Class Notes

Michael Davis has been promoted to partner at Houston litigation firm Gibbs & Bruns. Prior to joining the firm, Davis clerked for former Fifth Circuit Judge Gregg Costa from 2018 to 2019.

Sam Waldon has joined WilmerHale’s Washington, D.C., office as partner in its Securities Litigation and Enforcement Group. As a former Securities and Exchange Commission senior enforcement official, Waldon will advise clients on regulatory and enforcement matters, internal investigations, litigation, and long-term risk mitigation.

Laura Galaviz passed away on Sept. 26, 2026. Galaviz worked as an El Paso prosecutor, family law attorney in San Marcos and Austin, advocate for the elderly, and volunteer for the Texas Abuse Hotline and CASA.

David Crook passed away on Oct. 1, 2026. A double Longhorn, he practiced law in both Austin and McAllen, concentrating on commercial and residential real estate law.

Michael Carnes passed away on Sept. 30, 2026. After a term as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Carnes spent more than 20 years as a criminal defense lawyer in Dallas.

Jesus Enrique Samaniego passed away on Sept. 29, 2026. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War before becoming the first Hispanic to hold both a CPA title and law degree in the state of Texas.

Keegan Warren has been named to the Equal Justice Works “40×40 Alumni Changemakers” list, which marks the organization’s 40th anniversary. She serves as the executive director of the Institute for Healthcare Access at Texas A&M University.

Brad Thompson has been appointed as managing partner for the Austin office of Duane Morris LLP. Before serving as a partner focusing on energy-related matters at the firm, he worked as a partner at King & Spalding. He also serves as a team lead for the Duane Morris Energy Industry Group and is a member of the firm’s governing Partners Board.

Charlotte Tonroy Slack passed away on Sept. 1, 2026. A double Longhorn, Slack was a community leader in her hometown, Pecos, Texas, as an organizing member of the Women’s Division of the Chamber of Commerce and chair of the Rodeo Parade. She also was involved with Pecos Players, a touring troupe that performed original plays.

Adrián Gay Lasa has joined the Mexico office of Greenberg Traurig’s capital markets and finance practices as a shareholder. Lasa, who received his LLM from Texas Law, has extensive experience in FIBRAs, a Mexican real estate investment trust.

Janet Walker, a Longhorn tennis icon, was inducted into the UT Athletics Hall of Honor on Sept. 18, 2026.  During her college career from 1998-2001, she was an All-American in singles, the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year in 2000, and a five-time All-Big 12 selection. Walker is now president and CEO of the Texas Association of Community Health Plans based in Austin.

Christina Hightower has joined Kelley Drye & Warren LLP as a partner and will be based in Austin. Her practice focuses on major energy, data center, power generation, and infrastructure projects as she counsels owners and developers on project development, EPC and procurement strategy, risk allocation, and project execution.

Andres Contreras was recently recognized on the Super Lawyers 2026 “Texas Rising Stars” directory based on his work as a shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr (Munsch Hardt) in Houston. Contreras was included in the category General Litigation, placing him among only 2.5% of eligible attorneys in Texas receive this distinction. Previously he was recognized on the Woodward/White Inc. 2027 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in the categories Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants and Product Liability Litigation–Defendants.

Daniel Sternthal has been recognized in the 2026 “Texas Super Lawyers” directory based on his work as a shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr (Munsch Hardt) in Houston. Sternthal was listed among the top 5% of Texas lawyers in Health Care Law by this peer rating platform honoring those who have achieved a high degree of professional achievement and recognition.

Mitch McFarland has been recognized in the 2026 “Texas Super Lawyers” directory  based on his work as a shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr (Munsch Hardt) in Houston. McFarland was recognized for his work in Business Litigation by the peer rating platform that includes 5% of lawyers in Texas who have achieved a high degree of professional achievement and recognition.

Mason Hester has been recognized in the 2026 “Texas Super Lawyers” directory based on his work as a shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr (Munsch Hardt) in Houston. Hester earned additional distinction as one of the Top 100 attorneys in Houston and is listed among the top 5% of lawyers in Texas in Construction Litigation.

David Coligado has been recognized in the 2026 “Texas Super Lawyers” directory, based on his work as a shareholder and CEO at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr (Munsch Hardt) in Dallas. Coligado was recognized in Real Estate Law by the peer rating platform for lawyers who have achieved a high degree of professional achievement and recognition.

John Davis Roady passed away on Sept. 8, 2026. Roady had a long, distinguished legal career, including many years as senior partner at Hutcheson & Grundy in Houston where his practice included antitrust, employment, appellate law, and commercial litigation.

Allison Kendrick has joined McGuireWoods’ aviation litigation and product liability practice in Seattle as partner after serving as product liability counsel at Boeing.

Mindy Montford has co-founded the National Cold Case Center, a non-profit dedicated to providing funding for investigative resources, family-victim peer support, the creation of a national cold case database, and serving as a national hub for cold cases. She previously worked for the Attorney General’s Office Cold Case & Missing Persons Unit.

Barbara Breedlove Rollins passed away on August 23, 2026. She practiced law in Abilene, Texas, with the Bradbury, Tippen & Choate law firm for nine years before serving as the Taylor County Court at Law #2 judge for 24 years.

Jamie Vasquez has been sworn in as president of the San Antonio Bar Association. A tax lawyer, Vasquez is managing shareholder at Chamberlain Hrdlicka in San Antonio and serves on the firm’s board of directors.

Kristen Silverberg has been named the new president and CEO of Business Roundtable, based in Washington, D.C., after serving as its president and COO. Silverberg began her career in public service as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, held several senior policy roles in the White House under President George W. Bush, served as U.S. ambassador to the European Union from 2008-09, and spent six years at the Institute of International Finance.

