Class Notes

Martha Hofmeister was awarded Altrusa International, Inc.’s highest honor: the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award. This award is worldwide community service organization’s only award given to an individual member. Designed to recognize an Altrusan who makes a lasting contribution to community service as a result of involvement with Altrusa, recipients must have a distinguished service record at the local, district, and international levels. Hofmeister is a founding partner of Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP.

Kenneth “Ken” Hawari passed away on Aug. 22, 2021 at the age of 62 in Houston, Texas. He was a double Longhorn and worked 17 years for Hughes and Luce Law Firm, in Dallas, Texas, where he had become a partner.  He became in-house counsel for ANS Medical Device in Plano, Texas, and later served as board director for private companies.  He retired to his beloved home in Taos, New Mexico.

The nationally prestigious legal guide Best Lawyers in America has recognized four attorneys from the Rogge Dunn Group in its 2021 edition, including partner Bryan Collins, JD ’84. Collins had earned honors for the first time this year, for his work in labor and employment litigation.

Texas attorneys elected Sylvia Borunda Firth of El Paso to be president-elect of the State Bar of Texas. Borunda Firth will be sworn in as president-elect during a virtual Board of Directors meeting on June 25 and will serve as president of the State Bar of Texas from June 2021 to June 2022.

Baker Botts L.L.P., announced that John W. Martin has been elected as the firm’s 15th Managing Partner. Mr. Martin’s four-year term will commence April 1, 2019. “John is a bold and dynamic leader, and the perfect choice to lead our 179-year old firm in these changing times. I know that with John’s selection the future of the firm is in great hands,” said Andrew M. Baker, the current Managing Partner of Baker Botts.

The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) has honored Daniel L. Butcher and Clark Hill Strasburger with a 2018 “Compass Award” in recognition of their support for and provision of career advancement opportunities for diverse attorneys. Butcher, formerly managing partner of Strasburger & Price, which combined with Clark Hill in April, is now a member of Clark Hill’s Executive Committee. The Compass Award recognizes LCLD members who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to the Council’s goal of creating a truly diverse U.S. legal profession.

My new book, “This is the Year I Put My Financial Life in Order,” is being published by Penguin Random House on April 3. Part personal finance guide and part memoir, the book has some fun memories of my days in Austin at UT and UT Law.

GableGotwals is pleased to announce Robert S. Glass was selected as a 2017 Oklahoma Super Lawyer in the practice areas of Health Care, Business Litigation and Business/Corporate Law. Robert has been elected to Super Lawyers since 2006.

Retired United States Army Colonel and Smith Anderson Attorney David Hayden has been appointed by North Caroline Governor Roy Cooper to serve as a Commissioner of the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission (NC MAC). Hayden served as both an Engineer and Judge Advocate Generals (JAG) Corps Officer in the United States Army during a 29 year active military career. He also served on the Joint Staff in the Pentagon, participating in many federal government interagency panels and working groups. David brought his extensive experience in government contracting, corporate investigations and employment law to Smith Anderson in 2011.

Walt Herring, a partner in Munck Wilson Mandala’s Commercial Litigation practice group, has been recognized in Best Lawyers for his work in complex commercial litigation. For more than 30 years, he has concentrated his practice on complex commercial litigation matters for a wide variety of clients in both state and federal courts throughout the nation. Mr. Herring regularly serves as first-chair counsel in trials and arbitrations, and has considerable experience with other dispute resolution techniques. In 2016, Mr. Herring favorably resolved a significant class action and a securities fraud matter for one of the firm’s clients.

Duke Whitney Gatlin passed away June 1st, 2016 in Nashville, TN.

Hal Ray ’84, has been appointed United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Texas, Wichita Falls Division. Judge Ray previously was a partner in Pope, Hardwicke, Christie, Schell, Kelly & Ray, LLP, in Fort Worth.