Class Notes

Julia A. Simon has joined trial litigation firm Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann as partner. Previously, Simon served as the chief legal officer for Mary Kay Inc. for almost 25 years.

James R. Mundy has been hired at Curtis Thaxter, a Portland (Maine) law firm. Prior to joining the firm, Mundy had a practice in York County focused on real estate, probate and estate planning.

Jaime Vasquez has been named the managing shareholder of Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s San Antonio office. Vasquez, who is board certified in tax law, has counseled clients in tax litigation matters, handling cases before the United States Tax Court, United States District Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Jack Woodville London will speak on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings at Omaha and Utah beaches in Normandy, France. Jack will speak at the Brittany American Military Cemetery at Montjoie-Saint-Martin, France, on June 6, 2024, and at the Normandy American Military Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer the following day.

Rep. Tommy Gregory, a lawyer and Air Force veteran who is chairperson of the state House Judiciary Committee, has been named as the next president of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. Gregory was first elected to the House in 2018, representing Manatee County’s District 72.

Kelly E. Wise has been promoted to shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. in Dallas, working as a member of the firm’s Litigation and Transportation practices. Wise, who was included in the 2024 Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” directory, has background in a range of litigation matters, including construction liability and defects, premises liability and transportation and trucking liability.

Meghan A. McCaffrey has a new position as co-managing partner at the Washington, D.C. office of Quinn Emanuel Trial Lawyers. McCaffrey is an accomplished trial lawyer, representing major U.S. and multinational corporations in complex business disputes and multi-billion dollar commercial litigation in federal and state courts.

William McClellan “Mac” Thornberry has been appointed to the board of directors of Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation. Thornberry represented the 13th district of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995-2021.

Jennifer Brown has been named chief legal officer and senior vice president of Mercy, where she will contribute to the company’s growth and collaboration efforts as one of the largest U.S. health systems. Brown has served in various roles including chief administrative officer, general counsel, and chief legal officer at several healthcare companies.

Irwin H. Steinhorn has joined the Oklahoma City office at the firm of Steptoe & Johnson as of counsel. Steinhorn’s background includes serving as vice president and general counsel for two New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listed companies. He also served as an adjunct professor of law for 28 years at Oklahoma City University School of Law.

Judge Leon Schydlower has been sworn in as a federal district court judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Schydlower has been a magistrate judge in the district since 2015 and previously worked as special assistant U.S. attorney in the District of Hawaii following two years as a trial attorney on active duty for the U.S Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

James Kitces has been appointed managing partner of Robins Kaplan’s Boston office. He will be instrumental in driving the firm’s strategic goals, bringing proven leadership qualities, strong vision, and the respect of his colleagues to his new position.

Marty Meekins co-founded the recently launched Emory Oak Partners, a firm specializing in real estate and service industry business equity and enhanced credit strategies. Meekins, who will serve as the company’s co-chief executive officer and general counsel, has more than 25 years of financial strategy, business management, technology, and legal affairs experience.

Jennifer Johnson has joined Enstor Gas as general counsel. Johnson has more than a decade of energy-related legal experience and previously served as general counsel for Salt Creek Midstream.

Jessica Bayne has joined the Estate Planning & Administration practice group at Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek as of counsel. An accomplished attorney, Ms. Bayne’s  estate planning and tax law practice focuses on assisting individuals and families in preparing for the future, offering expert counsel on estate planning, charitable giving and wealth preservation for future generations.

Veteran trial lawyer Lisa E. Davis has joined Wittliff Cutter as senior counsel. Davis has more than 20 years of experience leading complex commercial litigation matters and intellectual property disputes, and years of senior in-house counsel perspective.

Carolyn Roch has joined Kean Miller’s Houston office as a partner, practicing with the labor and employment law, casualty litigation, and commercial litigation groups. She is a seasoned litigator who focuses on complex commercial litigation. Roch previously was a prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Pete Olson has been named chairman of the Board of the Lone Star Flight Museum. A former U.S. Navy pilot, Olson served as the U.S. representative for Texas’s 22nd congressional district from 2009 to 2021.

William McClellan “Mac” Thornberry has been appointed to Booz Allen Hamilton’s board of directors. Thornberry represented the 13th district of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 1995 until January 2021.

Taylor Markway has been named partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon in the firm’s Kansas CIty office. Markway is a litigator who excels in appellate matters—including state and federal appeals as well as extraordinary writs—and insurance matters, including coverage disputes and bad faith claims.

Tim Taylor has been appointed to the 2024 board of directors and executive committee of the Real Estate Council of Austin (RECA), oth of which he previously chaired. Taylor also previously served as president of RECA.

Meghan Griffiths has been elected as firmwide chair of Jackson Walker’s Environmental, Regulatory, & Legislative practice. She also has been ranked in the 2023 Chambers USA Guide for her Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation practice. Griffiths’ practice focuses on complex litigation in the energy and electric power sector.

Tracy Carson has joined Munck Wilson Mandala as a senior associate, focusing his practice on complex commercial litigation. Carson previously worked as a senior associate at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough.

Brad Brown has become one of 11 Texas lawyers to obtain board certification from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) in the newly launched certification area of Aviation Law. He also has been named in Lawdragon’s 2024 list of top 500 leading litigators in America and ranked in the 2023 Chambers USA Guide as one of the top lawyers in the U.S. for Aviation Litigation. A partner at Jackson Walker, Brown maintains a national litigation practice with an emphasis on aviation, products liability, insurance and business matters.

