Kirby D. Hopkins ’01 has been accepted as a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC). The IADC is a highly selective, invitation-only network of distinguished law firm partners, senior counsel in law departments, and insurance executives. He is a managing member at Hopkins Centrich.
Diana Perez Gomez, a shareholder in Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s Houston labor and litigation practice, has been named one of “Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2020-21” by Houston Woman Magazine.
Rudy Metayer has been selected as the recipient of the 2022 African American Lawyers Section (AALS) Trailblazer Award. In addition to his legal work at Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, Metayer serves on the Pflugerville City Council. He is a three-time UT graduate, earning his undergraduate degree, law degree and a master’s degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs.
Amber K. Dodds has been honored as a “40 Under 40” leader by the San Antonio Business Journal for 2022. This elite group represents rising business and community leaders succeeding in business and contributing to the San Antonio community. Dodds, a partner at Bracewell, specializes in all areas of employment law.
Eric Opiela has been appointed to the Texas Funeral Service Commission by Governor Abbott. Opiela is an attorney for Eric Opiela PLLC, president of the South Texans’ Property Rights Association, and a life fellow for the Texas Bar Foundation.
Ryan J. Meyer has been recognized as a 2022 Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers. Meyer is a litigation partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, where he defends companies and executives in government investigations, civil enforcement actions and criminal proceedings typically involving allegations of securities fraud and health care fraud.
Chris Stewart from the Dallas law firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry has been recognized as one of the state’s top young lawyers on the 2022 Texas Rising Stars list published by Thomson Reuters. Mr. Stewart has earned repeated selections to the exclusive annual listing based on his work in intellectual property litigation.
Winter Woldemariam has been recognized as one of five distinguished alumni of the Riverwood International Charter School in a recently launched program to honor successful graduates. Woldemariam currently serves as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the US Justice Department.
Mary Kate Raffetto has been named a Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers. Raffetto is an associate in the Houston office of Beck Redden LLP and specializes in appellate law and commercial litigation.
Parth Gejji has been recognized as a Texas Rising Star in Super Lawyers. Gejji is an associate in the appellate section for Beck Redden LLP, focusing on civil appeals and complex civil litigation.
Jacqueline Furlow has been named a 2022 Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers. Furlow is a partner in the Houston office of Beck Redden LLP and specializes in business litigation.
Nicholas Bruno has been recognized as a 2022 Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers. Bruno is an associate at Beck Redden LLP, where he practices in all levels of the Texas appellate system.
Justin Constant has been named a 2022 Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers. Constant is a patent litigation counsel in the Houston office of Weil, Gotshal, and Manges, LLP.
Nishi Kothari has been added to the 2022 list of Texas Rising Stars, a listing by compiled by Super Lawyers, that recognizes the top 2.5% of young lawyers in Texas. Kothari is a partner at the Brasher Law Firm in Beaumont.
Linda Addison has received the Shirley Bird Perry Longhorn Citizenship Award presented by the UT Moody College of Communications. This award recognizes UT alumni, students, and employees for individual or collective acts that bring honor to the University community and positively impact civic life. Addison is Founding President of the Center for Women in Law. She was a U.S. Managing Partner of Norton Rose Fulbright and currently serves on the boards of KPMG LLP and Globe Life Inc., as well as multiple non-profit boards.
John W. Cones has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. Cones practiced law in Los Angeles for 23 years, then in Houston. His investor offering work resulted in successfully funding 62 feature and documentary films. In addition to his legal work, Cones has authored 16 books about film finance and has been active on the lecture circuit.
Kathryn Richardson, founder and principal of HR Legal Search, was presented a Pathfinders Award by the Travis County Women Lawyers Association. The award is presented to local women attorneys who are using their law degrees in a variety of ways to impact the community and the legal profession as role models and trail blazers. Richardson previously served six years as Assistant Dean for Career Services at Texas Law.
Yvonne Puig, Chief Integration Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, was presented a Pathfinders Award by the Travis County Women Lawyers Association. The award is presented to local women attorneys who are using their law degrees in a variety of ways to impact the community and the legal profession as role models and trail blazers. Puig’s practice involves commercial and healthcare litigation, antitrust, regulatory and compliance advice, crisis and risk management, administrative law, and products liability.
