Class Notes

Mary Evelyn McNamara received the 2022 Professionalism Award from the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and the Austin Bar Association. She is a founding partner of the law firm Rivers McNamara.

John G. Browning received the Luther (Luke) H. Soules III Award for Outstanding Service to the Practice Award, presented by the State Bar of Texas Litigation Section to recognize an attorney “who embodies excellence in the practice of law and exemplary service to the State Bar.” Browning is a partner at Spencer Fane in Plano; he also served as an appellate justice on the 5th District Court of Appeals in Dallas.

Kayla Dreyer has been elected chair of the Colorado Bar Association Litigation Section’s Executive Council. Dreyer has been actively involved with the Litigation Section for six years, previously serving in chair-elect, treasurer and secretary roles. Dreyer is a shareholder at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Denver office.

Jackie Furlow was awarded with the Texas’ Outstanding Young Litigator Award at the State Bar of Texas annual meeting. Furlow is a partner at Beck Redden LLP, where she represents clients in matters including business disputes, professional malpractice, products liability and more.

Reid Phillips was presented with the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award, North Carolina State Bar’s highest honor, at a meeting of the State Bar Council. The award honors current and retired members of the North Carolina State Bar who have demonstrated exemplary service to the legal profession. Reid Phillips is currently the managing partner of Brooks Pierce LLP.

An article authored by Michael J. Ritter – “Resolving the Anders Dilemmas: How & Why Texas Should Abandon the Anders Procedure” that was published in the St. Mary’s Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics – has received two honors. It was selected as the 2022 Outstanding Law Review Article Award by the Texas Bar Foundation and also won the Michael K. Moore Award from the State Bar of Texas Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters Committee for excellence in research or writing in the area of indigent criminal defense. Ritter is senior counsel at Schmoyer Reinhard LLP.

Jhett Nelson has been named a Rising Star by Law360, an honor awarded to top legal talents under 40. Nelson is a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where he co-led a team advising on one of the largest private acquisitions of oil and gas assets in recent years.

Wayne Kreis was inducted into the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame. Kreis played basketball at TCU and was named to the All-Southwest Conference First Team as a junior and the Frogs’ MVP. In his career, Kreis served as a lawyer and entrepreneur in oilfield technology before his death in 2019.

Chante (Prox) Brantley has been promoted to Clinical Professor of Law at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.  Brantley also has received the Lois Bacon Special Services Award presented by the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (DVAP), for exceptional leadership, mentoring student associates in the practice of law, the clinic’s pro bono work, and partnership with DVAP.

Shannon Sims, an economy and government editor at Bloomberg, has been named Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Institute of Current World Affairs.

Andrew Hettinger has been named a 2022 Flinn-Brown Fellow by The Arizona Center for Civic Leadership at the Flinn Foundation. This award goes to emerging civic leaders and recognized experts with diverse perspectives, unique experiences, and dedication to their respective communities. Hettinger currently serves as a magistrate for the City of Page, Arizona Magistrate Court.

John Aloysius Cogan has been promoted to professor of law and received tenure at the University of Connecticut School of Law. Cogan teaches courses surrounding health law and health insurance.

Colleen Marie Sullivan is the recipient of the Austin Bar Association’s  2022 Larry F. York Mentoring Award. This award honors Central Texas lawyers or judges who have exhibited extreme skill and generosity in their mentorship of younger members of the bar. Sullivan is the mandamus attorney at the Supreme Court of Texas. She joined the Court in April 2021 after 11 years as a staff attorney at the Third Court of Appeals.

Linda Rockwood has been invited to join the University of Denver Alumni Council, where she earned her undergraduate degree before graduating from Texas Law.  Rockwood is an environmental lawyer whose practice specializes in environmental remediation and air quality.

Jim Hill has been selected as a 2022 Super Lawyer in the area of Bankruptcy: Business, an honor he has received for the last 16 years. A founding member of Sullivan Hill Rez & Engel in San Diego, Hill is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and chair of the Insolvency and Commercial Bankruptcy practice group.  He practices primarily in the areas of bankruptcy, insolvency and commercial law.

Chris Hawkins has been selected as a 2022 Super Lawyer in the area of Bankruptcy: Business. A shareholder at Sullivan Hill Rez & Engel in San Diego and member of the firm’s Executive Committee, he practices in the Insolvency and Commercial Bankruptcy, Business Transactions, and Commercial and Business Litigation groups.

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.