Class Notes

Colonel Joel Oxley has passed away at his home in Niceville, Fla. on Aug. 2, 2021. After law school, he spent the next 29 years as a Judge Advocate in the U.S. Air Force.

William Junia Hudspeth, Jr. passed away on Nov. 28, 2021. Upon graduation from law school, Hudspeth stayed in Austin and went into banking, starting as a cashier at Capital National Bank. He worked his way up, serving as Vice President and Trust Officer of Austin National Bank and head of Republic Bank’s Trust Department. In 1987 he founded Austin Trust Company after Texas law was changed to authorize the incorporation of independent trust companies. Austin Trust Company is the first company to be chartered under the new law.

Danette Dee Alvarado Broome, age 51, passed away on June 29, 2020. The double Longhorn was a highly respected criminal and family law attorney and a passionate advocate for abused children, practiced in both the public and private sector.  In 2003, Alvarado opened the Law Office of Danette D. Alvarado, specializing in criminal, juvenile, family law and child protective services cases. In 2003, Danette was admitted into the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Criminal Law.

J.J. Broderick has joined Blank Rome LLP’s Philadelphia office as a partner in the real estate practice group. Broderick advises clients, including private equity funds, REITS, tenants, landlords, buyers, sellers, developers, owners, operators, investors, and users in all aspects of real estate transactions. During his career, he has handled some of the largest, most complex U.S. real estate transactions.

Patrick “Pat” A. Myers passed away on Nov. 29, 2021. After serving his country in the U.S. Air Force in Germany, Myers completed law school. He returned to Jacksboro, Texas in 1960 where he was elected Jack County Attorney, a post he held for over two decades. Pat had interests in oil, gas and real estate but his profession was the law. He actively practiced in Jacksboro for almost 60 years until his (semi) retirement in 2018.

Robert Hughes has been promoted to partner at Vinson & Elkins effective Jan. 1, 2022. Hughes advises private equity firms, portfolio companies and a variety of public and private businesses in connection with a range of strategic transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, structured financings, leveraged buyouts and joint ventures. His work focuses on identifying practical solutions to complex legal issues and spans a variety industries, including infrastructure, renewables, telecommunications, energy and technology.

Brad Foxman has been promoted to partner at Vinson & Elkins effective Jan. 1, 2022. Foxman’s practice focuses on restructuring and reorganization, including the representation of lenders, buyers, debtors, creditors and trustees. He has extensive experience in advising clients on all aspects of financial distress, including liability management transactions, corporate workouts and restructurings, distressed asset acquisitions and divestitures, bankruptcy litigation, counterpart risk and reorganization and insolvency proceedings.

J. Walker Holland passed away on Nov. 19 2021. After graduating law school Holland was hired by the law firm of Wynn, Brown, Mack, Renfro and Thompson. After making partner there, Holland joined Boswell & Tracey, the firm that later became Holland, Johns & Penny. His wife Margaret later merged her law firm, Albert & Holland, with Walker’s firm. Walker practiced corporate, real estate and transactional law.

Steven Clifton James passed away on Nov. 13, 2021 after a battle with pulmonary fibrosis. James was a dedicated attorney and practiced law for 42 years. He spent most of his career as a solo practitioner in El Paso. In addition to his active trial practice, James also won multiple cases in the Supreme Court of Texas. He served as Section Representative to the State Bar Board of Directors, Chair of the Texas Bar College, President of the El Paso Bar Association, and Chair of the State Bar Consumer & Commercial Law Section.

Jack Sargent passed away on Nov. 22 2021. Shortly after marriage and graduation from law school, Sargent was drafted into the U.S. Army where he served two years as a medic based at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. Upon leaving the military he began a career in banking which was influenced by his father Howard Lane Sargent who was President of Santa Barbara National Bank. He left the banking business in 1978 and joined Burton Patterson and Bob Glanville forming Patterson, Sargent, and Glanville law firm specializing in Estate and Probate Law until he retired in 1992.

Rose Jenkins has started a new role as senior attorney advisor at NYU Law’s Tax Law Center. Prior to joining the Tax Law Center, Jenkins was a Managing Director in the International Tax group within KPMG’s Washington National Tax office. Before KPMG, Jenkins was in the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (International) at the IRS, finally as a Special Counsel.

David  Chappell died on Nov. 18 at the age of 78. Chappell practiced law for many years before teaming up with the consulting firm BC Collaborations. He was served on the Fort Worth City Council representing District 9 in 1989-1993 and was a member of the council’s Economic Development Committee. He served as chair of the board of The State Bar of Texas and of its foundation.

Aaron Gregg has joined Balch & Bingham as a partner to their public policy and government relations practice in Austin, Texas. His background includes working in the Texas Capitol and previously serving as chief of staff to former Texas House Appropriations Chairman Jim Pitts.

Koby Kirkland opened plaintiff’s firm the Law Office of Koby Kirkland, LLC in Mobile, Alabama. Kirkland’s law office handles personal injury cases in Alabama and Texas, federal tort claims nationwide, and vaccine injury claims nationwide.

