Class Notes

Aleza Remis has joined Hicks Thomas’ Houston office as senior counsel. She previously was the assistant deputy chief of the U.S. Department of Justice Health Care Fraud Unit.

Mason Harry has been promoted to partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in Houston. He represents clients in the acquisition, development, financing and disposition of energy projects across the United States.

Jessica Soos has joined the Specialized Advocacy practice group at Butler Snow’s Austin office. Soos, whose practice focuses on the dynamic evolution of the competitive and regulated electric markets in Texas and across the United States, previously worked at Enoch Kever.

Elizabeth Romefelt has been promoted to partnership at Gibson Dunn, where she focuses on mergers and acquisitions, in New York City. Romefelt has a broad range of experience in M&A, from representing public and private companies to financial sponsors and handling other complex corporate transactions.

Frances Blake is the new general counsel and vice president of regulatory affairs for the Texas Association of Builders. Previously, Blake served as bond counsel and general counsel to various local governmental entities, as well as an assistant United States attorney.

Sarah Christian has joined Jackson Walker’s Austin office in the firm’s Finance & Banking practice group. Christian has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a “Texas Rising Star” and by Austin Monthly Magazine as a top finance attorney for the past three years.

Greg Sorensen has been promoted to counsel at Latham & Watkins’ Houston office. Sorensen is a member of the firm’s M&A and Private Equity Practice and Corporate department and advises clients on strategic energy and infrastructure transactions.

Cathy Garza has joined the Jackson Walker’s Electric Regulatory practice in Austin. She regularly advises clients in the electricity sector, including investor-owned utilities, power generation companies, retail electric providers and developers on regulatory and commercial litigation, as well as compliance issues. Garza advocates for clients in contested proceedings before the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the State Office of Administrative Hearings.

Brad Estes joined the partnership at Lewis & Llewellyn, LLP, a litigation boutique based in San Francisco. Estes represents plaintiffs and defendants across a wide variety of industries at every stage of complex commercial litigation, including business tort, contract, fraud, regulatory, trade secret, trademark, employee mobility, and competition disputes. He has been recognized as a Northern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Alejandra Avila has rejoined Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick PLLC as of counsel. Avila was formerly an associate at the firm before serving as a judicial law clerk to Justice Sonia Sotomayor on the United States Supreme Court.

Hayden Harms has been promoted to partnership at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s Houston office. Harms focuses on the development, construction and operation of highly complex power and infrastructure projects with a focus on the renewable energy and energy transition industries.

Matt Pyeatt has joined Vinson & Elkins’ Dallas office as senior associate. Pyeatt focuses his practice on restructuring and reorganization and represents companies, creditors, and investors in complex corporate restructurings.

Courtney Hammond has been named a recipient of Texas Lawyer’s 2023 “On the Rise” Award. Hammond is a member of Vinson & Elkins’ real estate practice and focuses on commercial real estate projects.

Michael Kelso has been named a Rising Star by Texas Lawyer. Kelso is a trial lawyer at Susman Godfrey LLP and focuses his practice on antitrust, securities fraud, and the energy sector.

Rocco Magni has been named a Rising Star by Texas Lawyer. Magni is a trial lawyer at Susman Godfrey LLP and specializes in commercial litigation and patents.

Rachel Ratcliffe Payne has been elected a partner at Latham & Watkins LLP in Austin. A member of the Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department, she advises public and private companies across industries on strategic and private equity M&A, take-private transactions, SEC compliance, and corporate governance.

Rachel E. Ratcliffe Payne has been elected to partnership at Latham & Watkins LLP. She is a member of the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department.

Elizabeth F. “Liza” Eoff, an associate at Munsch Hardt, has been honored in the 2024 edition of the Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in the Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Law categories. Eoff is a trial lawyer who focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, including litigation related to the oil and gas industry.

Samantha Jarvis has been named to the 2023 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation guide. Jarvis is a partner at Smyser Kaplan & Veselka, L.L.P. and focuses her practice on commercial disputes and white collar litigation.

Michael Kelso has been named to the 2023 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation guide. Kelso is a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP and focuses his practice on commercial litigation.

Rocco Magni has been named to the 2023 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation guide. Magni is a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP and focuses his trial practice on commercial litigation.

Stephanie L. Matherne has been named to the 2023 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation guide. Matherne is a partner at Estes Thorne Ewing & Payne and focuses her practice on family law.

Austin C. Whitmore has been named to the 2023 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation guide. Whitmore is a senior associate at McGuire Craddock and focuses his practice on commercial real estate and finance.

