Arthur Schechter passed away on April 13, 2026. He founded his own law firm in 1976, representing injured clients with a focus on maritime workers. Schechter served as U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas under President Bill Clinton and later chaired the Metropolitan Transit Authority in Houston.
David Woodcock has been named the director of the Division of Enforcement by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Woodcock previously served as a partner in SEC Enforcement, Investigations, and Corporate Securities at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher while teaching a Securities Law Enforcement course at Texas A&M University School of Law.
Marissa Marquez has been named the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Senior Counsel of the Year for a Nonprofit/Governmental Agency by the Texas Lawbook and the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston chapter. Marquez, who is labor and employment legal counsel at Houston Methodist Hospital, will be honored at an award ceremony in Houston May 28.
Adrienne Wall has been appointed managing shareholder of the Munsch Hardt’s Fort Worth office. Wall’s experience includes representing commercial banks and lenders in finance transactions secured by real estate and business assets.
Amy Sutton has been appointed as regional president of Southside Bank’s Wealth Management & Trust division in Tyler, Texas. Sutton has over 30 years of expertise in wealth management and estate and tax planning to the branch.
Michael Cotton has been promoted to chair of the Opinion Committee for the Texas Attorney General’s Office after previously serving as the committee’s deputy chief. He will head the committee’s efforts to conduct legal research, draft formal opinions, and provide counsel to state and local officials on complex legal matters.
Corinne Sullins Davis has been promoted to partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth’s Houston office. Davis’s expertise lies in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and corporate governance matters throughout a variety of industries.
Stephani Michel has joined the Houston office of Norton Rose Fulbright as a senior associate. She previously served as a senior appellate associate at the boutique litigation firm Tillotson Johnson & Patton.
Kelli Bills has joined the Dallas office of Norton Rose Fulbright as senior counsel. She previously was counsel at the boutique litigation firm Tillotson Johnson & Patton.
Andres Contreras has been promoted to shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr P.C. in Houston effective April 1, 2026. Contreras focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation in both state and federal courts.
Randy Johnston has been named to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers list—marking his sixth consecutive selection—as well as the Texas Super Lawyers list. A co-founder and shareholder at Johnston Tobey Baruch in Dallas, he is recognized for his work in professional liability, legal malpractice, fiduciary litigation and investment fraud.
Robert Tobey, a shareholder at Johnston Tobey Barush in Dallas, has been included on the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers list—marking his sixth consecutive selection—and was named as Texas Super Lawyer. Board certified in consumer and commercial law, he is recognized for handling complex commercial litigation, professional liability and business disputes.
James Barksdale Jr. passed away on Feb. 24, 2026. Barksdale had a distinguished career in patent law, first with Monsanto Chemical, then with IBM for 30 years.
Alistair Dawson will be posthumously inducted as a Legal Legend by the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas. Dawson, who passed away in 2025, was a respected partner and trial attorney at Beck Redden, president of the Houston Bar Association, chairman of the Texas Bar Foundation, fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Jane Webre will receive the 2026 Gregory S. Coleman Outstanding Appellate Lawyer Award from the Texas Bar Foundation. Webre is a partner at Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP in Austin, where she focuses on civil appellate law and handles the majority of the firm’s appeals.
Fred Hagans will receive the 2026 Ronald D. Secrest Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award from the Texas Bar Foundation. The award, which is given annually to an active trial lawyer who demonstrates outstanding trial skills, ethical standards, and professional conduct, will recognize Hagans’ acclaimed career with his firm Hagans Law.
Luis A. Galindo has been appointed to the Fort Worth ISD board of managers. Galindo, an attorney specializing in construction, business, and real estate law, teaches at Texas Wesleyan University and is an adjunct supervising attorney with the Texas A&M School of Law.
Pete Geren has been appointed president of the Fort Worth ISD board of managers. Geren, a double Longhorn who formerly served as a U.S. House representative and in the Department of Defense, currently is president and chief executive officer of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation.
Becky Diffen has been named to Tamarindo’s Legal Power List 2026, which recognizes the 100 most influential lawyers in the clean energy and infrastructure sectors. A partner with Norton Rose Fulbright in Austin, Diffen is also an adjunct professor at Texas Law, teaching a course in wind and solar law.
Kalyani Adusumilli has written her debut novel, “The Invisible Canvas,” which explores themes of resilience, identity, and mental health. Adusumilli worked as an epidemiologist and an attorney before turning to writing fiction and is also author of The Happy Wildflower series, collections of reflective essays and poetry.
Dustin Fillmore has been named a shareholder and director at McDonald Sanders in Fort Worth. His practice focuses on business transactions with an emphasis on real estate, energy, and finance. Fillmore has experience in both litigation and transactional matters and continues to support clients across a wide range of industries.
Phyllis Y. Young has joined Eversheds Sutherland as a partner and head of Texas Finance in the firm’s Houston office. Young advises on finance and restructuring matters for public and private companies, financial institutions, investors and other market participants. She has successfully guided financings across multiple industries and has played a significant role in assisting companies and lenders through in-court and out-of-court restructurings.
Jeffrey Neill has taken on a new role as executive director of the Office of Acquisition and Logistics (OAL) and senior procurement executive at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Prior to his roles at VA, Neill worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Texas A&M University System, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, and the Department of the Treasury.
Kerrie Ann Nanni has a new position as management officer at the Office of the U.S. Ambassador to Croatia at the United States Department of State Embassy in Croatia. She previously served as financial management officer at the Office of the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo.
Ryan Newman has started a new position as chief deputy attorney general with the Florida Office of the Attorney General. He previously served as general counsel with the Florida Executive Office of the Governor.
