Nicholas Taunton has been selected as the next president of Texas A&M’s Association of Former Students, starting in 2027. He joined the association as director of development and later became the organization’s first executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Sarah T. Glaser has been elected managing director for Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend, P.C. She will continue to chair the firm’s Employment Law Practice Group and advise employers on employment compliance and litigation matters.
Omar Ochoa has been elected mayor of Edinburg, Texas. A triple Longhorn and civil litigation attorney, Ochoa serves as founding attorney at Omar Ochoa Law Firm in McAllen, Texas.
Chris Stewart of Caldwell Cassady & Curry has earned a spot on the 2025 Texas Rising Stars list as one of the state’s top young lawyers for intellectual property and patent trials. Stewart is a trial lawyer who focuses on patent and general commercial litigation as a principal at the firm.
John Summers has been selected to the 2025 Texas Rising Stars list of the state’s top intellectual property and patent trial lawyers. Summers is a principal at Caldwell Cassady & Curry in Dallas.
Kelly Wise has been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America directory in recognition of her legal excellence for two categories: Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation and Defendants and Product Liability Litigation-Defendants. Wise is a shareholder in the Dallas office of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.
Jim Bettis has been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his legal excellence in the Insurance Law category. He is a shareholder with the Houston office of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.
Mary Elizabeth Wilson has been appointed as the chief of staff and general counsel at the North Carolina Department of Commerce. In this role, Wilson will provide legal support across corporate matters, personnel, contracts, and economic development incentives.
James Lloyd has been appointed deputy policy director to Vice President JD Vance. Before being called to serve in the Trump administration, Lloyd was deputy attorney general for civil litigation.
Michelle Casillas has been appointed to the San Antonio Bar Foundation Fellows Program newly elected class of 2025, in recognition of her professional achievement, exemplary reputation, and commitment to the legal community. Casillas is vice president and trust officer for Jefferson Bank, providing clients comprehensive guidance in trust administration and estate settlement.
Chris Stewart, a principal at Dallas’ Caldwell Cassady & Curry, was named to the 2024 Benchmark Litigation 40 & Under list of the nation’s top young trial lawyers. Stewart was recognized in the annual guide for his expertise in intellectual property trials.
Andrea Fair has been selected as a finalist by the Texas Legal Awards for Intellectual Property Attorney of the Year. Fair is a partner at Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC and has earned multiple recognitions from The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch and Texas Super Lawyers.
Kelly E. Wise has been promoted to shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. in Dallas, working as a member of the firm’s Litigation and Transportation practices. Wise, who was included in the 2024 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory, has background in a range of litigation matters, including construction liability and defects, premises liability and transportation and trucking liability.
Nicholas Maxwell has been promoted to partner at Cohen Ziffer Frenchman & McKenna. Maxwell, who specializes in insurance litigation, served on the editorial advisory board of the Insurance Coverage Law Center for several years and has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in New York.
Maka Hutson has been promoted to partnership at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s Dallas office. Hutson focuses her practice on immigration law and policy and received the National Law Journal’s Immigration Law Trailblazer Award in 2023.
Kate Doorley has been promoted to partnership at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s Washington D.C. office. Doorley focuses her practice on advising clients on a wide range of complex financial restructuring matters.
Floyd S. Contreras has been named a 2023 Best Divorce Lawyer in San Antonio by Forbes. Contreras practices all types of family law, with experience in business and probate law that allows him to help clients with divorces involving family businesses.
Matthew Falcone has been named a recipient of Texas Lawyer’s 2023 “On the Rise” Award. Falcone is a partner at Vinson & Elkins’ Houston office and focuses his practice on M&A and private equity.
Jamie E. France has been promoted to partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. France represents clients in antitrust merger and non-merger investigations, as well as in complex private and government antitrust litigation.
James Lloyd has been promoted to Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation in the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Lloyd previously served as Acting Deputy for Civil Litigation and Associate Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation.
Munsch Hardt Senior Attorney Kelly E. Wise has been named to the 2024 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in recognition of her excellence in the Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants categories. Kelly focuses her practice on a range of litigation matters, including construction liability and defects, premises liability and transportation and trucking liability.
Jana M. Lambro, a shareholder at Munsch Hardt, has been recognized in the 2024 edition of the Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in the Real Estate Law category. Lambro’s practice focuses on commercial real estate development, including purchases, sales, retail and ground leases, brokerage agreements, and transactional financing.
Nicolas A. Gavrizi, an associate at Munsch Hardt, has been honored in the 2024 edition of the Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory. Gavrizi was featured for his excellence in Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, and Litigation – Construction. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, with an emphasis on the construction industry.
Utsav Mathur has been named to the 2023 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation guide. Mathur is a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright and focuses his practice on commodity trading, shipping, and offshore energy.
Denton Nichols has been named to the 2023 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation guide. Nichols is a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright and focuses his practice on international arbitration and disputes.
John Summers returns to the Dallas-based intellectual property and business litigation firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry following his recent stint as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Summers, who rejoins the firm as a principal, is an experienced trial lawyer who focuses on qui tam, commercial, and intellectual property litigation for businesses and individuals in a wide range of industries.
Patrick Lingwall has joined Kane Russell Coleman Logan PC as a senior attorney in the Business & Corporate practice in Houston. A double Longhorn, Lingwall specializes in the energy and infrastructure sectors and represents companies in complex business transactions and commercial matters.
Chris Stewart has been recognized on the 2023 Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for his work in intellectual property law. Stewart is a trial lawyer who focuses on patent and general commercial litigation as a principal at Caldwell Cassidy & Curry.
Michael B. Overstreet has been promoted to shareholder at Chamberlain Hrdlicka. A member of the firm’s Tax Planning & Business Transactions Group, he has significant experience forming, structuring, negotiating and implementing business acquisitions and dispositions, corporate reorganizations, mergers, conversions, and recapitalizations.