Josh Reyna has been named chief of staff for Texas State Senator César Blanco. Reyna previously served as legislative director for the vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and has worked on Sen. Blanco’s staff since 2016.

Brent Rubin has been promoted to partner at Carrington Coleman. Rubin is a trial and appellate lawyer representing individuals, businesses and government entities in complex business disputes, including non-compete/non-solicitation disputes, insurance coverage, professional liability, real estate and construction matters.

Marie Harlan has joined the Houston office of McFarland PLLC  as a partner. Harlan specializes in private property rights, eminent domain and condemnation law.

Matt Stewart has been promoted to partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP. Stewart is a member of the firm’s Investment Management and Private Equity practice groups. He focuses on structuring, forming, and advising private equity, energy, real estate, and other private investment funds and their management companies.

Chase Proctor has been promoted to partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP. A member of the firm’s Mergers &Acquisitions practice group, Proctor has experience in acquisitions, divestitures, securities transactions, and other complex business transactions.

Garrett Martin has been promoted to partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP. Martin specializes in the firm’s Energy, Power and Natural Resources practice, representing clients in all facets of the oil and gas industry.

Jeavon (Ehler) Lang was honored as the 2022 Attorney of the Year, Appellate Division, in the Montana Office of the State Public Defender. While at Texas Law, she was president of the Environmental Law Society.

Emily Stegich has been promoted to counsel at Latham & Watkins. Stegich is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice and Corporate Department, where she advises public and private companies on complex M&A, corporate reorganizations, and general corporate governance.

Naim Culhaci has been promoted to counsel at Latham & Watkins. Culhaci is a member of the Capital Markets Practice and Corporate Department, where he specializes in advising investment banks, hedge funds, private equity firms, alternative trading platforms, transfer agents, and other securities-related platforms on securities market regulation matters.

Molly Fenton has been promoted to Partner at Cohen Gardner LLP. Fenton specializes in entertainment law, negotiating deals and contracts for a range of clients in film, television, and digital/new media spaces.

Ima E. Nsien has been named as a principal in Squire Patton Boggs’ healthcare litigation practice group in the Los Angeles office. Nsien previously provided legal aid to some of the largest providers within the sector, including health insurers, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies.

Austin Whitmore has joined McGuire, Craddock & Strother as a senior associate, specializing in real estate law. He previously served in the same position at Reed Smith LLP.

Bartholomew W. Nebergall has joined the law firm Polsinelli as counsel in the Dallas office. Nebergall will work in the firm’s Corporate and Transactional Practice, which is part of the National Business Department.

Koby Kirkland opened plaintiff’s firm the Law Office of Koby Kirkland, LLC in Mobile, Alabama. Kirkland’s law office handles personal injury cases in Alabama and Texas, federal tort claims nationwide, and vaccine injury claims nationwide.

Molly (Bentley) Fenton was recognized by Variety as one of Hollywood’s New Leaders of 2021.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that Anna Lee Alford has joined the firm’s Dallas office as an associate, expanding the firm’s real estate, banking, and financial services practices. Ms. Alford focuses her practice on real estate finance, financial services and business and corporate transactions. Ms. Alford received her J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law in 2014.

Stephanie Rzepka has been promoted to Counsel at Tucker Ellis LLP. Stephanie represents clients in class action and complex commercial litigation matters across a variety of areas, including price premium, securities fraud, wage and hour, resale price maintenance, and
pay for delay.

Ben Maddox (’14) currently serves as a Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG) at the Washington Navy Yard. He was recently selected as a 2019 Presidential Leadership Scholar, which is a leadership development initiative in partnership with the George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon Johnson presidential libraries. As part of the program, Ben’s leadership project will address the large racial disparities in military justice.

ADLI Law Group, a Los Angeles-based law firm, welcomes Associate Attorney Ima Nsien. Nsien joins the firm’s civil litigation practice focusing on healthcare and family law with a special interest in assisted reproduction technologies (ART). She has experience in a variety of civil matters, all stages of litigation, as well as dissolution, legal separation, support and child custody.

Benjamin DeMarsh has joined Berlin Patten Ebling PLLC, the ninth attorney in the firm’s expanding practice with offices in Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota and Venice. He will join the firm’s litigation department and primarily practice in the areas of residential and commercial real property related litigation.

Kate Bailey recently joined HunterMaclean, a leading business law firm with offices in Savannah and Brunswick, as an associate in the firm’s Employment and Business Litigation Groups.