Buena Vista Lyons has joined Jackson Lewis in Dallas as an employment litigation principal. She previously worked for FordHarrison as managing partner.

Stan Biderman recently published his latest book, The Secularist’s Bible and Other Astonishing Absurdities, and on Sept. 26, 2026, which will be celebrated at a BookPeople event featuring Biderman. He is the author of two award-winning books, former CEO of BookPeople, and served as the “counterculture business lawyer of Austin.”

Charles William “Bill” Blair passed away on Sept. 9, 2026. After earning with both his J.D. and MBA from Texas, Blair built an accomplished career at Kelly Hart, where he remained committed to pro bono work. A generous philanthropist, he established the Ruth K. Blair Endowment at Texas Law in honor of his mother.

Alexander Ray has joined the business department at Tonkon Torp in Portland, Oregon. He previously was an associate attorney for Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, working in corporate governance, venture capital and growth equity investments, securities law, and advising emerging businesses.

Elizabeth Bellows Brockman has joined the UTHealth Houston Development Board. She currently works as an attorney, and spent several years at Vinson & Elkins in Houston.

Austin Nelson, who has started a tenure-track assistant professorship at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law, received the Best Dissertation Award from the American Political Science Association’s American Political Thought Section.

Della Sentilles has joined Steptoe’s New York office as a partner in its Investigations, White-Collar Defense and Compliance group. Sentilles previously served as senior attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Fraud Section.

Josiah Daniel has published “Determining the Historiographical Problem of Municipal Bankruptcy: Hatton Sumners and the Enactment and Amendment of Chapter IX, 1933-1979” in 100 American Bankruptcy Law Journal 327-428. Daniel is a retired partner at Vinson & Elkins and visiting scholar in the University of Texas at Austin’s Department of History.

Hank W. Flagg Jr. passed away on Sept. 2, 2026. After serving as a lieutenant in the Army Judge Advocate General Corp. in Washington, D.C., he spent his career in the legal department of NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston (later renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center), including nearly two decades as chief counsel.

William “Bill” Puckett passed away on August 26, 2026. After proudly serving in the United States Army Military in Intelligence as a second lieutenant, he enjoyed a long career as a criminal defense attorney before retiring in 2016.

Judge Alan Albright is joining the Austin office of A&O Shearman as a partner in its Intellectual Property Litigation practice. Albright previously served eight years as a United States district judge for the Western District of Texas.

Kelsi Stayart White has been named to Law360’s Rising Stars list, one of the appellate attorneys under age 40 to be honored. She currently serves as a partner at Ahmad Zavitsanos & Mensing in Houston.

Jon Hyland has joined Kane Russell Coleman Logan’s Dallas office as a director. Hyland focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation and has extensive experience serving as lead counsel in federal courts.

Katherine Himaya Lewis has joined the Tulsa office of GableGotwals as a litigation associate. She will focus on commercial litigation, researching complex legal issues and conducting analysis, drafting motions and briefs, and providing trial support.

Kelly Wise has been recognized on the Woodward/White Inc. 2027 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in the categories Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation–Defendant and Product Liability Litigation–Defendants. Wise is a shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr in Dallas. The peer-nominated list honors U.S.-based attorneys who demonstrate outstanding professional excellence in private practice.

Marisol Sobek has been recognized on the Woodward/White Inc. 2027 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in the Commercial Litigation category. Sobek is an associate at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr in Austin. The peer-nominated list honors U.S.-based attorneys who have been in practice for five to nine years and demonstrate outstanding professional excellence.

Madeline Mitchell has been recognized on the Woodward/White Inc. 2027 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in the Commercial Litigation category. Mitchell is an associate at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr in Austin. The peer-nominated list honors U.S.-based attorneys who have been in practice for five to nine years and demonstrate outstanding professional excellence.

John Zachary has been appointed as an immigration judge at the Oakdale Immigration Court in Louisiana. He previously served as an assistant chief counsel with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Justice Steve Smith is preparing to retire from the 10th Court of Appeals and will receive two lifetime achievement awards, from the judicial section of the State Bar of Texas and the “Chair’s Award” from the Texas Center for the Judiciary. After 22 years at the 361st District Court, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Smith to the 10th Court of Appeals where he will wraps up his judicial career.

Leslie Kay Ritchie Robnett has been reappointed to the Specialty Courts Advisory Council of Texas. As a sixth generation Texas lawyer and rancher, Robnett currently works at LKR Law in Austin as a litigation and regulatory counselor. She is the former Fort Worth chair of Texas Law Alumni Association Executive Committee.

Travis Wussow recently founded Bell Rock Strategies to build AI-powered workflows. He also is joining Texas Law as a lecturer, where he leads the school’s AI skills program.

Jim Ammerman II has been appointed municipal court judge of Marshall, Texas. He previously served as the County Court at Law judge for Harrison County starting in 1997, won reelection four times before his last term ended in 2014, and returned to private practice.

Michael Roy Pickering passed away on Nov. 2, 2025. A double Longhorn, he practiced law for decades in Houston before retiring in Horseshoe Bay.

Charles Fowler has been named to Law360’s Rising Stars of 2026, a list of more than 160 attorneys under 40 based on their legal accomplishments. He currently serves as the head of Texas trial firm McKool Smith’s appellate practice in Austin.

The Honorable Michael Landrum has been appointed Judge of the 514th Judicial District Court in Harris County. He is a practicing attorney and arbitrator, and former judge of the 113th District Court and 164th District Court in Harris County.

Shane Kimzey has joined BNSF Railway as vice president and general counsel. He previously served as deputy general counsel and chief ethics and compliance officer at CenterPoint Energy.

Nicholas Lowrey has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America since 2026. He currently works as a senior associate attorney in the Washington, D.C., office of Klasko Immigration Law Partners.