David Tobin has joined McDermott Will & Emery LLP as a new partner in the intellectual property practice group. Tobin was previously special counsel at Baker Botts, where he focused on patent post-grant trial and patent litigation.
Sara Ann Brown has joined the Dallas office of the nationwide law firm Thompson Coburn as a partner. Ms. Brown is an experienced litigation attorney who represents clients in high-stakes, complex lawsuits.
Thomas Verity has been promoted to counsel at Latham & Watkins. Verity is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice and Corporate Department, where he advises multinational corporations, private equity sponsors, and financial advisors on M&A and corporate finance transactions.
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.
Jonathan Sarna has been promoted to partner at Latham & Watkins. Sarna is a member of the Capital Markets Practice and Corporate Department, where he represents issuers and underwriters in capital markets transactions, with a focus on the life sciences and real estate investment trust (REIT) sectors.
Max Raskin has been promoted to partner at Latham & Watkins. Raskin is a member of the Executive Compensation, Employment & Benefits Practice and Tax Department, where he specializes in private equity and other corporate transactions.
Christopher Bezeg has been promoted to partner at Latham & Watkins. Bezeg is a member of the Capital Markets Practice and Corporate Department, where he represents private equity sponsors, investment banks, and public and private companies across a range of capital markets and corporate transactions.
Josiah Daniel III is the author of three recent publications: “The MoUS[e] that Roared: The Manual of Usage & Style After a Half Century,” “What Can the Past Teach Today’s Bankruptcy Law Students, Lawyers, Judges, and Restructuring Professionals?: An Annotated Bibliography of Histories of Debt and Bankruptcy, and “Congressman Hatton Sumners’s 1928 Amendment to the Electoral Count Act” published in the LSN Legal History eJournal.
Nickolas Spiliotis has joined Jones Walker LLP as a partner, where he specializes in counseling employers across multiple industries on a variety of workplace issues. Spiliotis was formerly a partner at K&L Gates LLP for six years.
Steve Mafrige passed away on Oct. 24, 2022. Mafrige was a double Longhorn, earning both his bachelor’s degree in economics and his law degree from the University of Texas. After law school, Mafrige served as a captain in the U.S. Army for eight years. He then began practicing as a trial attorney in Houston. Later in his life, Mafrige focused on ranching and investments.
Claude A. Hayes passed away on Oct. 13, 2022. After college, Hayes was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force where he served for three years. After graduating from Texas Law, he worked for Shell Oil Company for 10 years, before becoming the owner of both the Georgetown Title Company and Longhorn Title Company.
Jane Hayman passed away Oct. 8, 2022. After earning her B.A. and J.D. from UT, Hayman clerked for Judge William Morrison in Austin before heading to Washington, D.C., where she served as an aide to Congressman Jack Brooks. In later years, she dedicated herself to charitable work, neighborhood advocacy, and historical preservation.
Leonard Schwartz passed away on Oct. 13, 2022. Schwartz was a double Longhorn, having earned both his bachelor’s degree in business and his law degree from UT. As a lawyer, he specialized in the areas of school law, employment, civil rights, and litigation.
Robert “Bob” Craft passed away on Oct. 16, 2022. Following graduation from Texas Law, Craft served in the U.S. Marines as a JAG lawyer, then as an anti-trust attorney for the next 30 years until retirement.
Kat Li is a recipient of The Best Under 40 award, given to members of the AAPI legal community under the age of 40. Li is an IP litigation partner in the Austin office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
Atman Shukla was promoted to partner at Sidley Austin in January of 2022. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions and investment transactions for clients in the energy and infrastructure space, including upstream, oilfield services, midstream and downstream, as well as aviation matters.
Chief Justice Josh Morriss III was honored as a Distinguished Alumni by the Texarkana Independent School District Board of Trustees and administration. Morriss is the chief justice on the Texas Sixth District Court of Appeals.
Brian Watson has joined Bethune, Dye and Enright PLLC as an associate attorney. Watson is currently the mayor of Beeville and has spent the last three years as a felony prosecutor for the 156th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Charles Miller passed away on Oct. 12, 2022. Upon graduating from Texas Law, Miller joined the U.S. Navy, serving three years as a JAG officer. He then started his legal career in Texarkana. Miller also served as a city councilman, two terms as mayor pro tem, then as a county judge in Bowie County.
Newton Schwartz, Sr., a double Longhorn who earned his undergraduate and law degrees from UT, passed away on Oct. 11, 2022. After serving in the U.S. Air Force as a judge advocate, Schwartz spent 65 years as a trial lawyer in Houston with a focus on environmental law, toxic tort and medical malpractice.
Rachel Ehlers has joined Baker McKenzie as a partner in the firm’s intellectual property and technology practice. Ehlers, who is certified as a Privacy Law Specialist and Certified Information Privacy Professional by the International Association of Privacy Professionals, has more than a decade of experience advising clients on data privacy and cybersecurity issues.
Jamie Rose has joined Greenberg Traurig LLP as a litigation team shareholder. Rose’s expertise is in representing individuals and companies facing business and commercial disputes.
Ethel Johnson has joined the litigation team as a shareholder at Greenberg Taurig LLP. Johnson’s practice primarily focuses on employment and product liability litigation for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies, automobile manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and more.
W. Glenn Opel has been elected president for the American College of Bond Counsel after previously serving on the organization’s Board of Directors and as its treasurer. Opel is co-chair of Bracewell’s public finance practice and a partner in the ’Austin office. He focuses his practice on public finance, infrastructure and transportation development, and public/private partnerships.
