas School of Law.
Patrick K. Johnson, Houston, Corporate and Securities Practice Group — Johnson serves clients across the energy sector in transactions that include mergers, acquisitions and divestitures of assets and companies, joint venture arrangements and project finance. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Carrington Coleman
Bonnie Barksdale, Dallas, Corporate – Barksdale represents both buyers and sellers in the acquisition of distressed properties and handles default and foreclosures for institutional and individual lenders. Her clients include family investment groups, corporate entities, individuals, and religious and other non-profit groups. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland and her law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Parker Graham, Dallas, Litigation – Graham concentrates his business litigation and employment law practice on non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Sewanee and his law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Ashley McMillan, Dallas, Estate & Probate – McMillan represents individuals and families seeking personalized and quality representation with their estate plans and also assists clients with estate and probate disputes. She earned her bachelors degrees from Wake Forest University and her law degree from Texas Tech.
Andrea Perez, Dallas, Commercial Transactions – Perez concentrates her practice in the fields of art law, business law and intellectual property. Her clients includes public and private companies, private equity firms and family businesses and galleries, museums and artists. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Southern Methodist University and her law degree from South Texas College of Law Houston.
Chamberlain Hrdlicka
David Calvillo, Houston & San Antonio, Litigation and Appellate Practice Group — Calvillo’s experience includes breach of contract, business separation, commercial liability, construction, tax controversy, shareholder rights, professional malpractice, personal injury and wrongful death, employment, debt collection and intellectual property. Calvillo received his Bachelor of Business Administration and law degrees from the University of Texas School of Law and his Master of Laws degree in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.
Kellen Scott, Houston, Litigation Practice Group — Scott maintains a general civil litigation practice in state and federal courts, with particular emphasis on employment law, governmental defense and civil rights. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Evansville and his law degree from South Texas College of Law Houston.
Kathryn “Kelly” Boss Shields, Houston, Commercial Insurance Litigation Practice Group — Shields represents clients in probate and fiduciary litigation, labor and employment litigation, complex commercial litigation and arbitration. She received her Bachelor of Science degrees from Washington and Lee University and her law degree from The University of Texas School of Law.
Clark Hill
Kristina Kunz, San Antonio, Tax & Estates Practice Group — Kunz represents fiduciaries in all phases of probate, estate and trust administration, including estate, and gift and generation-skipping transfer tax reporting and compliance. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law.
Coats Rose
Samuel Johnson, Houston, Public Finance Practice – Johnson works with special-purpose districts, such as municipal utility districts, water control and improvement districts, fresh water supply districts, levee improvement districts, road utility districts, public improvement districts, water supply corporations and tax-increment reinvestment zones. He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas and his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
Dentons
Thomas Hiesberger, Dallas, Intellectual Property and Technology – Hiesberger focuses on counseling clients and prosecuting U.S. and foreign patent applications. He received an engineering degree from Francisco Josephinum and his law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Dykema
Denise Drake, San Antonio, Corporate and Finance Practice Group — Drake focuses her practice on corporate, finance and real estate matters, advising clients in the purchase or sale of companies and assets, negotiating key commercial and real estate agreements and ensuring corporate compliance with governance structures. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity University and her law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law.
José (Joe) Rubio, Dallas, Commercial Litigation Practice Group — Rubio serves as an advocate for clients faced with a variety of commercial disputes across a broad spectrum of industries, with a focus on real estate and partnership disputes. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas at Austin and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Prescott Smith, Dallas, Products Liability Defense Practice Group — Smith’s practice focuses on products liability matters but also includes matters in the oil and gas industry, intellectual property issues and trademark litigation, contractual disputes and business torts. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Arkansas, his Doctoral Candidate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Eversheds Sutherland
Joshua Belcher, Houston, Energy Practice – Belcher guides utility, power and pipeline clients through mergers and acquisitions, financings, project development and energy commodities transactions, with a focus on helping companies identify and manage complex environmental business risks in the context of the transaction and ongoing operational compliance. Belcher received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas and his law degree from Vermont Law School.
Ian Shelton, Austin, Litigation Practice – Shelton focuses his practice on class action, energy, construction and complex commercial litigation. He received his bachelor and law degrees from the University of Texas.
Michael Woodson, Austin, Litigation Practice – Woodson advises clients on complex commercial litigation matters with an emphasis on enforcement and all aspects of labor and employment issues. He represents clients in various business disputes, including trade secret cases, non-compete issues, discrimination, harassment and retaliation, FLSA, FMLA, WARN and other federal and state statutes. Woodson received his Bachelor of Arts from Yale University and his law degree from South Texas College of Law Houston.
Fish & Richardson
Ken Hoover, Austin, Patent Practice Group — Hoover helps clients develop and protect their patent portfolios across a broad range of technologies, including semiconductors, machine learning/artificial intelligence, wireless communications, medical devices and blockchain. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from United States Naval Academy, his Master of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Jun Li, Dallas, Patent Practice Group — Li focuses across a range of technologies, including telecommunications; database technologies; cryptology; internet and computer network security; microelectronics; and software, including artificial intelligence, software as a service and cloud computing. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin, his Master of Science degree from the University of Texas at Dallas, and his law degree from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Lance Wyatt, Dallas, Patent Practice Group — Wyatt has expertise in an unusually diverse range of disciplines, including life sciences, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, software and computer technologies, and oil and natural gas. He received his Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University and his law degree from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Foley
Nicholas G. Peters, Dallas, Business Law Practice Group — Peters focuses on equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, joint venture agreements and other complex business transactions. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Washington and Lee University and his law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Jonathan Michael Thomas, Dallas, Litigation Practice Group — Thomas focuses in complex commercial and intellectual property litigation. He also has substantial experience handling high-risk securities matters, particularly matters involving registered investment advisory firms and independent advisors. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Arlington and his law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Michael Rahmn, Houston, Litigation Practice Group — Rahmn focuses on commercial disputes, restrictive covenant and trade secret litigation, ERISA-related litigation, construction litigation and product liability claims. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration Southern Methodist University and his law degree from South Texas College of Law.
Gibbs & Bruns
Ross M. MacDonald, Houston, Litigation – MacDonald concentrates his practice on complex commercial litigation disputes, handling cases in a wide range of practice areas, including theft of intellectual property, construction, antitrust, energy, and trust and estate ligation. He was a law clerk to Judge Priscilla Owen, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, from 2013 to 2014. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Davidson College and his law degree from the University of Texas.
