Class Notes

Lina Ortega is a new board member for the El Paso Community Foundation. Ortega, recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer, previously served four consecutive terms in the Texas House of Representatives.

Aaron Reitz has been confirmed as the new Assistant U.S. Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy. In this role, he will oversee the administration’s selection of federal judges and help coordinate legal strategies on cultural issues. Reitz previously served as chief of staff to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and held a position in the Texas Attorney General’s Office.

Daniel J. Pope has been named counsel for Bracewell where he will advise and defend energy, infrastructure, and industrial clients on environmental permits, transactions, and litigation. Pope previously was a judicial assistant for the Hon. Fred Biery of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division.

The Hon. Lisa Lewis has ascended to the bench as a justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York. Previously a judge for Kings County Civil Court and an attorney for District Council 37, Lewis has more than 25 years of experience in civil, criminal, and family law.

Billy Joe McLain has been appointed associate United States attorney, where he will oversee capital cases and help implement Department of Justice priorities. He brings nine years of experience as an assistant U.S. attorney in California, where he successfully prosecuted federal murder cases, fraud, public corruption, and organized crime. McLain previously practiced at Hueston Hennigan and Irell & Manella, and has clerked for judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Abby Rogers has joined Kane Russell Coleman Logan as an associate in the firm’s new Austin office. She is part of a team that focuses on bankruptcy, restructuring, and litigation. Rogers previously worked at Ross, Smith & Binford.

Mark Taylor has joined Kane Russell Coleman Logan as co-director, helping launch the firm’s new Austin office. This move expands the firm’s reach into Central Texas, with an initial focus on bankruptcy, restructuring, and litigation.

Mary Elizabeth Wilson has been appointed as the chief of staff and general counsel at the North Carolina Department of Commerce. In this role, Wilson will provide legal support across corporate matters, personnel, contracts, and economic development incentives.

Michael Riordan has been named a senior attorney at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in Houston. A member of Bradley’s Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights Practice Group, he focuses his practice on the restructuring of companies in and out of bankruptcy, debtors’ and creditors’ rights, debtor-in-possession financers, and the acquisition and sale of distressed assets.

Joe Profaizer has joined Linklaters in Washington, D.C., as a partner and global co-head of Linklaters’ International Arbitration Practice. He continues to serve as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center.

Joe Lawlor has been promoted to partner at Orrick in Houston, where he advises clients with mergers and acquisitions, joint venture formations, and project development transactions across the full energy spectrum.

Arthur Nathan has joined Dykema’s Houston office, bringing his expertise in corporate and partnership transactions. Recognized by Chambers USA for his work in Corporate/M&A, Nathan was previously a partner at Jones Day and Haynes & Boone.

James Gosdin has been appointed head of direct underwriting at AmTrust Title Insurance Company in Houston. Previously, he served as senior vice president and chief underwriting counsel for Stewart Title Guaranty Company and has underwritten title insurance transactions nationwide.

Philip Wright co-founded the Houston-based private equity firm Allied Industrial Partners, a lower-middle market private equity firm that applies an operationally focused, thematic approach to invest in high-growth industrial companies. Allied uses its strong operating heritage and extensive M&A capabilities to benefit its partners.

Michael Reeder, a seasoned trial attorney and patent litigator, has joined Blank Rome’s Houston office as a partner in the Intellectual Property Litigation group and member of the Technology industry team. Previously, Reeder was a partner and founding member at Cadwell Clonts Reeder & Thomas.

Scott Cole, a veteran trial lawyer and patent litigator, has joined Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg as managing partner of its Austin office. Cole has three decades of experience in commercial and intellectual property disputes with past leadership roles at top firms including Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and McKool Smith.

Jesse Zambrano has created a Legal Eagles pipeline program through the Zambrano Law Firm. The program provides an immersive learning experience to high school and college students aspiring to make their mark in the legal domain, including a mentorship platform, educational resources, networking opportunities, and hands-on legal case experience.

Brighten S. Kaufman has been promoted to an associate for Akin where she will advise private fund managers and represent institutional and private investors across various jurisdictions. She was previously an Akin summer associate and a Strauss Diversity & Inclusion Scholar.

Kyle Fox has joined Perkins Coie’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity practices as a partner working in the firm’s Austin office. Fox is part of a three-partner group that made the move to Perkins Coie from Greenberg Traurig.

James Lloyd has been appointed deputy policy director to Vice President JD Vance. Before being called to serve in the Trump administration, Lloyd was deputy attorney general for civil  litigation.

Kate Goodrich has been promoted to a senior policy advisor and member of Holland & Knight’s Government Advocacy Team. Goodrich previously was deputy general counsel and policy advisor for the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives and a governmental affairs consultant with Jackson Walker.

Stephen Yeh has been promoted to partner at Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles, effective March 1, 2025. Yeh is a member of the firm’s Project Development & Finance Practice and Finance Department, where he represents financial institutions, corporate investors, sponsors, and developers.

Robert Brown has been promoted to partner at Latham & Watkins, effective March 1, 2025. Brown is a member of the firm’s Privacy & Cyber Practice and Corporate Department, where he advises clients on compliance with data privacy and security laws.

Emily Leitch has joined Jackson Walker as a partner in the Corporate & Securities practice group in Houston. Leitch advises clients on equity and debt offerings, high-yield transactions, and IPOs, representing underwriters, issuers, and SPACs in public and private deals.

