Alex Kaplan has joined the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis as partner. As a commercial trial lawyer, Kaplan previously made partner at Susman Goffrey in just four years for his work in energy, antitrust, financial services, technology, intellectual property, and M&A-related disputes.
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.
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.
Patricia Rigney of the Rigney Law Firm has been elected to membership in the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation. Fellows are selected for their outstanding professional achievements and their demonstrated commitment to the improvement of the justice system throughout the state of Texas.
Sarah Stasny has been named to Forbes’ “America’s Top Women Lawyers“ list for Investment Funds & Asset Management. Stasny is the head of Proskauer’s Private Equity Transactions Group in New York.
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.
Scott Young will be recognized by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Texas Lawbook with a 2025 Corporate Counsel Award for Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service. He currently serves as managing counsel for Toyota North America.
Timothy Allen “Tad” Dunn passed away Oct. 30, 2025. Following law school, Dunn worked for several law firms throughout his career, most recently with Messer Fort.
Annie Holland Miller has been inducted into the University of Texas at Austin Recreational Sports Hall of Honor for 2025. She currently serves as chief business and operations manager of Holand Investments, LTD, and remains involved with RecSports as a member of the department’s Leadership Team.
Chris Hamilton of Hamilton Wingo in Dallas has earned selection on the 2025 Texas Super Lawyers list based on his work in high-stakes personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Hamilton, the firm’s founding partner and owner, also has been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Kandace Walter has received the 2025 State Bar of Texas Star of Achievement Award and the National Conference of Women’s Bar Association 2025 Outstanding Member Program Award for the documentary “A Law Unto Themselves,” for which she served as an executive producer. She is the president of the J.L. Turner Legal Association, director of the Small Business and Trademark Clinic, and an associate clinical professor of law at SMU Dedman School of Law.
Allison Standish Miller has moved her practice to Steptoe in Houston, where she is a partner in the Professional Liability and Commercial Litigation groups. A double Longhorn, Standish Miller has been recognized on the Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers lists multiple times.
Leslie Tan has joined Jackson Walker as senior counsel in the Labor & Employment practice group for the firm’s Houston office. She is a seasoned senior counsel with expertise in labor and employment matters and complex civil litigation and a strong background in insurance defense.
Patricia Rigney, city attorney for the City of Mission and owner of the Rigney Law Firm, has been reappointed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to the Business Advisory Council within the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Rigney will provide advice and expertise on actions state and local governments can take to assist businesses in recovering from a disaster.
José “Chito” Vela was resworn in on Austin City Council as District 4 representative on Jan. 6, 2025. Before being elected to the City Council, Vela worked as an immigration and criminal defense lawyer at Walker Gates Vela.
Craig Moore has been appointed as a criminal magistrate judge for Travis County, Texas. Moore, who previously served as an assistant district attorney, has broad experience practicing civil and criminal law. He is an adjunct faculty member at Texas Law.
Patricia Rigney has been appointed to the Business Advisory Council to the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Rigney is owner of Rigney Law Firm and is currently the city attorney for the City of Mission.
Amanda Tyler has written a book titled “How to End Christian Nationalism,” which provides critical insights into the ideological and legal battles against Christian nationalism in the United States.
Amanda Arriaga was named In House Impact Award Winner of the Year by Texas Lawyer Magazine and a finalist for Corporate Counsel of the Year by the State Bar of Texas Office of Minority Affairs. Arriaga is the general counsel of Sperry Commercial.
Sean Whyte has joined Bressler, Amery & Ross’ Florham Park, N.J., office as a principal in the firm’s Commercial Litigation practice group. Whyte, who has extensive experience in blockchain and crypto technology, specializes in class actions and business litigation.
Troy Steven Allen passed away on June 30, 2024. Allen counseled numerous energy companies throughout his career and most recently served as assistant general counsel at QuarterNorth Energy.
Jordan Garrison Allen passed away March 23, 2024. Allen, who graduated from Texas Law 2004, was an active volunteer at her church.
Allison Miller, of counsel at Beck Redden in Houston, was named a 2024 Texas Super Lawyer in the practice area of professional liability: defense. Previously she was named a 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” in legal malpractice law–defendants by The Best Lawyers in America, as well as “Best Lawyer” in the areas of legal malpractice law–defendants and professional malpractice law–defendants.
Josh R. Lounsbury, a shareholder with Coolidge Wall, was inducted into the Ohio State Bar Foundation Fellows Program, recognizing his commitment to professionalism and serving the community. Lounsbury has more than 15 years of experience representing businesses, public entities, and individuals in his practice areas of municipal law, civil litigation, and workers’ compensation defense.