Gibson Dunn
Michael Q. Cannon,Dallas, Tax Practice Group – Cannon has significant experience with the tax aspects of mergers and acquisition transactions, and has represented both buyers and sellers in a number of transactions, both public and private, including cross-border matters. He received his Bachelor of Science and law degree from Brigham Young University.
Gray Reed
Kristen W. Kelly, Houston, Commercial Litigation Practice Group — Kelly focuses with a strong emphasis on insurance, energy, oilfield services, financial institutions and construction. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University and her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
Jacob A. “Jake” Lewis, Dallas, Employment Litigation Practice Group — Lewis’ focus includes defense of employers under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family Medical Leave Act and state anti-discrimination laws. He received his Bachelor and Master of Arts from the University of Texas at Dallas and his law degree from Washington and Lee University.
Mary Mason, Houston, Probate and Trust Administration Practice Group — Mason guides families and fiduciaries through every phase of the probate and estate administration process. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University and her law degree from South Texas College of Law Houston.
Cole Robinson, Dallas, Corporate Practice Group — Robinson focuses on the acquisition, disposition, development, financing and leasing of commercial properties located in Texas and many other states across the country. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor University and his law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Greenberg Traurig
Grant Cohen, Houston, Real Estate Practice – Cohen focuses his practice on general real estate finance matters, with an emphasis on all forms of affordable housing financings involving low income housing tax credits. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas and his law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Aimee Housinger, Houston, Litigation Practice – Housinger concentrates her practice on commercial and complex litigation in the tech, entertainment, health care, oil and gas and financial services industries. She has also litigated patent, trademark and product liability disputes nationwide. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Christian University and her law degree from Baylor University.
Alicia Sienne Voltmer, Dallas, Labor & Employment Practice – Voltmer is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and AV® Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubble®. She advises employers, from startup companies to Fortune 500s, in a wide variety of employment matters. Voltmer received her Bachelor of Arts from Southern Methodist University and her law degree from California Western.
Haynes and Boone
Raquel Alvarenga, Dallas & Houston, Labor and Employment Practice Group – Alvarenga’s expertise includes cases involving alleged discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, misappropriation of trade secrets, wage-and-hour claims and breach of contract. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University, her Master of Business Administration degree from New York Institute of Technology and her law degree from Cornell Law School.
C. Robert Bruner, Dallas, Investment Management Practice Group — Brunner focuses on private equity and hedge fund formation, private equity investments, hedge fund investments, investment management agreements and corporate compliance and governance. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Furman University and his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.
Jamie L. Carter, Dallas, Private Client and Estate Planning Practice Group — Carter’s expertise includes wealth preservation and estate planning, estate and trust administration and taxation, and charitable organizations. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Tiffany Ferris, Dallas, Trademark and Advertising, Marketing, and Promotional Law Practice Group —Ferris assists clients in all aspects of brand management and promotion. From analyzing potential risks associated with advertising claims to evaluating the availability of a potential trademark, she works to help her clients build, maintain, and promote their brands. She received her Bachelor of Arts and her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degrees from the University of Richmond and her law degree from William & Mary Law School.
Maria Hopper, Dallas, Corporate Transactions Practice Group — Hopper has experience representing corporate, private equity and venture capital clients in structuring, negotiating, documenting and closing mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, as well as assisting with the purchase, sale and ongoing representation of portfolio companies. She received her Bachelor of Law degree from Centro Universitário de Brasília UniCEUB and her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School.
Mini Kapoor, Houston, Occupational Safety and Health and Litigation Practice Group — Kapoor has wide-ranging litigation experience in commercial, intellectual property and labor and employment matters. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from KLDAV College Meerut University Roorkee India, her Master of Science degree from University Roorkee RoorKee India, her doctorate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from University of Kansas Medical Center and her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
Kim Mai, Houston, Energy Practice Group — Mai’s practice focuses on complex upstream and midstream oil and gas transactions, including financing, acquisitions and dispositions and hedging transactions. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
Jennifer S. Kreick, Dallas, Healthcare Practice Group — Kreick has delivered practical legal and business advice to healthcare clients in a variety of regulatory and business transactional matters, such as structuring and negotiating acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures, strategic business partnerships and contractual relationships involving healthcare entities. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Duke University and her law degree from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Kinne Manente, Dallas, Finance Practice Group — Manente has experience in a variety of lending transactions, including representing agent banks and participant lenders in fund finance transactions, mortgage warehouse lending, middle market lending and unsecured revolving and term loan facilities for real estate investment trusts. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College and her law degree from Duke University School of Law.
Arsalan Muhammad, Houston, Restructuring Practice Group — Muhammad’s practice focuses on bankruptcy and restructurings, including related financings, acquisitions and litigation. His experience includes the representation of Chapter 11 and 15 debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, as well as other parties-in-interest in a variety of business restructuring matters. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston and his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
Alan Wang, Dallas, Patent Practice Group — Wang’s focus includes patent non-infringement and invalidity analysis, patent portfolio evaluation and negotiation, patent preparation and prosecution, and patent post-grant proceedings. He received his bachelor’s degrees in economics and engineering, and a master’s degree in engineering from Tsinghua University, a Master of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and a law degree from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Holland & Knight
Jacob Lawler, Austin, Business Practice Group — Lawler focuses on a wide range of electric utility and related regulatory matters in electric power markets. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the College of William & Mary and his law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School.
Nadia Haghighatian, Dallas, Litigation Practice Group — Haghighatian focuses on patent litigation, representing clients with matters involving various technologies, including software, telecommunications, electrical, mechanical and semiconductor. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.
Catherine Rowsey, Dallas, Litigation Practice Group — Rowsey focuses on complex commercial litigation and arbitration matters, government investigations and enforcement actions, and corporate governance and internal investigations. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from Baylor University School of Law.
Sara Schretenthaler Staha, Dallas, Litigation Practice Group — Staha is a labor, employment and benefits attorney who works with clients handling complex commercial, employment and franchise litigation matters. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Creighton University and her law degree from Baylor Law School.
Kevin Teters, Dallas, Litigation Practice Group — Teters focuses his practice on commercial disputes, with an emphasis on national hospitality litigation and operations, real estate and condemnation matters, construction liens and disputes and breach of contract litigation. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University and his law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Jeffery D. Anderson, Houston, Litigation Practice Group — Anderson works with national clients in the financial services and healthcare industry sectors to obtain favorable outcomes in their Texas cases. He received his Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University and his law degree from Texas Tech University.
A. Kristi Soppet, Houston, Litigation Practice Group — Soppet counsels clients on all aspects of complex commercial litigation, including representing clients on appeal, in numerous substantive areas such as business disputes, fiduciary litigation, privacy and data security, employment law, intellectual property and class actions. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Easter Kentucky University and her law degree from the Florida Coastal School of Law.
