Class Notes

Phyllis Young ’01, an accomplished transactional lawyer who advises public and private companies, commercial banks and investment funds in financing transactions and has extensive energy industry experience, has joined McGuireWoods’ debt finance practice as a partner in the firm’s Dallas and Houston offices. Young advises lenders and borrowers in debt financings and counsels clients on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and other corporate matters. She has served as outside general counsel to clients in the oil refining and drilling sectors and the steel distribution industry. She joins McGuireWoods from Akin Gump.

Ross Sutherland joined litigation firm Scott Douglass & McConnico. Sutherland began his career as an entrepreneur servicing South Texas oil-field companies and brings that experience to his legal practice focused in the oil and gas industry.

David Calvillo, Senior Counsel in the Houston and San Antonio offices of Chamberlain Hrdlicka, has been invited into the Houston Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Calvillo was formally welcomed into the Houston Chapter during the Annual Dinner and New Member Induction on October 26, 2019. ABOTA is a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right provided by the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

On Thursday, November 14, 2019, the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas will induct James (“Jim”) B. Sales, member of the class of 1960 and recipient of the Order of the Coif, as a Texas Legal Legend at South Texas College of Law Houston in the Joe M. Green Auditorium. The induction will be followed by a reception sponsored by Norton Rose Fulbright.

Alex Berger is now General Counsel for the Motorcycle Industry Council, the national trade association for the motorcycle industry, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (trade association for all-terrain vehicles), the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (trade association for ROVs), and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.

Adi Sirkes has joined Houston litigation firm Reynolds Frizzell LLP as an associate. As a trial attorney, his practice focuses on advising clients across a wide array of industries to protect their legal rights and provide strategic remedies.

On October 22, 2019, Beck Redden LLP obtained a $176 million unanimous jury verdict on behalf of our client, HP Inc. The verdict followed a week-long trial in a Houston federal court in which the jurors deliberated for less than five hours and found that defendants Quanta Storage Inc. and Quanta Storage America Inc. knowingly and intentionally violated U.S. antitrust laws. By law, the damages could be tripled by U.S. District Judge David Hittner.

On October 22, 2019, Beck Redden LLP obtained a $176 million unanimous jury verdict on behalf of our client, HP Inc. The verdict followed a week-long trial in a Houston federal court in which the jurors deliberated for less than five hours and found that defendants Quanta Storage Inc. and Quanta Storage America Inc. knowingly and intentionally violated U.S. antitrust laws. By law, the damages could be tripled by U.S. District Judge David Hittner.

Brooks Pierce managing partner Reid Phillips, who received his juris doctorate from the University of Texas, was recognized in the 2020 edition of Benchmark Litigation as a “Local Litigation Star” for Antitrust, General Commercial, Intellectual Property, Product Liability and Securities. Benchmark Litigation serves as the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation firms and attorneys. Rankings are based on a six-month period where Benchmark researchers conduct extensive interviews.

Warigia M. Bowman, a 1994 honors graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Tulsa College of Law. She teaches water law, natural resources law, energy regulation, and administrative law at the University of Tulsa College of Law. Her article “Dustbowl Waters: Doctrinal and Legislative Solutions to Save the Ogallala Aquifer before both Time and Water Run Out,” will appear in 91 U. Colorado Law Review, 4 (2019)

Preston Moore, a Dallas-based associate in the Corporate Department of international law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, has received the Outstanding In-House Attorney Award from the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP). The award recognizes Moore’s exceptional pro bono work on behalf of DVAP and his outstanding efforts in the justice system. Earlier this year, Moore was announced as Weil’s 12th Lend-a-Lawyer and spent two months working full-time on-site at DVAP.

The law firm of Thompson & Knight LLP is pleased to announce that Dallas attorney and State Senator Nathan M. Johnson has joined the firm as Counsel in the Trial Practice Group in Dallas. Mr. Johnson is a commercial and bankruptcy litigator and currently represents District 16 in the Texas State Senate.

T. Ray Guy, a Litigation partner in the Dallas office of international law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, has earned recognition as a 2019 Texas Super Lawyer. Texas Super Lawyers rates lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is based on independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations, and only 5% of attorneys in each state are included in the Super Lawyers list each year.

Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP is proud to announce that Vorys Attorney Mike Schira, who is a University of Texas School of Law alumnus, has been included in the 2020 Best Lawyers in America list.

George Lee has been named one of the 2020 Best Lawyers in America in the Corporate Law category. This distinction is based entirely on a peer-review survey in which attorneys cast votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers within the same geographical area and legal practice area.

James H. Billingsley has been recognized as one of the 2020 Best Lawyers in America in the Litigation and Bankruptcy categories. This distinction is based entirely on a peer-review survey in which attorneys cast votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers within the same geographical area and legal practice area.

Provost Umphrey Lawyer Christopher T. Kirchmer was listed in the Best Lawyers of America for his work in Mass torts, Class Actions, Personal Injury and Product Liability.

DLA Piper is pleased to announce that Andrew Hoffman, a partner in the firm’s Litigation practice, has been named to the Daily Journal’s 2019 Top 40 Under 40 list honoring young California lawyers across a range of practice areas. Hoffman represents pharmaceutical manufacturers and other life sciences companies in government investigations and related litigation.

James P. Hill, was named by his peers for inclusion in the 26th Edition of Best Lawyers in America®. Hill is a founding member of Sullivan Hill, member of its Executive Committee and chair of the firm’s Insolvency and Commercial Bankruptcy practice group. He is recognized in the fields of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law.

David Vineyard, JD, MD, had the pleasure of leading a charity climb up Mount Kilimanjaro last July to benefit Neema Village, an orphanage in Arusha,Tanzania

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.

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.

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.