Class Notes

Lance Currie, a partner at Carrington Coleman, has been elected to the Dallas Independent School District Board of Trustees. Currie’s practice centers on construction and real estate law.

Victor Obaseki started as the first diversity, equity, and inclusion director of Alameda County. Obaseki will help the county strategically and systematically act to improve the lives of all residents. Previously he worked at the Vera Institute of Justice.

Jaime Vasquez was named managing shareholder of Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s San Antonio office. Vasquez concentrates his practice on federal, state, and international tax controversy matters.

Jaime Vasquez has been named the managing shareholder of Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s San Antonio office. Vasquez, who is board certified in tax law, has counseled clients in tax litigation matters, handling cases before the United States Tax Court, United States District Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Meghan A. McCaffrey has a new position as co-managing partner at the Washington, D.C. office of Quinn Emanuel Trial Lawyers. McCaffrey is an accomplished trial lawyer, representing major U.S. and multinational corporations in complex business disputes and multi-billion dollar commercial litigation in federal and state courts.

The Hon. Brooke Lierman has been inducted into the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame. Lierman is comptroller of the State of Maryland and is the first woman independently elected to any one of Maryland’s constitutional offices.

Rose E. Jenkins has been nominated by President Biden to be a judge on the United States Tax Court. Jenkins has more than 15 years of experience as a tax lawyer and currently is an attorney in the Office of Associate Chief Counsel at the Internal Revenue Service.

Elizabeth H. Fry has been selected as a Foundation Fellow by the San Antonio Bar Foundation. Fry practices trust and estate planning at Hornberger Fuller & Garza Incorporated and is board certified in estate planning and probate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Bryan P. Hoeller has been named a “Best Criminal Defense Lawyer” in Fort Worth of 2023 by Forbes. Hoeller was a former criminal prosecutor turned criminal defense lawyer, defending thousands of clients in a variety of cases.

Allison Becker has been named co-chair at Health Care, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP (GRSM Healthcare Practice Group). Becker’s healthcare practice involves defending providers against all manner of claims in various stages of litigation.

Kate Higginbothom has been named chief administrative officer at the U.S. International Trade Commission. Higginbothom previously served for more than a decade in multiple roles with the Federal Election Commission.

Michael McBride has been included in the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers in America for his work in Intellectual Property law. McBride is a partner at Alavi Anaipakos in Houston, where he focuses primarily on high-stakes, complex patent litigation and patent prosecution matters.

Nathaniel J. Palmer has been named to the 2023 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation guide. Palmer is a partner at Reid Collins & Tsai and focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation.

Mark F. Rosenow joined the firm PilieroMazza as a counsel in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. His practice focuses on complex commercial dispute resolution, business litigation, and government investigations, including matters arising under the False Claims Act.

Martin Luff has joined Wilson Sonsini as a partner in the London office. Luff was previously of counsel at Vinson & Elkins for the past seven years, where he specialized in dealing with the employment aspects of business transactions.

Toni Brown has joined Greenberg Taurig LLP as of counsel. Brown comes as a former senior director of supply chain at Inspire Brands, owner of several national restaurant chains.

Brooke Lierman has been sworn in as Maryland’s comptroller, becoming the first woman to be independently elected to any state government office in Maryland. Lierman previously was a civil and disability attorney in Baltimore.

Brooke Lierman made history during midterm elections by being the first woman to be independently elected into office in the state of Maryland. Lierman assume her role as the state comptroller in January 2023. She has served in the Maryland House of Delegates since 2015.

Rachel Ehlers has joined Baker McKenzie as a partner in the firm’s intellectual property and technology practice. Ehlers, who is certified as a Privacy Law Specialist and Certified Information Privacy Professional by the International Association of Privacy Professionals, has more than a decade of experience advising clients on data privacy and cybersecurity issues.

Michael McBride has been named in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America based on his expertise in the areas of intellectual property lawsuits and patent disputes. McBride is currently a partner at Alavi & Anaipakos PLLC in Houston.

Michael McBride has joined the recently established Houston law firm Alavi Anaipakos, which specializes in global intellectual property and litigation. McBride represents clients in high-stakes intellectual property cases and business disputes.

Jared Hoggan has joined the patent litigation team of Munck Wilson Mandala as a partner. Hoggan specializes in complex patent litigation and licensing.

