Luke Ledbetter has been appointed to the Finance Commission of Texas by Gov. Greg Abbott. He is the CEO of the Kestrel Group, and previously served as executive vice president and chief underwriting officer at State National Companies.
Amber Russell’s Austin-based firm, LOAR PLLC, has received the 2026 Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association Firm of the Year Award. Russell began her career at Baker Botts before founding LOAR in 2006 with a vision to reinvent the personal injury firm model, building a practice focused not just on case outcomes, but on long-term impact.
Daniel Klein joined Blank Rome’s business litigation team in the Dallas office as of counsel. Klein previously served as partner at Johnston Clem Gifford, focusing on business and financial services clients in high-stakes commercial disputes.
Taylor Nichols, the principal of IDEA Parmer Park College Prep School in Austin, recently brought a group of his senior students competing in mock trial to visit Texas Law. Nichols has worked in education for 20 years and is in his 11th year as principal.
William G. Hagans has been named to the Top 100 Houston Super Lawyers list for 2025 by the Thompson Reuters publication Texas Super Lawyers. He currently serves as an attorney and president of the firm Hagans.
Mason Hester has been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America directory for his legal excellence in the Construction Law and Litigation-Construction category. He is a shareholder in the Houston office of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.
Mason Hester, a shareholder in Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.’s Houston office, has been appointed a co-chair of the firm’s Construction Practice. In his new role, he will provide strategic leadership for that practice, while overseeing the development and recruitment of attorneys, as well as ensuring effective and responsive client service.
Benjamin Kelly has rejoined Baker McKenzie as a partner in its Intellectual Property Practice in Dallas. Before his return, he served as senior counsel at Forrest Weldon Law Group LLP in Dallas.
William G. Hagans has been elected 2025-2026 fellows chair of the Texas Bar Foundation after many years of co-chairing the Houston nominating committee. He also will continue to serve of the foundation’s board of trustees. Hagans is an attorney at the Hagans law firm in Houston.
Reece Norris, co-founder and COO of WeInfuse, has been named to the Longhorn 100 by Texas Exes for the third consecutive year. This list recognizes alumni from The University of Texas who have created and guided some of the fastest-growing businesses in the world in 2025.
Philip Wright co-founded the Houston-based private equity firm Allied Industrial Partners, a lower-middle market private equity firm that applies an operationally focused, thematic approach to invest in high-growth industrial companies. Allied uses its strong operating heritage and extensive M&A capabilities to benefit its partners.
Emily Leitch has joined Jackson Walker as a partner in the Corporate & Securities practice group in Houston. Leitch advises clients on equity and debt offerings, high-yield transactions, and IPOs, representing underwriters, issuers, and SPACs in public and private deals.
Shavonne Smith has joined Ogletree Deakins as of counsel at the firm’s San Antonio office. Her practice focuses on employment litigation matters, including workplace discrimination, harassment, retaliation, failure to accommodate, wrongful termination, and related issues.
Catherine Bellah has been appointed to the Texas Department of Information Resources. Bellah is currently CEO of Plumaven and head of philanthropic and political missions for Charles and Potomac Capital.
Mason P. Hester, a shareholder with Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr in Houston, has been named a Texas Super Lawyer in construction litigation.
Thomas L. Tippetts passed away on June 4, 2024. Tippetts joined Haynes Boone in 2006 after graduating from Texas Law, eventually becoming partner, where he worked in the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group for more than over 18 years.
William G. Hagans of the Hagans law firm in Houston has been named chair of the State Bar of Texas Professionalism & Civility Committee for the 2024-2025 bar year.
Stacy Sharp has been appointed by Governor Abbott to the new Fourth Business Court Division in San Antonio. Sharp, who is an attorney and owner of Sharp Appellate PLLC, also teaches as an adjunct professor at Texas Law.
Rudy Metayer had been named a recipient of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. The honorees will be celebrated on June 22, 2024 at the Community Impact Center in Austin, Texas.
James R. Mundy has been hired at Curtis Thaxter, a Portland (Maine) law firm. Prior to joining the firm, Mundy had a practice in York County focused on real estate, probate and estate planning.
David Nachtigall has been named one of the Best Criminal Defense Lawyers in Houston 2023. Nachtigall, whose firm is based in Houston, has tried several thousand criminal cases and has represented clients facing serious allegations from the FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Secret Service and other government agencies.
International arbitration lawyer David Weiss has joined Mayer Brown as a partner in Houston. His background includes substantial experience in investor-state arbitrations, commercial disputes in Latin America, international arbitrations among parties in the energy industry, and post-M&A disputes.
Mason P. Hester has been included in the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers in America for his work in construction law. Hester is a shareholder at Munsch Hardt, where he focuses his practice on construction-related legal matters such as construction litigation, arbitration and transactions.
Chante Brantley has been recognized as the August 2023 Volunteer Attorney of the Month at the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program. Brantley is a clinical professor at the SMU Dedman School of Law and is the Director of the VanSickle Family Law Clinic.
William G. Hagans has been elected to the Texas Bar Foundation Board of Trustees, serving as fellows secretary. Hagans is president of the Hagans Montgomery Hagans law firm and has been a co-chair of the Texas Bar Foundation’s District 4 nominating committee since 2016.
William G. Hagans of Hagans Montgomery Hagans, has become board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in the area of Personal Injury Trial Law.
Rudy Metayer was awarded the Outstanding Community Service Award at the 57th Annual Dewitty/Overton Freedom Fund Banquet by the Austin branch of the NAACP. Metayer is a City Council member of the City of Pflugerville, president of the Texas Black Caucus Foundation, and an attorney at Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody.
