Houstonia Magazine and H-Texas Magazine each named Daniel Knight to their “Top Lawyers” in Houston List for 2016. Mr. Knight practices in the areas of admiralty and maritime law, as well as general civil litigation and appellate issues, and was elected to membership in the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation in 2016.
Jackson Lewis P.C. is pleased to announce James Ward has joined our Kansas City Region office. Mr. Ward’s practice focuses on trial and appellate work on behalf of private and government employers. Mr. Ward has briefed and argued a number of appeals in employment matters in both federal and state court, including before the Missouri Supreme Court. Several of these appeals have involved first-impression issues, including claims for same-sex and “gender stereotype” discrimination, as well as an appeal before the Missouri Supreme Court that triggered a revised MHRA general verdict director and a brand new MHRA verdict director dedicated to disability discrimination claims.
Dentons, the global law firm, has named Cynthia L. Jackson as partner. Resident in the Firm’s Silicon Valley office, Jackson has over three decades of experience in California and US domestic, as well as international employment counseling and litigation. In addition to handling the global coordination of human resources and personnel-related agreements, policies and initiatives, she defends companies and C-suite individuals in high-profile class actions and other high-stakes employment litigation. “Cynthia’s extensive global compliance practice will enhance our ability to provide competitive US and cross-border workplace counseling, investigatory and litigation depth,” said Dentons US Managing Partner Mike McNamara.
Julia Simon has been named Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for Mary Kay, Inc. As a member of the company’s executive committee, she will manage all aspects of the company’s Legal, Risk Management, Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility functions.
Andrew Baumgardner has been selected to join Leadership San Antonio, a program jointly sponsored by the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Baumgardner is a partner in the Real Estate and Family Office practices at Jackson Walker LLP.
Jack Emmott is about to publish his second book, “Bending Angels,” which tells his own story of his journey from a child stricken with polio to an over-achieving adult, and the “bending angels” in his life who guided and inspired him. Learn more about the book at the official “Bending Angels” website.
Diane Brayton has been appointed general counsel of The New York Times Company, effective January 1, 2017. Ms. Brayton joined the Times Company in 2004 and most recently served as deputy general counsel since May 2016 and corporate secretary since 2011. “Diane’s keen understanding of the legal environment in which The New York Times operates and her broad range of legal and corporate governance expertise make her ideally suited to lead our legal department. She is known across the company not just for her reasoned approach to addressing legal matters but also for her passion for our business and her deeply collaborative spirit. I’m looking forward to continuing what is an already strong partnership,” said President and CEO Mark Thompson.
Laura Mayer Robertson is the Deputy General Counsel for Litigation and Arbitration at ConocoPhillips, where she oversees litigation for the company on a world-wide basis. This fall, she has been honored in several ways: named a Woman on the Move by the Texas Executive Women (link below); selected by the Houston Business Journal as one of its “Women to Watch” in its annual Women in Energy Leadership awards; and, selected by Texas Lawyer as an honoree for its 2016 Women in Energy awards.
Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (Consumer Bankruptcy Law); named to the Texas Monthly “Super Lawyer” list for 12 years; Chairman of the State Bar’s Bankruptcy Section 2010-2011; inducted as a Fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy (15th Class); past Chairman of the West Texas Bankruptcy Bar Association and the Lubbock County Bar Association; for years a member of the “Recent Developments” panel at The Annual Jay L. Westbrook Bankruptcy Conference and a member of the Texas Bar Foundation.
Corinne Sullins has joined BoyarMiller, a Houston business and litigation law firm, as associate. She represents domestic and foreign entities, as well as individuals, in a broad range of corporate matters. While a law student, she represented children involved in cases of abuse or neglect as an Attorney Ad Litem through the Children’s Rights Clinic. She also clerked for the Texas House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee.
Litigator Craig Lauchner has joined BoyarMiller, a Houston business and litigation law firm, as associate. Lauchner clerked for the Federal Immigration Court in Houston and, while at law school, served as managing editor of business for the Texas International Law Journal.
Shane Read has published his fourth litigation textbook, “Turning Points at Trial: Great Lawyers Share Secrets, Strategies and Skills,” in which thirteen of the country’s greatest lawyers share powerful insights from their most interesting cases, from depositions to trials to appeals. Read profiles such famous lawyers as Robert S. Bennett, Bryan Stevenson, Alan Dershowitz, Mark Lanier, and U.T. School of Law alumni Lisa Blatt who has the record for a woman with the most oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court.
John C. Heintz, based in the Latham & Watkins LLP Los Angeles office, was promoted to partner, effective January 1, 2017. Mr. Heintz is a member of the firm’s Environment, Land & Resources Department. His practice focuses on infrastructure and project siting, environmental regulatory compliance and environmental litigation for energy, manufacturing and developer clients. He has particular experience in the areas of contaminated properties, air and water quality.
Jay Jackson, an Associate at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend, has been selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list for 2016, which marks his fifth consecutive year to be recognized on the list.
