Kristofer Monson has been reappointed by Governor Abbott as Chief Administrative Law Judge for the State Office of Administrative Hearings. Monson has served as Chief ALJ since 2019, and previously was Assistant Solicitor General in the Office of the Attorney General of Texas.
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.
Mary Evelyn McNamara received the 2022 Professionalism Award from the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and the Austin Bar Association. She is a founding partner of the law firm Rivers McNamara.
Joshua Kelly has joined Austin’s Wittliff | Cutter as an associate in the firm’s commercial litigation group, handling business, intellectual property, and employment disputes. While at UT Law, Josh was an editor for the Texas Environmental Law Journal, a research assistant, a student attorney in the Domestic Violence Clinic, and a judicial intern in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Jonathan Curth has been named executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of W&T Offshore. Curth has served as an attorney in international law and general counsel at multiple companies in the oil and gas industry, where he has specialized in acquisitions, capital markets, and corporate transactions.
Floyd H. Christian, Jr. passed away on June 14, 2022. After attending Texas Law, Christian served in the military as a Captain, then became a practicing lawyer for the next 50 years. Christian was a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Angelton ISD School Board, and he served as president of the Brazoria County Bar Association.
John G. Browning received the Luther (Luke) H. Soules III Award for Outstanding Service to the Practice Award, presented by the State Bar of Texas Litigation Section to recognize an attorney “who embodies excellence in the practice of law and exemplary service to the State Bar.” Browning is a partner at Spencer Fane in Plano; he also served as an appellate justice on the 5th District Court of Appeals in Dallas.
Kayla Dreyer has been elected chair of the Colorado Bar Association Litigation Section’s Executive Council. Dreyer has been actively involved with the Litigation Section for six years, previously serving in chair-elect, treasurer and secretary roles. Dreyer is a shareholder at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office.
The Hon. Jack Holland passed away on June 10, 2022. Following his graduation from Texas Law, Holland was appointed as the district judge of the 173rd court where he served for more than 35 years, becoming the second-longest sitting judge in the state of Texas. After retiring as a judge, Holland continued to serve his community as a city attorney, a city municipal judge, and a private lawyer.
Jackie Furlow was awarded with the Texas’ Outstanding Young Litigator Award at the State Bar of Texas annual meeting. Furlow is a partner at Beck Redden LLP, where she represents clients in matters including business disputes, professional malpractice, products liability and more.
Reid Phillips was presented with the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award, North Carolina State Bar’s highest honor, at a meeting of the State Bar Council. The award honors current and retired members of the North Carolina State Bar who have demonstrated exemplary service to the legal profession. Reid Phillips is currently the managing partner of Brooks Pierce LLP.
An article authored by Michael J. Ritter – “Resolving the Anders Dilemmas: How & Why Texas Should Abandon the Anders Procedure” that was published in the St. Mary’s Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics – has received two honors. It was selected as the 2022 Outstanding Law Review Article Award by the Texas Bar Foundation and also won the Michael K. Moore Award from the State Bar of Texas Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters Committee for excellence in research or writing in the area of indigent criminal defense. Ritter is senior counsel at Schmoyer Reinhard LLP.
Irina B. Plumlee has been recognized as a top immigration attorney by Chambers USA, an independent research company delivering rankings and insight into the world’s leading lawyers. Plumlee is a shareholder for Musch Hardt PC, where her practice focuses on business and family immigration.
Daniel Sternthal has been recognized a s a top healthcare attorney by Chambers USA, an independent research company delivering rankings and insight into the world’s leading lawyers. Sternthal is a shareholder for Musch Hardt PC, where he serves as strategic counsel to a diverse range of health care entities as they evaluate and navigate through regulatory, administrative and transactional opportunities.
Stuart Miller has been recognized a s a top healthcare attorneyby Chambers USA, an independent research company delivering rankings and insight into the world’s leading lawyers. Miller is a shareholder for Musch Hardt PC, working in the Houston office where he represents health care clients in a variety of corporate and regulatory matters.
