Class Notes

Jake Bleveans has been selected for a Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who. In a career that spanned three decades within the public and private sectors, Bleveans’ positions included counsel at Arthur Anderson, partner at Mayer Brown, senior vice president and deputy general counsel of Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust, and trial and appellate attorney for the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. He also served in the JAG Corps of the U.S. Navy.

Mary Kate Raffetto has been recognized as a 2023 Texas Rising Star by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers. Raffetto was an educator prior to beginning her legal career, where she specializes in appellate matters and commercial litigation.

David J. Beck, founder of Beck Redden, was presented with the E. Ernest Goldstein Award from the Texas International Law Journal (TILJ). This marks just the second time in the publication’s history the award has been given to a TILJ alumnus who has made a lasting impact on the journal or as a member of the Texas or international legal community.

Parth Gejji has been recognized as a 2023 Texas Rising Star by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers. Gejji specializes in appellate matters at Beck Redden, focusing on civil appeals and complex civil ligation.

Nicholas Bruno has been recognized as a 2023 Texas Rising Star by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers. Bruno regularly practices in all levels of the Texas appellate system, representing clients in a wide range of litigation.

Jacqueline Furlow has been recognized as a 2023 Texas Rising Star by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers. Furlow is a partner at Beck Redden, specializing in commercial litigation, employment litigation, energy litigation and professional liability.

Garrett Brawley has been recognized as a 2023 Texas Rising Star by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers. Brawley specializes in commercial litigation at Beck Redden, and previously clerked for Hon. Alfred H. Bennett of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Glen Rosenbaum was honored with the 31st Annual Leon Jaworski Award, as presented by the Houston Bar Association, in recognition of qualities of civic-mindedness, professionalism, social and cultural concern, demonstrated over many years. Rosenberg is a senior partner at Vinson & Elkins.

Jim Hill has been recognized by San Diego Magazine as a 2023 Top Lawyer in San Diego in the field of bankruptcy. A founding member of Sullivan Hill, he is chair of the firm’s Insolvency and Commercial Bankruptcy practice group and a member of its Executive Committee.

Michael Slack has been named one of the Best Personal Injury Lawyers in San Antonio by Forbes Advisor. A former NASA aerospace engineer, Slack focuses on aviation accidents and is recognized as a national expert and advocate for improved aviation safety. He is managing partner and a co-founder of Slack Davis Senger.

Fidel Rodriguez Jr. has been named one of the Best Personal Injury Lawyers in San Antonio by Forbes Advisor. Rodriguez has been serving victims of personal injury and wrongful death for more than 30 years, with his firm Rodriguez Trial Law.

Carl H. Green has been named one of the Best Personal Injury Lawyers in San Antonio by Forbes Advisor. Green, whose legal career spans more than four decades, has experience in multiple areas of legal practice at Mounce, Green, Myers, Safi, Paxson & Galatzan, P.C.

Jeffrey S. Edwards has been named one of the Best Personal Injury Lawyers in San Antonio by Forbes Advisor. Edwards, who is the founder of Edwards Law, is well known for his work in medical malpractice, civil rights and securities fraud, among other areas.

Eugene “Chip” Brees has been named one of the Best Personal Injury Lawyers in San Antonio by Forbes Advisor. After a successful career as a defense attorney, Brees transferred to the plaintiffs’ side in 2002, focusing on medical malpractice and representing injured persons and their families with the firm National Trial Law.

Robert Alden has been named one of the Best Personal Injury Lawyers in San Antonio by Forbes Advisor. A double Longhorn, Alden focuses his practice at Byrd Davis Alden & Henrichson, LLP on motor vehicle, premise liability and medical malpractice.

Chris Paliare will be honored with the Award of Distinction by the Toronto Lawyers Association on March 2, 2023. Paliare has appeared before every level of trial and appellate court in the Province of Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada, earning him recognition as one of the top litigators in the country.

James Perkins and his wife Margaret have been awarded the 2023 Texas Higher Education Distinguished Service Award. They were nominated for their establishment of the James I Perkins Family Foundation, which embodies the Perkins’ ongoing support for higher education. He has been president of Citizens 1st Bank since 1971.

Nicole LeFave, an attorney in the Austin office of Littler, has been elevated to shareholder. LeFave concentrates her practice on the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as wage and hour class and collective action defense. She advises and defends employers on wage and hour, discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and corporate whistleblower matters.

Jon Hyland honored by the “Best Lawyers in America” publication for 2023 for his work in intellectual property litigation. Hyland is a partner in the Hilgers Graben PLLC Dallas office.

William G. Hagans of Hagans Montgomery Hagans, has become board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in the area of Personal Injury Trial Law.

Linda Turley has been named one of the Best Personal Injury Attorneys in Dallas by Forbes Advisor. Turley has nearly 40 years of experience pursuing product liability, medical malpractice, and many other types of negligence claims. She is an attorney at the Turley Law Firm in Dallas.

Russell Budd was named one of the Best Personal Injury Attorneys in Dallas by Forbes Advisor. Budd’s practice areas include pharmaceutical litigation, consumer protection, and environmental law. The Budd Innocence Center at Texas Law is named in honor of Budd and his wife, Dorothy.

For the fourth consecutive year, trial lawyer Grant Schmidt has been named to D Magazine’s list of the “Best Lawyers Under 40” published in the January. Mr. Schmidt is the managing partner of the Dallas office of Hilgers Graben, a growing national firm.

Robert Crain has been named one of the Best Personal Injury Attorneys in Dallas by Forbes Advisor. Crain runs his own firm, Crain Brogdon LLP, working on behalf of injured clients.

