Class Notes

Jonathan Adams has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as an associate in the firm’s Houston office where he will work in the litigation practice group.

Tim Almohamad has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as an associate in the firm’s Houston office where he will work in the construction practice group.

John “Carter” Byrum has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as an associate in the firm’s Houston office where he will work in the litigation practice group.

Stephen McCluskey has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as an associate in the firm’s Dallas office where he will work in the litigation practice group.

Courtlyn Ward has joined a new six-person governmental practice team at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP in Dallas.

Stephen Moulton has joined a new six-person governmental practice team at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP in Dallas.

Ben Mesches is now general counsel at Haynes Boone, where he guides appellate and litigation teams in high-stakes cases in state and federal courts nationwide.

Will Cain will host “The Will Cain Show” on weekdays on the Fox News Channel. Most recently, Cain was a co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend” and had previously worked at ESPN.

Justice C. H. “Terry” McCall, passed away on January 3, 2024. As a law students, he was a member of the Texas Law Review, Order of the Coif, Chancellors, and Phi Delta Phi. McCall was elected to the Eleventh Court of Appeals in 1998, and served until 2013. After retiring, he continued to serve as a senior appellate judge to the Eleventh Court of Appeals.

David Wayne Wilson passed away January 6, 2025. A double Longhorn, Wilson earned his law degree in 1989.

Carlos J. Contreras III has been named to Austin Business Journal’s Texas 100, which is an annual list of impactful Texans. Contreras is the President and CEO for Goodwill San Antonio and previously served as the Assistant City Manager for the City of San Antonio.

Garry Merritt has been named to Austin Business Journal’s Texas 100, which is an annual list of impactful Texans. Merritt is CEO of Great Springs Project, which plans to create a greenway of protected lands between Austin and San Antonio over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone.

Miguel Garza has been named to Austin Business Journal’s Texas 100, which is an annual list of impactful Texans. Garza is co-founder and CEO of Siete Family Foods, a Mexican-American food brand that provides gluten-, grain-, and dairy-free food products.

Stephen Dale “Steve” Carlton passed away December 29, 2024. Carlton established the Carlton Law Practice in Orange, Texas, where he served the community for 50 years.

Betty Balli Torres has received the inaugural Impacto Award by the American Bar Association Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities. Torres is executive director of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation and is being honored for her efforts to remove barriers to social justice and civic engagement facing Latinos in the U.S.

José “Chito” Vela was resworn in on Austin City Council as District 4 representative on Jan. 6, 2025. Before being elected to the City Council, Vela worked as an immigration and criminal defense lawyer at Walker Gates Vela.

Randy Erben has been reappointed to the Texas Ethics Commission to fill the remainder of his current term set to expire on Nov. 19, 2025. Erben has served on the commission since December 2017 and is the current chair. He is currently an adjunct professor at Texas Law and of counsel with Erben & Yarbrough.

Michael Schattle passed away on Dec. 2, 2024. As an attorney, Schattle represented refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants for Church World Service.

Eleanor D’Ambrosio has been promoted to partner at Spencer Fane’s Austin office. D’Ambrosio specializes in utility-related regulatory and business matters, having served at the Public Utility Commission of Texas prior to joining Spencer Fane.

Feras Mousilli, a founding partner of Lloyd & Mousilli, has been named among the Top 50 U.S. Trademark Attorneys for 2024 by analytics firm Huski.ai’s AI-driven rankings. Mousilli previously served as senior corporate counsel for both Apple and Dell.

Michael Pearson, a partner at Jackson Walker, has been inducted into the 2025 Lawdragon Hall of Fame. Pearson chaired the firm’s energy practice group for over 30 years and currently serves as an adjunct professor at Texas Law.

Lawrence Mealer passed away Dec. 14, 2024. Mealer began his career at Dallas Legal Services and later served as a civil attorney in private practice for over 48 years.

Jillian Trezza has been named counsel at Debevoise & Plimpton in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. Trezza is a member of the White Collar & Regulatory Defense Group, where she focuses on securities-related enforcement defense.

Kelli C. Fuqua has been elevated to shareholder in the Austin office of Littler,  effective Jan. 1, 2025. Fugua regularly litigates discrimination, harassment, unfair competition and retaliation suits, with a focus on whistleblower matters and is well-versed in conducting workplace investigations and advising clients on workplace issues.

Melissa J. Ackie has been elevated to shareholder in the Austin office of Littler Mendelson P.C., effective Jan. 1, 2025. Ackie advises business owners, in-house counsel and human resources professionals on a broad range of HR and compliance workplace concerns, including leave and accommodation, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, terminations, and wage and hour issues.

Thomas Robert Felger passed away on Dec. 24, 2024. Felger pursued a legal career after completing 27 years of active duty and reserve service in the U.S. Navy, retiring as captain. From 1992 to 2009, Felger was a partner attorney with Baker Botts, where he worked with oil and gas companies along with technology and device companies.