Justin Constant has been named a 2022 Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers. Constant is a patent litigation counsel in the Houston office of Weil, Gotshal, and Manges, LLP.

Lydia Zakhari has been promoted to General Counsel at The Trust (powered by the NFLPA), which supports NFL players following their playing careers. As a member of its Senior Leadership Team, Lydia is involved in the administration and management of The Trust and leads the diversified legal needs of the organization. While at Texas Law,  she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Journal on Civil Liberties & Civil Rights.

Finity Jernigan has been elected to partner at Holland & Hart, based in the firm’s Boulder office. Jernigan specializes in venture capital and private equity funds in consumer products (including the food, beverage, skincare and cosmetics industries). She works closely with funds, brands and entrepreneurs at all stages of the corporate life cycle.

Rick Cofer was recognized as Best Lawyer in the Austin Chronicle 2021 Best of Austin Readers Poll. He is a partner of Cofer & Connelly, PLLC whose practice focus on family law, criminal defense, and personal injury law.

Leslie Robnett was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Specialty Courts Advisory Council for a term set to expire February 1, 2025. Robnett of Fort Worth is an attorney for Duane Morris, LLP. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, The University of Texas Chancellors Council, and the Eldon B. Mahon Inn of Court.

Brad Foxman has been promoted to partner at Vinson & Elkins effective Jan. 1, 2022. Foxman’s practice focuses on restructuring and reorganization, including the representation of lenders, buyers, debtors, creditors and trustees. He has extensive experience in advising clients on all aspects of financial distress, including liability management transactions, corporate workouts and restructurings, distressed asset acquisitions and divestitures, bankruptcy litigation, counterpart risk and reorganization and insolvency proceedings.

Rose Jenkins has started a new role as senior attorney advisor at NYU Law’s Tax Law Center. Prior to joining the Tax Law Center, Jenkins was a Managing Director in the International Tax group within KPMG’s Washington National Tax office. Before KPMG, Jenkins was in the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (International) at the IRS, finally as a Special Counsel.

Jennifer Librach Nall has joined DLA Piper as a partner in the firm’s Patent Litigation practice, based in Austin, Texas.

Julie Gremillion has been appointed as General Counsel for GoExpedi. She will be responsible for leading all aspects of GoExpedi’s legal strategy, managing compliance and risk throughout the organization; working closely with senior leadership and the Board of Directors as a strategic advisor on legal and business matters affecting the company; and providing legal support for transactional matters, strategic opportunities and day-to-day operations.

Wesley Watts is the founding partner of the new Austin office for midsize venture capital law firm Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian LLP, with with a focus on private equity work. Watts has a history of working with technology companies in Austin through transactions and private equity matters. Previously he worked at Vinson & Elkins.

Claire Rosston has been elected to the Holland & Hart’s partnership, effective Jan. 1, 2021 in the firm’s Boise office. Rosston represents buyers and sellers in asset and equity acquisitions, with significant experience in the animal healthcare industry. She also assists clients with corporate governance, operational contracts, as well as business formation, restructuring, and disputes.

Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s Jaime Vasquez Recognized as Lawyer of the Year in Tax Litigation and Controversy by US News’ Best Lawyers in America. San Antonio-based Vasquez was one of three Chamberlain Hrdlicka attorneys nominated by their peers to be recognized for the award. Vasquez, a shareholder at Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s San Antonio firm, was recently named Lawyer of the Year for the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Bell Nunnally Partner Ross Angus Williams has been named among the “40 Under 40” in 2020 by the Dallas Business Journal.

University of Texas School of Law alumnus Ross Angus Williams has been named to Dallas Business Journal’s “40 under 40” list.

Lindsey Raspino has been promoted to partner at Houston litigation firm Reynolds Frizzell LLP. Lindsey possesses a strong ability to translate complex matters into simplified concepts—a quality that has consistently contributed to favorable outcomes for her clients. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from The University of Texas, where she earned her law degree with Honors. She clerked for the Honorable Jane Bland of Texas’s First District Court of Appeals.

Promoted to the Vinson & Elkins LLP partnership effective Jan. 1, 2020, Watts represents entrepreneurial enterprises and venture capital investors in the creation, financing and operation of technology and growth companies. He also advises emerging companies with respect to mergers and acquisitions and other strategic transactions, in addition to general corporate and governance matters.