Jennifer Haltom Doan has been named one of the Best Personal Injury Attorneys in Dallas by Forbes Advisor. Doan founded the firm Haltom & Doan, representing Fortune 100 companies and individuals in personal injury, product liability, intellectual property and business and commercial law.

Anne Johnson has been named one of the Best Personal Injury Attorneys in Dallas by Forbes Advisor. Johnson is an appellate specialist at Tillotson Johnson & Patton whose litigation practice has handled cases ranging from commercial disputes to personal injury and products liability law to family law. She is a member of the Leader’s Circle for Texas Law’s Center for Women in Law.

Rudy Metayer was awarded the Outstanding Community Service Award at the 57th Annual Dewitty/Overton Freedom Fund Banquet by the Austin branch of the NAACP. Metayer is a City Council member of the City of Pflugerville, president of the Texas Black Caucus Foundation, and an attorney at Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody.

Talmage Boston has been selected to receive the 2023 Luther “Luke” H. Soules III Award for Excellence in Litigation, presented by the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas. The honor is given to an attorney who embodies excellence in the practice of the law and exemplary service to the State Bar. Boston is a partner at Shackelford Bowen McKinley & Norton LLP.

Jeavon (Ehler) Lang was honored as the 2022 Attorney of the Year, Appellate Division, in the Montana Office of the State Public Defender. While at Texas Law, she was president of the Environmental Law Society.

Randy Johnston has been inducted into the Pampa High School Harvester Hall of Fame as an outstanding alumnus for contributing to one’s profession and community. Johnston is currently a shareholder at Johnston Tobey Baruch.

Kat Li is a recipient of The Best Under 40 award, given to members of the AAPI legal community under the age of 40. Li is an IP litigation partner in the Austin office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

Chief Justice Josh Morriss III was honored as a Distinguished Alumni by the Texarkana Independent School District Board of Trustees and administration. Morriss is the chief justice on the Texas Sixth District Court of Appeals.

W. Glenn Opel has been elected president for the American College of Bond Counsel after previously serving on the organization’s Board of Directors and as its treasurer.  Opel is co-chair of Bracewell’s public finance practice and a partner in the ’Austin office. He focuses his practice on public finance, infrastructure and transportation development, and public/private partnerships.

Jonathan K. Frels has been elected a fellow for the American College of Bond Counsel. Frels, a partner in Bracewell’s Houston office, serves as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel and disclosure counsel in public finance transactions for school districts, cities, counties, state agencies, navigation districts, port authorities, economic development corporations, water districts and water authorities.

Irwin H. Steinhorn was named by 405 Magazine as one of the top lawyers in Oklahoma City and as one of the Best Lawyers in America for his work in corporate law and securities/capital market law. He is an attorney with Conner and Winters LLP.

Jackie Furlow has been recognized in the inaugural guide of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America in the area of Commercial Litigation. She is a partner at Beck Redden.

Brittany Castillo, CEO of emergency management and logistics contractor AshBritt, is featured in Forbes Magazine.

Rudy Metayer has been named as a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters. Metayer currently serves as an attorney for Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody, and is also a council member for the City of Pflugerville.

Andrew Kerr, a Member of Clark Hill law firm in the San Antonio office, was the recipient of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from Texas Lawyer for his commitment to public service to the Texas legal community and the community beyond over the course of his career.

Jadd Masso, a member of Clark Hill law firm in the Dallas office, received the Best Mentors Award from Texas Lawyer, presented at the Texas Legal Excellence Awards Dinner on Sept. 14, 2022.

Joe Redden, Jr. was recognized as a 2022 Texas Super Lawyer and in the inaugural guide of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America. Redden is a trial lawyer and serves as of counsel in the Houston office of Beck Redden.

Allison Miller has been recognized as a 2022 Texas Super Lawyer. Miller is a trial attorney and serves as counsel for the Houston office of Beck Redden.

Geoff Gannaway was recognized as a 2022 Texas Super Lawyer. Gannaway is a partner at the Houston office of Beck Redden.

Alistair Dawson has been recognized as a 2022 Texas Super Lawyer, a Local Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation for 2023, and in the inaugural guide of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America. Dawson is a partner at the Houston office of Beck Redden.

David Beck has received numerous awards by Benchmark Litigation for 2023, including Top 100 Trial Lawyer, National Practice Area Star, and Local Litigation Star. He also was recognized as a 2022 Texas Super Lawyer for business litigation and in the inaugural guide of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America. Beck is a founding partner of Beck Redden in Houston.

Fields Alexander has been recognized as a 2022 Super Lawyer for his work in business litigation, as well as a Local Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation for 2023 and in the inaugural guide of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America. Alexander is a partner at Beck Redden.

Randy Johnston is included on the 2022 list of Texas Super Lawyers and the DFW Top 100, recognized among the state’s top plaintiffs’ attorneys for professional liability cases. He has been named to the Super Lawyers list each year since the inaugural 2003 edition. Johnston is a partner and shareholder at Johnston Tobey Baruch.

Robert Tobey has earned recognition on the 2022 list of Texas Super Lawyers for his professional liability work on behalf of plaintiffs. He is a partner and shareholder at Johnston Tobey Baruch.

Miguel Hernandez Romo Valencia presented a guest lecture at Texas Law on litigation and dispute resolution in Mexico. Romo is a trilingual litigation attorney with a specialization in civil, commercial, professional responsibility, family litigation, medical malpractice and insurance sectors.

Jim Reeder has been selected to receive the  Laura Lee Blanton Community Spirit Award from Houston Hospice in recognition of decades-long dedication and commitment to the organization, with co-recipient Eric Nevil. Reeder is a partner at Jones Day, where he focuses on complex commercial litigation and antitrust.