Class Notes

Robert Hughes has been promoted to partner at Vinson & Elkins effective Jan. 1, 2022. Hughes advises private equity firms, portfolio companies and a variety of public and private businesses in connection with a range of strategic transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, structured financings, leveraged buyouts and joint ventures. His work focuses on identifying practical solutions to complex legal issues and spans a variety industries, including infrastructure, renewables, telecommunications, energy and technology.

Rachel Fitzgerald has been elected partner with Locke Lord’s Houston practice. Fitzgerald practices corporate law, focusing primarily on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate restructurings, joint ventures and matters related to corporate governance and compliance. She has a particular focus in energy — including midstream, oilfield services, renewables and storage facilities — insurance and media.

Brandan Montminy has been elected partner with Locke Lord’s Dallas practice. Montminy provides counsel to clients in a wide array of litigation matters as well as in privacy, data protection, cybersecurity compliance, and incident preparedness and response. He represents clients across multiple industries, including banking and finance, commercial, construction, health care, insurance, professional services, real estate and technology.

Jennifer M. Gascoyne has been elected a partner at Latham & Watkins in London, effective January 1, 2022. A member of the Capital Markets Practice in the Corporate Department, she represents both issuers and investment banks on a range of capital markets transactions, including IPOs. She advises clients across a variety of industries and has particular experience with cross-border transactions and foreign private issuers. She received her JD from the University of Texas School of Law in 2013.

Jackie Furlow has been recognized in the 2022 The Best Lawyers in America ranking of the nation’s top legal talent. She is an attorney with Beck Redden who specializes in in Commercial Litigation.

Caitlin Rice has been promoted to the leadership position of Global Vice President, Customer Service. She was previously the Senior Director, Commercial Support for the evo^® Cold Chain Management Platform.

Parth S. Gejji, an associate with Beck Redden, has been recognized as a 2021 Texas Rising Star by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers.

Jacqueline M. Furlow, an associate with Beck Redden, has been recognized as a 2021 Texas Rising Star by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers.

Jacqueline Furlow was recently named to the inaugural edition of “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch,” which recognizes attorneys earlier in their legal careers.

Jacqueline Furlow is one of the six Beck Redden attorneys who have been recognized as 2020 Texas Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers.

Joel Daniel recently joined Foran Glennon as a commercial litigation attorney. He will focus his work on civil defense litigation and first-party insurance disputes, including bad faith claims, environmental damage, builder’s risk claims, and construction and design defect claims.

Lauren Fitte, an international tax and estate planning associate at the Austin firm of Giordani, Swanger, Ripp, & Jetel, LLP, has been named a Rising Star for 2018 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. Each year, no more than 2 percent of lawyers in the state are named rising stars.

On February 1, 2018, Martha Todd joined McGinnis Lochridge—a legal fixture in Austin for 90 years—as Associate. McGinnis Lochridge has a strong presence in Austin and Houston, providing legal counsel on business and financial matters, and advocating for clients before administrative agencies, at the state capitol, and in courthouses across Texas and throughout the Southwest.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP announced that Adam Arikat has joined its Dallas office as an associate in the Firm’s Tax, Executive Compensation & Benefits Department. Prior to joining Weil, Arikat served as an Upstream Business Services attorney at ExxonMobil, where he worked on the structuring of upstream transactions, divestments and joint ventures. Arikat earned an Executive LL.M. in Taxation from New York University and previously completed his J.D. at The University of Texas School of Law.

Lanier Law Firm associate Ryan D. Ellis has been selected by Texas Lawyer to the magazine’s 2017 Lawyers on the Rise list of leading young attorneys in the state.

Megan Sheffield, ’13, welcomed daughter Mila Love Sheffield Motaghedi on Aug. 16, 2015.