Class Notes

Erton Frank Tate passed away Nov. 14, 2024. Tate, who practiced both law and accounting throughout his career, spent more than 50 years helping clients at Tate, Gowan & Wilson and its predecessors.

Cara Shaffer joined the faculty at the University of Colorado Law School as an associate teaching professor in the fall. Shaffer, who teaches legal writing, formerly worked as the founding director of the legal writing center at South Texas College of Law Houston.

Amanda Tyler has written a book titled “How to End Christian Nationalism,” which provides critical insights into the ideological and legal battles against Christian nationalism in the United States.

Reid Powers has been named the director of gift and estate planning for the Alumni Relations and Development Office at Texas Law. Reid previously worked for the Office of the Texas Attorney General and at the boutique law firm Saunders & Associates, specializing in estate planning.

Sarah Christian has joined Jackson Walker’s Austin office in the firm’s Finance & Banking practice group. Christian has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a “Texas Rising Star” and by Austin Monthly Magazine as a top finance attorney for the past three years.

Omar Alaniz, a partner at Reed Smith, is among the 2024 100 LGBTQ+ Executives selected by INvolve, in recognition of his advocacy and support efforts on behalf of LGBTQ+ diversity, equity and inclusion. Alaniz is member of Reed Smith’s Restructuring & Insolvency Group.

Nina Cortell, senior counsel at Haynes and Boone, was honored with the Larry Schoenbrun Jurisprudence Award by the Anti-Defamation League. Cortell represents corporations, public entities, and individuals in cases that have put her at the forefront of Texas litigation practice.

Jordan S. Hatcher co-founded a new tech company called The Grid, which recently announced its funding. Hatcher also serves as its COO.

Amanda Arriaga was named In House Impact Award Winner of the Year by Texas Lawyer Magazine and a finalist for Corporate Counsel of the Year by the State Bar of Texas Office of Minority Affairs. Arriaga is the general counsel of Sperry Commercial.

Brianna Herman has joined Ogletree Deakins’ Houston office as an associate. A former Harris County prosecutor, Herman focuses her practice on a variety of labor and employment matters.

Shavonne Smith has joined Ogletree Deakins as of counsel at the firm’s San Antonio office. Her practice focuses on employment litigation matters, including workplace discrimination, harassment, retaliation, failure to accommodate, wrongful termination, and related issues.

Edward Dunbar passed away on Oct. 30, 2024. After starting his legal career as a public defender, Dunbar committed over 30 years to developing El Paso Community College. He specialized in school and labor law, serving as general counsel to the college and other educational institutions and school districts in the area.

Frank McClendon Jr. passed away on Oct. 28, 2024. During McClendon’s 50-year legal career as an expert in negotiating major construction contracts, he worked in 35 countries and 30 states for various companies. He later founded his own firm, McClendon & Associates.

Wade A. Barrow was raised to the rank of advocate by the American Board of Trial Advocates. His firm, Barrow Law, is based in Fort Worth and focuses on personal injury and wrongful death cases.

Greg Sorensen has been promoted to counsel at Latham & Watkins’ Houston office. Sorensen is a member of the firm’s M&A and Private Equity Practice and Corporate department and advises clients on strategic energy and infrastructure transactions.

David Moore has been elected to partner at Latham & Watkins’ Houston office. Moore, who is a member of the firm’s Investment Funds Practice and Corporate department, focuses his practice on U.S. and international private investment funds and joint ventures.

Christine Mainguy has been promoted to partner at Latham & Watkins in the Houston office. A member of the firm’s Transactional Tax Practice and Tax Department, she advises clients on U.S. federal income taxation of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, Up-C structures, restructurings, and capital markets transactions. Mainguy has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America as “Ones to Watch” for tax law and energy law.

Edward Carstarphen passed away passed away on Oct. 16, 2024. Carstarphen served a 40-year career as a civil trial lawyer in Houston, representing Fortune 500 corporations in product liability and toxic tort litigation. He was a life fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, a fellow of Litigation Counsel of America, and served as a law clerk to Chief Justice William Cornelius of the Court of Appeals, Sixth District of Texas.

Sean Whyte has joined Bressler, Amery & Ross’ Florham Park, N.J., office as a principal in the firm’s Commercial Litigation practice group. Whyte, who has extensive experience in blockchain and crypto technology, specializes in class actions and business litigation.

Christi Craddick has been reelected to the Railroad Commission of Texas, of which she is the current chair. Craddick has served in the agency, which regulates the state’s oil and natural gas industry, since 2012.

Richard Grainger passed away on Nov. 1, 2024. Grainger practiced law for over six decades in East Texas originally with the Ramey firm, then later focusing on mediation in the areas of infringement and personal injury. Grainger served the legal community in many leadership roles including president of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel, the International Defense Lawyers Association, and the Eastern District of Texas Bar Association. He also was a member of the Texas Law Dean’s Roundtable of distinguished alumni and attorney advisor to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Cal Hendrick won the Odessa mayoral race, in the Nov. 5 election. Hendrick, an insurance attorney, ran on a platform of returning the City Council’s attention to everyday issues. He has served as general counsel at Mcanally Wilkins Inc. in Odessa.

Scott Rozzell was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lone Star Flight Museum. As a member of the museum’s Board of Directors, Rozzell was integral in the reimagining and relocation of the museum following Hurricane Ike in 2008. He spent much of his career at Baker Botts, ending his tenure there as a senior partner, then worked another 13 years at CenterPoint Energy as executive vice president of general counsel and corporate secretary.

