Class Notes

Abbey Garber has been elected chair of the Taxation Section of the State Bar of Texas for 2026-27. Garber is a partner at Holland & Knight in Dallas where he focuses his practice on tax litigation and providing advice on applying tax laws to individuals, estates, corporations and partnerships.

William Hagans has been elected a member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates. ABOTA is a national, invitation-only organization of seasoned trial lawyers and judges committed to protecting the right to a civil jury trial and upholding the highest standards of civility, integrity, and professionalism. He is an attorney at the Hagans law firm in Houston.

A portrait of Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses was ceremoniously unveiled June 26 at the U.S. courthouse in San Antonio, the headquarters of the federal judiciary’s Western District of Texas. Moses was the first woman  appointed to a district bench in the Western District of Texas in 2002, then became the district’s first female chief judge in 2022.

Mark Taylor, a director in the Austin office of Kane Russell Coleman Logan, has been recognized in the Chambers USA 2026 Guide: Texas for bankruptcy/restructuring.

Stephanie E. Kaiser, a director in the Dallas office of Kane Russell Coleman Logan, has been recognized in the Chambers USA 2026 Guide: Texas in the area of general commercial litigation.

Lisa S. Blatt has been named to Forbes’ “America’s Top Women Lawyers“ list for appellate law. Blatt serves in Williams & Connolly’s supreme court and appellate practice in Washington, D.C.

Lisa Tsai has been named to Forbes’ “America’s Top Women Lawyers“ list for litigation. She is the managing partner and co-founder of Reid Collins & Tsai in Austin.

Sarah Stasny has been named to Forbes’ “America’s Top Women Lawyers“ list for Investment Funds & Asset Management. Stasny is the head of Proskauer’s Private Equity Transactions Group in New York.

Jessica Dean has been named to Forbes’ “America’s Top Women Lawyers“ list for litigation. Dean is a founding partner at Dean Omar Branham Shirley in Dallas.

Kim Bueno has been named to Forbes’ “America’s Top Women Lawyers“ list for litigation. Bueno is a litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis in Austin.

Tom Wright, founding partner of Wright Close Barger & Guzman in in Houston, has been recognized by Chambers USA 2026 Guide for appellate litigation. The firm also received an elevated ranking in the publication.

Mary McKerall was honored with the Tiffany Star Award by the Houston Association of Women Attorneys at the organization’s 50th Anniversary celebration, in recognition of her role as a founding member. She serves as senior assistant city attorney for the City of Houston and previously served as a Harris County assistant attorney for 29 years.

Brian Haley has been appointed to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board by Governor Greg Abbott.  Haley is the co-founder and partner of CB Capital in Austin.

Jack Hicks has joined the advisory board at the Elon University School of Law.

Hilda Galvan has joined the board of trustees of the  Southwestern Medical Foundation. She currently serves as president of the Center for Women in Law and vice chair of the University of Texas Law Foundation, and serves on the boards of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, Broadway Dallas, Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep, and the SMU Lyle School of Engineering Executive Board.

Luke Ledbetter has been appointed to the Finance Commission of Texas by Gov. Greg Abbott.  He is the CEO of the Kestrel Group, and previously served as executive vice president and chief underwriting officer at State National Companies.

Ernesto Alvarez, a trial lawyer at Zehl & Associates in Houston, has been named to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 X The Next Generation list.

Irina B. Plumlee, a shareholder with Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. in Dallas, has been named to D Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in Dallas 2026” list for immigration law.

David Coligado, a shareholder and chief executive officer with Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. in Dallas, has been named to D Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in Dallas 2026” list for real estate law and D CEO’s 2026 “Dallas 500 List”.

Frederick W. “Rick” Addison, III, a shareholder with Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. in Dallas, has been named to D Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in Dallas 2026” list for environmental law.

Angela A. Hunt, a shareholder with Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. in Dallas, has been named to D Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in Dallas 2026” list for land use/zoning law.

Elena Thompson,  an associate with Miller Nash in Seattle, has been appointed as co-chair of the Legal Foundation of Washington’s 2026 Associates Campaign for Equal Justice (CEJ). For the past three years, Elena has helped spearhead Miller Nash’s internal CEJ fundraising efforts.

Marissa Marquez has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Senior Counsel of the Year for a Nonprofit or Governmental Agency presented by the Association of Corporate Counsel Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook. She currently is the labor and employment counsel at Houston Methodist Hospital.

Dani Sanchez, senior assistant general counsel over litigation and employment at Academy Sports + Outdoors, has been named the 2026 Outstanding Mentor of the Year by the Houston Young Lawyers Association.

Amber Russell’s Austin-based firm, LOAR PLLC, has received the 2026 Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association Firm of the Year Award. Russell began her career at Baker Botts before founding LOAR in 2006 with a vision to reinvent the personal injury firm model, building a practice focused not just on case outcomes, but on long-term impact.

Brooke E. Lierman has been selected as the keynote speaker for Howard Community College’s 55th commencement exercises on May 22, 2026. She serves as the 34th Comptroller of Maryland and the first woman independently elected to one of the state’s constitutional offices.

Richard Orsinger has earned the 2026 Patrick A. Nester Outstanding Achievement in CLE Award for his career-spanning dedication to the promotion and advancement of continuing legal education. He currently serves as the a co-founder and name partner in the family law firm Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson.

