Class Notes

F. Lee Duggan, Jr., Class of 1955, died on June 16, 2019 at age 87, surrounded by his family. He is remembered, not only for his incredible legacy of public service, but as a beloved patriarch. Duggan’s career spanned 6 decades, and included serving as a State Legislator, State Court of Appeals Justice, State District Judge, Assistant District Attorney and trial lawyer. A man of integrity, he strove to ensure that everyone was treated fairly under the law. Please see link to obituary.

Diana Pérez Gomez, a Shareholder at Chamberlain Hrdlicka in Houston, has been selected to serve as a 2019-2020 Texas Bar Foundation Nominating Chair for District 4. Nominating Chairs for each of the 17 State Bar of Texas districts identify elite nominees to join the Foundation as Fellows. Nominating Chairs of the Foundation are selected for their outstanding professional achievements and their demonstrated commitment to the Texas Bar Foundation.

Paul Woodrow passed away in February 2018. A longtime resident of Barrington, Illinois, Paul was retired after a long career in Human Resources. He is survived by his wife, Christina, and their children, Katherine, Andrew and Aaron. A fuller obituary may be found online at the link below.

Joel Daniel recently joined Foran Glennon as a commercial litigation attorney. He will focus his work on civil defense litigation and first-party insurance disputes, including bad faith claims, environmental damage, builder’s risk claims, and construction and design defect claims.

Larry Campagna, shareholder in the Houston office of Chamberlain Hrdlicka, was recently named a “Texas Tax Legend” by the State Bar of Texas at its annual meeting in Austin. Texas Tax Legends is one of the highest honors for the Tax Law Section. Campagna was the only tax attorney chosen this year.

Betty Chen, an attorney at the law firm Fish & Richardson, has been named a recipient of the 2019 “Women Worth Watching” award by Profiles in Diversity Journal. Chen is based in Fish’s Silicon Valley office and serves as the firm’s Global Hiring Principal. She is exclusively dedicated to high-stakes advocacy as trial counsel in matters involving substantial financial or business exposure, significant policy issues, and cutting-edge legal questions.

In recognition of his dedication to serving AVANCE-North Texas, Jackson Walker partner William “Willie” Hornberger has been honored with the Distinguished Public Service Award by the Texas Society of CPAs (TXCPA). In addition to receiving the TXCPA award, Willie was also honored by AVANCE-NTX with the North Texas Inspirational Leadership Award in April 2019 and by the Mexican Entrepreneur Association (AEM) Dallas-Fort Worth chapter with the Amigo de México Award in December 2018.

Fish & Richardson principal Betty Chen, of the firm’s Silicon Valley office in Redwood City, has been named a recipient of the 2019 “Women Worth Watching” award by Profiles in Diversity Journal. She was singled out for “leading the way to excellence in the workplace, marketplace and the world” and for helping “develop the next generation of women leaders.”

William H. Caudill, a partner in the Houston office of Norton Rose Fulbright, has been selected by the Texas Tax Section of the State Bar of Texas as Outstanding Texas Tax Lawyer Award Winner 2019. Mr. Caudill has a general tax practice, with a focus on partnerships, oil and gas, real estate, and tax-exempt organizations. He also assists clients in the tax aspects of bankruptcy and financially troubled commercial transactions.

Brooks Pierce managing partner Reid Phillips was honored by the North Carolina Bar Association with its 2019 Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake Jr. Public Service Award (Lake Service Award). The Lake Service Award recognizes an outstanding lawyer who has performed exemplary public service and who has made significant contributions to the legal profession. Phillips was nominated by the Past Presidents’ Council and unanimously selected by the NCBA Board of Governors.

Ephraim “Fry” Wernick, former Assistant Chief of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Unit and a veteran federal prosecutor, has joined Vinson & Elkins as a partner in the firm’s Government Investigations and White Collar Criminal Defense practice. Wernick is based in V&E’s Washington, D.C. office.

J. Robert “Rob” Beatty has retired from Locke Lord LLP after forty years of practice. He and his wife Leslie reside in Manchester-By-The-Sea, Massachusetts.

Megan Gray is now General Counsel and VP of Policy for DuckDuckGo, Inc., a private search engine and online privacy company. Recently, I was the counsel of record, on the briefs and seated at counsel’s table, in a case before the US Supreme Court — https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/iancu-v-brunetti/ — the Court is presented with the question of whether the federal government can prohibit trademark registration for FUCT on streetwear clothing as a “scandalous” mark.

Carlos Eduardo Cardenas (J.D. 1980) has been elected as Fellows Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the Texas Bar Foundation. Carlos took office June 14, 2019.

Founded in 1965 by attorneys determined to assist the public and improve the profession of law, the Texas Bar Foundation has maintained its mission of using the financial contributions of its membership to enhance the rule of law and the system of justice in Texas.

Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. (Munsch Hardt) is proud to announce that David Coligado was recognized on D Magazine’s 2019 “Best Lawyers in Dallas” list. Each year, the publication honors peer-nominated lawyers who offer unparalleled counsel in their specific practice area. David graduated from The University of Texas School of Law and currently serves as the head of Munsch Hardt’s Real Estate Section. His practice focuses on the ownership, development and investment of commercial real estate.

Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC is proud to welcome Charles Stam, who joins the firm’s Houston office as an associate. Stam maintains a general litigation practice focusing on commercial litigation, corporate recoveries, product liability and catastrophic injury. He graduated cum laude from the University of Texas School of Law and joined the firm after completing a one-year clerkship with a federal district judge.

Kirk Tucker has joined the Houston office of Jackson Walker as a partner. His Corporate & Securities practice focuses on oil & gas and infrastructure investment matters.

Ruffner Schoenbaum PLLC was a finalist for the Rising Star award as part of the fourth annual Austin Woman’s Way Business Awards by Austin Woman Magazine. The firm was selected for recognition from over 300 nominees. Founding partners, Eleanor Ruffner and Lauren Schoenbaum, lead their team of litigators and transactional attorneys in Austin, TX. For more information, please contact Molly Smith at firm@rslawtx.com or 512-275-6277.

Brad Caldwell of the Dallas intellectual property and business litigation firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry has earned selection as the only Texas lawyer and one of only 10 attorneys in the country as a “Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar” by the national legal news publication Law360. Mr. Caldwell was named among the nation’s best based on his courtroom victories during 2018, including a $502.6 million patent infringement verdict against Apple Inc.

Marc Grossberg, who has practiced law in Houston for more than fifty years, will release his book, “The Best People: A Tale of Trials and Errors,” in October. His debut novel offers a glimpse into the world of Houston lawyering.

Kruger Carson, PLLC, has promoted Smita Bhakta to Partner of the law firm, which works with a wide range of business clients from its offices in San Antonio and Austin. Bhakta focuses on complex commercial real estate matters. She joined Kruger Carson in 2016 as Attorney and Counselor.

Bhakta served on the 2016 and 2017 Board of Directors for the San Antonio chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW). She is active in the Real Estate Council of San Antonio.

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has appointed partner Scarlet McNellie as its head of corporate, M&A and securities in the United States. Based in Dallas, Scarlet leads a team of more than 100 corporate lawyers who advise businesses across a spectrum of matters, including public takeovers, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, disposals, debt and equity capital markets transactions, and corporate governance, general commercial, corporate advisory and SEC compliance matters.

Minton, Bassett, Flores & Carsey, P.C. (formerly Minton, Burton, Bassett & Collins) is proud to announce that Rick R. Flores has been elected Name Partner. Rick joined the 56-year-old Austin office in 2011 and practices criminal defense and family law.

After a long illness, Eric Lacktman passed away at 76 on May 13, 2019.

Brett T. Berly, a shareholder at Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s Houston office, was ranked in the 2019 Chambers USA Guide as a top-tier attorney in High Net Worth Law (Up and Coming) in Texas.

Peter D. Williamson, a shareholder at Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s Houston office, was ranked in the 2019 Chambers USA Guide as a top-tier attorney in Immigration (Senior Statesman) in Texas.

Larry A. Campagna, a shareholder at Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s Houston office, was listed in the 2019 Chambers USA Guide as a top-tier attorney in Tax Fraud (Band 1) nationwide, and Tax Litigation (Band 1) in Texas.

Justice Patricia O’Connell Alvarez was recently re-elected to the Fourth Court of Appeals. She is grateful to her friends and family for their support.

Nick Ducoff ’06, CEO of Edmit, was invited to the White House Office of Innovation last week to discuss the challenges and opportunities to better serve the American worker and close the skills and jobs gap. Edmit was also the 2019 SXSW Edu launch competition winner and is partnering with the Dept. of Education, College Coach, and financial institutions nationwide to help more people get access to an affordable college education. He credits much of his success to the education he received at UT Law.

Reynolds Frizzell Partner Chris Reynolds was inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL) at their 2019 Annual Meeting. Founded in 1954, the Academy is known for an extremely rigorous vetting process and is recognized as the most prestigious organization of trial lawyers in the world. The Academy seeks out Fellows who have achieved a career of excellence as shown by their skills in trial, and as demonstrated by their integrity and professionalism.

Taylor English Duma LLP is pleased to announce the expansion of its Atlanta office with the addition of partner Clinton “Tres” Dye. Dye will be a member of the firm’s real estate practice group.

Dye has more than 19 years of experience in transactional law. His practice focuses on commercial real estate transactions, and he has extensive experience representing owners and developers in the acquisition and development of multi-family, office, retail, hospitality, and mixed-use developments.

Stuart F. Miller, a shareholder in Baker Donelson’s Houston office, has been ranked in Band 4 in the area of healthcare in Texas by the 2019 edition of Chambers USA.

Daniel Sternthal, a shareholder in Baker Donelson’s Houston office, has been ranked in Band 4 in the area of healthcare in Texas by the 2019 edition of Chambers USA.