Jhett Nelson has been named a Rising Star by Law360, an honor awarded to top legal talents under 40. Nelson is a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where he co-led a team advising on one of the largest private acquisitions of oil and gas assets in recent years.
Paul Hobby has been elected to the Baker Institute Board of Advisors at Rice University. Hobby is the co-founder and managing director of Genesis Park, a private equity firm specializing in industrial intelligence, energy transition, and communications investments.
Wayne Kreis was inducted into the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame. Kreis played basketball at TCU and was named to the All-Southwest Conference First Team as a junior and the Frogs’ MVP. In his career, Kreis served as a lawyer and entrepreneur in oilfield technology before his death in 2019.
Sandra Phillips Rogers has been promoted to newly created position of senior vice president, corporate resources and general counsel for Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). Rogers has been with TMNA since 2012.
John Kinchen has been named a litigation partner at Smyser Kaplan & Veselka LLP, where he will serve in white collar defense and government investigations practice. Kinchen was previously a partner at Hughes Arrell Kinchen LLP, and also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Stefan Smith has been named a partner at BakerHostetler, where he specializes in helping employees navigate benefits and executive compensation matters. Previously, Smith was a partner at Locke Lord.
Francisco Solis has been named interim president at San Antonio College. Solis previously served as the college’s Dean of Performance Excellence since 2016, and professor of mortuary science from 1999 to 2016.
Chante (Prox) Brantley has been promoted to Clinical Professor of Law at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. Brantley also has received the Lois Bacon Special Services Award presented by the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP), for exceptional leadership, mentoring student associates in the practice of law, the clinic’s pro bono work, and partnership with DVAP.
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.
Scott Clark has joined Houston-based global intellectual property and commercial litigation firm Alavi Anaipakos as a partner. He represents clients in high-stakes intellectual property cases and business disputes.
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.
Faisal Al Alam has joined the Dallas office of Steptoe and Johnson PLLC as an associate. He will work in the professional liability practice group in the litigation department.
Ravez Javelidze has been appointed the new Head of Government Administration for Georgia by the country’s Prime Minister. Previously he held the positions of Deputy Head of the Administration of the Government of Georgia, Parliamentary Secretary of the Government, and Deputy Minister of Sport and Youth. Javelidze holds a Master of Law degree from Texas Law.
Drew Baldinger has been named a partner at Skadden’s Energy and Infrastructure Projects Group at the firm’s Houston office. Baldinger was previously a partner at DLA Piper, where he represented energy companies, private equity sponsors and strategic investors in joint venture transactions. He did his undergraduate work at UT in addition to attending Texas Law.
James Gayle III passed away on May 18, 2022. Gayle was a double Longhorn, having also earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from UT. Upon graduation from Texas Law, he served as a trial attorney in private practice and as a county judge, then was elected as judge of the 239th District Court of Brazoria County. Gayle was a veteran, having served in the United States Navy and in the Navy Reserves.
Lyrissa Lidsky has been named Raymond & Miriam Ehrlich Chair in U.S. Constitutional Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where she previously taught for 22 years. Most recently, Lidksy previously served as the first woman Dean of the University of Missouri School of Law.
Cindy Hill has been named general counsel for Round Rock ISD. Hill’s experience in legal firms has covered areas such as employment litigation, employee relations, education law and government contracting. She has served as outside general counsel for school district administrations and Boards of Trustees.
Andrew Hettinger has been named a 2022 Flinn-Brown Fellow by The Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation. This award goes to emerging civic leaders and recognized experts with diverse perspectives, unique experiences, and dedication to their respective communities. Hettinger currently serves as a magistrate for the City of Page, Arizona Magistrate Court.
Kayla Dreyer has been named a shareholder in Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP ’s litigation department. Dreyer’s prior practice experience focused on trade secrets, noncompete, nonsolicit, employee mobility disputes, and traditional labor and employment areas.
