Class Notes

Alistair B. Dawson earned the Litigation Star Award in Benchmark Litigation 2024. Dawson is a partner at the Houston office of Beck Redden LLP.

David J. Beck earned the Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Practice Area Star, and Litigation Star Awards in Benchmark Litigation 2024. Beck is a trial lawyer and founding partner at Beck Redden LLP and is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Fields Alexander earned the Litigation Star Award in Benchmark Litigation 2024. Alexander is a partner at Beck Redden LLP, where he specializes in trial law.

Wayne Haglund has been selected as a Texas Super Lawyer for his work in school law for the 20th consecutive year. Haglund established the Haglund Law Firm and has provided legal services to more than 60 Texas school districts.

Courtney York has joined Greenberg Traurig as a corporate practice shareholder. York specializes in multimillion to billion dollar corporate and commercial technology cases.

Kimberly S. Winick has been elected as president of the board of directors of the Pasadena Symphony and POPS. Winick specializes in commercial finance law and serves as a mediator for local bankruptcy courts.

Shawn Raymond has received the Anti-Defamation League’s Karen H. Susman Jurisprudence Award, an annual award presented by ADL Southwest that honors an outstanding member of the legal community who exhibits a commitment to equality, justice, fairness and community service. Raymond is a partner at trial law firm Susan Godfrey.

Brad Caldwell has earned a selection on the 2024 Lawdragon Leading Litigators in America listing based on his work in intellectual property trials. Caldwell is principal at Caldwell Cassady & Curry, where he focuses on patent infringement and complex commercial litigation for both plaintiffs and defendants in trial.

Janet McQuaid has joined Frost Brown Todd (FBT), a national law firm with specialized expertise in the energy industry. Prior to law school, McQuaid worked for 11 years as a chemical engineer for Exxon, equipping her with a unique background and a distinct perspective on developments in the energy industry.

Claire Demers has joined Bracewell LLP as a first-year associate. Demers previously worked at Bracewell as a summer associate and clerked at the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas.

Joshua Kelly has joined Botkin Calaf, an Austin-based commercial and IP litigation and business law firm, as an associate. He will support the commercial litigation team in resolving business, intellectual property, and employment disputes. While at Texas Law, Kelly was an editor for the Texas Environmental Law Journal and a judicial intern in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Matt Gates has joined Wittliff Cutter as senior counsel. Gates, who has more than a decade of experience in trial law, focusing on complex commercial litigation and intellectual property matters,  antitrust matters, and product defect cases.

James Lloyd has been promoted to Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation in the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Lloyd previously served as Acting Deputy for Civil Litigation and Associate Deputy Attorney General for Civil Litigation.

Larry Fallek has been named the 2023 Man of the Year by the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. A double Longhorn, Fallek currently serves as the chairman of Castle Hospitality.

Rachel McKenna has been named a 2023 Texas Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers for her work in business litigation. McKenna is a partner and civil trial lawyer at Almanza Blackburn Dickie & Mitchell LLP in Austin.

Author James Andrew Hearn’s short story “Home Is the Hunter” will be included in The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023, which will be published in October by Mariner Books.

Judge Bill Henderson, former district judge of Harris County Family Court and later legal advisor to County Judge Ed Emmett, has retired. He also served as an administrator for the Children’s Assessment Center and is currently volunteering for ReVision, a non-profit working with homeless youth.

Jessica Dean has earned repeat recognition by Texas Super Lawyers, noting the top 5 percent of attorneys in the state. Dean is honored for personal injury products liability litigation on behalf of plaintiffs. A member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Dean is a partner at Dean Omar Branham Shirley and a key part of the firm’s trial team.

International arbitration lawyer David Weiss has joined Mayer Brown as a partner in Houston. His background includes substantial experience in investor-state arbitrations, commercial disputes in Latin America, international arbitrations among parties in the energy industry, and post-M&A disputes.

Richard Warren Mithoff has been recognized as one of Texas’ top trial lawyers in the 2023 Texas Super Lawyers Top 10 list. Mithoff is a personal injury lawyer and president at Mithoff Law firm, and the namesake for Texas Law’s pro bono center, the Richard and Ginni Mithoff Pro Bono Center.

Fidel Rodriguez, Jr. has been recognized as one of Texas’ top trial lawyers in the 2023 Texas Super Lawyers Top 10 list. Rodriguez has practiced personal injury and product liabilities law for more than 30 years.

Karen C. Burgess has been recognized as one of Texas’ top trial lawyers in the 2023 Texas Super Lawyers Top 10 list. She also has been selected by her peers for inclusion in the 30th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America for her work in commercial litigation at Burgess Associates.

Lori A. Gobillot has been elected to the board of directors of ONEOK, Inc. Gobillot has held officer roles in both business and legal functions, and has served on the board of directors of Republic Airways Holdings, Inc. since 2017.

Jayme Partridge has joined Spencer Fane’s patent litigation practice as a partner. Partridge combines her technical engineering background with proven trial advocacy skills to provide unique insight into her clients’ complex intellectual property litigation.