Husch Blackwell
Ashely E. Todd, Austin, Healthcare Practice Group — Todd focuses on a broad range of regulatory, compliance and litigation matters. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from New York University.
Remy Fesquet, Austin, Corporate and Private Equity Practice Group — Fesquet counsels private equity investors, their portfolio companies, and other privately held and publicly traded companies in mergers and acquisitions, equity financings, divestitures, corporate governance and other high-stakes corporate matters. He received his bachelor of laws from Aix-Marseille University and his master of laws from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.
Alexandra Jashinsky, Austin, Healthcare Practice Group — Jashinsky counsels buyers, sellers, developers, tenants and landlords on all aspects of their projects. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from San Diego State University and her law degree from University of Texas School of Law.
Randall Rios, Houston, Bankruptcy and Reorganization Practice Group — Rios has represented both debtors and creditors, as well as creditors’ committees, landlords, purchasers of distressed assets and trustees. His practice places a special emphasis on energy companies in the oil and gas sector. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas A&M University and his law degree from South Texas College of Law.
Nicholas (Nick) Stepp, Houston, Litigation and Appeals Practice Group — Stepp guides clients in technology, oil and gas and engineering – among others – through litigation and appeals in state and federal courts, including the Supreme Court of Texas. He has assisted clients in the automotive, aerospace, construction and healthcare sectors. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Carson–Newman University, his Master of Divinity from Wake Forest University and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Jackson Walker
Craig R. Bennett, Austin, Environmental, Legislative, and Regulatory Practice Group — Bennett’s practice focuses on administrative and regulatory law, including counseling clients on a broad range of matters such as compliance, enforcement, litigation and judicial review of administrative agency decisions. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University and his law degree from Baylor University Law School.
Michael C. Roberts, Austin, Insurance, Trial & Appellate Litigation Practice Group — Roberts is experienced on construction and insurance matters. Roberts’ construction law practice encompasses contract negotiations, insurance coverage issues and prosecuting and defending contractual and extra-contractual claims in the construction industry, including construction defect, delay and mechanic’s lien claims. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Abilene Christian University and his law degree from Baylor Law School.
Lindsey Marsh Brown, Dallas, Trial & Appellate Litigation Practice Group — Brown is experienced in securities arbitrations and cases in federal and state courts involving claims regarding defamation, real estate disputes, breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets and unfair competition. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Christian University and her law degree from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Blake Dietrich, Dallas, Intellectual Property, Trial & Appellate Litigation Practice Group — Dietrich has a versatile practice that encompasses all aspects of intellectual property law, from helping clients secure patent, trademark and copyright protection to enforcing and defending those rights through litigation. He received his Bachelor of Arts and law degree from George Washington University.
Lamar Dowling, Dallas, Real Estate Practice Group — Dowling has an extensive experience handling the negotiation and structuring of a range of sophisticated real estate transactions, including acquisitions, leasings and capital markets matters. He received his Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration and law degrees from Southern Methodist University.
James Miers, Dallas, Real Estate Practice Group — Miers primarily represents clients in connection with the acquisition or disposition of real property, the development or redevelopment of property for all potential uses, and leasing all types of developed property. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and his law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Brian H. Oates, Dallas, Trial & Appellate Litigation Practice Group — Oates’ practice includes all aspects of commercial litigation, including infringement of intellectual property, construction disputes and other high-stakes commercial disputes. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity University and his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.
J. Machir Stull, Dallas, Bankruptcy, Restructuring, & Recovery Practice Group — Stull has represented nearly every constituency in a bankruptcy, from debtors and committees to trustees and landlords. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Virginia and his law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Joel Glover, Houston, Trial & Appellate Litigation Practice Group — Glover works extensively in the areas of financial services, energy and natural resources, media, intellectual property and entertainment. He received his Business of Science degree from United States Military Academy West Point and his law degree from South Texas College of Law Houston.
Jeremy Sheng, Houston, Corporate & Securities Practice Group — Sheng represents clients in a variety of corporate matters, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, entity formation, an general corporate governance. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration and his Master of Public Administration degree from University of Texas at Austin and his law degree from Baylor Law School.
Sang Shin, Houston, Business Immigration & Compliance Practice Group — Shin has broad experience managing employment-based immigration cases for nonimmigrant and immigrant visas, and immigration planning and compliance programs for entities engaged in a wide range of industries, including: energy, engineering, healthcare institutions, construction, financial services and banking, agriculture, architecture, technology, entertainment, food service, hospitality, retail, education and export and import. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina and his law degree from Charlottes School of Law.
Arturo (Art) Cavazos, San Antonio, Finance and Corporate Practice Group — Cavazos significant debt finance experience includes representation of both lenders and borrowers in a variety of transactions, including syndicated, bilateral and club facilities, secured and unsecured facilities, first and second lien, mezzanine, revolver, term, acquisition financing, commercial real estate and construction loans, asset based loans, reserve based loans and commodities and derivatives transactions. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas A&M University and his law degree from Columbia Law School.
Amanda N. Crouch, San Antonio, Trial & Appellate Litigation Practice Group — Crouch has been essential in securing favorable results for clients on a range of matters, including general commercial litigation, collection cases, personal injury cases, probate litigation, oil and gas issues, contract disputes, environmental litigation, First Amendment and media litigation, Section 1983 claims and governmental immunity cases on behalf of cities and counties. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from Baylor Law School.
Reagan Marble, San Antonio, Energy, Trial & Appellate Litigation Practice Group — Marble drafts and negotiates agreements affecting all aspects of upstream oil and gas exploration and production including oil and gas leases, surface use agreements, purchase and sale agreements, farmouts and joint operating agreements. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University and his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.
Jones Day
Ferrell Keel, Dallas, Financial Markets Practice Group — Keel’s practice covers a variety of industries, including technology, financial services, consumer, retail and industrial products. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Vanderbilt University and her law degree from New York University.
Sidney Smith McClung, Dallas, Global Disputes Practice Group — McClung represents clients in government enforcement actions and conducts cross-border internal investigations for multinational companies. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Oklahoma and her law degree at the University of Texas at Austin.
Kelly Rubin, Dallas, Tax Practice Group — Rubin has extensive experience in providing tax advice on offerings of U.S. and foreign issuer stock, investment-grade, high yield, and convertible notes and complex financial instruments, as well as exchange offers, tender offers and consent solicitations. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University, her law degree from Harvard University, and her LL.M. at New York University.
