Dwayne Smith, managing partner at Gardner Smith & Vaughan in Fort Worth, received the Professionalism Award from the Tarrant County Bar Association in May 2025. This prestigious honor is awarded annually to one attorney in Tarrant County under the age of 65 who “exemplifies, by conduct and character, professional traits that others in the bar should try to emulate and is an inspiring role model for the bar and is respected by his or her peers.”
Reece Norris, co-founder and COO of WeInfuse, has been named to the Longhorn 100 by Texas Exes for the third consecutive year. This list recognizes alumni from The University of Texas who have created and guided some of the fastest-growing businesses in the world in 2025.
Sam Loughlin, founding partner and CEO of Paceline Equity Partners in Dallas, has been named to the Longhorn 100 by Texas Exes. This list recognizes alumni from The University of Texas who have created and guided some of the fastest-growing businesses in the world in 2025.
Hudson Henley, president and CEO of Hudson Henley Property Management in Dallas, has been named to the Longhorn 100 by Texas Exes. This list recognizes alumni from The University of Texas who have created and guided some of the fastest-growing businesses in the world in 2025.
Edward Knight has been named one of the 500 most influential people of 2025 in Washington, D.C., by Washingtonian. As the executive vice chairman for Nasdaq, Edward was selected in the Banking & Finance category, which recognizes leaders who advocate for stable and secure financial systems.
Andrew L. Kerr has received the Texas Bar Foundation’s 2025 Outstanding 50-Year Lawyer Award. He began his legal career as a JAG officer in the U.S. Air Force and has continued his litigation practice in San Antonio, where he currently serves at Clark Hill.
Luke Soules has received the Texas Bar Foundation’s 2025 Outstanding 50-Year Lawyer Award. He practiced as a business and commercial trial and appellate attorney in San Antonio for 57 years, including 30 years of service on the Supreme Court of Texas’ Rules Advisory Committee.
The Hon. Debra Lehrmann has been selected to receive the Texas Bar Foundation’s 2025 Samuel Pessarra Outstanding Jurist Award. She is the senior justice on the Supreme Court of Texas and the longest-serving woman to serve on the Court in the state’s history.
Robert P. Braubach was appointed by the Czech Republic Minister of Foreign Affairs as honorary consul for San Antonio and South Texas to represent the Czech Republic and promote trade, investment, tourism and education in South Texas. Braubach’s San Antonio-based law firm specializes in international business law, international real estate law, and entity formation.
Thomas Kelton is currently serving as 2024-2025 chair of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. Kelton is senior counsel at Fogarty IP, advising executives and management in businesses, including Fortune 500s and startups, on IP strategy.
Andrew L. Kerr, a member at Clark Hill in San Antonio, has been selected as one of five recipients of the 2025 Texas Bar Foundation’s Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award. The Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award is given to attorneys whose practice has spanned five decades or more, recognizing their dedication to justice and adherence to the principles and traditions of the legal profession.
Jonathan Harmon has been named one of Virginia’s 50 Most Powerful Leaders in 2025 by the publication Virginia Business. Harmon was elected to be the first Black chairman of the state’s largest law firm McGuireWoods in 2017 as a nationally recognized trial lawyer representing Fortune 500 companies.
Harris Well has been elected to partner at Reynolds Frizzell in Houston. A trial attorney with the firm since 2017, Harris is a master of deep and diligent research who finds unique ways to resolve legal issues for his business litigation clients in the energy, real estate, and financial industries.
Senior Justice Debra H. Lehrmann, Texas Supreme Court’s longest-serving woman justice, has been named the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Samuel Pessarra Outstanding Jurist Award by the Texas Bar Foundation.
Mickey Klein, a longtime supporter and contributor to various programs and colleges at The University of Texas at Austin, has been awarded the Shirley Bird Perry Longhorn Citizenship Award with his wife Jeanne.
Jesse Pierce, co-founder of Pierce & O’Neill in Houston, has been named among the nation’s top energy and natural resources litigation attorneys in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Energy Lawyers listing.
Jack O’Neill, co-founder of Pierce & O’Neill in Houston, has been named among the nation’s top energy and natural resources litigation attorneys in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Energy Lawyers listing.
Judge Sam Lindsay, the first African American U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Texas and the first African American city attorney for the City of Dallas, received Texas Law’s 2025 Virgil C. Lott Medal at a ceremony on Feb. 19, 2025.
John L. Adams has been recognized with the University of Texas Presidential Citation Award for his dedication and support of the University. Adams is the former chairman and CEO of Chase Bank of Texas and former vice chairman of Trinity Industries, Inc. He is a supporter of the McCombs Scholars Program at UT’s McCombs School of Business, has chaired UT’s Development Board, and serves on the What Starts Here Campaign steering committee.
The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison has been recognized with the University of Texas Presidential Citation Award for her dedication and support of the University. A three-term U.S. senator, Bailey Hutchison went on to serve as the United States ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in Brussels, Belgium. Named in her honor, UT’s Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center is a collaboration between Texas Law, the McCombs School of Business, the Cockrell School of Engineering, and the Jackson School of Geosciences.