Charles “Charlie” Aycock passed away on Nov. 9, 2021 following a lengthy illness. After earning his J.D., Aycock worked as Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas for two years. He was partner in the private practice with Aldridge, Harding & Aycock, served as Parmer County Attorney, and was a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. In 2004, he retired from private law practice and was appointed to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.

The Honorable Duval County Judge Gilbert N. Saenz passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 16, 2021. After earning his J.D., he served in the US Navy Judge Advocate General Corps. He spent his career working toward justice for all as a JAG Officer, public school teacher, school board member, attorney, and Duval County Judge. He was a member and active supporter of numerous social and charitable organizations.

Boyd Herndon, formerly Director of Research Compliance at the University of North Texas, has retired.

Marianne Nitsch has been elected shareholder with Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, PC in Austin, Texas.

Rachel Fitzgerald has been elected partner with Locke Lord’s Houston practice. Fitzgerald practices corporate law, focusing primarily on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate restructurings, joint ventures and matters related to corporate governance and compliance. She has a particular focus in energy — including midstream, oilfield services, renewables and storage facilities — insurance and media.

Brandan Montminy has been elected partner with Locke Lord’s Dallas practice. Montminy provides counsel to clients in a wide array of litigation matters as well as in privacy, data protection, cybersecurity compliance, and incident preparedness and response. He represents clients across multiple industries, including banking and finance, commercial, construction, health care, insurance, professional services, real estate and technology.

Brian O’Reilly has been elected partner with Locke Lord’s Austin practice.  O’Reilly practices in the area of transportation, administrative, and public law, focusing on the development of major infrastructure projects by public and private entities. He advises clients on procurement matters and legal issues related to the planning, construction, financing and operation of infrastructure projects.

Molly (Bentley) Fenton was recognized by Variety as one of Hollywood’s New Leaders of 2021.

Martin O. Siegmund has passed away on Nov. 3, 2021 in Fort Worth, Texas. Siegmund was a Fort Worth municipal judge for approximately five years and a former TCU professor. He also served on the Aledo school board, was a former Fort Worth United Fund Agency president, and a member of the Masonic Lodge (Shriner).

Ryan B. Hunsaker has been elected as a partner for global law firm Winston & Strawn LLP. He will serve in the firm’s Houston office. Hunsaker has experience in commercial lending and finance transactions, with a focus on oil and gas exploration, and production and oilfield services.

Sarah Gray has been appointed to serve as an Assistant General Counsel in the Office of General Counsel at the Texas Tech University System. Prior to this position, Gray worked in private practice at Porter Hedges LLP in Houston, Texas.

Vicky Johnson of the 1st Judicial District of Nebraska announced that she is retiring at the end of January 2022. Johnson has served on the bench for 17 years and as the presiding judge for the Southeast Nebraska Adult Drug Court since 2007.

Charles “Chuck” William Hoffman has passed away Feb. 21, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. Hoffman was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army He spent most of his career working as a patent and corporate lawyer in Indianapolis.

William “Bill” Cook Fielder passed away Nov. 4, 2021 at age 83. Fielder was active in the Civil Rights movement as a student and then practiced law for over 50 years, helping many people in Austin and Lockhart. Passionate about helping people that were vulnerable and under-resourced, he worked in criminal law, juvenile law, probate, guardianship, and estate law.

Paul Singer has joined Kelley Drye & Warren LLP as a partner in the firm’s State Attorneys General practice group. Most recently, he served as the Texas Associate Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation.

Christie Yang has been appointed to general counsel for the Walton Family Foundation. Yang most recently served as the foundation’s interim general counsel. Before joining the WFF in 2019, Yang was associate general counsel at the Brookings Institution. She also was a litigator at Morrison & Foerster LLP, representing numerous Fortune 100 tech and financial services clients.

Ana Ibáñez has joined Broude Smith Jennings & McGlinchey PC as an associate representing clients in real estate and business transactions, estate planning and probate.

Sharmila Kassam has joined NASDAQ as Chief Operating Officer of their newly formed Nasdaq Asset Owner Solutions. Kassam joins with experience in institutional investing and a unique asset owner perspective. Most recently, she served as executive director of the AIF Institute, and as the Deputy Chief Investment Officer for the Employees Retirement System of Texas.

Pike Powers passed away after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. Powell served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives in the ’70s, representing Jefferson County. He then went on to serve as chief of staff to Texas Gov. Mark White in the ’80s. He was considered a trailblazer for Austin’s tech scene. Powers’ impact on Austin’s economy stemmed from his law career that had him structuring mega deals as he executed economic development in Austin as a Fulbright & Jaworski lawyer (now Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP).

Claire Powell has been named Lewisville, Texas’s next city manager. Powell, who has served as an assistant city manager in Lewisville since 2016, will become the eighth city manager in the city’s history and the second woman to hold the post. She first joined Lewisville in 2011 as assistant city attorney, and became the Assistant City Manager over Development Services. 

Nancy Gail Black Sagafi-Nejad, 83, passed away on Sept. 27, 2021. She earned a Masters in art history and served in the Peace Corps teaching. Later, she graduated with her J.D. and worked as an employment discrimination and civil rights lawyer for the government and in private practice. Sagafi-Nejad wrote a book, Friends at the Bar: A Quaker View of Law, Conflict Resolution, and Legal Reform (SUNY Press, 2011), exploring how Quaker values can contribute to improvements in legal practice and the impact of the law on society.