John Flynn has been selected to Best Lawyers in America for Litigation-Construction and Construction Law.
Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP is pleased to announce that Benchmark Litigation 2017 has recognized Virginia Hamilton Snell, Partner in the Firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Service Team, as a “litigation star” for the publication’s 10th Anniversary Edition. The publication’s “litigation stars” reflect lawyers who are recommended by peers and clients as having established consistent reputations as trial attorneys. The guide honors the firms and attorneys who have demonstrated the ability to consistently handle complex, high-stakes cases in multiple jurisdictions.
Hannah Alexander is a 2016 Equal Justice Works Fellow, working with the Equal Justice Center in Dallas, providing representation to = low-wage, immigrant janitorial workers in theft-of-wages cases, employer fraud schemes, and similar severe employment abuses.
Michael Best & Friedrich LLP is proud to announce that Edward R. Lawson, Jr., has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2017 in 56 different areas of legal practice nationwide. Mr. Lawson is an intellectual property and patent lawyer in the firm’s Milwaukee, WI, office.
Catherine Musemeche, a law school alumna and a pediatric surgeon in Austin, has published here second book, “Hurt.” From Dr. Musemeche’s official website: ” ‘Hurt’: the inspiring, untold story of trauma explores the topic of injury from the viewpoint of doctors, rescuers, patients and their families. HURT walks us through the development of today’s advanced trauma centers and demonstrates in graphic detail why they are essential in surviving complex injuries.” Her first book was “SMALL: Life and Death on the Front Lines of Pediatric Surgery,” and she is a guest contributor to the New York Times Motherlode column.
The Texas Access to Justice Foundation, the largest state grant funding source of civil legal aid in Texas, has announced that Carlos M. Zaffirini, Jr., of Austin has been appointed to serve on its board of directors. The Supreme Court of Texas appointed Zaffirini to a two-year term expiring in August 2018.
Walt Herring, a partner in Munck Wilson Mandala’s Commercial Litigation practice group, has been recognized in Best Lawyers for his work in complex commercial litigation. For more than 30 years, he has concentrated his practice on complex commercial litigation matters for a wide variety of clients in both state and federal courts throughout the nation. Mr. Herring regularly serves as first-chair counsel in trials and arbitrations, and has considerable experience with other dispute resolution techniques. In 2016, Mr. Herring favorably resolved a significant class action and a securities fraud matter for one of the firm’s clients.
Stuart F. Miller, a shareholder in Baker Donelson’s Houston office, has been named to the 2017 edition of Best Lawyers in America for Health Care Law.
James P. Hill, a shareholder of the San Diego, CA, law firm Sullivan Hill Lewin Rez & Engel, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in the 23rd Edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law. Additionally, Hill was also recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2017 Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law “Lawyer of the Year” in San Diego.
As part of Global Inclusion Week 2016, Norton Rose Fulbright’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council announced five recipients of the Global Inclusion Awards from the US for their commitment to diversity, including Call of ’11 alumnus Stephen Myers. Mr. Myers is the vice chair of the Pride Network for Norton Rose Fulbright US and also serves on the Dallas Lambda Legal leadership team and the Turtle Creek Chorale’s board of directors.
William H. Caudill, a partner in the Houston office of Norton Rose Fulbright, has been selected to the chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Taxation, the nation’s largest organization of tax lawyers.. Mr. Caudill, who previously served as the ABA’s Section of Taxation’s chair-elect, 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.
Connor Best has joined Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr in Austin under the litigation practice group. Prior to joining Munsch Hardt, Connor served as a clerk under Justice Jeffrey S. Boyd of the Supreme Court of Texas. During his clerkship, Connor researched and drafted study memos on issues briefed for the court, drafted orders, and contributed to opinions published by the Court. In addition, Connor interned for Justice Eva Guzman of the Supreme Court of Texas, the Honorable Lee Yeakel of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, and the Office of the Solicitor General of Texas where he researched and drafted memoranda on tax law, federal habeas corpus law, arbitration and insurance law.
Donna Gooden Payne, East Carolina University counsel and vice chancellor for legal affairs, was elected in June to a three-year term as a member-at-large on the Board of Directors of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) during its annual conference in San Francisco. Payne, a member of NACUA since 2002, has served for eight years on NACUA’s Editorial Board for The Journal of College and University Law. In addition, she has also served on the NACUNOTES Editorial Board, the Committee on Legal Education and the Committee on Program for the Annual Conference.
Michael F. King, from the Raleigh and Research Triangle Park offices of global law firm K&L Gates LLP, has been named a 2017 Best Lawyer in America by the publication Best Lawyers.
Corporate attorney Paul Tobias, widely regarded for his work with technology and growth companies, has joined Vinson & Elkins LLP as a partner in the firm’s Austin office. Tobias represents technology companies in all phases of their growth, from startup and venture financing, to acquisitions and public offerings and public company governance. He previously practiced at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he was the founding partner of the firm’s Austin office.