Judy Kostura, a partner at Sorrels Law, is the recipient of the 2025 Luther (Luke) H. Soules III Award from the State Bar of Texas Litigation Section. This prestigious honor recognizes attorneys who demonstrate excellence in the practice of law, outstanding professionalism, and exemplary service to the Bar.
Marissa Marquez has been inducted into the Texas Lyceum, a nonpartisan group of community leaders that explores and addresses issues facing Texans. Marquez currently is the manager, labor and employment legal counsel for Houston Methodist Hospital.
Erleigh Wiley has been honored with the “Living Legend Award” for legal excellence by the Dallas Bar Association. Wiley serves as the Kaufman County district attorney and is the current chairman of the Texas District & County Attorney’s executive board.
Anna MacFarlane has been appointed to the San Antonio Bar Foundation Fellows Program newly elected class of 2025, in recognition of her professional achievement, exemplary reputation, and commitment to the legal community. MacFarlane is an associate with Pulman, Cappuccio & Pullen in San Antonio.
Stephanie Dodge Bigley has been appointed to the San Antonio Bar Foundation Fellows Program newly elected class of 2025, in recognition of her professional achievement, exemplary reputation, and commitment to the legal community. Bigley is of counsel at David Santos in the San Antonio area.
Michelle Casillas has been appointed to the San Antonio Bar Foundation Fellows Program newly elected class of 2025, in recognition of her professional achievement, exemplary reputation, and commitment to the legal community. Casillas is vice president and trust officer for Jefferson Bank, providing clients comprehensive guidance in trust administration and estate settlement.
Edward Snyder has been appointed to the San Antonio Bar Foundation Fellows Program newly elected class of 2025, in recognition of his professional achievement, exemplary reputation, and commitment to the legal community. Snyder heads his own San Antonio-based firm, specializing primarily in business law.
John K. Boyce III has been appointed to the San Antonio Bar Foundation Fellows Program newly elected class of 2025, in recognition of his professional achievement, exemplary reputation, and commitment to the legal community. Boyce specializes in business law and alternative dispute resolution at his San Antonio-based firm.
Carlos J. Contreras III has been named to Austin Business Journal’s Texas 100, which is an annual list of impactful Texans. Contreras is the President and CEO for Goodwill San Antonio and previously served as the Assistant City Manager for the City of San Antonio.
Garry Merritt has been named to Austin Business Journal’s Texas 100, which is an annual list of impactful Texans. Merritt is CEO of Great Springs Project, which plans to create a greenway of protected lands between Austin and San Antonio over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone.
Miguel Garza has been named to Austin Business Journal’s Texas 100, which is an annual list of impactful Texans. Garza is co-founder and CEO of Siete Family Foods, a Mexican-American food brand that provides gluten-, grain-, and dairy-free food products.
Betty Balli Torres has received the inaugural Impacto Award by the American Bar Association Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities. Torres is executive director of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation and is being honored for her efforts to remove barriers to social justice and civic engagement facing Latinos in the U.S.
Feras Mousilli, a founding partner of Lloyd & Mousilli, has been named among the Top 50 U.S. Trademark Attorneys for 2024 by analytics firm Huski.ai’s AI-driven rankings. Mousilli previously served as senior corporate counsel for both Apple and Dell.
Michael Pearson, a partner at Jackson Walker, has been inducted into the 2025 Lawdragon Hall of Fame. Pearson chaired the firm’s energy practice group for over 30 years and currently serves as an adjunct professor at Texas Law.
Barrett Robin, partner at Hamilton Wingo in Dallas, has earned his fourth consecutive selection on the Best Lawyers Under 40 list published by D Magazine for his work in high-stakes personal injury lawsuits.
David J. Beck, founding partner of Beck Redden, has been named the recipient of the prestigious 2025 Leon Jaworski Award for Community Service by the Houston Bar Association Auxiliary. This distinguished honor recognizes attorneys who exemplify a lifetime commitment to civic engagement, public service, and professional excellence.
Versel (Wall) Rush was presented with the Kathy Amonett Award of Excellence at the October 2024 Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) statewide annual legal conference. Rush is a Child Protective Services lawyer and advocates for abused and neglected children.
Frances Blake is the new general counsel and vice president of regulatory affairs for the Texas Association of Builders. Previously, Blake served as bond counsel and general counsel to various local governmental entities, as well as an assistant United States attorney.
Parth Gejji, an associate at Beck Redden in Houston, has been elected to the partnership effective Jan. 1, 2025. A double Longhorn, Gejji was included in the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for his work in appellate practice.
Nicholas Bruno, an associate at Beck Redden in Houston, has been elected to the partnership effective Jan. 1, 2025. As lead appellate counsel, Bruno practices in all levels of the Texas appellate system.
David Coligado, CEO-elect at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, is featured in D CEO Magazine’s 2025 edition of the Dallas 500 directory, The Dallas 500 publication profiles the most powerful leaders in North Texas across more than 60 different business categories; this is Coligado’s first year of inclusion in the Dallas 500.
Mary Kipp was named to the transition team for Washington’s governor-elect Bob Ferguson as an advisor. Kipp serves as president and CEO of Puget Sound Energy since 2020 and previously was CEO of El Paso Electric.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.