Alexandra L. Wilde (Alex), Houston, Energy Practice Group — Wilde regularly advises strategic and financial buyers and sellers on acquisitions, divestitures and project developments in domestic and cross-border transactions. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas and her law degree at University of Michigan.
Katten
Ryan J. Meyer, Dallas, Litigation Practice – Meyer represents companies and executives in government investigations, civil enforcement actions and criminal proceedings typically involving allegations of securities fraud and health care fraud. He received his bachelors degrees from Southern Methodist University and his law degree from the University of Texas.
Kelly Hart
Whitney Beckworth, Fort Worth, Complex Civil Litigation Practice Group — Beckworth focuses on commercial disputes, breach of contract actions, business torts and indemnity and insurance coverage disputes. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University and her law degree from the University of Texas Law School.
Taylor Spalla, Fort Worth, Oil and Gas Practice Group — Spalla focuses on oil and gas transactional matters, and he also frequently assists on public policy matters and commercial litigation matters. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Southwestern University and his Master of Business Administration and his law degree from Texas Tech University.
Elizabeth C. Thomas, Fort Worth, Litigation Practice Group — Thomas focuses on complex commercial disputes, business torts, fraud, Deceptive Trade Practice claims, antitrust and employment matters. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College and her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
Hannah M. Watkins, Fort Worth, Real Estate Practice Group — Watkins focuses on financing and commercial leasing transactions, property management and the acquisition, disposition, and development of various commercial assets including mixed-use, multi-family, office, retail and industrial properties. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Meredith W. Knudsen, Fort Worth, Litigation Practice Group — Knudsen works on a range of litigation disputes across a variety of industries, with a particular focus on the energy sector. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from George Washington University.
King & Spalding
Julia C. Barrett, Austin, Litigation, Contracts and Business Torts Practice Group — Barrett has represented clients in a wide variety of matters, including class actions, corporate and business disputes, and privacy and security matters. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Georgia and her law degree at the University of Texas School of Law.
Fernando Rodriguez-Cortina, Houston, International Arbitration Practice Group — Rodriguez-Cortina covers disputes relating to private and public international law issues, bilateral investment treaties, breach of contract, and mergers and acquisitions, under the ICC, ICSID and UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. He received his law degree from Universidad Iberoamericana and his Master of Laws degrees at New York University School of Law and National University of Singapore.
Kirkland & Ellis
Emily Lichtenheld, Austin, M&A/Private Equity Practice Group — Lichtenheld focuses on public and private company merger and acquisition transactions, including private equity investments, complex cross-border transactions, joint ventures and strategic alliances. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Dallas and her law degree from Harvard Law School.
Brice Lipman, Austin, Private Equity Practice Group — Lipman focuses on acquisitions and investments for a number of the leading technology and infrastructure-focused private equity and growth equity funds and representations of their portfolio companies in a variety of corporate and securities matters. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Xavier University, his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and his law degree from University of Chicago Law School.
Patrick V. Salvo, Austin, M&A/Private Equity Practice Group — Salvo primarily focuses on public and private company mergers and acquisition transactions and activism defense. He received his Bachelor of Science in Foreign Services from Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service and his law degree from Columbia Law School.
Kate Rainey Willson, Austin, M&A/Private Equity Practice Group — Willson focuses on acquisitions and investments for a number of the leading private equity funds and representations of their portfolio companies in a variety of corporate and securities matters. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from Tulane University School of Law.
Camille Bacon-Schulte, Dallas, Real Estate Practice Group — Bacon-Schulte focuses on acquisitions, dispositions, mortgage and mezzanine financing, and joint venture projects involving commercial real estate. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado at Boulder and her law degree from Cornell Law School.
Ben A. Barnes, Dallas, Litigation Practice Group — Barnes focuses on high-profile and complex disputes in Texas and across the country. He received his Bachelor of Music from New York University and his law degree from the University in St. Louis.
Ben Hardison, Dallas, M&A/Private Equity Practice Group — Hardison focuses on the representation of private equity sponsors, their portfolio companies and a variety of other public and private companies in connection with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, joint ventures, private equity investments, restructurings and related general corporate counseling. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Accountancy from Lipscomb University and his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law.
Shan A. Khan, Dallas, Debt Finance Practice Group — Khan focuses on the representation of private funds, public and private companies, financial institutions and alternative lenders in secured and unsecured financings, cash-flow and asset-based facilities, acquisition financings, recapitalizations, cross-border transactions, and second-lien, mezzanine and subordinated financings. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin, his Master of Arts from Harvard University and his law degree from Columbia Law School.
Danny Nappier, Dallas, M&A/Private Equity Practice Group — Nappier focuses on acquisitions, divestitures and joint venture formations for companies operating and investing in the upstream oil-and-gas sector. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University and his law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law.
Jack R. Shirley, Dallas, M&A/Private Equity Practice Group — Shirley focuses on representing private equity sponsors and public and private company clients in complex business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, private equity and venture capital investments and related general corporate counseling. He received his Bachelor of Science from Brigham Young University and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Rami Totari, Dallas, M&A/Private Equity Practice Group — Totari regularly represents clients in strategic and financial transactions for public companies and private equity sponsors, including mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures and private equity transactions. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley, and his law degree from Columbia Law School.
Alexandra Caritis, Houston, Ligation Practice Group — Caritis focuses includes a broad range of complex commercial litigation and class action matters in federal and state courts. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Washington and Lee University and her law degree from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
Tabitha De Paulo, Houston, Ligation Practice Group — De Paulo has experience in a broad array of matters, including high stakes products liability cases, antitrust class actions, complex commercial disputes and government and internal investigations. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.
James Dolphin, III, Houston, Environmental Transactions Practice Group — Dolphin is a corporate partner working in the Environmental Transactions practice group. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Elon University and his law degree from Emory University School of Law.
Brandon C. Elliott, Houston, Debt Finance Practice Group — Elliott represents institutional and alternative lenders, private equity funds and commercial borrowers in a variety of domestic and international financing matters, including subscription credit facilities, net asset value secured credit facilities, management fee secured credit facilities, mezzanine financing, debt restructuring transactions, asset-based financings (including reserve-based lending for oil and gas transactions), acquisition financings, cash-flow financings, debtor-in-possession financings and exit financings, mortgage warehouse facilities and notes offerings. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the Florida State University and his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Jennifer R. Gasser, Houston, M&A/Private Equity Practice Group — Gasser advises public and private companies in the energy and infrastructure industries on strategic transactions, including mergers, acquisitions and divestitures and joint ventures. She received her Bachelor of Science from Portland State University and her law degree from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.
