Class Notes

Justin Mapes has joined Blank Rome LLP as a partner in the Real Estate Practice group based in the firm’s new Dallas office.

Mark F. Rosenow joined the firm PilieroMazza as a counsel in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. His practice focuses on complex commercial dispute resolution, business litigation, and government investigations, including matters arising under the False Claims Act.

Marissa Marquez was promoted to labor & employment counsel at Houston Methodist Hospital.

William G. Hagans has been elected to the Texas Bar Foundation Board of Trustees, serving as fellows secretary. Hagans is president of the Hagans Montgomery Hagans law firm and has been a co-chair of the Texas Bar Foundation’s District 4 nominating committee since 2016.

Joseph “J.T.” Moore passed away July 3, 2023. After serving in the U.S. Army, Moore practiced law briefly, then entered into a farming and ranching partnership with his father in 1955. A decade later, he and a friend bought controlling interest in The First National Bank of Pecos and he served as the bank president.

Tarek F.M. Saad has joined Reid Collins & Tsai LLP as partner. Saad has three decades of experience trying cases in U.S. and international civil and criminal courts as he specializes in resolving cross-border commercial disputes.

Jerome “Jerry” Robert Rose passed away July 3, 2023. A double Longhorn, his career turned to real estate investment after a short time practicing law. Rose and his wife began the Dr. Marnie Rose Foundation – named in honor of his daughter – and created the annual Run for the Rose, which has raised more than $7 million for brain cancer research.

Lawrence “Larry” Sauer passed away June 27, 2023. His criminal defense and civil rights legal practice spanned 50 years and involved cases ranging from LGBTQ+ rights to defending the rights of the accused.

Darcell Walker has published an eBook titled “Divine Directions for Deliverance from Debt.” Walker has more than 30 years of experience in intellectual property law and worked as an in-house patent attorney for two Fortune 500 companies prior to starting his own law practice.

Andrea Marshall has been elected chairperson of SC Launch, Inc., and will serve on the board of trustees of the South Carolina Research Authority. Marshall previously served as the SC Launch board’s vice-chair and is the vice president, general counsel and administrative officer for MedTrust Holdings Inc.

Dina Koch has joined the Dean Law Firm as of counsel and will focus on growing the firm’s community-based Wills, Trusts, and Estate Practice. Koch’s career has spanned the legal, government, nonprofit fundraising, and political accounting and compliance fields.

Paul Schuster has joined Bracewell LLP’s Dallas office as a partner in the litigation department. Schuster specializes in healthcare law and has been recognized on D Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in Dallas” list since 2019.

William “Bill” Schroeder Jr. passed away June 15, 2023. In addition to running his own law practice for more than five decades, The U.S. Air Force veteran owned a title company with his wife and served on many local and statewide boards.

Danielle “DJ” Healey has joined Spencer Fane LLP’s Intellectual Property Practice Group as a partner in the firm’s Houston office. Healey is ranked as one of the best Intellectual Property litigators in the United States by Chambers Global and has represented clients before the FTC, the European Union, and Texas state authorities over three decades.

Jesse Buckner “Buck” Williams passed away June 23, 2023. He served as an assistant district attorney in the Jefferson County Family Law division for 20 years before returning to private practice.

Gene Matthews Jr. passed away June 13, 2023. He was a partner and specialized in trial law at Wootton, Land and Matthews; Matthews also served as the president of the Garland County Bar Association.

John Summers returns to the Dallas-based intellectual property and business litigation firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry following his recent stint as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Summers, who rejoins the firm as a principal, is an experienced trial lawyer who focuses on qui tam, commercial, and intellectual property litigation for businesses and individuals in a wide range of industries.

Randy Sawyer has been named general counsel for the clean-energy company Urban Grid. Sawyer began his career at law firms Holland & Knight and Latham & Watkins before joining EDP Renewables, where he served as associate general counsel.

Alistair B. Dawson has been honored with the Judge Sam Williams Award by the State Bar of Texas Local Bar Services Committee. An attorney at Beck Redden, Dawson serves as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Trial Advocates and a commissioner on the Texas Equal Access to Justice Commission.

David Thomas passed away Feb. 19, 2023. A double Longhorn and Army veteran, Thomas worked at various law firms in Sherman, Midland, and Houston before beginning a long career as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas.

Robert O’Conor Jr. passed away June 5, 2023. A double Longhorn and Army veteran, O’Conor was appointed as a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas by former President Gerald Ford and served in that role for a decade before returning to private practice in 1984.

Daniela de Souza has joined Kemp Smith as an associate in the firm’s Public and Environmental Law department in Austin. Souza served as president of the Human Rights Law Society during her time at Texas Law and is a member of the Administrative and Public Law and the Environmental and Natural Resources sections of the State Bar of Texas.

Joseph M. Cox has joined Duane Morris LLP as a partner in the firm’s Trial Practice Group in its Dallas office. Prior to joining Duane Morris, Cox was a partner at Bracewell LLP. Previously he served as a judge in the 160th Judicial District Court of Texas.

For the second consecutive year, Jonathan E. Lass was named the recipient of the 2022-2023 Adjunct Professor of the Year Award by the Student Bar Association of the University of Texas School of Law.

James Rhodes has been appointed by the president of the New York City Bar Association to a panel of senior attorneys that hears disputes. Rhodes is a full-time independent arbitrator and mediator and has been arbitrating commercial and investment disputes since 1980.