Diana Perez Gomez has been named one of “Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2020-21” by Houston Woman Magazine. Honorees were selected based on the reputation for their expertise in a particular field or arena and being influential in their local and professional communities.
Jeremy Fudge has been named a 2022 Outstanding Director by the Dallas Business Journal. Fudge is the managing partner of the firm Berry, Appleman, and Leiden LLP, and has helped oversee expansion of the firm nationally and in the Dallas area.
Alistair B. Dawson, a partner at Beck Redden LLP, was inducted as a fellow into the American College of Trial Lawyers at its spring meeting. Dawson, who specializes in commercial litigation, was editor of the Texas Law Review and a member of the Chancellor’s Society while at Texas Law.
Adrienne Nelson was recognized by the American Bar Association with its 2022 Spirit of Excellence Award for her commitment to racial and ethnic diversity in the legal profession. Nelson is Oregon’s first Black Supreme Court Justice, who was appointed in January of 2018. Currently, she is only one of eight Black women in the country who are sitting justices.
Carrin Patman has been nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Iceland. She is the chair of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas and previously practiced as a partner of Bracewell LLP.
Inga Cotton has been selected as a Foundation Fellow by the San Antonio Bar Foundation. Cotton is the founder and executive director of nonprofit San Antonio Charter Moms.
Andrew Baumgardner has been selected as a Foundation Fellow by the San Antonio Bar Foundation. Baumgardner practices real estate and commercial law as a partner at Jackson Walker.
Aimee Vidaurri has been selected as a Foundation Fellow for the San Antonio Bar Foundation. Vidaurri is a senior associate at the San Antonio office of Norton Rose Fulbright and a member of the dispute resolution and litigation group.
Jennifer Espronceda has been selected as a Foundation Fellow by the San Antonio Bar Foundation. Espronceda is the founder of family law firm Espronceda Law, PPLC and has won a number of awards in San Antonio, including 2021 Best San Antonio female lawyer and 2021 Top Family Lawyer.
Brad Sklencar has been selected to be a Foundation Fellow by the San Antonio Bar Foundation. Sklencar is a partner at the San Antonio offices of insurance defense firm Resnick & Louis, P.C.
Reid Phillips was recognized as a “Super Lawyer” for Business Litigation in the 2022 edition of North Carolina Super Lawyers, an annual list honoring the top lawyers in North Carolina. Phillips is a managing partner with Brooks Pierce.
Rick Cofer was recognized as Best Lawyer in the Austin Chronicle 2021 Best of Austin Readers Poll. He is a partner of Cofer & Connelly, PLLC whose practice focus on family law, criminal defense, and personal injury law.
Karen Roberts Washington was named a life member of the Uniform Law Commission. The Uniform Law Commission works to provide uniformity in state laws for citizens who work or travel in multiple states.
Ned Sherman was named on Variety’s 2021 Dealmakers Impact Report among professionals who led major game-changing deals impacting the entertainment landscape. This is the second time Sherman was featured on this prestigious list. In his profile, Variety described Sherman as the “premium advisor” for companies and talent in the quickly evolving esports industry. Sherman is a partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP and leader of the firm’s Digital & Technology Transactions practice.
Molly (Bentley) Fenton was recognized by Variety as one of Hollywood’s New Leaders of 2021.
Martha Hofmeister was awarded Altrusa International, Inc.’s highest honor: the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award. This award is worldwide community service organization’s only award given to an individual member. Designed to recognize an Altrusan who makes a lasting contribution to community service as a result of involvement with Altrusa, recipients must have a distinguished service record at the local, district, and international levels. Hofmeister is a founding partner of Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP.
Jonathan K. Frels, a partner with Bracewell LLP, was named “Lawyer of the Year” for Public Finance Law in Houston in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Individual lawyers with the highest overall peer-feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region are named “Lawyer of the Year.” Only one lawyer is recognized for each specialty and region.
