Paul Burka passed away on August 14, 2022, at the age of 80. After graduating from Texas Law, Burka worked as a political writer and editor for Texas Monthly from the magazine’s beginning in 1974 until 2015.
Christopher V. Popov of Vinson & Elkins took office as the 2022-2023 president of the Houston Bar Association in May. Popov serves as co-head of the Complex Commercial Litigation practice and as the Litigation talent lead at Vinson & Elkins, where he has spent his entire legal career.
Steven Jumes has been appointed to the 485th Judicial District Court in Tarrant County by Governor Abbott. Jumes is currently an attorney at his own firm, and was formerly an assistant United States attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Ben Browder joins national litigation firm Duncan Stubbs where he will focus on legal operations and financing, as well as litigation technologies and partnerships that support jury trials. A former Hunton Andrews Kurth partner, Browder has experience advising a broad spectrum of domestic and global private equity firms on the acquisition, disposition and financing of assets in excess of $10 billion.
LaTisha Tarrant has been promoted to chief human resources officer at PRA Group. Tarrant previously served as senior vice president, deputy general counsel and corporate secretary for the global financial services company.
Edward Knight has been appointed as interim chairman of U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-India Business Council’s Global Board of Directors. Knight is currently the executive vice chairman of NASDAQ and serves as a trustee of the University of Texas Law School Foundation.
Sylvan Stephen “Steve” Lang passed away on August 3, 2022. Lang practiced trial law, working at the firm of Lang, Cross, Ladon, Oppenheimer, and Rosenberg. He served in the U.S. military reserves, earning the distinction of captain. He was a charter member of the Texas Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers and a member of the Texas State Bar and American Bar Association.
James Hill has been selected to receive the Business Law Section’s 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is given each year to an attorney who over an extended period has made significant contributions to the Business Law Section or to business law generally in the State of California and who has achieved high status in the legal community. Hill is a founding member of Sullivan Hill, a member of its Executive Committee, and chair of the Insolvency and Commercial Bankruptcy practice group.
Author James Andrew Hearn is a guest contributor for Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine’s blog, Trace Evidence. His short story, “When the Dams Break,” will be published in AHMM’s Sept./Oct. issue. James is a Mystery Writers of America 2022 Edgar Allan Poe Award nominee for Best Short Story.
Joe Moss passed away on July 4, 2022. A double Longhorn and a Navy veteran, Moss received a business degree and a law degree from UT before serving in the Korean War. Moss had an accomplished legal and corporate career, working in a variety of firms as an oil and gas expert, and presenting to the US Supreme Court several times.
Paul Wiley passed away on May 20, 2022. A double Longhorn, Wiley received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration before attending Texas Law. Wiley later opened his own private practice where he specialized in real estate and family law.
Samoneh “Sammy” Schickel has joined McDermott Will & Emery as a partner specializing in patent litigation. Schickel previously served as a senior associate at Baker Botts LLP.
Aashish Kapadia has joined McDermott Will & Emery as a partner specializing in intellectual property litigation, post-grant trials and patent prosecution. Kapadia previously served as a senior associate at Baker Botts LLP.
Alex Toney has joined Bain & Company as counsel for employment law, managing employment litigation and counseling Bain on emerging issues in employment law. Toney was previously an associate at McGuireWoods LLP, where he represented employers and business owners on employment law matters.
Steve Peterson has co-founded a new Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP office in Houston. Peterson is a member of the firm’s Corporate and Securities practice group. He previously worked at Locke Lord LLP .
Hannah Roblyer has joined the Houston office of appellate firm Alexander Dubose and Jefferson LLP. Roblyer will collaborate with trial teams pre- and post-verdict and continue her state and federal appellate practice.
Rae Guyse has begun her practice in commercial litigation at Carrington Coleman as an associate attorney. Guyse previously served as an associate and intern at Haynes and Boone, where she focused on insurance recovery.