DLA Piper is pleased to announce that Andrew Hoffman, a partner in the firm’s Litigation practice, has been named to the Daily Journal’s 2019 Top 40 Under 40 list honoring young California lawyers across a range of practice areas. Hoffman represents pharmaceutical manufacturers and other life sciences companies in government investigations and related litigation.

Justin Constant was named a Texas Rising Star for 2019 by Super Lawyers. Texas Rising Stars is an annual list of exceptional lawyers in the state who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement, and who are either 40 years old or younger or have been practicing for 10 years or less. This distinction is given to only two percent of young attorneys in Texas.

Michael McBride, an intellectual property lawyer, was promoted to partner at Houston-based Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C. Jan. 28, 2019. Mr. McBride focuses on patent litigation and patent prosecution matters. He earned a degree in electrical engineering at UT and worked for Fujitsu-AMD Semiconductor in Austin before becoming a lawyer. He has prosecuted patents in hardware and software, aerospace and energy. Mr. McBride is a repeat honoree on the Texas Rising Stars list.

Norton Rose Fulbright has promoted Eliot Turner to partner. Turner is a member of the firm’s antitrust disputes group and he represents clients in defending and prosecuting claims under the Sherman Act, the Clayton Act, and state antitrust laws, as well as other complex matters. Based in the firm’s Houston office, Mr. Turner is an executive editor of Litigation, the journal of the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation.

Norton Rose Fulbright in Houston has promoted Brandon Byrne to partner. Byrne represents clients on capital markets and M&A transactions, including public and private securities offerings, mergers, stock and asset transactions, and private equity and venture capital investments. He also advises on securities compliance, corporate governance, and contractual matters.

Rachel E. Ehlers has joined national workplace law firm Jackson Lewis P.C. as Of Counsel in its Austin, Texas office. Ms. Ehlers specializes in corporate governance and internal investigations, data privacy and cybersecurity, and workplace training. She has served in multiple in-house legal and compliance roles, in all sizes of companies—from startups to Fortune 500 companies.

Salvador “Sal” Davila, an attorney in the Austin office of Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has been named president of the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin (HBAA). Davila’s appointment became effective May 23 after he served a one-year term as president-elect. Davila has been an active member of the HBAA for nearly six years.

Dave Wishnew proudly announces the launch of his firm, Crawford, Wishnew & Lang PLLC. Dave has a diverse litigation practice with a primary focus in business, employment and intellectual property disputes. SuperLawyers named Dave a Rising Star each year since 2012, including Top 100 in 2017 and 2018. D Magazine recognized Dave in its Best Lawyers in Dallas and Best Lawyers Under 40 for 2018. News agencies across the country published stories of Dave’s client, after awarding her $1.08 million.

Salvador Davila, an attorney in the Austin office of Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has been accepted into the Austin Bar/Austin Young Lawyers Association (AYLA) Leadership Academy class of 2018. In his practice at Littler, Davila advises and represents employers, focusing on matters involving discrimination, retaliation, workplace safety, workers’ compensation retaliation claims, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective actions, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance.

O’Hanlon, Demerath & Castillo, PC is growing with three offices in Texas and 10 attorneys. David Campbell recently joined the firm’s Austin Office to assist with the firm’s trial and appellate practice. Before entering private practice, Mr. Campbell interned for Justice Wainwright at the Texas Supreme Court and later served as the briefing attorney for the Honorable Terry Jennings, Senior Justice for the First Court of Appeals of Texas. Since entering private practice, he has represented various clients in a wide array of litigation matters in state and federal courts throughout Texas. He also serves as an adjunct legal research and writing professor at Texas Law.

Salvador “Sal” Davila, an attorney in the Austin office of Littler, has been voted president-elect of the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin. In his practice at Littler, Davila advises and represents employers, focusing on matters involving discrimination, retaliation, workplace safety and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance. In addition to serving in a leadership role for HBAA, Davila is a chairperson on the Board of Directors of the Austin Young Lawyers Association.

Jared Hoggan, an intellectual property associate at Gray Reed & McGraw’s Dallas office, has been named a Rising Star for 2017 by Texas Super Lawyers. Texas Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars recognizes up-and-coming attorneys who are either 40-years old and younger or have been practicing for 10 years or less. This distinction is given to only two percent of young attorneys in Texas.