Charles “Charlie” Cheever, Jr. has passed away at 93. Cheever graduated from West Point in 1949 and served as an Air Force pilot instructor and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserve. After graduating law school, Cheever joined the San Antonio’s Broadway Bank in 1957 to work alongside his father. He was elected President of the bank in 1961, Chairman & CEO in 1982, and Chairman Emeritus upon his retirement in 2005. He was elected to the San Antonio Business Hall of Fame, the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame, and the Texas Business Hall of Fame.

Martha Hofmeister was awarded Altrusa International, Inc.’s highest honor: the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award. This award is worldwide community service organization’s only award given to an individual member. Designed to recognize an Altrusan who makes a lasting contribution to community service as a result of involvement with Altrusa, recipients must have a distinguished service record at the local, district, and international levels. Hofmeister is a founding partner of Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP.

Lindsey A. Mills has been promoted to counsel at Latham & Watkins in New York, effective Jan. 1, 2022. A member of the Capital Markets Practice in the Corporate Department, she advises clients on a range of equity and debt transactions, including IPOs and high yield and investment grade debt offerings. She also advises clients on securities law compliance and general corporate governance matters.

Jennifer M. Gascoyne has been elected a partner at Latham & Watkins in London, effective January 1, 2022. A member of the Capital Markets Practice in the Corporate Department, she represents both issuers and investment banks on a range of capital markets transactions, including IPOs. She advises clients across a variety of industries and has particular experience with cross-border transactions and foreign private issuers. She received her JD from the University of Texas School of Law in 2013.

Samuel D. Rettew has been elected a partner at Latham & Watkins in Austin, effective Jan. 1, 2022. A member of the Capital Markets Practice in the Corporate Department, he represents private and public companies, private equity firms, and investment banks in a variety of financing and other transactions, including cross-border and leveraged buyout transactions as well as debt and equity offerings.

Demetria Frank has been named as Associate Dean for Diversity & Inclusion at The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.  Frank will remain a member of the law school faculty, while also overseeing the law school’s diversity and inclusion efforts. She began her legal career as a toxic tort litigation attorney before moving into the public sector as a Community Prosecutor in the Dallas City Attorney’s Office. Her tenure as an Associate Judge for the City of Dallas and the City of Houston has been one of the most influential experiences in her legal career.

Jonathan K. Frels, a partner with Bracewell LLP, was named “Lawyer of the Year” for Public Finance Law in Houston in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Individual lawyers with the highest overall peer-feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region are named “Lawyer of the Year.” Only one lawyer is recognized for each specialty and region.

Hayley Ostrin has joined innovation and technology firm Merchant & Gould as a partner in the D.C. area office. Ostrin will specialize in Section 337 investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), which involve unfair and injurious competition in trade. She has extensive knowledge of ITC procedural and substantive issues, discovery and trial strategies, and other nuances of this unique practice area.

Mollie Duckworth has joined firm Latham & Watkins LLP’s Austin office as a partner in the Corporate Department and member of the firm’s Capital Markets, Public Company Representation, and Mergers & Acquisitions Practices. Duckworth advises clients in connection with M&A transactions and represents issuers and underwriters in public offerings and private placements of equity and debt securities.

Alexander Gras has joined Dallas-based Caldwell Cassady & Curry as an associate after a prior stent in the firm’s summer associate program.

Robert Calvert Patterson passed away on Sept. 22, 2021. Patterson was born in West Point, MS. He worked for the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Texas from 1962-1966 and then went into private practice in San Antonio.

Nathalie Stewart has been named as one of Houston Business Journal’s 2021 Transportation and Logistics honorees in its 2021 Women Who Mean Business awards. Stewart is a senior attorney and lead negotiator at Murphy Oil Corporation.

Brian M. Gillett has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Dallas, TX firm as senior attorney. Gillett is a trial attorney with experience handling high-stakes, complex commercial matters on both the plaintiff and defense sides at all stages of litigation in state and federal court and arbitration proceedings, from discovery through trial and appeal. His practice focuses on business litigation matters, including disputes involving claims for breach of contract, fraud, and breaches of fiduciary duties.

The late Ruben W. Hope, Jr. has been honored by Conroe ISD which dedicated its newest elementary school in his name, Ruben W. Hope, Jr. Elementary School. In 1996, Hope was elected to the Conroe ISD Board of Trustees. During his time on the Board, he held the position of trustee and vice president. In 1999, Hope also served his community as State Representative between 1999 and 2006. During his career, Hope tried over 200 cases to jury verdicts and handled appeals before the Texas Supreme Court. He passed away in 2015.

Chris Graff has joined global law firm K&L Gates LLP as a partner in the intellectual property (IP) procurement and portfolio management practice. Graff joins the firm’s Austin office from IP firm Pirkey Barber PLLC. He has worked with many iconic brands, and has represented clients in more than 100 cases before a wide variety of courts and tribunals, including federal and state courts and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.