Ethan Glenn has joined the Commercial Litigation group at the international law firm Butler Snow LLP. Glenn previously served as a judicial law clerk under Hon. Alia Moses and Hon. Renee Harris Toliver, and as an assistant attorney general.
Jerry Lewis passed away on July 9, 2022. Following graduation from Texas Law, Lewis served in the U.S. Army, Judge Advocate General Corp. Lewis also worked as first assistant district attorney and head prosecutor during his time at the Collin County District Attorney’s Office.
Austin Whitmore has joined McGuire, Craddock & Strother as a senior associate, specializing in real estate law. He previously served in the same position at Reed Smith LLP.
Hilda Galvan has been selected as a 2023 Dallas Business Hall of Fame inductee by Junior Achievement (JA) of Dallas. Galvan currently serves as the partner-in-charge at Jones Day, specializing in intellectual property litigation. She is a trustee of The University of Texas Law School Foundation.
Kevin Robnett has been appointed to the Texas Mutual Insurance Company Board of Directors by Governor Abbott. A Navy veteran and double Longhorn, Robnett is the co-founder and co-CEO of Lithos, a critical materials exploration and production company.
Nelson R. Block has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Fellows are historians elected to the Society in recognition of a “contribution to historical scholarship.” A retired shareholder from Winstead PC, Block is active in community service and also serves as chairman of the “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt Foundation.
The Hon. Francis “Frank” Maloney Jr. passed away on July 5, 2022. Maloney served in the U.S. Army, where he earned a Purple Heart, a Silver Star and two Bronze Stars. A long-time professor at Texas Law, he served as a prosecutor in the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, assistant attorney general of Texas, and worked in private practice before being elected to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in 1990. Maloney also was a visiting trial and appellate judge from 1997 to 2017.
Reid Phillips was included in the 2022 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, as one of North Carolina’s top attorneys in the category Litigation: General Commercial. He is a managing partner at Reid Phillips.
Rebekah Prince has joined Blank Rome LLP’s Corporate, M&A, and Securities practice group as a partner in the Los Angeles office. Her diverse corporate practice includes representing public and private companies as well as clients in the sports, media and entertainment, and franchising industries. Previously she worked at Barnes & Thornburg LLP.
Darren Walker has been named Commander of France’s Order of Arts and Letters – France’s highest cultural honor – in recognition of his support of the arts and artists. Darren Walker currently is the president of the Ford Foundation, a position in which he has served since 2013.
Michael Dierberg has been named the new chairman of the Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation (TTEF) Board of Directors. Dierberg is the current Chairman of First Bank, and has been with the company since 2010. Previously, Dierberg served as an attorney at the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.
Marty Green has been appointed to the Finance Commission of Texas by Governor Abbott. Green has served as principal and attorney in charge for Polunsky Beitel Green, LLP, since 2011, specializing in financial services and consumer credit arenas.
John A. Bonnet III has been named a partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP. Bonnet specializes in M&A transactions, debt and equity financings, investment funds, general business transactions, contracts, corporate governance, and other business law matters. While at Texas Law, he was associate editor of the Texas Law Review.
Ray Mitchell Moore passed away on June 24, 2022. Moore served as a corporate lawyer and in 1966, he joined with his father to establish the law firm that is now Moore Landry LLP. A major investor and consultant in multiple businesses, he owned the Idylwild Golf Course in Pinewood and held positions on the Board of Directors of several businesses and non-profits.
Carol Stoner Vance Jr. passed away on June 24, 2022. Vance was a double Longhorn, receiving both his bachelor’s and law degrees from UT. An Army veteran, Vance served as district attorney in Harris County for four terms after starting his career as an assistant DA. Later in his career, he become a partner with the law firm of Bracewell and Patterson, now Bracewell.
John Charles Brooke passed away on June 19, 2022. Brooke worked at the Kleberg Law firm for nearly 40 years, specializing in real estate and related oil and gas issues before retiring as a managing partner. Brooke also was active in his church and community, and served as president of the Board of Realtors.