Daniel P. Gross, Houston, IP Litigation Practice Group — Gross has experience in all phases of patent litigation relating to liability and damages issues, including pleadings, claim construction, fact and expert discovery, dispositive motions, trial in federal district courts and arbitration proceedings, inter partes review proceedings at the USPTO PTAB and appeals to the Federal Circuit. He received his Bachelor of Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and his law degree from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
Mark Holden, Houston, Ligation Practice Group — Holden focuses primarily in the areas of white-collar criminal defense and internal investigations. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University and his law degree from Harvard Law School.
Lindsey M. Jaquillard, Houston, M&A/Private Equity Practice Group — Jaquillard focuses on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and joint venture formation involving energy assets and companies across the energy value chain, with an emphasis on domestic energy transactions in the upstream and midstream sectors. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana State University and her law degree from Tulane University Law School.
Atma Kabad, Houston, Capital Markets Practice Group — Kabad focuses his practice on capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance and securities law matters. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Paul R. Knowlton, Houston, M&A/Private Equity Practice Group — Knowlton is a corporate partner in the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Trinity University and his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.
Hamish R. McCormack, Houston, Debt Finance
Stephen S. Noh, Houston, M&A/Private Equity Practice Group — Noh focuses on representing private equity sponsors, their portfolio companies and other public and private companies in complex domestic and international business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital investments, leveraged buyouts and offerings of equity and debt securities. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Rice University and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Ty’Meka M. Reeves-Sobers, Houston, Environmental Transactions Practice Group — Reeves-Sobers is a partner working in the Environmental Transactions Practice Group. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Ursuline College and her law degree from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.
Samara Sanderson, Houston, Investment Funds Practice Group — Sanderson primarily focuses on representing private fund sponsors in the formation, structuring and operation of private equity funds, management companies and other related entities, ranging from first-time sponsors to funds of over $5 billion. She received her Bachelor of Science from Florida State University and her law degree from Vanderbilt Law School.
Randy Santa Ana, Houston, M&A/Private Equity Practice Group — Santa Ana is a corporate partner. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration and law degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
Rebekah McEntire, Houston, Litigation Practice Group — McEntire focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation. She received her Bachelor and Master of Arts at Baylor University and her law degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
Joshua Teahen, Houston, M&A/Private Equity Practice Group — Teahen focuses on strategic transactions including mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, joint ventures and securities offerings. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Joe Tobias, Houston, Tax Practice Group — Tobias focuses on the federal income tax consequences of complex business transactions. He received his Bachelor of Science from Oklahoma State University and his law degree from Stanford Law School.
Matthew D. Turner, Houston, Capital Markets Practice Group — Turner advises companies on public and private capital markets transactions, SEC compliance and disclosure and other general corporate matters. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Latham & Watkins
Jared Grimley, Houston, Transactional Tax Practice Group — Grimley advises clients on the U.S. federal income tax aspects of a range of transactions, including cross-border and domestic M&A, tax-free spin-offs, securities offerings by U.S. and non-U.S. companies, and domestic and multinational group restructurings. He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Austin and his law degree from Cornell Law School.
Ryan J. Lynch, Houston, Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group — Lynch focuses on strategic transactions in the energy and technology sectors, including public and private M&A matters and equity and debt capital markets offerings. He has experience advising companies on cross-border transactions, including foreign private issuers accessing the U.S. capital markets. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree and his law degree from Georgetown University.
Samuel Rettew, Austin, Capital Markets Practice Group — Rettew represents private and public companies, private equity firms and investment banks in a variety of financing and other transactions, including cross-border and leveraged buyout transactions as well as debt and equity offerings. He also advises clients in corporate finance, securities regulation and general securities and corporate matters. He received his Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University and his law degree from the University of Texas.
Monica E. White, Houston, Capital Markets Practice Group — White advises clients on capital markets transactions primarily in the energy industry, including IPOs, high yield and investment grade debt offerings, public equity offerings and other securities transactions on behalf of a variety of financial institutions and companies. She received her Bachelor of Science and law degree from the University of Houston.
Littler
Katie B. Blakey, Dallas, Employment Practice Group — Blakey represents employers, executives and management in the field of employment law and handles litigation matters ranging from Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation to complex wage and hour class actions and wrongful termination matters. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston University and her law degree from Emory University School of Law.
Luke MacDowall, Houston, Employment Practice Group — MacDowall represents employers in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies, handling a diverse array of employment law matters. He focuses on litigation matters at the pre-trial and trial stages. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity University and his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.
Kelcy L. Palmer, Houston, Labor and Employment Practice Group — Palmer advises and represents employers, including federal contractors, in a broad range of employment matters arising under federal and state laws and before state and federal courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance and in arbitration. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hollins University and her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
Locke Lord
Brian O’Reilly, Austin, Transportation, Administrative and Public Law practice group — O’Reilly focuses on the development of major infrastructure projects by public and private entities. He advises clients on procurement matters and legal issues related to the planning, construction, financing and operation of infrastructure projects. He went to college and law school at the University of Texas at Austin.
Brandan Montminy, Dallas, Litigation, Data Privacy and Cybersecurity practice group — Montminy represents clients across multiple industries, including banking and finance, commercial, construction, health care, insurance, professional services, real estate and technology. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Austin College and his law degree at the University of Texas.
Rachel Fitzgerald, Houston, Corporate Law practice group — Fitzgerald focuses primarily on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate restructurings, joint ventures and matters related to corporate governance and compliance. She has a particular focus in energy, insurance and media. She received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and her law degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
Andrew Reed, Houston, Litigation, Employment and Commercial practice group – Reed’s focuses include claims for breach of restrictive covenant agreements, misappropriation of trade secrets, wage and hour violations, claims of employment discrimination and retaliation. He received a Bachelor of Arts at Louisiana State University Honors College and his law degree at University of Houston Law Center.
Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann
Pat Disbennett, Dallas, Litigation Practice – Disbennett represents plaintiffs and defendants in commercial disputes, including cases involving breach of contract, non-competition agreements, trade secret misappropriation, commercial real estate, healthcare payor-payee disputes, oil and gas disputes, and business disparagement and defamation claims. He clerked for Judge Jane Boyle of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. He received his Bachelor of Arts from St. Louis University and his law degree from Northwestern University.