Charles Fowler has returned to McKool Smith as a principal in Austin, where he will focus his practice on appeals, trials and critical motions in complex commercial and intellectual property litigation.  Fowler started his career at McKool Smith, then spent four years with the U.S. Department of Justice as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Central District of California and Western District of Texas.

Brenda Barrett has been added to Husch Blackwell’s Energy & Natural Resources industry group as a partner in the firm’s Austin office. Barrett represents clients in the energy and credit union industries, overseeing corporate transactions and providing general corporate counsel.

Stephen K. Moulton has been joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP’s Dallas office as a senior attorney. A former federal prosecutor and assistant United States attorney, Moulton is a member of the firm’s Government Enforcement & Investigations Practice Group.

Dymond Mensah was named winner of the International Ms. pageant. Mensah serves as an assistant district attorney with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office and is a current National Advocacy Alliance spokesperson.

Kate Higginbothom has been named chief administrative officer at the U.S. International Trade Commission. Higginbothom previously served for more than a decade in multiple roles with the Federal Election Commission.

Robert L. Soza has been honored in Lawdragon’s 2024 list of the 500 leading litigators in America. Soza specializes in product liability at Jackson Walker.

Leisa Talbert Peschel has been honored in Lawdragon’s 2024 list of the 500 leading litigators in America. Peschel specializes in IP litigation at Jackson Walker.

David T. Moran has been honored in Lawdragon’s 2024 list of the 500 leading litigators in America. Moran specializes in antitrust and class action litigation at Jackson Walker.

S. Brad Brown has been honored in Lawdragon’s 2024 list of the 500 leading litigators in America. Brown specializes in product liability litigation at Jackson Walker.

Obadele Thompson has been elected to the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) Board of Directors. Not only is he a skilled litigator, Thompson is also a three-time Olympian and the only Olympic medalist from Barbados.

Austin B. Light has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America, for the second consecutive year.  Light specializes in advising clients on a variety of compensation-related plans and employee-related aspects of public and private transactions.

Marvin Blum has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for his work in trusts and estates law, making this his ninth year being selected for the honor. Blum is the founder of The Blum Firm, the largest group of estate planning attorneys in Texas.

Geoff Gannaway, a partner at Beck Redden in the firm’s Houston office, was named in Thomson Reuters Texas Super Lawyers 2023. Gannaway was the grand chancellor for his class at Texas Law.

John Adcock, of counsel at Beck Redden’s Houston office, was named in Thomson Reuters Texas Super Lawyers 2023. Adcock has been a member of the firm’s appellate section since its inception and his practice focuses on complex civil matters.

Robert C. Trenchard Jr. has been named one of the Best Personal Injury Lawyers in El Paso by Forbes Advisor. Trenchard is a founder of Trenchard & Hoskins LLP and has been honored as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in Texas by the National Trial Lawyers.

Chris Hamilton ’04 has been selected to the 2023 Texas Super Lawyers list based on his work in high-stakes personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Hamilton is owner/partner of Hamilton Wingo, LLD.

Elizabeth F. “Liza” Eoff, an associate at Munsch Hardt, has been honored in the 2024 edition of the Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in the Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Law categories. Eoff is a trial lawyer who focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation, including litigation related to the oil and gas industry.

Andres Contreras, an associate at Munsch Hardt, is featured in the 2024 edition of the Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in the Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation–Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation–Defendants categories. Contreras focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation in both state and federal courts.

Munsch Hardt Senior Attorney Kelly E. Wise has been named to the 2024 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in recognition of her excellence in the Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants categories. Kelly focuses her practice on a range of litigation matters, including construction liability and defects, premises liability and transportation and trucking liability.

Jana M. Lambro, a shareholder at Munsch Hardt, has been recognized in the 2024 edition of the Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in the Real Estate Law category. Lambro’s practice focuses on commercial real estate development, including purchases, sales, retail and ground leases, brokerage agreements, and transactional financing.

Nicolas A. Gavrizi, an associate at Munsch Hardt, has been honored in the 2024 edition of the Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory. Gavrizi was featured for his excellence in Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, and Litigation – Construction. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, with an emphasis on the construction industry.

Connor Best (’15), an associate at Munsch Hardt, has been featured in the 2024 edition of the Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory in the Construction Law category.
Connor’s practice focuses on a wide range of complex business litigation matters, including commercial disputes, construction matters and labor and employment litigation.

Daniel Z. Sternthal is featured for his excellence in Health Care Law in the 2024 edition of the Best Lawyers in America directory. A shareholder at Munsch Hardt, he serves as strategic counsel to a diverse range of health care entities as they evaluate regulatory, administrative and transactional opportunities and navigate through challenges.

Stuart Miller ’98 has been honored in the 2024 edition of the Best Lawyers in America listing in the Health Care category. A shareholder at Munsch Hardt, Miller represents health care clients in corporate and regulatory matters such as their operational, governance, formation and restructuring issues, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, employment matters, compliance and reimbursement controversies.

Ned Sherman has been included in Variety magazine’s list of 2023’s Top In-House Entertainment Attorneys. Sherman is the chief business affairs and legal officer at Skybound Entertainment, where he has spearheaded M&A activities and global expansion.

Joe W. Redden Jr. was named a 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigator in America. Redden is a founding partner at Beck Redden LLP and is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.