Gary Farmer was featured on Texas Exes’ “Hello Longhorn,” a podcast and video series. As president of Heritage Title Company of Austin and past chair of Opportunity Austin, Farmer reflected on his time at the university and how it shaped his career. Earlier this year he received the Texas Exes 2025 Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Charles Foster, chairman of Foster LLP who served as chair of the Asia Society Texas Center Board of Directors for 24 years, was honored with the 2026 Stephen L. Kleinberg Award by the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University for his decades of leadership and advocacy for a more inclusive, globally connected Houston. A double Longhorn, he was also honored with the ASTC’s inaugural 2026 Roy Huffington Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jim Noles, professor of environmental law at Auburn University, was awarded the Student Government Association’s 2026 Outstanding Faculty Award for the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment.

Stewart Hoffer has been named to the Texas Legal Elite list in the Super Lawyers 2026 edition. Stewart currently serves as partner at Hicks Thomas LLP, focusing on civil arbitration and civil litigation.

Marissa Marquez has been named the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Senior Counsel of the Year for a Nonprofit/Governmental Agency by the Texas Lawbook and the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston chapter. Marquez, who is labor and employment legal counsel at Houston Methodist Hospital, will be honored at an award ceremony in Houston May 28.

Randy Johnston has been named to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers list—marking his sixth consecutive selection—as well as the Texas Super Lawyers list. A co-founder and shareholder at Johnston Tobey Baruch in Dallas, he is recognized for his work in professional liability, legal malpractice, fiduciary litigation and investment fraud.

Robert Tobey, a shareholder at Johnston Tobey Barush in Dallas, has been included on the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers list—marking his sixth consecutive selection—and was named as Texas Super Lawyer. Board certified in consumer and commercial law, he is recognized for handling complex commercial litigation, professional liability and business disputes.

Alistair Dawson will be posthumously inducted as a Legal Legend by the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas. Dawson, who passed away in 2025, was a respected partner and trial attorney at Beck Redden, president of the Houston Bar Association, chairman of the Texas Bar Foundation, fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Jane Webre will receive the 2026 Gregory S. Coleman Outstanding Appellate Lawyer Award from the Texas Bar Foundation. Webre is a partner at Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP in Austin, where she focuses on civil appellate law and handles the majority of the firm’s appeals.

Fred Hagans will receive the 2026 Ronald D. Secrest Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award from the Texas Bar Foundation. The award, which is given annually to an active trial lawyer who demonstrates outstanding trial skills, ethical standards, and professional conduct, will recognize Hagans’ acclaimed career with his firm Hagans Law.

Becky Diffen has been named to Tamarindo’s Legal Power List 2026, which recognizes the 100 most influential lawyers in the clean energy and infrastructure sectors. A partner with Norton Rose Fulbright in Austin, Diffen is also an adjunct professor at Texas Law, teaching a course in wind and solar law.

Dustin Fillmore has been named a shareholder and director at McDonald Sanders in Fort Worth. His practice focuses on business transactions with an emphasis on real estate, energy, and finance. Fillmore has experience in both litigation and transactional matters and continues to support clients across a wide range of industries.

Richard Orsinger was honored with the John F. Sheehy Jr. Distinguished Attorney Award at the Texas Board of Legal Specialization 51st annual induction ceremony. The award recognizes dedication to public service, professionalism, and excellence in the legal profession. Orsinger, who also was the keynote speaker at the event, has spent decades advancing family law through scholarship, teaching and mentorship across Texas.

Mark Taylor, a director with Kane Russell Coleman Logan in Austin, has been selected to the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Bankruptcy and Restructuring guide, which recognizes leading lawyers in several areas of financial restructuring. Taylor dedicates his practice to complex bankruptcy, bankruptcy litigation and commercial litigation.

David Kitner received the 2025 Luther “Luke” H. Soules III Award for Excellence in Litigation from the State Bar of Texas. Kitner is senior counsel at Clark Hill in Dallas, representing clients in civil litigation matters involving business and commercial disputes and professional liability.

Kassi Gonzalez has been named as a 2026 finalist in the legal category of the Austin Under 40 Awards. She currently works as a senior attorney for the Texas Civil Rights Project.

Kayvon Rashidi has been named a 2026 finalist in the legal category of the Austin Under 40 Awards. Board-certified in family law, he currently serves as a partner for Powers Kerr & Rashidi, PLLC.

Kathy Richardson will be honored at the Austin Black Lawyers Association Foundation’s 2026 Andrea Pair Bryant Legacy Luncheon. The CEO and founder of HR Legal Search with 30 years of experience in career services, Richardson spent several years as the assistant dean of career services at Texas Law.

The Honorable Velva Price will be honored at the Austin Black Lawyers Association Foundation’s 2026 Andrea Pair Bryant Legacy Luncheon. She has served as the Travis County district clerk since 2015—the first African American to hold this position—after practicing law for 25 years. Price also was the first African American woman to serve as president of the Austin Bar Association.

Jonathan Harmon has been named to the 2026 Virginia Black Business Leaders Hall of Fame. A West Point graduate and U.S. Army veteran, he was elected the first Black chairman of McGuireWoods after leading the firm’s Business Securities Litigation Department.

Justice Patricia O’Connell Alvarez (Ret.) was inducted into the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, an invitation-only organization of the nation’s most respected and accomplished alternative dispute resolution professionals. Alvarez served 12 years as a judge in the Fourth Court of Appeals and spent 26 years as a trial attorney before launching Alvarez Dispute Resolutions, PLLC.

Scott Young will be recognized by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Texas Lawbook with a 2025 Corporate Counsel Award for Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service. He currently serves as managing counsel for Toyota North America.