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.
William “Bill” Deffebach passed away at the age of 91 on April 11, 2022. Deffebach was a double longhorn, graduated from both the University of Texas School of Business and School of Law. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, he went on to be a partner in an El Paso law firm, general counsel to El Paso National Bank, and director and vice president of El Paso National Corporation.
Kirby D. Hopkins ’01 has been accepted as a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC). The IADC is a highly selective, invitation-only network of distinguished law firm partners, senior counsel in law departments, and insurance executives. He is a managing member at Hopkins Centrich.
Jared Hoggan has joined the patent litigation team of Munck Wilson Mandala as a partner. Hoggan specializes in complex patent litigation and licensing.
Brad Seidel has joined Hedrick Kring Bailey as of counsel. Seidel previously ran his own law firm and specialized in complex consumer and commercial litigation.
Diana Perez Gomez, a shareholder in Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s Houston labor and litigation practice, has been named one of “Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2020-21” by Houston Woman Magazine.
Lynn Abell has joined the Houston office of Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher LLP as counsel. She will serve as a member of the Private Equity Practice Group.
Christian Navarro passed away on March 31, 2022. Navarro graduated from Texas Law in 1998 and started his own law practice in his hometown of Houston. Navarro was a marathon runner and was active in his community, including the Shoes for Kids program and remediating homes after Hurricane Harvey.
Rudy Metayer has been selected as the recipient of the 2022 African American Lawyers Section (AALS) Trailblazer Award. In addition to his legal work at Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, Metayer serves on the Pflugerville City Council. He is a three-time UT graduate, earning his undergraduate degree, law degree and a master’s degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs.
Jerry Gilmore passed away on March 30, 2022, in McKinney, Texas. Gilmore was a double Longhorn, earning his bachelor’s degree from UT as well as his J.D. Gilmore practiced law at various law firms and also served at various times as City Attorney for five different municipalities. He also provided adoption services for Buckner Baptist Children’s Home. Gilmore served two terms on the Dallas City Council and was heavily involved in civic organizations in the Dallas area, including service on several boards.
Henry Franklin Harren passed away March 31, 2022. A double Longhorn, Harren earned both his bachelor’s and J.D. degree from the University. After starting his law career in El Paso, Harren practiced in Austin for the rest of his career. He fought for affordable housing in Austin and authored “All the Dirt,” a newsletter about the intersection of real estate and politics in Austin. Harren was the co-founder of Evolve Austin Partners and served on the Board of Directors for multiple organizations.
Sidra Zaheer has been promoted to senior counsel and chair of eDiscovery Practice at Klinedinst PC. Zaheer works with clients in all stages of litigation, and regularly advises in document intensive cases.
Jack Steven Magids passed away on April 5, 2022, at the age of 74. In addition to graduating from the Texas Law School, he also attended UT as an undergraduate. Magids was recognized by his peers as one of Memphis’ top corporate lawyers, and honored several times as a Super Lawyer and by Best Lawyers in America.
Albert Maverick McNeel, Jr., died March 31, 2022, in San Antonio. McNeel practiced law in San Antonio for 60 years, retiring in 2012. He was active in the San Antonio Bar Association, serving as editor of the newsletter for two years and then as vice president. He also was on the local Texas State Bar Association Grievance Committee for six years, including three as chairman.
Linda Leuchter Addison has been named the Lead Independent Director at Globe Life. Addison is the Founding President of the Center for Women in Law. In March of 2022, she received the Shirley Bird Perry Longhorn Citizenship Award presented by the UT Moody College of Communications Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life.
Willam Lee Warren passed away unexpectedly in January 2022, in Herndon, Va. During his career, he practiced law at Baker Botts LLP and Latham & Watkins LLP, was executive vice president and general counsel of GeoEye, Inc., and was president of the consulting business Mageq, LLC. Warren was a United States Marine Corps veteran.
Kimberly Allen has been appointed by Governor Abbott as judge of the 69th Judicial District Court. Allen has served as as the county attorney for Sherman County since 1997.
Kasi Moeskau has been appointed Chief Legal Officer of RPM Living, a real estate management company. Moeskau has served as outside counsel for RPM Living for almost 15 years.
Amber K. Dodds has been honored as a “40 Under 40” leader by the San Antonio Business Journal for 2022. This elite group represents rising business and community leaders succeeding in business and contributing to the San Antonio community. Dodds, a partner at Bracewell, specializes in all areas of employment law.
John Gilbert Niles passed away on March 9, 2022 in Santa Monica, California. After graduating from Stanford University and Texas Law, Niles served in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General Corps from 1968 to 1972. After completing his military duty, he moved to Los Angeles where he joined the law firm of O’Melveny and Myers, becoming a partner in 1978 and retiring in 2004.