Nathalie Stewart has been named as one of Houston Business Journal’s 2021 Transportation and Logistics honorees in its 2021 Women Who Mean Business awards. Stewart is a senior attorney and lead negotiator at Murphy Oil Corporation.
The late Ruben W. Hope, Jr. has been honored by Conroe ISD which dedicated its newest elementary school in his name, Ruben W. Hope, Jr. Elementary School. In 1996, Hope was elected to the Conroe ISD Board of Trustees. During his time on the Board, he held the position of trustee and vice president. In 1999, Hope also served his community as State Representative between 1999 and 2006. During his career, Hope tried over 200 cases to jury verdicts and handled appeals before the Texas Supreme Court. He passed away in 2015.
Marilyn Aboussie was named an Iconic Woman in Legal History by the Texas Young Lawyers Association. She was also the first female district judge in Tom Green County and was elected as the Chief Justice of the Third Court of Appeals of Texas in 1998, holding that office until her retirement in January 2003. Since then, she has continued serving as a Senior Judge for the State of Texas and also as a trained mediator. She has served as president of the Texas Law Alumni Association and honored as a Leader and Champion by the Center for Women in Law.
Jim Ormiston has been recognized in 2021 Texas Super Lawyers for his work in Commercial Litigation. He is a partner and Chair of the Litigation Department at Gray Reed & McGraw LLP. The majority of his practice involves handling energy litigation and complex commercial disputes.
Brian Newby, Managing Partner of Cantey Hanger LLP, has been selected to receive the 2021 Law “Good Scout” Award from The Longhorn Council, Boy Scouts of America. Newby served a 31-year military career that included assisting both the Director for Operational Law and the Deputy Judge Advocate General, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. He was also appointed by former Gov. George W. Bush to the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents and served as vice chair. Former Gov. Rick Perry appointed Newby as his General Counsel and as his Chief of Staff, and asked him to head the state’s recovery effort after Hurricane Ike.
Joe W. Redden, Jr. has been recognized in 2021 Texas Super Lawyers for his work with Civil Litigation, Defense. This annual award listing is based on peer recognition and professional achievements and published by Thomson Reuters. Redden is of counsel with Beck Redden LLP.
Allison S. Miller has been recognized in 2021 Texas Super Lawyers for her work with Professional Liability, Defense. This annual award listing is based on peer recognition and professional achievements and published by Thomson Reuters. Miller is of counsel with Beck Redden LLP.
Geoff Gannaway has been recognized in 2021 Texas Super Lawyers for his work with Business Litigation. This annual award listing is based on peer recognition and professional achievements and published by Thomson Reuters. Gannaway is a partner with Beck Redden LLP.
Fields Alexander has been recognized in 2021 Texas Super Lawyers for his work with General Litigation. This annual award listing is based on peer recognition and professional achievements and published by Thomson Reuters. Alexander is a partner with Beck Redden LLP.
Alistair Dawson has been recognized in 2021 Texas Super Lawyers among the Top 100 Houston ranking . This annual award listing is based on peer recognition and professional achievements and published by Thomson Reuters. Of those nominated, only five percent of the total lawyers in the state are selected for inclusion. Dawson is a partner with Beck Redden LLP.
David Beck has been recognized in 2021 Texas Super Lawyers among the Top 100 Texas and Top 100 Houston rankings. This annual award listing is based on peer recognition and professional achievements and published by Thomson Reuters. Of those nominated, only five percent of the total lawyers in the state are selected for inclusion. Beck is a partner with Beck Redden LLP.
The Honorable Peter Kelly was elected to The American Law Institute in June of 2021. He has served the Texas First Court of Appeals since 2018.
S. Anthony Safi has been recognized with the Kelly Frels Lifetime Achievement Award from the School Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. Safi is the only El Pasoan ever to have received this recognition. He is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, and a Fellow of the El Paso Bar Foundation.
Conde Cox has been recognized in the 2022 Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Debtor-Creditor Rights and Insolvency/Reorganization.
Jackie Furlow has been recognized in the 2022 The Best Lawyers in America ranking of the nation’s top legal talent. She is an attorney with Beck Redden who specializes in in Commercial Litigation.