Emily Young has joined Covenant Clearinghouse’s in-house legal team in Round Rock, Texas. Young has over a decade of experience in commercial litigation and will provide insight into complex property rights cases.

Wendy Harvel has joined Spencer Fane as of counsel attorney in the Environmental and Energy Law practice groups. Previously, Harvel served as a master administrative law judge and head of the Public Utility Team for the Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings, where she acted as a neutral party presiding over disputes between Texas agencies, other governmental entities, and private citizens.

Jayne Piana has been named co-chair of Brown Rudnick’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board practice group after joining the firm in 2024. Piana advises clients on IP protection issues including technology transactions, disputes and freedom-to-operate cases.

Erick Robinson has been named co-chair of Brown Rudnick’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board practice group after joining the firm in 2024. Robinson is an experienced trial attorney, patent litigator and IP strategist with a background in biotechnology, computer science and electronics.

Junish Arora has a new position as the deputy director of the Office of Civil Rights for the United States Department of Commerce.  He currently serves as chair of the Council’s Infrastructure Workstream and held numerous positions in the Department of Homeland Security before joining Commerce.

Greg Flores has been named a partner at Nichols Weitzner Thomas in Houston. Flores, who focuses his practice on healthcare regulation and litigation, was honored in the 2023 and 2024 editions of ‘”Ones to Watch” by Best Lawyers of America.

Charles Lee has been appointed senior advisor to acting chairman Mark T. Uyeda at the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Thomas Burton has joined Steptoe & Johnson’s Business Department as of counsel at the firm’s Dallas office. Burton specializes in corporate matters and previously served as chief legal officer of Service King Collision.

Reid Barnes has joined Steptoe & Johnson’s Dallas office as an associate. A double Longhorn, Barnes specializes in commercial real estate properties and is a member of the Dallas Bar Association.

Ronnie Skloss has joined Holland & Knight as a partner in the firm’s Austin office. Skloss, who was previously a shareholder with Greenberg Traurig, focuses his practice on strategic business transactions.

Lisa Magick is the co-founder of Bathe Austin, the city’s first bathhouse, which will open in fall 2025. In addition, Magick is an interior designer and is president of lifestyle brand Vacay Vans.

Gregory Smith was named partner at Vela Wood in Dallas. Smith, who focuses on real estate, corporate finance, and general business transactions, is a four-time Super Lawyers Rising Star recipient and a Texas Bar Foundation fellow.

Lance Caughfield has been named director of advocacy programs and assistant clinical professor of legal advocacy at the SMU Dedman School of Law.  Previously, Caughfield focused on civil appeals at the law firm of Baker | Moran.

Marysia Laskowski has been promoted to counsel at Hunton Andrews Kurth in Dallas. Laskowski focuses her practice on corporate and regulatory matters involving banks and other financial institutions.

Joe Lawlor has been promoted to partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in Houston. Lawlor represents clients in the energy industry and focuses his practice on renewables and oil and gas transactions.

Mason Harry has been promoted to partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in Houston. He represents clients in the acquisition, development, financing and disposition of energy projects across the United States.

Luis A. Reyes, a regulatory attorney and former high-ranking government official, has joined Troutman Pepper Locke as a partner in its Regulatory Investigations, Strategy and Enforcement Practice Group in Austin. Reyes, who most recently was a partner at Ashcroft Sutton Reyes, has over two decades of experience counseling clients at the White House, Department of Justice, and other federal and state agencies.

Sammi L. Renken has been appointed vice president of the Illinois Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates for the 2025-26 year. A double Longhorn, Renken is a shareholder and vice president at the law firm Johnson & Bell.

Gary Zausmer has joined the Specialized Advocacy practice group at Butler Snow in Austin. Zausmer, who brings over 35 years of experience in litigation and client representation in multiple areas, most recently practiced at Enoch Kever.

Jessica Soos has joined the Specialized Advocacy practice group at Butler Snow’s Austin office. Soos, whose practice focuses on the dynamic evolution of the competitive and regulated electric markets in Texas and across the United States, previously worked at Enoch Kever.

Martha Smiley has joined the Specialized Advocacy practice group at Butler Snow’s Austin office. Smiley, who offers telecommunications clients counseling and strategic business analysis of legal, regulatory, and legislative developments, previously practiced at Enoch Kever.

Shelby O’Brien has joined the Specialized Advocacy practice group at Butler Snow’s Austin office. Previously, O’Brien practiced at Enoch Kever and served as a staff attorney for the Texas Supreme Court.

Bill A. Moore has joined the Specialized Advocacy practice group at Butler Snow in Austin. Moore, who counsels energy industry clients on regulatory, business, litigation, and legislative matters, previously practiced at Enoch Kever.

Melissa Lorber has joined the Specialized Advocacy practice group at Butler Snow in Austin. Lorber, who represents businesses in litigation at both the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts, previously practiced at Enoch Kever.

Andrew Kever has joined the Specialized Advocacy practice group at Butler Snow in Austin. Kever, who has served as an advocate and counselor for the electric and communication industries for many years, previously practiced at Enoch Kever.

Heather Holmes has joined the Specialized Advocacy practice group at Butler Snow in Austin. Previously, Holmes practiced at Enoch Kever and was a staff attorney at the Supreme Court of Texas.