Class Notes

Sam G. Croom Jr. passed away on Jan. 13, 2023. A Navy veteran, Croom went on to practice at Baker Botts until his retirement as a partner in 1993.

Jimmy Kirby has been named deputy director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Kirby previously served as associate director of FinCEN’s Research and Analysis Division as well as FinCEN’s chief counsel.

Lamont Jefferson has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Jefferson is an accomplished trial lawyer and partner at Jefferson Cano.

Kennon Wooten has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Wooten is a partner at Scott Douglas McConnico, focusing on general civil litigation and complex commercial litigation.

Roger W. Hughes has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Hughes is a partner at Adams & Graham, LLP.

Jesse Pierce has been listed among the nation’s top attorneys by the 2024 edition of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers in America for excellence in commercial litigation.

Jack O’Neill has been listed among the nation’s top attorneys by the 2024 edition of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers in America for commercial litigation excellence.

Linda Addison has joined the board of Lexitas, an Apax Partners private equity portfolio company and national provider of technology-enabled litigation support services to the legal industry, businesses and corporations. Addison, past U.S. managing partner of Norton Rose Fulbright, is founding president of the Center for Women in Law and has received both the University’s Presidential Citation and Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Professor Lonny S. Hoffman has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Hoffman is the law foundation professor at the University of Houston Law Center.

Lisa Bowlin Hobbs has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Hobbs is a founding member of Kuhn Hobbs PLLC.

Mike Hatchell has been appointed as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Hatchell serves at Haynes Boone where he focuses on appeals in all state and federal courts with emphasis on the Supreme Court of Texas.

Macey Reasoner Stokes has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Stokes is partner at Baker Botts where she serves as practice group chair of the firm’s appellate practice.

Pete Schenkkan has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Schenkkan specializes in regulatory and other public policy litigation at Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody.

Cynthia Graham has been appointed as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Graham opened her own law office in 1994 and has been serving the Panhandle community for the last 30 years.

Rich Phillips has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Phillips is a partner at Holland & Knight specializing in appellate cases in energy disputes.

Connie Pfeiffer has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Pfeiffer is a partner at YetterColeman as a board-certified appellate specialist.

Eduardo R. Rodriguez has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Rodriguez is a partner at Atlas Hall Rodriguez.

Hon. Tracy E. Christopher has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Justice Christopher has served as Chief Justice of the 14th Court of Appeals since 2020.

Richard R. Orsinger has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Orsinger is a partner at Orsinger Nelson Downing Anderson as one of Texas’ top family law and appellate lawyers.

Robert L. Levy has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Levy currently serves as Executive Counsel of Legal Policy at ExxonMobil.

Jerry Bullard has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Bullard is a partner at Adams Lynch & Loftlin specializing in handling civil appeals in complex civil litigation.

Hon. John Browning has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Justice Browning has served on the Fifth District Court of Appeals since 2020.

Hon. Harvey Brown has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Brown has seven years of experience as a trial judge.

Hon. Peter Michael Kelly has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Justice Kelly has been serving on the Texas First District Court of Appeals since 2018.

Jerry Johnson passed away on Jan. 4, 2023. Johnson practiced law in Dallas for nearly 50 years, specializing in commercial real estate.

Tara Porterfield has been named senior counsel at Littler in its Austin office. She focuses her practice exclusively on employment law litigation and counseling. Porterfield has more than 20 years of employment litigation experience, including her most recent position at Vinson & Elkins.

Kayvon Rashidi is now Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) after passing the 2023 board exam. Rashidi is with Powers and Kerr, PLLC.

Hilary Frisbie has been appointed to senior director of investor relations at Oceaneering International, Inc.. Frisbie has served as associate general counsel, leading Oceaneering’s global contracting programs.

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.

Jerry L. Adams passed away Jan. 6, 2024. He spent his 41-year legal career with Greer Herz & Adams L.L.P. and was the firm’s managing partner for many years. While at Texas Law, Adams was honored as a Chancellor and was associate editor of the Texas Law Review.

Jennifer Monday Goldman passed away Jan. 6, 2024. Goldman served Texas Law and Texas Development as Director of Gift and Estate Planning. Previously, she practiced law at Vinson & Elkins before transitioning to a career in financial planning and estate law.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made to the Jennifer Monday Goldman Memorial Scholarship at Texas Law fund established to support excellence and access for Texas Law Scholars, a goal near and dear to Jenn’s heart and professional work.

John Davis “JD” Head Jr. passed away Dec. 11, 2023. Head served as a director of the Legal Division and general counsel of the Texas Environmental Regulatory Agency before becoming a senior partner at Fritz, Byrne, Head & Gilstrap, PLLC.

Carson Glass Lamle has been elected as one of the newest shareholders at Hall Estill. Lemle, who rejoined Hall Estill in January 2022, started her career with the firm in 2016 before serving as a law clerk for the Honorable John F. Heil, III. Carson practices in complex commercial litigation and energy and natural resources law.

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.

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.

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.

Joe Redden has announced his retirement from Beck Redden and the practice of law. Redden, founding partner emeritus of Beck Redden LLP, enjoyed a 48-year career as a trial lawyer and was elected to fellowship in the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1995.

Jason P. Steed has been elected to the American Law Institute. Steed is currently a visiting professor at the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law and has previously worked as an appellate attorney.

Judge Richard B. Farrer has been elected to the American Law Institute. Farrer currently serves as a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Brian M. Gillett has been promoted to partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP in Dallas. Gillett specializes in handling high-stakes, complex commercial matters at all stages of litigation.

James Hammett, Jr. passed away on Dec. 31, 2023. Hammett was a highly regarded oil and gas litigator, and managing partner at Stubbeman, McRae, Sealy, Laughlin, and Browder.

Manuel Mungia has joined Norton Rose Fulbright’s global insurance practice as a partner. Mungia worked at the firm as an associate previously in his career, specializing in advising domestic and foreign insurers in complex coverage matters.

Mary Kate Raffetto is joining the partnership at Beck Redden LLP. Raffetto is a trial and appellate specialist with significant experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants.

Diana Lynn Holt passed away on Dec. 18, 2023. Holt had an accomplished 30-year career representing indigent death-sentenced inmates, resulting in recognition by national and local media outlets.

Janice Pardue passed away on Dec. 21, 2023. Pardue was a celebrated family lawyer,  selected by her peers as a Super Lawyer and serving as chair of the HBA Family Law Section, Gulf Coast Family Lawyers, the Collaborative Law Section and Association of Women Attorneys.

George M. Callahan passed away on Dec. 21, 2023. Callahan was a domestic lawyer for more than 30 years and served as the state chair of the Arkansas Chapter of Ducks Unlimited.

Carrie Douglas has been promoted to partner at Bracewell, specializing in the firm’s healthcare and life sciences practice. Douglas represents hospital systems, surgery centers, and large physician practices in coverage and reimbursement disputes with health insurers.

Paul F. Schuster has been promoted to partner at Bracewell’s litigation department. Schuster specializes in representing healthcare providers on a range of litigation and regulatory matters.

Miatta Echetebu has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as an associate. Echetebu is a member of the firm’s Corporate and Securities Practice Group, specializing in private equity and other corporate and securities transactions.

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.