Jonathan K. Frels has been elected a fellow for the American College of Bond Counsel. Frels, a partner in Bracewell’s Houston office, serves as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel and disclosure counsel in public finance transactions for school districts, cities, counties, state agencies, navigation districts, port authorities, economic development corporations, water districts and water authorities.
David K. Brooks passed away on August 26, 2022. A double Longhorn and Army veteran, Brooks worked on the Texas Law Review while in law school. He practiced at several law firms in three different states and also served as a judge of the 191st District Court and as assistant general counsel in the New Mexico Oil Conservation Division.
Miriam “Dusty” Burke passed away on Oct. 7, 2022. After graduating from Texas Law as one of only six women in her class, Burke went on to work as a law professor at St. Thomas University. She then became a partner at Vinson and Elkins LLP. Burke was honored with Texas Law’s Distinguished Alumna Award in 2014.
Irwin H. Steinhorn was named by 405 Magazine as one of the top lawyers in Oklahoma City and as one of the Best Lawyers in America for his work in corporate law and securities/capital market law. He is an attorney with Conner and Winters LLP.
Jackie Furlow has been recognized in the inaugural guide of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America in the area of Commercial Litigation. She is a partner at Beck Redden.
Walter Fassnidge passed away on Oct. 2, 2022. Fassnidge earned a bachelor of law degree from Texas Law, then went on to serve in the U.S. Army. He practiced as a real estate attorney for the City of San Antonio, then worked as a professor of business and real estate law at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Walter Russell Long, Jr. passed away on Sept. 30, 2022. He interrupted his law school years to serve in the army for two years before being honorably discharged as a first lieutenant. After completing law school, Long started a long career as an attorney including 42 years at the firm he co-founded, Long & Whitehead. After retiring, he was County Judge of Karnes County from 2015-18.
David Cole has joined the Houston office of Kirkland Ellis as a partner. Cole is a tax attorney who has been recognized by The Legal 500 US and named a “Texas Rising Star” by Thomas Reuters.
David Beckwith passed away in Austin on Oct. 2, 2022. After graduating from Texas Law, Beckwith worked at Time Magazine where he notably reported the Supreme Court’s original Roe v. Wade ruling before the decision came out. He went on to serve as founding editor of the Legal Times and a spokesperson for several elected officials.
Brittany Castillo, CEO of emergency management and logistics contractor AshBritt, is featured in Forbes Magazine.
David Smith passed away on Sept. 29, 2022. A double Longhorn, Smith was a graduate of the Plan II Honors Program and was vice president of his Texas Law class. Upon graduation, Smith practiced law in California and Texas, with a focus in administrative, environmental, and real estate law.
Billy Leonard, Jr. passed away on Oct. 1, 2022. He was a double Longhorn, having also earned his bachelor’s degree from UT. Leonard practiced primarily with Strasburger & Price, where he was a partner specializing in antitrust, bankruptcy, real estate, tax, environmental, and commercial litigation.
F. Walter Conrad Jr. passed away on Sept. 24, 2022. Before beginning his legal career, Conrad served as first lieutenant of an artillery battery at Fort Lewis, receiving the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service. Conrad worked at Baker Botts as a trial attorney, specializing in environmental litigation.
William David Roberts passed away on Sept. 28, 2022. Upon graduation from Texas Law, Roberts served in the United States Army, obtaining the rank of captain. Roberts went on practice law in the Golden Crescent region for 50 years, and also served in leadership roles for multiple professional and community organizations.
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.
Adam Greiner has joined Schiffer Hicks Johnson PLLC after completing the firm’s 2021 Summer Associate Program. Greiner specializes in mass tort litigation, product liability claims, and commercial disputes in the energy sector.
Rudy Metayer has been named as a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters. Metayer currently serves as an attorney for Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody, and is also a council member for the City of Pflugerville.
Andrew Kerr, a Member of Clark Hill law firm in the San Antonio office, was the recipient of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from Texas Lawyer for his commitment to public service to the Texas legal community and the community beyond over the course of his career.
Jadd Masso, a member of Clark Hill law firm in the Dallas office, received the Best Mentors Award from Texas Lawyer, presented at the Texas Legal Excellence Awards Dinner on Sept. 14, 2022.
Joe Redden, Jr. was recognized as a 2022 Texas Super Lawyer and in the inaugural guide of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America. Redden is a trial lawyer and serves as of counsel in the Houston office of Beck Redden.
Allison Miller has been recognized as a 2022 Texas Super Lawyer. Miller is a trial attorney and serves as counsel for the Houston office of Beck Redden.
Geoff Gannaway was recognized as a 2022 Texas Super Lawyer. Gannaway is a partner at the Houston office of Beck Redden.
Alistair Dawson has been recognized as a 2022 Texas Super Lawyer, a Local Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation for 2023, and in the inaugural guide of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America. Dawson is a partner at the Houston office of Beck Redden.
David Beck has received numerous awards by Benchmark Litigation for 2023, including Top 100 Trial Lawyer, National Practice Area Star, and Local Litigation Star. He also was recognized as a 2022 Texas Super Lawyer for business litigation and in the inaugural guide of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America. Beck is a founding partner of Beck Redden in Houston.
Fields Alexander has been recognized as a 2022 Super Lawyer for his work in business litigation, as well as a Local Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation for 2023 and in the inaugural guide of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America. Alexander is a partner at Beck Redden.