David Kavanaugh has taken on a new role as global head of investment operations at Dimensional Fund Advisors. Previously, Kavanaugh served as Dimensional’s head of global client group operations, where he managed the operations of the firm’s global client group in client onboarding, intermediary relationships, client reporting, and business data analytics.
Melissa Andrews has been appointed by Governor Abbott to the new Third Business Court Division in Austin. Andrews, who is an equity partner at Holland & Knight, will work to resolve complex commercial disputes in Texas.
Brad Caldwell of the Dallas law firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry has earned selection in the 2024 IAM Patent 1000 based on his work in high-stakes intellectual property trials.
Chris Hamilton has earned selection on the 2024 D Magazine “Best Lawyers in Dallas” list based on his work in high-stakes personal injury litigation and plaintiffs’ civil litigation. Hamilton is owner and partner at Hamilton Wingo, LLP.
Shannon Zmud Teicher has been named in Lawdragon’s 2024 list of top 500 leading litigators in America. Teicher was awarded for her IP litigation practice, as an advocate and counselor with deep experience in intellectual property, media and technology.
Meghan Griffiths has been elected as firmwide chair of Jackson Walker’s Environmental, Regulatory, & Legislative practice. She also has been ranked in the 2023 Chambers USA Guide for her Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation practice. Griffiths’ practice focuses on complex litigation in the energy and electric power sector.
Kennon Wooten has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Wooten is a partner at Scott Douglas McConnico, focusing on general civil litigation and complex commercial litigation.
Connie Pfeiffer has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Pfeiffer is a partner at YetterColeman as a board-certified appellate specialist.
Hilary Frisbie has been appointed to senior director of investor relations at Oceaneering International, Inc.. Frisbie has served as associate general counsel, leading Oceaneering’s global contracting programs.
Carrie Douglas has been promoted to partner at Bracewell, specializing in the firm’s healthcare and life sciences practice. Douglas represents hospital systems, surgery centers, and large physician practices in coverage and reimbursement disputes with health insurers.
Mary Hall passed away on Nov. 14, 2022. Hall, who also earned an MBA from UT, specialized in family law in her native Vermont and enjoyed traveling around the world.
Amanda Tyler testified before the U.S. House Oversight Committee’s Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs. Tyler is the executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC) and lead organizer of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign.
Chris Hamilton ’04 has been selected to the 2023 Texas Super Lawyers list based on his work in high-stakes personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Hamilton is owner/partner of Hamilton Wingo, LLD.
Allison S. Miller has been included in the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers in America for her work in Legal Malpractice Law – Defendants and Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants. A double Longhorn, Miller is an attorney at Beck Redden LLP and specializes in professional liability defense.
Chris Hamilton has been included in the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers in America for his work in personal injury and product liability trials, as well as his expertise in medical malpractice lawsuits. Hamilton is owner and partner at Hamilton Wingo in Dallas and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Reagan Reaud will serve on the Board of Directors for the Beaumont Foundation, a nonprofit Texas corporation that provides grants for charitable causes. Reaud is the founder and CEO of Privateer Capital Management, L.P. and is the founder and Chairman of the Lucena Group.
Kennon Wooten has been selected as chair-elect of the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors. Wooten is a partner at Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP and currently serves as a member of the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee.
Carrie Douglas has joined Bracewell LLP as a partner in healthcare and life science practice. A double Longhorn who earned dual bachelor degrees from UT, Douglas represents hospital systems, ambulatory surgery centers and large physician practices in coverage and reimbursement disputes.
Heather J. Kliebenstein has been named managing director of national the technology and innovation law firm Merchant & Gould’s seven offices. Kliebenstein comes from a technical background with experience as an IP and technology litigator.
Jon Hyland honored by the “Best Lawyers in America” publication for 2023 for his work in intellectual property litigation. Hyland is a partner in the Hilgers Graben PLLC Dallas office.
Jeremy Hawpe has been appointed as office managing shareholder at Littler. Hawpe advises and represents employers in the infrastructure, healthcare, insurance, staffing and transportation industries in a range of employment law matters.
Matt Allen has joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi in Jackson as an assistant United States attorney in the Criminal Division.
Allison Miller has been recognized as a 2022 Texas Super Lawyer. Miller is a trial attorney and serves as counsel for the Houston office of Beck Redden.
Jennifer Crabb has been recognized as a 2020-2022 Outstanding Advocate in Capital Cases by the Association of Government Attorneys in Capital Litigation (AGACL). Crabb currently serves as as Chief of the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Capital Appeals Unit.