Andrew Graham has joined global law firm Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP as Of Counsel in its Litigation Practice, based in Dallas. Andrew has extensive litigation experience in trial and appellate courts in a wide variety of matters, including fiduciary duties, contractual disputes, corporate governance, privacy issues, and indemnity claims. His practice covers a range of industries and sectors, including oil and gas, banking, private equity, media, and aviation.
Beck Redden Partner, Russell S. Post, was elected to be a member of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers (AAAL). Membership in AAAL is by invitation only and is reserved for experienced appellate advocates who have demonstrated the highest skill level and integrity – membership is limited to 500 members in the United States.
Kelly Frels’70, former President of the State Bar of Texas, has been awarded the 2016 Civic Leadership Award by the Center for Houston’s Future.
Hal Ray ’84, has been appointed United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Texas, Wichita Falls Division. Judge Ray previously was a partner in Pope, Hardwicke, Christie, Schell, Kelly & Ray, LLP, in Fort Worth.
Reid Wilson, chairman of Wilson Cribbs + Goren, PC, received the Best Speaker Award for the 2015 Advanced Real Estate Law Course presented by the Texas Bar CLE. Reid was recognized for his presentation on “Terminating Condominium Projects.” The award was presented at a luncheon during the State Bar’s 2016 Advanced Real Estate Law Course.
Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed First Assistant District Attorney Phil Grant to the 9th state District Court, his office announced Oct. 17. Grant is the first assistant district attorney for the District Attorney’s Office and is the supervisor for the public integrity unit and major crimes and police integrity response teams.
The 2016 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business recognized 18 Brooks Pierce attorneys, including a University of Texas School of Law alumnus, as leaders in their respective practice areas.
Brooks Pierce partner Reid Phillips, who earned his juris doctor from the University of Texas School of Law in 1977, was recognized for Litigation: General Commercial. Phillips as previously nominated by his peers for inclusion in “The Best Lawyers in America” in Commercial Litigation, Banking & Finance Litigation, and Intellectual Property Litigation, and was named “Lawyer of the Year” in 2015 for Banking and Finance Litigation.
Thompson & Knight LLP is pleased to congratulate John H. Martin, who was named to the 2016 Who’s Who Legal 100. Wright was recognized for his work in transport law.
Thompson & Knight LLP is pleased to congratulate Arthur Wright, who was named to the 2016 Who’s Who Legal 100. Wright was recognized for his work in energy law.
Thompson & Knight LLP is pleased to congratulate Jennifer P. Henry, who was named to the 2016 Who’s Who Legal 100. Henry was recognized for her work in transport law.
Thompson & Knight LLP is pleased to congratulate Timothy R. Brown, who was named to the 2016 Who’s Who Legal 100. Brown was recognized for his work in energy law.
Thompson & Knight LLP is pleased to congratulate Jim Morriss, who was named to the 2016 Who’s Who Legal 100. Morriss was recognized for his work in environmental law.
Thompson & Knight LLP is pleased to congratulate Larry Hicks, who was named to the 2016 Who’s Who Legal 100. Hick was recognized for his work in real estate law.
Joe W. Redden was recognized in the annual Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2016 directory. Redden was specifically recognized for his work in General Commercial litigation.
Alistair B. Dawson was recognized in the annual Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2016 directory. Dawson was specifically recognized for his work in General Commercial litigation.
David J. Beck was recognized in the annual Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2016 directory. In addition to being recognized at the state-level for Litigation: Energy and Natural Resources and Litigation: General Commercial, Beck was recognized at the national level for Litigation: Trial Lawyers.
Chambers USA is carefully researched and widely considered to be the most reputable law firm directory in the world.
Ivan Wood, senior counsel in Baker Donelson’s Houston office, has been ranked in Band 3 in the area of health care in Texas in the 2016 edition of Chambers USA.
Beck Redden Partner, Connie Pfeiffer, led the charge to overturn a Fifth Circuit decision affecting millions of Texas homeowners in May. The Fifth Circuit had decided that homeowners with constitutionally defective liens on their homestead must file suits to set the lien aside within four years of originating a home equity loan. This meant that lenders could foreclose on a home when they had not complied with all of the Constitution’s consumer protection requirements to make a valid lien. Pfeiffer co-authored the briefs and presented the oral arguments in front of the Texas Supreme Court and the Fifth Circuit’s decision was overturned.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has named Vinson & Elkins partner Harry Reasoner as the recipient of the 2016 Karen H. Susman Jurisprudence Award. The award is given annually to an outstanding member of the legal community who exhibits an exceptional commitment to equality, justice, fairness and community service.
Arthur T. Catterall of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division’s Appellate Section has received the Arthur S. Flemming Award for 2015. For over 67 years, the Flemming award has been conferred annually on a dozen Federal employees for outstanding and meritorious work for the government. Mr. Catterall is being recognized for outstanding Legal Achievement. The award will be conferred at a ceremony at George Washington University on June 6, 2016.
Irwin Steinhorn is included on the Best Lawyers in America recognition list.