Class Notes

Omar Ochoa has been elected mayor of Edinburg, Texas. A triple Longhorn and civil litigation attorney, Ochoa serves as founding attorney at Omar Ochoa Law Firm in McAllen, Texas.

Brian D. Miller has been appointed United States attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania for the U.S. Department of Justice effective Oct. 27, 2025, by order of United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi. He previously served as special inspector general for pandemic recovery. Miller’s interim appointment is for 120 days or until a presidential appointment is made, whichever occurs first.

Alyse Munrose has joined Bollier Ciccone Stinson LLP as an attorney. She focuses her practice on family law, combining her legal experience with a strong foundation in social work and public service.

Adam Goodrum has joined the Austin law firm Botkin Chiarello Calaf as a litigation associate. Goodrum joins the firm after serving as assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Oklahoma, where he was the 2024 Gaye L. Tenoso Indian Country Fellow, part of the Attorney General’s Honors Program. He also worked as a term clerk for U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Lane of the Western District of Texas.

Ben Bireley has joined the firm Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner in Houston as of counsel. Bireley—who has 15 years of valuable personal injury and commercial litigation experience—focuses on a wide range of personal injury matters, including wrongful death, catastrophic injury, plant explosions, workplace injuries, product liability, and truck accidents.

Carlos Martinez has been promoted to chief of staff for the Office of the President at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Previously Martinez served as a senior vice president at the institution, overseeing strategic planning, compliance risk management and office operations.

David Hayden, retired U.S. Army colonel, has been appointed by Governor Josh Stein to serve a two-year term as chair of the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission. He’s currently an attorney at Smith Anderson and was previously general counsel and board secretary for USfalcon, Inc.

Maine Goodfellow has joined Hilcorp in Houston as assistant general counsel. He previously served as managing counsel for Business Development and Corporate Transactions at Phillips 66.

Thomas Cooke has joined McFarland PLLC as a condemnation attorney in the firm’s Houston office.  He was previously an associate attorney at a complex commercial litigation firm.

Katy Zendeh has been elected to member of the firm Caplin & Drysdale in Washington, D.C. effective Oct. 1, 2025. She practices in the Bankruptcy and Complex Litigation practice groups.

Ashley Morgan has been appointed to the Texas Water Development Board by Governor Greg Abbott. She is an attorney at Erben & Yarbrough and previously worked for the Office of the Governor, the Office of the Attorney General, the Railroad Commission of Texas, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Baron Eliason has been selected as the interim inspector general at the Office of the City Attorney for Dallas. He was previously the city’s chief integrity officer and an assistant attorney. Eliason also was an associate attorney at Hamilton Grant PC.

Adam Zerbinopoulos has been promoted to principal deputy assistant secretary at the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration for the U.S. Department of State. He previously served as the acting assistant secretary for the Bureau.

Gilbert Perales has been promoted to general counsel of Siete Foods, a division of PepsiCo, Inc. He previously served as associate general counsel for the food brand.

Heather (Fleniken) McFarlane has joined the panel for JAMS—the largest private provider of ADR (alternative dispute resolution) services worldwide—as a mediator and arbitrator. She works out of the Houston Resolution Center.

Lauren Davis has joined Gutt Law, PLLC as an attorney. She previously served as an in-house attorney for Big Machine Label Group and was part of Concord Music Publishing’s legal team.

Ronald Rodriguez has begun to teach an innovative course on personal injury trial practice here at Texas Law. Rodriguez’s book, “Texas Personal Injury Trial Law Handbook,” acts as a trial-practice guide in Texas.

Roshni Mahendru has joined the Austin office of Butler Snow LLP as a member of the Commercial Litigation group. She was previously a litigation associate at Holland & Knight LLP.

Billy Joe McLain has rejoined the Los Angeles office of Hueston Hennigan as counsel to handle civil litigation, trial, and white-collar defense work. He previously served as a federal prosecutor in the Central and Southern District of California for nearly a decade.

Elizabeth Henderson has joined the Austin office of Ogletree Deakins as of counsel. She previously served as principal corporate counsel, attorney manager, and co-lead for the U.S. Immigration Attorney Team at Microsoft.

Martin Sosland is joining the Dallas office of Vartabedian Hester & Haynes. Sosland’s extensive experience in bankruptcy and reorganization will add depth to the litigation boutique firm’s corporate restructuring and finance practice.

Catherine Cozzolino has joined the General Liability Litigation Practice Group as an associate for Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP in Denver.  She previously served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable William W. Hood III of the Colorado Supreme Court.

George Padis has joined Sbaiti & Company in Dallas as the boutique litigation firm’s newest partner. He comes to the position after serving five years as a deputy civil chief and assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Previously Padis practiced complex commercial litigation in the Dallas office of Vinson & Elkins.

Rachael Marsh has joined the leadership team of the Edison Electric Institute in Washington, D.C., as chief legal officer. She previously served as vice president of government affairs and managing counsel at Calpine Corporation, as well as partner at Bracewell LLP.