Isaac V. Sulemana has been appointed city attorney for the city of La Joya, Texas. Sulemana previously has served as chief of staff at the Hidalgo County Judge’s office, assistant district attorney at the Hidalgo County Criminal, and managing vice president/general counsel at the La Joya Area Federal Credit Union.
Sara Ann Brown has joined the Dallas office of the nationwide law firm Thompson Coburn as a partner. Ms. Brown is an experienced litigation attorney who represents clients in high-stakes, complex lawsuits.
Shannon Sims, an economy and government editor at Bloomberg, has been named Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Institute of Current World Affairs.
Chris Stewart from the Dallas law firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry has been recognized as one of the state’s top young lawyers on the 2022 Texas Rising Stars list published by Thomson Reuters. Mr. Stewart has earned repeated selections to the exclusive annual listing based on his work in intellectual property litigation.
Hong Shi has been promoted to counsel at Haynes and Boone, LLP. Shi is a member of the Intellectual Property Practice Group in the firm’s Austin office. In her role, she advises clients on patent office trials before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), negotiates patent licenses, and prepares patent applications.
Andrew Baumgardner has been selected as a Foundation Fellow by the San Antonio Bar Foundation. Baumgardner practices real estate and commercial law as a partner at Jackson Walker.
Jamie E. France has rejoined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as an Of Counsel in its Washington, D.C. office. She will serve as a member of the Litigation and Antitrust and Competition Practice Groups. Before rejoining Gibson Dunn, France served as an attorney in the Mergers IV Division of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition from 2015 to 2021. Previously, she was an associate attorney at Gibson Dunn from 2012 to 2015.
Rocio Guadalupe Mendoza has joined Paul Hastings LLP’s Houston office as partner. Mendoza comes to the firm from Baker & McKenzie. She advises on a diverse range of domestic and international energy-related transactions and projects, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and project development.
BakerHostetler has elected Thomas A. Donaho to the partnership, effective Jan. 1, 2021. His practice in Houston will focus on complex commercial and business litigation. He has experience representing clients in a wide range of contract matters, business torts and real estate disputes. Donaho earned his J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law and his A.B. from Duke University. He was previously an associate at the firm and is a member of the Litigation Practice Group.
Angela Fair, a Ward, Smith, & Hill Partner, was selected for the inaugural listing of Best Lawyers’ “Ones to Watch,” honoring attorneys early in their careers who exemplify professional excellence.
Jana M. Lambro was recently named to the inaugural edition of “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch,” which recognizes attorneys earlier in their legal careers.
Kelvin Smith, an LBJ student and colleague, passed away. Smith was a talented MPAff student with many interests. He also was a veteran who served his country in the US Navy. Smith previously had received a JD in Law in 2011 from the University of Texas School of Law, and he worked for several years in the legal field. In 2016, Smith returned to the University to pursue his MPAff degree at the LBJ School, focusing on Earth and Energy Resources. After joining the LBJ School, Smith pursued his keen passion for cybersecurity issues, and he was working towards the Cyber Security Certification from the Strauss Center of International Law & Security.
Accomplished attorney and University of Texas School of Law graduate John Summers (UT Law, ’11) of the Dallas business litigation and intellectual property law firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry has been named to the 2020 Texas Rising Stars list of the top young lawyers in the state. A principal of the firm, Mr. Summers also claimed repeat Texas Rising Stars honors based on their work for clients in intellectual property litigation and business.
Accomplished attorney and University of Texas School of Law graduates Chris Stewart (UT Law, ’11) of the Dallas business litigation and intellectual property law firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry has been named to the 2020 Texas Rising Stars list of the top young lawyers in the state. A principal of the firm, Mr. Stewart also claimed repeat Texas Rising Stars honors based on his work for clients in intellectual property litigation and business litigation.
Morrison & Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce that Matthew Dunlap has joined the firm’s London office as a partner in its Finance practice. Mr. Dunlap brings to the firm extensive experience in cross-border corporate and private equity finance transactions, with a particular emphasis on high yield debt offerings.
Chamberlain Hrdlicka recently elected Julie G. Edelman as an income shareholder during the firm’s annual meeting on February 8.
Vinson & Elkins LLP promoted Emery Choi to counsel effective Jan. 1, 2020. Choi represents clients in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, joint ventures and a variety of energy matters. Among his notable experience, Choi advised Devon Energy in the $2 billion sale of certain non-core upstream assets to multiple buyers.
Vinson & Elkins LLP promoted Matthew Falcone to counsel effective Jan. 1, 2020. Falcone focuses his practice on representing private equity funds, financial sponsors and public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, equity financings, joint ventures and other strategic transactions, particularly in the energy infrastructure sector.
Promoted to the Vinson & Elkins LLP partnership effective Jan. 1, 2020, Longhofer focuses on syndicated, acquisition and structured/mezzanine financings and debt restructurings, including debtor-in-possession facilities and complex intercreditor arrangements and preferred equity investments, primarily in the energy space. His industry experience includes oil and gas exploration and production; midstream; oilfield services; refining, distribution, storage and transportation; and retail.
Lauren Corbeil was promoted to partner in the Houston office of Locke Lord. Lauren focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate restructurings, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital transactions, corporate governance and other general corporate and commercial matters.
Starnes Davis Florie LLP welcomes Catherine (“Cat”) Kirkland as a partner to the firm’s Mobile office. Cat joins the firm’s transactional and regulatory healthcare practice. Cat’s nationwide practice focuses on advising healthcare providers on a variety of reimbursement, regulatory, compliance, and operational matters. She brings considerable experience with supplemental Medicaid programs, physician contracting, hospital collaborations, complex financial modeling, and compliance planning.