Class Notes

Buena Vista Lyons has joined Jackson Lewis in Dallas as an employment litigation principal. She previously worked for FordHarrison as managing partner.

Stan Biderman recently published his latest book, The Secularist’s Bible and Other Astonishing Absurdities, and on Sept. 26, 2026, which will be celebrated at a BookPeople event featuring Biderman. He is the author of two award-winning books, former CEO of BookPeople, and served as the “counterculture business lawyer of Austin.”

Charles William “Bill” Blair passed away on Sept. 9, 2026. After earning with both his J.D. and MBA from Texas, Blair built an accomplished career at Kelly Hart, where he remained committed to pro bono work. A generous philanthropist, he established the Ruth K. Blair Endowment at Texas Law in honor of his mother.

Alexander Ray has joined the business department at Tonkon Torp in Portland, Oregon. He previously was an associate attorney for Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, working in corporate governance, venture capital and growth equity investments, securities law, and advising emerging businesses.

Elizabeth Bellows Brockman has joined the UTHealth Houston Development Board. She currently works as an attorney, and spent several years at Vinson & Elkins in Houston.

Austin Nelson, who has started a tenure-track assistant professorship at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law, received the Best Dissertation Award from the American Political Science Association’s American Political Thought Section.

Della Sentilles has joined Steptoe’s New York office as a partner in its Investigations, White-Collar Defense and Compliance group. Sentilles previously served as senior attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Fraud Section.

Josiah Daniel has published “Determining the Historiographical Problem of Municipal Bankruptcy: Hatton Sumners and the Enactment and Amendment of Chapter IX, 1933-1979” in 100 American Bankruptcy Law Journal 327-428. Daniel is a retired partner at Vinson & Elkins and visiting scholar in the University of Texas at Austin’s Department of History.

Hank W. Flagg Jr. passed away on Sept. 2, 2026. After serving as a lieutenant in the Army Judge Advocate General Corp. in Washington, D.C., he spent his career in the legal department of NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston (later renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center), including nearly two decades as chief counsel.

William “Bill” Puckett passed away on August 26, 2026. After proudly serving in the United States Army Military in Intelligence as a second lieutenant, he enjoyed a long career as a criminal defense attorney before retiring in 2016.

Judge Alan Albright is joining the Austin office of A&O Shearman as a partner in its Intellectual Property Litigation practice. Albright previously served eight years as a United States district judge for the Western District of Texas.

Kelsi Stayart White has been named to Law360’s Rising Stars list, one of the appellate attorneys under age 40 to be honored. She currently serves as a partner at Ahmad Zavitsanos & Mensing in Houston.

Jon Hyland has joined Kane Russell Coleman Logan’s Dallas office as a director. Hyland focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation and has extensive experience serving as lead counsel in federal courts.

Katherine Himaya Lewis has joined the Tulsa office of GableGotwals as a litigation associate. She will focus on commercial litigation, researching complex legal issues and conducting analysis, drafting motions and briefs, and providing trial support.

Kelly Wise has been recognized on the Woodward/White Inc. 2027 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in the categories Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation–Defendant and Product Liability Litigation–Defendants. Wise is a shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr in Dallas. The peer-nominated list honors U.S.-based attorneys who demonstrate outstanding professional excellence in private practice.

Marisol Sobek has been recognized on the Woodward/White Inc. 2027 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in the Commercial Litigation category. Sobek is an associate at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr in Austin. The peer-nominated list honors U.S.-based attorneys who have been in practice for five to nine years and demonstrate outstanding professional excellence.

Madeline Mitchell has been recognized on the Woodward/White Inc. 2027 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in the Commercial Litigation category. Mitchell is an associate at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr in Austin. The peer-nominated list honors U.S.-based attorneys who have been in practice for five to nine years and demonstrate outstanding professional excellence.

John Zachary has been appointed as an immigration judge at the Oakdale Immigration Court in Louisiana. He previously served as an assistant chief counsel with the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Justice Steve Smith is preparing to retire from the 10th Court of Appeals and will receive two lifetime achievement awards, from the judicial section of the State Bar of Texas and the “Chair’s Award” from the Texas Center for the Judiciary. After 22 years at the 361st District Court, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Smith to the 10th Court of Appeals where he will wraps up his judicial career.

Leslie Kay Ritchie Robnett has been reappointed to the Specialty Courts Advisory Council of Texas. As a sixth generation Texas lawyer and rancher, Robnett currently works at LKR Law in Austin as a litigation and regulatory counselor. She is the former Fort Worth chair of Texas Law Alumni Association Executive Committee.

Travis Wussow recently founded Bell Rock Strategies to build AI-powered workflows. He also is joining Texas Law as a lecturer, where he leads the school’s AI skills program.

Jim Ammerman II has been appointed municipal court judge of Marshall, Texas. He previously served as the County Court at Law judge for Harrison County starting in 1997, won reelection four times before his last term ended in 2014, and returned to private practice.

Michael Roy Pickering passed away on Nov. 2, 2025. A double Longhorn, he practiced law for decades in Houston before retiring in Horseshoe Bay.

Charles Fowler has been named to Law360’s Rising Stars of 2026, a list of more than 160 attorneys under 40 based on their legal accomplishments. He currently serves as the head of Texas trial firm McKool Smith’s appellate practice in Austin.

The Honorable Michael Landrum has been appointed Judge of the 514th Judicial District Court in Harris County. He is a practicing attorney and arbitrator, and former judge of the 113th District Court and 164th District Court in Harris County.