Jervonne Newsome, Dallas, Litigation Practice – Newsome advises Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, corporate officers and individuals across a range of complex civil and business litigation matters like trusts and estates, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, business torts, employment law, trade secrets and non-compete disputes. She clerked for the Honorable Bobby E. Shepherd of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the Honorable Denzil Price Marshall Jr. of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. Newsome received her Bachelor of Arts from Arkansas State University and her law degree from the University of Arkansas.
Mayer Brown
Michael V. Cangolosi, Houston, Global Energy and Chemicals Practice Group — Cangolosi has a broad corporate practice and leads a wide range of transactions for public and private clients. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy, his Master of Business Administration degree from Santa Clara University, and his law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
McDermott Will & Emery
Thaddeus Chase, Dallas, Corporate & Transactional Practice – Chase represents clients in a wide range of corporate matters, mainly regarding buy-side and sell-side mergers and acquisitions for public and private companies. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University and his law degree from the University of Texas.
McKool Smith
Eric Hansen,Dallas, Intellectual Property Practice Group — Hansen represents companies as both plaintiffs and defendants in intellectual property actions spanning the chemical, electrical and mechanical arts. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Materials Science and Engineering, his Master of Science from University of Texas at Dallas and his law degree from Northwestern University Law School.
Kevin Hess, Austin, Intellectual Property Practice Group — Hess’ practice focuses on cases involving standard essential patents subject to FRAND or RAND obligations. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from University of Notre Dame and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Kristin Leveille, Houston, Complex Commercial and Bankruptcy Practice Group — Leveille handles a broad range of litigation, which includes oil and gas royalty disputes, post-confirmation litigation matters on behalf of reorganized debtors and litigation trustees and matters in the ITC. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University and her law degree from University of Houston Law Center.
Morgan Lewis
Banee Pachuca, Houston, Litigation Practice Group —Pachuca focuses on healthcare law, including transactional, regulatory and compliance matters. She received her Bachelor of Science from University of Houston and her law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Jared Wilkerson, Houston, Litigation Practice Group — Wilkerson represents energy and technology clients in class actions, commercial litigation, and trade secrets and employment disputes, with additional experience in internal and government investigations, international arbitrations and real property contests involving eminent domain, trespass, and oil and gas title contests. He received his Bachelor of Science from Brigham Young University and his Masters of Public Policy and law degree from College of William & Mary.
Munck Wilson
Susan N. Hogan, Dallas, Corporate Practice Group — Hogan focuses on a broad range of transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, entity formation, and corporate governance, public offering and private placements of securities, venture capital investments, federal and state securities law compliance and general commercial transactions. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Southern Methodist University and her law degree from Harvard Law School.
Will Howison, Dallas, Technology/Intellectual Property Practice Group — Howison focuses on the preparation and prosecution of patents, and acquiring, licensing and enforcing patent rights, trademark rights, trade secrets and copyrights. He received his Bachelor and Masters of Science from Rice University and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Keith Harden, Dallas, Technology/Intellectual Property Practice Group — Harden focuses on patent and trademark matters, including patent and trademark preparation and prosecution before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as well as representing clients in post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Hardin-Simmons University, his Bachelor of Science from Regis University and his law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Norton Rose Fulbright
Nathan Baum, Dallas, Litigation and Disputes Practice Group — Baum focuses on complex business litigation, with an emphasis on commercial disputes, employment, oil and gas and antitrust litigation. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Kimberly Cheeseman, Houston, Employment and Labor Practice Group — Prior to joining the firm, Cheeseman completed a one-year federal clerkship with the Honorable Martin L.C. Feldman of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University and her law degree from Tulane University Law School.
Justin Coddington, Houston, Tax Practice Group — Coddington’s practice focuses primarily on advising clients on executive compensation, employee benefits and employment aspects of corporate transactions. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Colorado at Boulder, his law degree from South Texas College of Law, and a Master of Law at New York School of Law.
Eric Conley Green, Austin, Intellectual Property Practice Group — Green’s practice includes patent litigation, complex commercial litigation, appeals, ITC proceedings, inter partes review proceedings and patent portfolio analysis. He received his Bachelor and Master of Science degree from Baylor University and his law degree from the University of Texas.
Dimitri Millas, Houston, Banking and Finance Practice Group — Millas serves as bond counsel and disclosure counsel in the municipal bond financings for a variety of local governmental entities, including cities, counties, independent school districts, universities, airport systems, water authorities, junior colleges, stadium authorities and tax increment reinvestment zones, and serves as general counsel and bond counsel to a number of municipal and special utility districts. He received his Bachelor of Administration at Texas A&M University, his Master of Business Administration degree at Rice University, his Master of Public Administration at Harvard University and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Denton Nichols, Houston, Litigation and Disputes Practice Group — Denton regularly handles international arbitrations, international litigation in U.S. courts and investor-state disputes. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Rice University and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Blake Redwine, Dallas, Corporate, M&A and Securities Practice Group — Redwine focuses on mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, corporate governance matters and general corporate and securities law matters for public and private companies. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from The University of Texas and his law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Rafe A. Schaefer, Houston, Litigation and Disputes Practice Group — Schaefer focuses his practice on commercial litigation matters, including disputes involving governance of partnerships, joint ventures, LLCs and corporations, energy and rail disputes and professional liability disputes including attorney, accountant and construction-related professional negligence matters. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Friends University and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Darren Smith, Houston, Intellectual Property Practice Group — Smith is interested in deep dives into electronic devices and using that understanding to provide clients with legal advice specific for the technology at issue. He received his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees, a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, and law degree from University of Houston.
Geraldine W. Young, Houston, Litigation and Disputes Practice Group — Young handles complex antitrust, RICO and class action litigation in federal and state courts. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Rice University and her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School.
Ogletree
Jamie Brod Ashton, Dallas, Employment Law, Litigation, Leaves of Absence/Reasonable Accommodation Practice Group — Ashton conducts investigations, handles charges of discrimination, harassment and retaliation, and defends any ensuing litigation in state and federal court. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
J. Paul Rinnan, Houston, Employment Law, Litigation, Wage and Hour Practice Group — Rinnan represents employers in all types of employment litigation in both federal and state courts, in labor and employment arbitration proceedings, as well as before various administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Texas Christian University and his law degree from University of Houston Law Center.
Orrick
Adam Kowis, Houston, Energy & Infrastructure Practice – Kowis focuses on complex energy and infrastructure transactions, including acquisitions and divestitures, joint venture/development arrangements, private equity investments and commercial agreements. He received his bachelor and law degrees from the University of Texas.