Vanessa Griffith has been named general counsel of Vinson & Elkins after serving as deputy general counsel at the firm. Griffith, who has been a partner there for almost 20 years, specializes in high-level employment law and workplace issues.

John Wander has joined Talen Energy as general counsel where he leads the company’s legal, regulatory and external affairs functions, oversees corporate governance, and serves as the primary point of contact for its Board of Directors. Wander previously was a partner and general counsel at Vinson & Elkins.

The Hon. Hyattye Simmons has been reappointed by the State Bar of Texas to serve as the 2023-24 chair of the Pattern Jury Charges Committee on General Negligence, Intentional Personal Torts, & Workers’ Compensation. Simmons is the presiding judge of Municipal Court for the City of Combine, Texas, and has more than 25 years of experience as a Texas civil trial and appellate attorney.

Aaron Gelb was recognized as one of 11 “Band 2” attorneys in Chambers USA‘s national rankings of OSHA defense practitioners. Gelb is a co-managing partner in Conn Maciel Carey’s Chicago office, where he advises and represents clients involved with OSHA federal and state programs.

Amy Farish has been promoted to partnership at the litigation boutique Yetter Coleman, LLP. Farish was recognized in the 2022 Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list in Commercial Litigation and serves on the Houston Young Lawyers Association Board of Directors.

Patrick Yarborough has been appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee of the In re Meta Pixel Tax Filing Cases pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Yarborough is co-founder of Foster Yarborough PLLC, a business and consumer-class action law firm based in Houston.

Shane Pennington has joined Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP as partner in its Washington, D.C., office. A former law clerk to federal judges, Pennington counsels clients on federal regulatory issues and was named to Best Lawyers’ Ones to Watch in America listing.

Rodrigo Martinez has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as an associate in its Corporate and Securities Practice Group. Martinez focuses his practice on corporate matters in the U.S. and Latin America and specializes in representing clients in cross-border transactions.

Jill Applegate wrote an essay for the New York Times about marijuana convictions and deportation. Applegate is an immigration attorney and fellow at the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, where she represents clients with deportation orders.

Hugh L. McCulley passed away June 10, 2023. McCulley, whose legal career spanned more than 50 years, was a partner at Crady Jewett McCulley & Houren L.LP. Throughout his career, he represented railroad companies in their business and regulatory activities.

Herlinda Rodriguez passed away June 7, 2023. Rodriguez focused on providing legal aid to the Hispanic community through her private practice. She also helped her husband establish a construction business.

Willard Kent Johnson passed away June 4, 2023. In addition to his work as an attorney for two state agencies — the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation then later the Employees Retirement Systems of Texas — Johnson was a football referee for 45 years.

Reagan Reaud will serve on the Board of Directors for the Beaumont Foundation, a nonprofit Texas corporation that provides grants for charitable causes. Reaud is the founder and CEO of Privateer Capital Management, L.P. and is the founder and Chairman of the Lucena Group.

Lee Otis “Otie” Zapp Jr. passed away June 6, 2023. He served as president of Zapp Realty Property Management and Insurance from 1960 until his retirement and received numerous accolades for his accomplishments and service to his community.

Patrick Lingwall has joined Kane Russell Coleman Logan PC as a senior attorney in the Business & Corporate practice in Houston. A double Longhorn, Lingwall specializes in the energy and infrastructure sectors and represents companies in complex business transactions and commercial matters.

Joseph Weaver Russell passed away June 2, 2023. A double Longhorn who served two years in the U.S. Army, he started his legal career as a briefing attorney for Texas Supreme Court justices.  Russell went on to work at law firms in Corpus Christi and San Antonio before before forming his own firm in 1993, eventually practicing with his son.

David Powell has been recognized as a 50-Year Member of the Florida Bar. Powell is a professor emeritus at Florida State University and has taught multiple courses related to estate planning.

Michael Appleton has been recognized as a 50-Year Member of The Florida Bar. He founded Appleton Law Offices in Winter Park, Fla., and specializes in business law, commercial law, and real estate litigation cases.

Stuart F. Miller has been included in the 2023 edition of the Chambers USA directory for his work in healthcare law. Miller is a a shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. in Houston and represents healthcare clients in a variety of corporate and regulatory matters.

Daniel Sternthal has been included in the 2023 edition of the Chambers USA directory for his work in healthcare law. Sternthal is a shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. in Houston and serves as strategic counsel to a diverse range of health care entities.

Irina B. Plumlee has been included in the 2023 edition of the Chambers USA directory for her work in immigration law. Plumlee is a shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. and focuses her immigration practice on business and family immigration.

emJesse Pierce has received his 15th consecutive selection to the Chambers USA legal directory for his work in commercial litigation and oil and gas expertise. Pierce has more than 45 years of litigation experience and specializes in civil trials of cases dealing with complex energy and commercial issues. He also was recently recognized by Texas Super Lawyers.

Charles K. Bluntzer passed away on May 27, 2023. After receiving the Purple Heart for his service in the U.S. Army First Cavalry Division in Vietnam, Bluntzer began his career in municipal law in multiple Texas cities. In 1984, he entered private practice where he continued for more than three decades until retiring.

Russell Winfield Schell has passed away. After serving as a partner at Thomson Coe and heading the litigation division at Riddle & Brown, Schell founded his own law firm in 1992 and enjoyed a successful career as a trial lawyer.

Julie Hardin has joined Reed Smith LLP’s senior management team as managing partner, Americas. Hardin, who focuses on the energy and life science sectors, is one of the founding members of Reed Smith’s Houston office and has served on the Executive Committee since 2016.