Carlos Javier “Jav” Salazar passed away on June 16, 2022. After graduating from Texas Law, Salazar served in the oil and gas industry for Anadarko Petroleum Corp until he retired in 2007.
Harry Reasoner was awarded the Clarence Darrow Award, which recognizes outstanding advocates who give their time and talent to benefit others, by the Harris County Democratic Lawyers Association. Reasoner is a senior partner at Vinson & Elkins, where he practices primarily in complex civil litigation.
Doanh “Zone” Nguyen has been named new permanent city attorney for the City of Laredo. Nguyen has more than 27 years of experience as a litigator and employment attorney.
Jonathan Graham is the recipient of the 2022 Corporate Leadership Award presented by the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution. Graham currently serves as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary at Amgen, where he is an advisor on strategic business, legal, governance and related matters.
Alistair Dawson has been elected 2022–2023 Chair of the Texas Bar Foundation Board of Trustees. Dawson has been a partner at Beck Redden LLP for nearly 30 years, where he specializes in commercial litigation.
Christine Aguilera has been named CEO of MedHealth Partners. Aguilera previously served as the company’s president and CFO since 2020; she will retain her role as president. Aguilera is also a board member at the marketing company Belardi Wong.
Bob Slagle passed away on June 13, 2022. Slagle was a former Democratic National Committee member, delegate, and state party chairman who worked for the Lyndon B. Johnson administration in 1963. He was a general practice attorney in Sherman for more than 50 years.
Michael “Mike” Lee has been appointed by Governor Abbott to the 256th Judicial District Court in Dallas County. Lee is an attorney in private practice and former Judge of the 95th Judicial District Court in Dallas.
Kristofer Monson has been reappointed by Governor Abbott as Chief Administrative Law Judge for the State Office of Administrative Hearings. Monson has served as Chief ALJ since 2019, and previously was Assistant Solicitor General in the Office of the Attorney General of Texas.
Bartholomew W. Nebergall has joined the law firm Polsinelli as counsel in the Dallas office. Nebergall will work in the firm’s Corporate and Transactional Practice, which is part of the National Business Department.
Mary Evelyn McNamara received the 2022 Professionalism Award from the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and the Austin Bar Association. She is a founding partner of the law firm Rivers McNamara.
Joshua Kelly has joined Austin’s Wittliff | Cutter as an associate in the firm’s commercial litigation group, handling business, intellectual property, and employment disputes. While at UT Law, Josh was an editor for the Texas Environmental Law Journal, a research assistant, a student attorney in the Domestic Violence Clinic, and a judicial intern in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Jonathan Curth has been named executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of W&T Offshore. Curth has served as an attorney in international law and general counsel at multiple companies in the oil and gas industry, where he has specialized in acquisitions, capital markets, and corporate transactions.
Floyd H. Christian, Jr. passed away on June 14, 2022. After attending Texas Law, Christian served in the military as a Captain, then became a practicing lawyer for the next 50 years. Christian was a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Angelton ISD School Board, and he served as president of the Brazoria County Bar Association.
John G. Browning received the Luther (Luke) H. Soules III Award for Outstanding Service to the Practice Award, presented by the State Bar of Texas Litigation Section to recognize an attorney “who embodies excellence in the practice of law and exemplary service to the State Bar.” Browning is a partner at Spencer Fane in Plano; he also served as an appellate justice on the 5th District Court of Appeals in Dallas.
Kayla Dreyer has been elected chair of the Colorado Bar Association Litigation Section’s Executive Council. Dreyer has been actively involved with the Litigation Section for six years, previously serving in chair-elect, treasurer and secretary roles. Dreyer is a shareholder at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office.
The Hon. Jack Holland passed away on June 10, 2022. Following his graduation from Texas Law, Holland was appointed as the district judge of the 173rd court where he served for more than 35 years, becoming the second-longest sitting judge in the state of Texas. After retiring as a judge, Holland continued to serve his community as a city attorney, a city municipal judge, and a private lawyer.