George Hinchey has rejoined Haynes and Boone, LLP as partner in the firm’s San Antonio office and Real Estate Practice Group. Hinchey represents private and institutional parties with the acquisition, disposition, leasing, financing and development of commercial properties.

Jasmine Harding Adams has joined the global toy and entertainment company Mattel as the manager of investigations in the Legal Department. Adams previously worked at Ogletree, a national employment law firm, where she received numerous recognitions for her work, leadership and integrity.

Tom Melsheimer has been named co-chair of Winston & Strawn’s Litigation Department. Melsheimer serves as managing partner of the firm’s Dallas office, is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, and is co-author of the critically acclaimed trial advocacy book, “On the Jury Trial.”

Gerami Granello has joined the real estate practice of Holland & Knight in Houston. He was previously a partner with Mayer Brown, where for more than 20 years he helped lead the firm’s asset management and leasing group. Gerami provides acquisition, disposition, leasing and asset management representation to real estate funds and advisers in connection with their office, retail and industrial real estate portfolios.

Jessica Mederson has been elected to Stafford Rosenbaum LLP’s Board of Directors, overseeing its human resources efforts. Mederson’s practice focuses on business law and litigation, including manufacturing and construction disputes, Uniform Commercial Code litigation, and contract negotiations and disputes.

Renee Meisel has been named executive vice president and general counsel at UnitedLex. Meisel previously provided business-enabling operational solutions at a variety of firms including PracticLaw, Breakwater, Purpose Legal, and Dell Technologies.

Neill Fuquay has joined Jackson Walker’s Corporate & Securities practice group in the firm’s Dallas office. Fuquay, who has been named in Texas Super Lawyer since 2020, focuses his practice on commercial real estate and corporate transactions.

Shelisa Brock has been elected to partnership at Jackson Walker LLP. A double Longhorn, Brock specializes in labor and employment law and has been named among the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch and as a Texas Rising Star by Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers.

Nick Lowrey has joined Klasko Immigration Law Partners as counsel at the Washington, D.C. office. Lowrey has worked in immigration law for the past seven years.

Jim Smith is visiting professor of law for spring semester 2024 at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He is professor emeritus at the University of Georgia School of Law.

James Billingsley has joined Duane Morris LLP as a partner in the firm’s Business Reorganization and Financial Restructuring Practice Group in its Dallas office. Prior to joining Duane Morris, Billingsley was a senior partner at Polsinelli PC.

Layne Thompson has been appointed as the district attorney of the 159th Judicial District in Angelina County by Governor Greg Abbott. Thompson, who previously served as an assistant district attorney, is former of counsel for Mike Love & Associates and former vice president of Thompson Cattle Company.

Alejandra Avila has rejoined Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick PLLC as of counsel. Avila was formerly an associate at the firm before serving as a judicial law clerk to Justice Sonia Sotomayor on the United States Supreme Court.

Yolanda Harris Sayre has been appointed as a circuit judge in the 5th Subcircuit of Cook County, Illinois. Sayre spent more than 20 years as an attorney for the Chicago Police Department and most recently served as legal counsel for the Illinois State Police.

Andrew Sherwood has been selected to serve as assistant leader of Dykema’s Real Estate Practice Group. Sherwood, who focuses his practice on debt finance and real estate, has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for Real Estate Law each year since 2019.

Brandy Manning has been named co-director of Dykema’s Energy Industry Group. Manning has more than two decades of commercial trial and appellate experience in both oil and gas and general business matters and is board-certified in civil appellate law.

Will Liebmann has been appointed to serve as director of Dykema’s Business Services Department. Liebmann, who has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for Corporate Law since 2011, focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions.

Andréa Villarreal has been named a partner of Barnes Lipscomb & Stewart PLLC.  In January 2024, Villareal was named a Rising Star by Texas Lawyer for a second consecutive year in a row and she recently became board certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in 2023.

Julia Jeffrey Rathgeber has been appointed as the vice chancellor for Governmental Relations of the University of Texas System. Rathgeber previously served as the vice president of Governmental & Regulatory Relations & Business Development for Berkshire Hathaway Energy and has more than 30 years of experience in the public sector.

Jimmy Kirby has been named deputy director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Kirby previously served as associate director of FinCEN’s Research and Analysis Division as well as FinCEN’s chief counsel.

Lamont Jefferson has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Jefferson is an accomplished trial lawyer and partner at Jefferson Cano.

Kennon Wooten has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Wooten is a partner at Scott Douglas McConnico, focusing on general civil litigation and complex commercial litigation.

Roger W. Hughes has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Hughes is a partner at Adams & Graham, LLP.

Linda Addison has joined the board of Lexitas, an Apax Partners private equity portfolio company and national provider of technology-enabled litigation support services to the legal industry, businesses and corporations. Addison, past U.S. managing partner of Norton Rose Fulbright, is founding president of the Center for Women in Law and has received both the University’s Presidential Citation and Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Professor Lonny S. Hoffman has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Hoffman is the law foundation professor at the University of Houston Law Center.

Lisa Bowlin Hobbs has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Hobbs is a founding member of Kuhn Hobbs PLLC.