Class Notes

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.

Stephen Lawrence Jenks passed away on August 8, 2025. He spent over 31 years with the FBI, working on many high-profile cases from the bureau’s Palo Alto office for the majority of his career.

Jerry Monroe Coleman passed away on Sept. 16, 2025. During his career included he was partner with the Austin office of the firm Long, Coleman, Dugger & Cotton, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Citizens National Bank of Austin, and a real estate developer.

Brad Caldwell has been named to the 2025 Texas Super Lawyers list for his work in intellectual property and patent trials. Caldwell, who is a principal at the Dallas trial firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry, also was recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Barrett Robin has earned selection on the 2025 Texas Rising Stars list of the state’s top young attorneys for his successful work in high-stakes personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Robin is a partner at Hamilton Wingo in Dallas.

Chris Hamilton of Hamilton Wingo in Dallas has earned selection on the 2025 Texas Super Lawyers list based on his work in high-stakes personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Hamilton, the firm’s founding partner and owner, also has been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Heather (Fleniken) McFarlane has joined the panel for JAMS—the largest private provider of ADR (alternative dispute resolution) services worldwide—as a mediator and arbitrator. She works out of the Houston Resolution Center.

Lauren Davis has joined Gutt Law, PLLC as an attorney. She previously served as an in-house attorney for Big Machine Label Group and was part of Concord Music Publishing’s legal team.

Ronald Rodriguez has begun to teach an innovative course on personal injury trial practice here at Texas Law. Rodriguez’s book, “Texas Personal Injury Trial Law Handbook,” acts as a trial-practice guide in Texas.

Charles Taylor Gandy passed away Sept. 16, 2025. Gandy, a double Longhorn, served as mayor pro tem in Tarrant County, and was a certified specialist in probate and estate planning, a devoted philanthropist, and a real estate developer.

Thomas Hight Jr. passed away on August 19, 2025. He practiced law at the Dallas-based firm Hight and Hight for over two decades before ending his career as an administrative law judge for the state of Texas.

Judge Hilda Tagle Knebel, the first Hispanic woman in Texas to become a federal judge, will be honored at Texas Woman’s University with the official opening of the Judge Hilda Tagle Collection on Oct. 1, 2025. This archive will include a comprehensive collection of documents and other materials that chronicle her historic judicial career, community engagement, and civic leadership.

Senior U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks passed away on Sept. 17, 2025. His federal judicial career spanned over 30 years, becoming a senior judge in 2017 who presided over many of the most high-profile and consequential federal cases in Central Texas.

The Honorable Amy Martin passed away on Sept. 7, 2025. She served a four-year term on the bench of the 263rd District Court of Harris County before returning to private practice and eventually joining the University of Houston Law Center as the director of student advisement.

Will Paxton “Bill” Ellis passed away on Sept. 13, 2025. He established the law firm Ellis, Koeneke & Ramirez in 1982 and spent his legal career serving his clients in the estate planning and probate legal field in South Texas.

John Jackson (Jack) McClendon Jr. passed away on Sept. 11, 2025. He enjoyed a successful legal career than spanned over five decades and also served his community in Lubbock, Texas, by serving on or leading many boards and committees.

William G. Hagans has been named to the Top 100 Houston Super Lawyers list for 2025 by the Thompson Reuters publication Texas Super Lawyers. He currently serves as an attorney and president of the firm Hagans.

Parks Harding Stearns Jr. passed away on Sept. 11, 2025. He served in the FBI as a legal liaison for over 30 years before joining Unitrin and Kemper Insurance Investigation at the end of his distinguished career.

Roshni Mahendru has joined the Austin office of Butler Snow LLP as a member of the Commercial Litigation group. She was previously a litigation associate at Holland & Knight LLP.

Sharon Kay Talley passed away on August 21, 2025. She served the Austin community for over 40 years—both in private practice and for the Travis County Attorney’s Office—specializing in the protection of victims of family violence, the environment, and animals.

Billy Joe McLain has rejoined the Los Angeles office of Hueston Hennigan as counsel to handle civil litigation, trial, and white-collar defense work. He previously served as a federal prosecutor in the Central and Southern District of California for nearly a decade.

Elizabeth Henderson has joined the Austin office of Ogletree Deakins as of counsel. She previously served as principal corporate counsel, attorney manager, and co-lead for the U.S. Immigration Attorney Team at Microsoft.

Martin Sosland is joining the Dallas office of Vartabedian Hester & Haynes. Sosland’s extensive experience in bankruptcy and reorganization will add depth to the litigation boutique firm’s corporate restructuring and finance practice.