Shane Kimzey has joined BNSF Railway as vice president and general counsel. He previously served as deputy general counsel and chief ethics and compliance officer at CenterPoint Energy.

Nicholas Lowrey has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch^® in America since 2026. He currently works as a senior associate attorney in the Washington, D.C., office of Klasko Immigration Law Partners.

Ian Roberts has joined the Dallas office of Hunton Andrews Kurth as a restructuring and bankruptcy partner. Previously, he served as partner at A&O Shearman’s restructuring practice, representing major U.S. financial institutions and manufacturing companies.

Gustavo Torres will receive the Attorney of the Year Award at the Hispanic National Bar Association’s (HNBA) 2026 National Awards. He is senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary of Fervo Energy. Torres also serves as president-elect of HISBA, an HNBA affiliate.

J. Stewart Bass passed away on August 12, 2026. Bass served as a  municipal judge for several North Texas cities, presiding judge in Blue Mound and North Richland Hills, and maintained a private legal practice in Fort Worth for 40 years.

Harold Metts passed away on July 22, 2026. A U.S. Navy veteran who served in the Korean war, Metts started his career as a briefing attorney for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. He practiced law for five years in Liberty, Texas, then joined Baker Botts in Houston where he specialized in estate and tax law for 34 years, retiring as a senior partner.

Martin Noven has been appointed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds to oversee the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System. Previously Noven served as the executive director of the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System.

Lynda Tealer will join the University of Texas Athletic Department as deputy athletics director for strategic initiatives and administration. Tealer is a former NCAA senior vice president of championships and a longtime collegiate athletics administrator.

Timothy “Tim” Smith passed away on July 27, 2026. A double Longhorn and devoted fan, Smith practiced real estate law and was known for his longtime work with LH Capital, where known for his insightful counsel and exceptional work ethic.

Joe Bailey Jr. passed away on July 31, 2026. He was an award-winning documentary filmmaker and UT instructor who met his wife, fellow Texas Law alum Alice Dolson, while attending law school.

Ronald B. King was selected to receive the 2026 American Inns of Court Bankruptcy Distinguished Service Award, recognizing his career, professionalism, mentoring, and service. King has been a U.S. bankruptcy judge for the Western District of Texas since 1988 and served as chief U.S. bankruptcy judge from 2006 to 2021. Although he officially retired in 2021, he still helps his Western District colleagues with their caseloads by serving as a recall judge.

Douglas Leroy Corbett passed away on July 26, 2026. After starting his career with the Federal Power Commission in Washington, D.C., he moved to Houston, where he pursued a legal career in natural gas pipelines then in power plant development in an independent practice. Corbett was active in civic and community service in Houston.

Joe Ramirez passed away on July 24, 2026. An attorney and retired U.S. Air Force colonel, Ramirez held senior legal leadership roles at Southwestern Bell, Western Electric, and AT&T, eventually becoming vice president and chief labor counsel. A double Longhorn, he and his wife supported scholarships for students in the Rio Grande Valley.

Sheree Lynn Rabe passed away on July 24, 2026. She practiced law in Texas for 33 years.

David Vollmer has joined Snell & Wilmer’s Reno-Tahoe office as an associate in the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group. His practice focuses on real estate transactions, including development, construction, leasing and financing matters.

Brock Jones passed away on July 25, 2026. He served as judge of Texas’ 112th Judicial District for 24 years and later worked as a visiting senior judge and mediator across West Texas.

Sam Waldon will be leaving his position as principal deputy director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement on July 31, closing out more than 14 years of service at the agency. Waldon’s departure caps a career that saw him twice step into the top enforcement job on an acting basis, in both 2025 and 2026.

Patricia Rigney of the Rigney Law Firm has been elected to membership in the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation. Fellows are selected for their outstanding professional achievements and their demonstrated commitment to the improvement of the justice system throughout the state of Texas.

David Allan Eldridge passed away on July 15, 2026. A U.S. Army veteran, Eldridge practiced law for over 50 years, specializing in wills, trusts, and probate. A third-generation lawyer, he worked at two other firms before forming Holman, Robertson, and Eldridge.

Lourdes ‘Lulu’ Ortiz has been named to 2026 “Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation” legal guide. Ortiz is an associate attorney at Cleveland Kristin Austin and has served as an adjunct professor at Texas Law.

Abbey Garber has been elected chair of the Taxation Section of the State Bar of Texas for 2026-27. Garber is a partner at Holland & Knight in Dallas where he focuses his practice on tax litigation and providing advice on applying tax laws to individuals, estates, corporations and partnerships.

William Hagans has been elected a member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates. ABOTA is a national, invitation-only organization of seasoned trial lawyers and judges committed to protecting the right to a civil jury trial and upholding the highest standards of civility, integrity, and professionalism. He is an attorney at the Hagans law firm in Houston.

Jared Vitemb has joined Ruiz Foods as senior vice president and general counsel. He will lead the company’s legal function and advise its CEO, board of directors, and executive leadership team. Vitemb previously was VP, general counsel, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary at Farmer Brothers Co.

Gilbert “Buddy” Low passed away on July 14, 2026. A nationally recognized trial lawyer, he practiced with Orgain Bell & Tucker for more then 50 years and received numerous honors throughout his career. Low served for many years on both the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee and the Supreme Court Professional Ethics Committee.

Mark Eisenbraun has joined Jones Walker as a partner in the firm’s Corporate Practice Group in Houston, where he focuses on corporate, securities and transactional matters. Before joining Jones Walker, Eisenbraun co-founded Walker Eisenbraun.