White collar defense attorney Erica Benites Giese has joined the San Antonio office of Jackson Walker as senior counsel. Erica is a former Chief of the Financial Litigation Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. She has also served as Chief of the San Antonio and Del Rio divisions.

Pillsbury has named Amanda G. Halter managing partner of the firm’s 20-lawyer Houston office. Halter, who joined the firm in 2013, is the first woman to lead the 16-year-old office.

Sullivan Hill is pleased to announce that Shareholder Jim Hill ‘78 has been selected as a 2019 Super Lawyer. Each year no more than 5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected to receive the honor of being included in the Super Lawyers list. Hill has been selected to the Super Lawyers list for the last 13 years in the areas of Bankruptcy, Business Litigation, and Creditor Debtor Rights.

Tracy L. McCreight has joined Duane Morris LLP’s Austin, Texas office as partner in the firm’s Trial Practice Group. McCreight has broad experience in complex litigation and arbitrations, including litigating a variety of commercial, construction, partnership, contract, and real estate disputes, in both state and federal courts in Texas and throughout the country. In her construction practice, she focuses on representing owners in construction defect matters and contract disputes.

Ned Sherman has been appointed Leader of the newly minted Digital & Technology Transactions Unit at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP. Sherman is a partner at the firm as well as director of Manatt Digital & Technology Consulting, the firm’s management consulting division. He is also manager of Manatt Venture Fund, the firm’s venture capital arm. Sherman joined the firm in 2017.

Intellectual property and technology law firm Patterson + Sheridan LLP has promoted Nick Transier to partner in the firm’s San Diego office. Transier joined the firm in 2017 as of counsel. He has more than a decade of experience in both prosecution and litigation and currently focuses on building patent portfolios for clients, especially in the area of data science including artificial intelligence, software, telecommunications, automotive technologies and consumer electronics.

Rod Koenig is currently serving as President of UT Midshipmans Foundation, serving as President of Monument Hill Chapter of Sons of the Republic of Texas, and serving as President of Black Jack Cemetery Association in Fayette County. He is active as a Trustee on Jackson Foundation, Williams Foundation, Gray Foundation, Orton Foundation and serves on a number of other Boards.

Justin Constant was named a Texas Rising Star for 2019 by Super Lawyers. Texas Rising Stars is an annual list of exceptional lawyers in the state who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement, and who are either 40 years old or younger or have been practicing for 10 years or less. This distinction is given to only two percent of young attorneys in Texas.

Owners’ Counsel of America (OCA), a nationwide network of leading eminent domain attorneys, is pleased to announce the recent selection of Charles B. McFarland as the new member representative for the State of Texas. Charles is the founding member of McFarland PLLC, a boutique law firm focused exclusively on eminent domain law and condemnation litigation. Although his firm is based in Houston, he is well known throughout Texas for his fierce advocacy on behalf of landowners and his skill and experience in the courtroom.

Former Texas First Court of Appeals Justice Jane Bland has joined Vinson & Elkins as a partner. Bland brings to the firm more than 20 years of experience as a state appellate justice and civil trial judge. She will be based in V&E’s Houston office. As a member of the firm’s Appellate practice, Bland will focus on civil appeals and litigation.

The leaders of the Dallas-based intellectual property and business litigation law firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry have promoted experienced firm attorney John Summers to principal. Mr. Summers earned the new title based on his years of success for clients and proven leadership within the firm.

The leaders of the Dallas-based intellectual property and business litigation law firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry have promoted experienced firm attorney Chris Stewart to principal. Mr. Stewart earned the new title based on his years of success for clients and proven leadership within the firm.

Liskow & Lewis is pleased to announce Madeline Mathews has joined the firm’s Houston office. She has represented clients in all phases of energy exploration, development, and production and has handled a variety of matters from lease drafting and contract negotiation to complex litigation.

Boulette Golden & Marin L.L.P. is proud to announce Carolyn Gutierrez Bartelli has been named a Partner in the firm. Carolyn leads the firm’s corporate immigration practice group and represents U.S. and international companies in the technology, healthcare, international trade, and professional services sectors with respect to all immigration-related matters.

Latham & Watkins LLP is pleased to announce that Jonathan Castelan has joined the firm’s Houston office as a partner in the Corporate Department and member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice. Castelan represents private equity firms and energy companies in acquisitions, divestitures and strategic joint ventures involving midstream assets.

Elizabeth “Heidi” G. Bloch, a prominent Texas appellate lawyer, has joined the Austin office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP as a shareholder. The addition of Bloch to the firm further extends the depth and experience of Greenberg Traurig’s Texas Appellate Practice while also strengthening the firm’s already robust foothold of more than 125 attorneys in Texas.

Eversheds Sutherland is pleased to announce that Ian S. Shelton has joined the Austin office as counsel in the Litigation Practice Group, bolstering the commercial disputes practice with a focus on intellectual property and technology, complex commercial litigation and appeals. Prior to joining Eversheds Sutherland, Mr. Shelton was an attorney with Los Angeles-based Quinn Emanuel & Sullivan LLP.