Class Notes

Judge Gregg Costa will join Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Houston as co-chair of its global trial practice group. Costa previously spent eight years as a judge in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

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 .

Stefan Smith has been named a partner at BakerHostetler, where he specializes in helping employees navigate benefits and executive compensation matters. Previously, Smith was a partner at Locke Lord.

Rachel Morgan has been appointed executive vice president and general counsel of Nexstar Media Group. She will be responsible for the long-term legal strategy and day-to-day management of Nexstar’s legal affairs, as well as those of its affiliated companies.

Robert “Bobby” Voigt has joined the Austin office of Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley, and Norton, LLP as a patent and trademark partner. Voigt primarily focuses on acquisition, licensing, and transfer of intellectual property rights.

Inga Cotton has been selected as a Foundation Fellow by the San Antonio Bar Foundation. Cotton is the founder and executive director of nonprofit San Antonio Charter Moms.

Judge Gregg Costa has announced that he will resign in August 2022 as jurist in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. His departure will create a vacancy for a new appointment for President Biden. Costa previously served as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, as an assistant U.S. attorney, and as an associate for Weil, Gotshal & Manges in Houston.

Samer Zabaneh has joined the new Austin office of Latham & Watkins LLP in the Emerging Companies Practice and will serve as the Office Managing Partner. He joins from DLA Piper and advises public and emerging private companies and their venture capital and private equity investors through their life cycles, from formation to liquidity.

The Honorable Dimple Malhotra was elected to the Travis County Judiciary as the first and only judge of Asian-Indian descent as well as first elected Asian-American woman in the history of the county. Malhotra presides over County Court 4, which specializes in domestic violence cases.

On January 1, 2020, Tom Selby was elected as one of the six members of Williams & Connolly’s Executive Committee.

Scott Tuthill has joined the Dallas office of Jackson Walker as a partner in the firm’s real estate practice group. His practice includes commercial real estate transactions, particularly those involving the acquisition, financing, development, management, leasing, and disposition of office, industrial, multifamily, and retail development projects.

Michelman & Robinson, LLP (“M&R”) is pleased to announce that David Johnson has joined the firm as a partner. With the hiring of Mr. Johnson, who is based out of M&R’s San Francisco office, the firm adds to its already robust healthcare practice. Mr. Johnson is a seasoned healthcare attorney who primarily represents healthcare plans and providers across a broad range of litigation, transactional and regulatory matters.