Sam Waldon has a new position as acting director at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Enforcement. He previously served as deputy director and chief counsel in this division.
William “Bill” Dorsaneo passed away on March 15, 2026. Dorsaneo was a faculty member at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law for more than four decades and was the principle author of the 26-volume Texas Litigation Guide, referred to by generations of attorneys simply as “Dorsaneo’s.” He also served for decades as a member of the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee.
Joe Deming passed away on March 17, 2026. Deming worked as an attorney for various oil companies including Saudi Aramco and Royal Dutch Shell until his retirement in 2010.
Richard Orsinger was honored with the John F. Sheehy Jr. Distinguished Attorney Award at the Texas Board of Legal Specialization 51st annual induction ceremony. The award recognizes dedication to public service, professionalism, and excellence in the legal profession. Orsinger, who also was the keynote speaker at the event, has spent decades advancing family law through scholarship, teaching and mentorship across Texas.
Leslie “Les” Acker passed away March 15, 2026. A double Longhorn, Acker started his career in Midland, Texas, working in the City Attorney’s Office and later serving as the Midland County attorney before relocating to Post, Texas and becoming the Garza County attorney.
Mark Taylor, a director with Kane Russell Coleman Logan in Austin, has been selected to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Bankruptcy and Restructuring guide, which recognizes leading lawyers in several areas of financial restructuring. Taylor dedicates his practice to complex bankruptcy, bankruptcy litigation and commercial litigation.
Brendan Henry has joined the Beckage Firm as senior counsel, focusing on cybersecurity, privacy, and incident response services. Henry has more than 17 years of federal national security service, including roles at the National Security Agency (NSA), the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Intelligence and Analysis, and the Department of the Interior in Alaska.
David Kitner received the 2025 Luther “Luke” H. Soules III Award for Excellence in Litigation from the State Bar of Texas. Kitner is senior counsel at Clark Hill in Dallas, representing clients in civil litigation matters involving business and commercial disputes and professional liability.
Kassi Gonzalez has been named as a 2026 finalist in the legal category of the Austin Under 40 Awards. She currently works as a senior attorney for the Texas Civil Rights Project.
Mark Laughlin has been elected to the National Tax Lien Association Board of Directors for a three-year term. He is the founder and CEO of NAR Solutions, Inc., a firm that partners with local governments to manage and monetize delinquent property tax liens.
Kayvon Rashidi has been named a 2026 finalist in the legal category of the Austin Under 40 Awards. Board-certified in family law, he currently serves as a partner for Powers Kerr & Rashidi, PLLC.
Elizabeth Page Kanetzky passed away on March 2, 2026. A double Longhorn with an artistic side that led to an additional degree in interior design, Kanetzky was the owner of Page Kanetzky Design for nearly a decade.
Stephanie Franco is the judge-elect of the 187th District Court in Bexar County and will be sworn in Jan. 1, 2027. She has worked as a prosecutor at the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office and previously served as a juvenile public defender in Travis County.
Jonathan Harmon has been named on the 2026 Virginia Power 50 List. He is the chairman of McGuireWoods, the state’s largest law firm, a position he has held since 2017.
Daniel Klein joined Blank Rome’s business litigation team in the Dallas office as of counsel. Klein previously served as partner at Johnston Clem Gifford, focusing on business and financial services clients in high-stakes commercial disputes.
Gary Norton passed away on Feb. 11, 2026. Norton primarily practiced as a civil defense trial attorney, later becoming assistant attorney general in the Consumer Protection Division of the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
Jennifer Gasser has joined Paul, Weiss as Energy and Infrastructure M&A partner in Houston. She previously worked for Kirkland and Ellis, where she engaged in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, leveraged buy-outs, joint ventures, and corporate governance matters for a diverse range of clients.
Terry Scarborough passed away on Feb. 25, 2026. After starting his career at the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, he founded Hance Scarborough LLP and served as a celebrated litigator there for most of his 50-year career. Scarborough earned induction into the American Board of Trial Advocates and the International Society of Barristers.
Hayden Tiner has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings’ litigation practice group as an associate in the firm’s Dallas office. He previously clerked for the Hon. David S. Morales of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Sidney Clifton Farrar passed away on Feb. 22, 2026. A retired senior district judge, Farrar led a long career of involvement in the Fort Worth judicial community before joining his son’s law firm as of counsel while also acting as a visiting judge and mediator.
Charles Helms passed away on Nov. 2, 2025. Helms practiced law in Dallas for many years alongside his friend and partner Paul Pesek, then spent his last years teaching theology at the University of Dallas. He was president of his local Catholic lawyer’s guild—the St. Thomas More Society—and was a member of the Catholic Bar Association.
Nicholas Taunton has been selected as the next president of Texas A&M’s Association of Former Students, starting in 2027. He joined the association as director of development and later became the organization’s first executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Brian D. Miller has been reappointed by the United States District Court to continue as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, until the vacancy is filled by the president. Miller was originally appointed to the post Oct. 27, 2025. He previously served as special inspector general for pandemic recovery. Miller’s interim appointment is for 120 days or until a presidential appointment is made, whichever occurs first.
Chris Scruggs recently published “Leviathan & the Lambs,” the final book in the Arthur Stone series—which also includes “Marshland” and “Peace at Battle Mountain”—written under the pen name Alystair West. This newest release covers the events of the Great Recession. Scruggs practiced law for more than 14 years before entering full-time ministry, from which he retired in 2019.
Tom Scott passed away Feb. 1, 2026. In addition to helping build the Bullock, Scott, Neisig and Owens law firm in Midland, Texas, he was a founding member of the Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Specialty Section of the State Bar of Texas.