Rob Walters has been appointed as independent director at Vistra, a leading Fortune 500 integrated retail electricity and power generation company based in Irving, Texas. Walters will serve on the Sustainability and Risk Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee.

William Griffith Lawhon passed away on Dec. 22, 2024. Lawhon practiced law with the Butler & Binion law firm for 33 years, where he became partner in 1976, before practicing at Schlanger, Silver, Barg & Paine from 1999 to 2016. Lawhon also served in the United States Naval Reserves and the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps for 14 years, and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Commander in 1982.

Aaron Reitz, who serves as the chief of staff for Senator Ted Cruz, was nominated by Donald Trump to serve as the head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy.

Barrett Robin, partner at Hamilton Wingo in Dallas, has earned his fourth consecutive selection on the Best Lawyers Under 40 list published by D Magazine for his work in high-stakes personal injury lawsuits.

Caroline Dozier has been appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the 228th Judicial District Court in Harris County for a term set to expire on Dec. 31, 2026. Dozier, who is bureau chief of the Misdemeanor Trial Bureau for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, has served as an assistant district attorney for over 30 years.

Robert “Bryan” Gantt has been reappointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the 471st Judicial District Court in Collin County for a term set to expire Dec. 31, 2026. Previously, he was a partner at McCraw Gantt and served as an assistant attorney general in the General Litigation Division at the Office of the Attorney General.

David J. Beck, founding partner of Beck Redden, has been named the recipient of the prestigious 2025 Leon Jaworski Award for Community Service by the Houston Bar Association Auxiliary. This distinguished honor recognizes attorneys who exemplify a lifetime commitment to civic engagement, public service, and professional excellence.

Katy Zendeh was promoted to of counsel in the bankruptcy and litigation practice groups at Caplin & Drysdale in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 1, 2025. Zendeh’s practice centers around complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on bankruptcy litigation.

Hilda Galvan has retired from Jones Day after 28 years of service to seek new opportunities. She had served as the partner-in-charge of the Dallas office and was a partner in its Intellectual Property practice.

Craig Moore has been appointed as a criminal magistrate judge for Travis County, Texas. Moore, who previously served as an assistant district attorney, has broad experience practicing civil and criminal law. He is an adjunct faculty member at Texas Law.

Ewaen Woghiren has been elected partner at Jones Walker in Houston. A member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group specializing in the energy, construction, maritime, retail, and real estate sectors, Woghiren has prosecuted and defended a diverse docket that includes construction defects, oil and gas lease disputes, business divorces, business torts by officers of companies, and products liability.

Elizabeth Romefelt has been promoted to partnership at Gibson Dunn, where she focuses on mergers and acquisitions, in New York City. Romefelt has a broad range of experience in M&A, from representing public and private companies to financial sponsors and handling other complex corporate transactions.

Edwin Flores has been appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas School Safety Center Board, which supports counties in developing defense systems. Flores is a managing partner at Chalker Flores, LLP, and also serves on the boards of Medical City Hospital Dallas and the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Center.

Terri Lynn Harris Motl passed away on Dec. 13, 2024. Motl was one of the first board-certified family law attorneys in San Angelo, Texas.

Frances Blake is the new general counsel and vice president of regulatory affairs for the Texas Association of Builders. Previously, Blake served as bond counsel and general counsel to various local governmental entities, as well as an assistant United States attorney.

John L. Stavinoha III has been promoted to partner at Bracewell’s Houston office, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Stavinoha will work in the firm’s oil and gas practice.

Andrew W. Monk has been promoted to partner at Bracewell in Houston, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Monk will work in the firm’s corporate and securities practice.

W. Jared Berg has been promoted to partner at Bracewell in Houston, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Berg will work in the firm’s corporate and securities practice.

Joseph Bart Budetti passed away on Dec. 11, 2024. After starting his legal career in Florida including nine years as Broward County judge, Budetti was the senior assistant city attorney in Overland Park, Kansas, for 21 years.

Shannon Edmonds was named the executive director of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association (TDCAA) in Austin, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Edmonds has served as the director of governmental relations for the TDCAA, the largest statewide association of prosecutors in the nation.

Parth Gejji, an associate at Beck Redden in Houston, has been elected to the partnership effective Jan. 1, 2025. A double Longhorn, Gejji was included in the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for his work in appellate practice.

Nicholas Bruno, an associate at Beck Redden in Houston, has been elected to the partnership effective Jan. 1, 2025. As lead appellate counsel, Bruno practices in all levels of the Texas appellate system.

Jeri Stone passed away Nov. 26, 2024. Stone worked as a writer, attorney, and lobbyist with the Texas Classroom Teachers Association for over four decades and served as executive director from 1985 – 2022.

John “Buck” Ritts passed away Nov. 23, 2024. Prior to spending 25 years as an assistant attorney general for the Texas Attorney General’s Office, Ritts was assistant county attorney for Travis County. He also worked with the Water Rights Commission, private law firms, and the Independent Cattlemen’s Association.