Grant D. Godfrey has joined national litigation law firm mctlaw as an appellate attorney based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. His legal practice will focus on complex appeals in federal and state courts across the United States.

Mason Hester, a shareholder in Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.’s Houston office, has been appointed a co-chair of the firm’s Construction Practice. In his new role, he will provide strategic leadership for that practice, while overseeing the development and recruitment of attorneys, as well as ensuring effective and responsive client service.

Cicely Reid has joined Norton Rose Fulbright as its pro bono counsel based in Houston. She previously served as pro bono coordinator for Disability Rights Texas, and also worked as in-house counsel and outside conflicts counsel for several large insurance companies.

Taylor Raymond has joined Norton Rose Fulbright as senior counsel in the firm’s Austin and Dallas offices. She previously worked as a senior associate at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.

Matt Raley has joined the Houston office of Spencer Fane LLP as of counsel in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice group. He was previously a partner at Baker & Hostetler LLP in Houston.

Sam Shinoda has joined Steptoe & Johnson PLLC as an associate at the firm’s office in The Woodlands, Texas. He was previously an associate attorney at Roberts Markel Weinberg Butler Hailey PC.

Keith Smith recently began a new position as chief legal officer at the Board of Commissioners, Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. Smith previously served as the executive director of legal services for Kansas City Public Schools.

Alejandra Ávila has been appointed membership co-chair of the Edward Coke Appellate Inn of Court Executive Committee for the 2025–2026 term. She is a litigator at Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick, P.L.L.C. in Washington, D.C.

Darren Walker has joined The Obama Foundation’s board of directors. He is a transformative leader in philanthropy and the outgoing president of the Ford Foundation.

Benjamin Kelly has rejoined Baker McKenzie as a partner in its Intellectual Property Practice in Dallas. Before his return, he served as senior counsel at Forrest Weldon Law Group LLP in Dallas.

Christopher D. Bell has joined the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board of directors for a six-year term. Bell is the deputy general counsel for the Conservation Fund, a nationwide nonprofit organization. He was previously a partner at the law firm Ballard Spahr LLP.

Tyler Ames has rejoined McAfee & Taft as a trial lawyer based in Oklahoma City. He previously served as a federal law clerk to the Honorable Timothy D. DeGiusti, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.

Joshua Gold has joined Nixon Peabody LLP as counsel in its affordable housing practice in the Washington, D.C., office. Formerly a managing attorney at HUD’s southwest regional office, he has 12 years of experience with programs like Section 8 and RAD.

Oliver Luck has been appointed to the West Virginia University Board of Governors by Governor Patrick Morrisey. The co-founder of Ten Mile Consulting LLC and chairman of Altius Sports Partners, Luck has a history of leadership in the world of sports, having worked in the NFL, as a college athletics director, and as the first commissioner and CEO of the XFL.

Chris Dove has joined the Beck Redden LLP’s nationally recognized appellate practice as of counsel, based in Houston. Dove brings with him nearly 25 years of experience in complex appellate advocacy focused on high stakes commercial disputes, including his most recent work at Troutman Pepper Locke.  He has argued more than 40 appeals in state and federal courts across the country.

Brian Dupré has been appointed deputy associate general counsel for program integrity in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Division of the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He previously served as chief counsel for Region 1 in Boston.

Nicole Cubbage has been appointed chief of staff to the deputy secretary of commerce at the U.S. Department of Commerce. A double Longhorn, she is a criminal defense attorney who owns the Law Office of Nicole Cubbage in Washington, D.C.

Chris Dove  has joined Beck Redden LLP’s appellate practice as of counsel. His work is focused on high‑stakes commercial disputes, particularly in the energy, financial services, and maritime sectors.

Tobey Blanton Forney has joined Kean Miller as a partner in the Houston office. She focuses her practice on family, estate, and legacy planning, tax-exempt matters, and probate litigation, and was previously an attorney at Forney Law PLLC.

Arleas Upton Kea has been named president and chairman of the board of the Texas Exes, the alumni association of the University of Texas. Kea plans to focus her tenure on expanding membership, supporting scholarships, and strengthening alumni engagement across the globe.

Lekha Gopalakrishnan has joined Jackson Walker in Dallas as a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group. She advises clients on patent prosecution, IP litigation, and technology transactions, with a focus on the healthcare, life sciences, and education sectors.

Daniella Landers took office as the 2025-26 president of the Houston Bar Association at the HBA’s annual dinner on May 15. Landers previously served on the HBA board of directors as first vice president, secretary, and for two terms as director.

William Peterson has been named the 10th solicitor general of Texas as part of the Office of the Attorney General. He was previously a partner in the Houston office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, where he co-chaired the firm’s appellate practice.

Thomas Verity has joined Norton Rose Fulbright as a corporate, M&A, and securities partner in Houston. Verity will support the firm’s energy practice by advising on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance transactions, and general corporate and securities matters for clients in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Erleigh Wiley has been reappointed by Governor Abbott to the Crime Victims’ Institute Advisory Council. She serves as the criminal district attorney of Kaufman County, an executive board member of the Texas District & County Attorneys Association, and a member of the Kaufman County Juvenile Board.