Charles Scarborough passed way on April 30, 2022. After graduating from Texas Law, he worked as a criminal and civil attorney. Scarborough was a founding member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and served as Director of the State Bar of Texas.
Iffy Ibekwe is the author of an article titled “First Impressions Matter” about the importance of client experiences at law firms. Ibekwe is the principal attorney and founder of Ibekwe Law, PLLC.
Audrey Momanaee has joined the Houston office of Balch and Bingham LLP to lead the Litigation Practice in Texas. Momanaee has more than 15 years of litigation experience.
Terry Schuster has been appointed by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy as the head of the New Jersey Office of Corrections ombudsperson. The ombudsperson investigates complaints and conducts inspections of the Department of Corrections’ adult prison facilities.
Rachel Morgan has been appointed executive vice president and general counsel of Nexstar Media Group. She will be responsible for the long-term legal strategy and day-to-day management of Nexstar’s legal affairs, as well as those of its affiliated companies.
John Aloysius Cogan has been promoted to professor of law and received tenure at the University of Connecticut School of Law. Cogan teaches courses surrounding health law and health insurance.
William D. White passed away on April 26, 2022. He was a double Longhorn who graduated from Texas Law in 1960. White practiced law in Dallas for more than 50 years, working both with his father and at Locke Lord LLP. He served as mayor of Highland Park from 2002-08 and was a strong supporter of the United Way.
Leann Guzman has been chosen as the next city attorney for Fort Worth; she will be appointed by the City Council on May 10. Guzman has been a prosecuting attorney on the City Attorney’s Office for 18 years.
Colleen Marie Sullivan is the recipient of the Austin Bar Association’s 2022 Larry F. York Mentoring Award. This award honors Central Texas lawyers or judges who have exhibited extreme skill and generosity in their mentorship of younger members of the bar. Sullivan is the mandamus attorney at the Supreme Court of Texas. She joined the Court in April 2021 after 11 years as a staff attorney at the Third Court of Appeals.
Linda Rockwood has been invited to join the University of Denver Alumni Council, where she earned her undergraduate degree before graduating from Texas Law. Rockwood is an environmental lawyer whose practice specializes in environmental remediation and air quality.
Michael Collins has joined Tritium DCFC Limited as general counsel and company secretary. He leads the legal department and works closely with Tritium’s Board of Directors to further strategic and business objectives while minimizing risks and ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations and Company policies.
Zachary D. Norris passed away on October 24, 2021. He graduated from Texas Law in 2002 and worked as a civil litigator and in the U.S. Federal District Court in Texas, before relocating to New Zealand. With his wife, he co-founded Norris Echetebu Law, a business, entertainment, and immigration firm.
Ronnie Stephens passed away on April 15, 2022. Stephens earned both his bachelor’s degree in business and his law degree from UT. He practiced family and property law and served as county attorney for Young County, before becoming lead counsel for a trucking, oil, and gas company. Stephens also was active in his community of Graham, serving on multiple boards.
Kenneth Miles passed away on April 12, 2022. Miles graduated from Texas Law in 1980 and served for 20 years in the United States Military. He also worked as an attorney, specializing in real estate and banking.
Jim Hill has been selected as a 2022 Super Lawyer in the area of Bankruptcy: Business, an honor he has received for the last 16 years. A founding member of Sullivan Hill Rez & Engel in San Diego, Hill is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and chair of the Insolvency and Commercial Bankruptcy practice group. He practices primarily in the areas of bankruptcy, insolvency and commercial law.
Chris Hawkins has been selected as a 2022 Super Lawyer in the area of Bankruptcy: Business. A shareholder at Sullivan Hill Rez & Engel in San Diego and member of the firm’s Executive Committee, he practices in the Insolvency and Commercial Bankruptcy, Business Transactions, and Commercial and Business Litigation groups.