Paul Hastings
Jason Busch, Houston, Finance Practice – Busch focuses on commercial lending, leveraged finance and other financial transactions, primarily in the energy industry. He has extensive experience representing commercial banks and financial institutions, alternative lenders, private equity sponsors and borrowers in syndicated bank loans, reserve-based loans, structured financings, mezzanine financings, project financings and leveraged acquisition financings. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas and law degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Seth Chandler, Houston, Leveraged Finance Practice – Chandler’s practice primarily consists of representing both lenders and borrowers in domestic and cross-border leveraged acquisition financings and other debt financings across a broad spectrum of industries. He represents banks, funds and other financial institutions and issuers in first and second lien credit facilities, bridge loans, asset-based credit facilities, acquisition financings, refinancing and recapitalization facilities, intercreditor arrangements and secured creditor issues. Chandler received his Bachelor of Science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and his law degree from Cornell Law School.
Perkins Coie
Jesús Castillón, Dallas, Technology Transactions & Privacy Practice Group — Castillón advises and negotiates on behalf of customers and vendors in a variety of technology-related transactions with a focus on IT procurement services, software, data and content licensing, cloud computing and software as a service, managed services and outsourcing implementation transactions. He received his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Journalism degrees from The University of Texas at Austin and his law degree from University of Houston Law Center.
Skyler Howton, Dallas, Litigation, Business Practice Group — Howton manages all aspects of litigation, from pretrial matters to settlement negotiations, discovery disputes, extensive motion practice and trials. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Pepperdine University and her law degree from Baylor Law School.
Janice L. Ta, Austin, Intellectual Property Practice Group — Ta helps tech companies enforce, license and litigate rights related to patents, trade secrets, trademarks and copyrights. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Stanford University and her law degree from Yale Law School.
Pillsbury
Steven Tepera, Austin & Houston,Intellectual Property Practice Group — Tepera focuses his practice on patent prosecution and civil litigation with an emphasis on intellectual property disputes, particularly in the oil and gas and industrial sectors. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas and his law degree from the University of Texas Law School.
Polsinelli
Enes Ovcina, Houston, Hatch Waxman Practice Group — Ovcina’s practice is focused on complex patent litigation and he has experience in many areas of technology, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, mobile phone transaction technology, electronic commerce and computer software. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from DePaul University and his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
LaTasha (Tasha) M. Snipes, Houston, IP Litigation Practice Group — Snipes has experience with patent matters across a wide range of technologies, including smart home technology, software, computer hardware, advanced systems for aircraft, medical devices and oilfield technology. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University and her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
Porter Hedges
Matthew R. Baughman, Houston, Estate Planning and Estate Administration Practice Group — Baughman advises individuals, families, executors and trustees on areas relating to estate planning, tax planning, asset preservation and estate administration. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration and law degree from the University of Houston.
Reed Smith
Antoine K.F. Smiley, Austin, Energy & Natural Resources Industry Practice Group — Smiley acts on EPC related transactions and is an emerging leader in the field of construction related dispute resolution, both as Project Counsel and in large-scale international arbitrations involving major public and private infrastructure projects, including rail transport, renewable energy and LNG mega projects. He received his bachelor of laws from Monash University.
Reynolds Frizzell
Jim Weiss, Houston, Litigation Practice – Weiss is focused on representing individual and corporate clients at the trial and appellate levels in disputes across various subject matters, including oil and gas, partnership, real estate and intellectual property. He clerked for two years for Judge Sam Sparks on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Weiss received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University and his law degree from the University of Texas.
Sheppard Mullin
Matthew McCalip, Dallas, Corporate Practice Group – McCalip focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, partnerships and corporate restructurings. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University and his law degree from Creighton University.
Sidley
Karen Goldstein, Dallas, Global Finance Practice Group — Goldstein focuses her practice on finance transactions, including acquisition financing, asset-based and leveraged lending, investment-grade lending, mezzanine financing and subordinated debt financing. Karen primarily represents private equity sponsors, corporate borrowers and financial institutions. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Duke University and her law degree from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law.
Lauren G. Grau, Dallas, M&A and Private Equity Practice Group — Grau advises emerging and public companies, private equity firms and individuals on a wide range of intellectual property-related issues in connection with mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, collaborations, strategic investments, financing transactions, licensing and services agreements. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas and her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
Atman Shukla, Energy and Infrastructure Practice Group, Houston — Shukla focuses on mergers and acquisitions and investment transactions for clients in the energy and infrastructure space, including upstream, oilfield services, midstream and downstream (including power, refining and trading). He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Smyser Kaplan & Veselka
Samantha Jarvis, Houston, Litigation – Jarvis focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation and white-collar defense and investigations. Prior to joining SKV, she clerked for the Honorable Gregg Costa on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Jarvis received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas-Pan American and her law degree from the University of Texas.
Susman Godfrey
Michael Kelso, Houston, Litigation – Kelso represents plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes commercial cases across a broad range of subject areas, including antitrust, securities fraud, energy, finance, breach of contract disputes, executive compensation, partnership breakups and alcohol regulation. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles and his law degree from the University of Texas.
Rocco Magni, Houston, Litigation – Magni has already achieved significant trial victories with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake in each. He clerked for former Chief Judge Edith Jones of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Magni received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Arizona and his law degree from the University of Texas.
Michael P. Gibson, Austin, Mergers & Acquisitions and Capital Markets practice group — Gibson advises clients on strategic and capital-raising transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions and sale-of-the-company transactions, preferred stock and other equity financings, convertible debt financings, minority and growth equity investments and corporate reorganizations. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and his law degree from New York University School of Law.
Brad Foxman, Dallas, Restructuring & Reorganization practice group — Foxman has extensive experience in advising clients on all aspects of financial distress, including liability management transactions, corporate workouts and restructurings, distressed asset acquisitions and divestitures, bankruptcy litigation, counterparty risk and reorganization and insolvency proceedings. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.
Sarah H. Mitchell, Dallas, Mergers & Acquisitions and Capital Markets Practice Group — Mitchell advises on the use of representations and warranties insurance and other transactional risk insurance, the placement and run-off of D&O insurance, the transfer and retention of insurance assets and other insurance matter. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University and her law degree from Harvard Law School.
Robert Hughes, Houston, Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice Group — Hughes work focuses on identifying practical solutions to complex legal issues and spans a variety industries, including infrastructure, renewables, telecommunications, energy and technology. He received his Bachelor of Arts and law degrees from the University of Texas.