Bennett “Ben” Wilson Cervin passed away on September 1, 2025. Cervin retired as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force and also served in the Texas Air National Guard. An expert in labor and employment law, he was a senior partner, then of counsel, at Thompson & Knight.

Donald Patrick Dorsey passed away on August 12, 2025. His distinguished legal career as an attorney spanned nearly six decades, devoted to serving his community in Kerrville, Texas.

Andres Contreras has been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America directory in recognition of his legal excellence in two categories:  Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants and Product Liability Litigation–Defendants. He is an associate in the Houston office of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.

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.

Scott Clark has been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in high-stakes intellectual property and patent trials. He is a partner at Alavi Anaipakos PLLC’s Houston office.

Mitchell McFarland has been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America directory for his legal excellence in the Commercial Litigation category. He is a shareholder in the Houston office of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.

Stuart Miller has been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America directory for his legal excellence in the Health Care Law category. He is a shareholder in the Houston 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.

Michael McBride has been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in high-stakes intellectual property and patent trials. He is a partner at Alavi Anaipakos PLLC’s Houston office.

Mason Hester has been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America directory for his legal excellence in the Construction Law and Litigation-Construction category. He is a shareholder in the Houston office of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.

Catherine Cozzolino has joined the General Liability Litigation Practice Group as an associate for Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP in Denver.  She previously served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable William W. Hood III of the Colorado Supreme Court.

Mike Hatchell, appellate counsel at Haynes Boone in Austin, received the 2025 Chief Justice Jack Pope Professionalism Award by the Texas Center for Legal Ethics in recognition of his unwavering professionalism and integrity in appellate law.

Ashley Morgan, an attorney and lobbyist at Erben & Yarbrough in Austin, received the 2025 Lumberjack Pride Award by Stephen F. Austin University. This award honors alumni who demonstrate Lumberjack pride and spirit.

Christina Lynn Falkiewicz passed away on August 23, 2025. Falkiewicz helped families in the San Antonio area through her personal probate, estate planning and guardianship matters practice before joining UTSA as a guest lecturer.

Alistair Byrne Dawson passed away on August 30, 2025. A respected partner and trial attorney at Beck Redden, Dawson served as a president of the Houston Bar Association, chairman of the Texas Bar Foundation, fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Nicholas Lowrey has been honored in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. He is of counsel at Klasko Immigration Law Partners, LLP.

George Padis has joined Sbaiti & Company in Dallas as the boutique litigation firm’s newest partner. He comes to the position after serving five years as a deputy civil chief and assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Previously Padis practiced complex commercial litigation in the Dallas office of Vinson & Elkins.

Walter A. Buchanan, a shareholder with Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.  in Dallas, was featured in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® directory. He was highlighted for his legal excellence in the Banking and Finance Law category.

Frederick W. “Rick” Addison, a shareholder with Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.  in Dallas, was featured in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® directory. He was honored for his legal excellence in the Environmental Law and Litigation – Environmental categories.

Stephen “Steve” Edwards passed away on August 14, 2025. A double Longhorn, he practiced as an assistant district attorney in Travis County before entering private practice.

Rachael Marsh has joined the leadership team of the Edison Electric Institute in Washington, D.C., as chief legal officer. She previously served as vice president of government affairs and managing counsel at Calpine Corporation, as well as partner at Bracewell LLP.

Samuel Tevis Grinstead passed away on August 9, 2025. A double Longhorn, he served as a partner at Vinson & Elkins in Houston for over three decades.

Lourdes “Lulu” Ortiz has been named to the 2025 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation list. She is an associate at Cleveland Krist PLLC in Austin who represents plaintiffs and defendants in commercial disputes in state and federal courts.

Michael Kelso ’14 was recognized by Bloomberg News in its “40 under 40” list of next-generation legal leaders from  various legal specialties. Kelso is a partner at Susman Godfrey in Houston, specializing in litigation.

Albert W. Schorre Jr. passed away on August 6, 2025. After working as a partner at Stubbeman Mcrae law firm handling oil and gas litigation, he went on to serve as district attorney for West Texas from 1985 to 2007, and also chaired state drug policy and criminal justice advisory panels.

Grant D. Godfrey has joined national litigation law firm mctlaw as an appellate attorney based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. His legal practice will focus on complex appeals in federal and state courts across the United States.

Michael Joseph Whitten passed away on July 26, 2025. Whitten was a respected Denton attorney, earning recognition for his trial skill, mediation work, and dedication to pro bono service, while remaining deeply devoted to his family and community.