David Young has joined Reynolds Frizzell as an associate. Young’s experience as a young trial lawyer includes client matters across various industries, including industrial, private equity, financial services, and technology.

Patrick William Ferchill passed away Nov. 1, 2024. Ferchill had a distinguished judicial career in Tarrant County for more than 35 years, including many years as chief judge of the Probate Court of Law No. 2.

Cheryl Rosenberg has joined Frost Brown Todd, following 14 years with Haynes and Boone. Rosenberg, who’s been practicing law for over 35 years, has experience in the issuance of governmental tax-exempt debt in Texas, serving as underwriter’s counsel for investment banking firms and advising clients on general public law matters.

Sylvia Borunda Firth, of counsel at the Bojorquez Law Firm, was recognized for government service by McDonald’s at the 23d Annual Triunfadores Awards Luncheon. A past president of the State Bar of Texas, Firth previously served as city attorney for the City of El Paso.

Nik Soni has joined bi-coastal boutique BraunHagey & Borden as an associate in the New York City office. He works as a complex commercial litigator, focusing on high profile commercial disputes. Soni is now the fifth Texas Law alum at BHB.

Troy Steven Allen passed away on June 30, 2024. Allen counseled numerous energy companies throughout his career and most recently served as assistant general counsel at QuarterNorth Energy.

Monica Brown will be appointed executive vice president, chief legal officer and secretary for Lennox International, effective January of 2025. Brown joined Lennox in 2012 and currently serves as vice president and deputy general counsel.

James Lee Watters passed away October 20, 2024. Throughout his career with the FBI, Watters served in field offices in Alabama, California, and Virginia, as well as headquarters in Washington, DC.

Scott Schools has been appointed chief compliance officer for OpenAI. In addition to his previous role as Uber Technologies’ chief ethics and compliance officer, Schools has served as associate deputy attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Jordan Garrison Allen passed away March 23, 2024. Allen, who graduated from Texas Law 2004, was an active volunteer at her church.

Jon Allen Green passed away August 12, 2024. In addition to his law career, Green volunteered for the Volunteer Lawyers Program and was a talented thespian, emcee, and auctioneer.

Cathy Garza has joined the Jackson Walker’s Electric Regulatory practice in Austin. She regularly advises clients in the electricity sector, including investor-owned utilities, power generation companies, retail electric providers and developers on regulatory and commercial litigation, as well as compliance issues. Garza advocates for clients in contested proceedings before the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the State Office of Administrative Hearings.

Colombina Valera has joined Austin-based litigation firm Botkin Chiarello Calaf as an associate, following a two-year clerkship for U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin M. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Keith Cohan, a partner at Reid Collins & Tsai in Austin, earned the Pro Bono Attorney of the Year award as announced by Texas Lawyer. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, including cases involving financial fraud, professional negligence, fiduciary liability, and other business torts. Cohan recently contributed to the first jury trial-to-verdict victory for the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana’s Justice Lab.

Ronald E. Mendoza, a partner with Davis, Cedillo & Mendoza in San Antonio, has been inducted as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in the United States and Canada.

Joseph C. Blanton Jr., a partner at Blanton, Nickell, Collins, Douglas, Hanschen & Peters, has been inducted as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Blanton has been practicing in Southeast Missouri since 1987.

Kleber Miller was named a Tarrant County Legal Legend in recognition of his contributions to the profession and community. Miller, whose career spanned over 70 years, previously was recognized by his peers in the State Bar of Texas as a Texas Legal Legend.

Vianei Lopez Braun, a shareholder at Decker Jones, was named one of “100 Hispanic Board Members Making a Difference” by Board Recruitment Magazine in its October 2024 edition. Vianei has been an independent director of First Financial Bankshares, Inc. since 2020 and serves on the board’s Compensation, Risk, and Nominations & Governance committees.

Barrett Reasoner, a partner at Gibbs & Bruns and fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, will be honored with the prestigious Karen H. Susman Jurisprudence Award by the Anti-Defamation League’s Southwest Region in April 2025.

Donald Lee Mau passed away Sept. 28, 2024. Following his retirement from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel, Mau earned his law degree from Texas Law and enjoyed a second career in philanthropy and fundraising including time with the Texas Law School Foundation.

William Andrew Barr passed away Oct. 6, 2024. A double Longhorn, Barr was assistant U.S. attorney in Dallas before serving as a corporate litigation partner at Locke Purnell Boren Laney & Neely and its successors.

Jaime A. Saenz, a partner at Colvin, Saenz, Rodriguez & Kennamer in Brownsville, Texas, was nominated and inducted as a Fellow to the American College of Trial Lawyers. Saenz specializes in personal injury litigation and has tried over 120 civil cases to verdict.

Lena Silva, an associate at Beck Redden’s Houston office, will receive the 2024 Texas Minority Counsel Program (TMCP) Rising Star Award. The award, from the State Bar of Texas Office of Minority Affairs and the Steering Committee of the TMCP, will be presented at the Keynote Awards Luncheon Oct. 24, 2024.

Macey Reasoner Stokes, a partner at Baker Botts’ Houston office, will be honored with the prestigious Karen H. Susman Jurisprudence Award by the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Southwest Region.

Robert L. Tobey, an attorney at Johnston Tobey Baruch in Dallas, has been named a 2024 Super Lawyer for professional liability: plaintiff and a Top 100 in Dallas/Fort Worth.

Julie Partain has been named a Distinguished Alumni of 2024 by Henderson ISD. As a partner at Bracewell LLP in Dallas, Partain focuses her practice on public debt offerings and serves as bond counsel for numerous school districts and cities.