Damien R. Lyster, Houston, Energy Regulatory Practice Group — Lyster has advised clients on numerous transactional and state and federal regulatory issues related to the production, gathering, transportation and storage of natural gas; the transportation, terminaling, and storage of liquid hydrocarbons; power sales and marketing; and the sale or acquisition of natural gas, oil and electric power commodities and assets. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Iowa and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Crosby Scofield, Houston, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity and Capital Markets — Scofield advises public and private companies, private equity funds and other financial sponsors in connection with corporate matters and strategic transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures and preferred equity financings. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas A&M University and his law degree from Harvard Law School.
Jordan W. Leu, Dallas, Commercial & Business Litigation — Leu represents energy companies, private equity firms and financial institutions in a variety of commercial disputes; representing debtors, creditors, and sponsors in litigation related to financial restructurings and bankruptcy; and defending lawyers and law firms in professional liability cases. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas and his law degree from Harvard Law School.
White & Case
Emilio Grandío, Houston, Mergers & Acquisitions Practice – Grandío focuses on domestic and cross-border M&A transactions with an emphasis on cross-border transactions in Latin America. He received his bachelor of laws from Universidad Anáhuac del Norte and his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
Fern Han, Houston, Global Project Development and Finance Practice – Fern advises lenders and borrowers on a wide variety of finance, project finance and project development matters. She received her bachelor of laws from the London School of Economics.
Winstead
Jeff Bates, Austin, Real Estate Development and Investments Practice Group — Bate’s practice focuses on all aspects of commercial real estate, including the sale, acquisition, disposition, leasing, financing and development of office, retail, industrial and energy facilities. He received his Bachelor of Arts and law degrees from the University of Texas.
Ashley Cummings, Dallas, Construction Practice Group — Cummings represents owners and contractors in all aspects of the construction process, including drafting and negotiating contracts, working to resolve disputes that arise during design and construction and litigating construction-related disputes. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas and her law degree from Baylor Law School.
Preston (Trip) Dyer, Dallas, Taxation, Employee Benefits & Private Business Practice Group — Dyer’s practice focuses on federal and state tax planning for business transactions, including entity formations, mergers and acquisitions, real estate development and investments, and tax credit financing. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Gettysburg College and his law degree from New York University School of Law.
Abigail Rosen Earthman, Dallas, Wealth Preservation Practice Group — Earthman’s practice focuses on litigation related to estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Baylor University, her Master of Science and law degrees from Texas Tech University and her Master of Laws degree from Georgetown University.
Laura Hoffmann, Dallas, Real Estate Development and Investments Practice Group — Hoffmann’s practice involves representing developers and land owners in zoning, land use and economic development incentive matters before municipalities and other governmental entities. She received her Bachelor of Arts and law degrees from the University of Texas.
Matthias Kleinsasser, Fort Worth, Business Litigation Practice Group — Kleinsasser is a seasoned litigator with experience in federal district court, bankruptcy court and Texas state court. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from University of California at Irvine and his law degree from University of Texas School of Law.
Sarah Landiak, Dallas, Public Finance Practice Group — Landiak focuses primarily on special districts and public law. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Midwestern State University and her law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Jani Lotz, Dallas, Real Estate Development and Investments Practice Group — Lotz represents developers, investors and other corporate clients in a wide variety of commercial real estate transactions, including real estate acquisitions and dispositions, developments, financings and refinancings, and office and retail leasing matters. She received her Bachelor of Arts and law degree from University of Deusto, and her Master of Law from Fordham University School of Law.
Marshall Meringola, Austin, Healthcare Industry Practice Group — Meringola focuses on corporate transactions and arrangements within the healthcare industry. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from United States Air Force Academy, his Master of Business Administration degree from University of Colorado and his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law.
Matt Prosen, Dallas, Corporate Commercial Transactions and Outsourcing Practice Group — Prosen advises clients in matters involving procurement and disposition, distribution, technology and intellectual property, licensing, outsourcing of business processes, professional services and other related commercial transactions. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Boston University College of Engineering and his law degree from Stanford Law School.
Cody Schneider, Houston, Construction Practice Group — Schneider represents owners, developers, contractors, governmental entities and financial institutions in matters involving pre-construction strategies, contract preparation and negotiation, risk allocation, and dispute resolution in state and federal courts as well as alternative dispute resolution forums. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas and his law degree from South Texas College of Law.
Conrad Steele, Dallas, Real Estate Development and Investments Practice Group — Steele is experienced in negotiating a wide array of commercial real estate transactions, including joint ventures, construction and stabilized asset financings and the acquisition and disposition of real estate assets across sectors. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Baylor University and his law degree from Southern Methodist University.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Ryan Giggs, Houston, Corporate & Financial Services Practice – Giggs’ experience includes advising private and public companies in a variety of M&A engagements (such as leveraged buyouts, acquisitions, divestitures and carve-outs), joint ventures and partnerships, cross-border investments and entity formation and governance. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas and his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis.
Yaniv Maman, Houston, Tax Practice – Maman advises U.S. and non-U.S. clients on partnership tax matters, mergers and acquisitions, international tax matters and matters relating to private equity funds and their investors. He received his Bachelor of Arts and law degrees from the University of Texas.
Will M. Thanheiser, Houston, Corporate & Financial Services Practice – Thanheiser advises clients in private equity transactions in the financial and energy industries. He has a broad experience in M&A and joint venture transactions, including structured control and minority investments. Thanheiser received his Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University and his law degree from the University of Texas.
Winston & Strawn
Chase J. Cooper, Dallas, Litigation, Complex-Commercial and White-Collar Practice Group — Cooper serves clients in a broad range of industries, including health care, energy, network marketing and financial services. He has significant experience with the False Claims Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act and other consumer-protection laws, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and all manner of contract and business tort claims. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University and his law degree from the University of Virginia.
Brian Jansen, Dallas, Corporate and Finance Practice Group — Jansen advises his clients on a variety of debt financing transactions, including acquisition financings, asset-based lending, debtor-in-possession facilities, mezzanine debt and equity co-investments. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University and his law degree from the University of Kansas.
Katherine (Katy) A. Preston, Houston, Litigation, Complex Commercial and Bankruptcy Practice Group — Preston represents individual and corporate clients in contractual disputes and other complex litigation in state and federal courts. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Rice University and her law degree from Harvard University.
Grant K. Schmidt, Dallas, Litigation, Complex-Commercial Practice Group — Schmidt specializes in complex commercial disputes, high-profile white collar criminal defense matters and intellectual property matters. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame and his law degree from the University of Texas.
Aaron O’Dell, Dallas & Los Angeles, Litigation Practice Group — O’Dell focuses his practice on complex, commercial, business and employment litigation, as well as internal investigations and white-collar criminal defense. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas and his law degree from Notre Dame Law School.