Rudy Metayer has been named as a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters. Metayer currently serves as an attorney for Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody, and is also a council member for the City of Pflugerville.
Chante Brantley has been recognized as a “Superb Woman” by Texas Metro News. Brantley is currently a professor at SMU Dedman School of Law and previously was a managing attorney and mediator at Barnes Prox Law, PLLC.
Chante (Prox) Brantley has been promoted to Clinical Professor of Law at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. Brantley also has received the Lois Bacon Special Services Award presented by the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP), for exceptional leadership, mentoring student associates in the practice of law, the clinic’s pro bono work, and partnership with DVAP.
Iffy Ibekwe is the author of an article titled “First Impressions Matter” about the importance of client experiences at law firms. Ibekwe is the principal attorney and founder of Ibekwe Law, PLLC.
Audrey Momanaee has joined the Houston office of Balch and Bingham LLP to lead the Litigation Practice in Texas. Momanaee has more than 15 years of litigation experience.
Rudy Metayer has been selected as the recipient of the 2022 African American Lawyers Section (AALS) Trailblazer Award. In addition to his legal work at Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, Metayer serves on the Pflugerville City Council. He is a three-time UT graduate, earning his undergraduate degree, law degree and a master’s degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs.
Sidra Zaheer has been promoted to senior counsel and chair of eDiscovery Practice at Klinedinst PC. Zaheer works with clients in all stages of litigation, and regularly advises in document intensive cases.
Danny McDonald has joined Endeavors, a service organization based in San Antonio, Texas, as the chief risk officer and general counsel. Before joining Endeavors, McDonald worked as an in house attorney, public accountant, and legal and business advisor.
Danny McDonald has assumed the new executive position of General Counsel/Chief Risk Officer for Endeavors. In the role, he will lead Endeavors’ legal services, counsel the company’s senior leadership, and implement a comprehensive risk management program. He is a double Longhorn with a Master’s in accounting.
Brian L. King has been elevated to a member of Cole Schotz P.C. in the Intellectual Property Group, as well as the Litigation Department in the firm’s Texas office. King is a trial attorney who primarily focuses on commercial and intellectual property litigation, including patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and breach of contract matters.
Jenifer Smith has joined the new Austin office of Latham & Watkins LLP in the Emerging Companies Practice. She joins from DLA Piper and represents public and private companies across a broad range of corporate and strategic matters, including venture capital financings, M&A, and capital markets transactions.
William G. Hagans with Hagans Montgomery Hagans has been selected to serve as a 2021-2022 Texas Bar Foundation Nominating Chair for District 4. Nominating Chairs of the Foundation are selected for their outstanding professional achievements and their demonstrated commitment to the Texas Bar Foundation. Selection is a mark of distinction and recognition of Hagans’ contributions to the legal profession.
Julie Offerman was recently elevated to income shareholder at Chamberlain Hrdlicka. Named among the Up-and-Coming 50: 2020 Texas Women Rising Stars, Offerman is an experienced litigation attorney in Chamberlain’s Houston Labor & Employment practice. She has been named to Texas Super Lawyers in 2020 after being named Texas Rising Star in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019. She has also been named among Houstonia Magazine Top Lawyers in 2019 and 2020.
Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. announced that 15 of its attorneys have been recognized on the 2020 Texas Super Lawyers® list, including Mason P. Hester, who is recognized for his expertise in construction litigation.
Mason P. Hester was recently named to the 27th edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Marcus G. Matthews made the “Best Lawyer” list of the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
After nearly 10 years in public service with both the SEC and the Department of Justice, Barry Kamar joined litigation funding advisory firm Westfleet Advisors.
Redgrave LLP, the premier law firm focusing exclusively on eDiscovery and information law, is proud to announce that partner Christine P. Payne ’06 was named to the 2019 “Women Worth Watching” list published by Profiles in Diversity Journal. Now in its 18th edition, “Women Worth Watching” recognizes women executives who are leading the way to excellence in the workplace, marketplace, and the world.
Betty Chen, an attorney at the law firm Fish & Richardson, has been named a recipient of the 2019 “Women Worth Watching” award by Profiles in Diversity Journal. Chen is based in Fish’s Silicon Valley office and serves as the firm’s Global Hiring Principal. She is exclusively dedicated to high-stakes advocacy as trial counsel in matters involving substantial financial or business exposure, significant policy issues, and cutting-edge legal questions.
Fish & Richardson principal Betty Chen, of the firm’s Silicon Valley office in Redwood City, has been named a recipient of the 2019 “Women Worth Watching” award by Profiles in Diversity Journal. She was singled out for “leading the way to excellence in the workplace, marketplace and the world” and for helping “develop the next generation of women leaders.”
Nick Ducoff ’06, CEO of Edmit, was invited to the White House Office of Innovation last week to discuss the challenges and opportunities to better serve the American worker and close the skills and jobs gap. Edmit was also the 2019 SXSW Edu launch competition winner and is partnering with the Dept. of Education, College Coach, and financial institutions nationwide to help more people get access to an affordable college education. He credits much of his success to the education he received at UT Law.
Latham & Watkins LLP is pleased to announce that Jonathan Castelan has joined the firm’s Houston office as a partner in the Corporate Department and member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice. Castelan represents private equity firms and energy companies in acquisitions, divestitures and strategic joint ventures involving midstream assets.
Eversheds Sutherland is pleased to announce that Ian S. Shelton has joined the Austin office as counsel in the Litigation Practice Group, bolstering the commercial disputes practice with a focus on intellectual property and technology, complex commercial litigation and appeals. Prior to joining Eversheds Sutherland, Mr. Shelton was an attorney with Los Angeles-based Quinn Emanuel & Sullivan LLP.