Class Notes

Ana Ibáñez has joined Broude Smith Jennings & McGlinchey PC as an associate representing clients in real estate and business transactions, estate planning and probate.

Sharmila Kassam has joined NASDAQ as Chief Operating Officer of their newly formed Nasdaq Asset Owner Solutions. Kassam joins with experience in institutional investing and a unique asset owner perspective. Most recently, she served as executive director of the AIF Institute, and as the Deputy Chief Investment Officer for the Employees Retirement System of Texas.

Claire Powell has been named Lewisville, Texas’s next city manager. Powell, who has served as an assistant city manager in Lewisville since 2016, will become the eighth city manager in the city’s history and the second woman to hold the post. She first joined Lewisville in 2011 as assistant city attorney, and became the Assistant City Manager over Development Services. 

Lindsey A. Mills has been promoted to counsel at Latham & Watkins in New York, effective Jan. 1, 2022. A member of the Capital Markets Practice in the Corporate Department, she advises clients on a range of equity and debt transactions, including IPOs and high yield and investment grade debt offerings. She also advises clients on securities law compliance and general corporate governance matters.

Jennifer M. Gascoyne has been elected a partner at Latham & Watkins in London, effective January 1, 2022. A member of the Capital Markets Practice in the Corporate Department, she represents both issuers and investment banks on a range of capital markets transactions, including IPOs. She advises clients across a variety of industries and has particular experience with cross-border transactions and foreign private issuers. She received her JD from the University of Texas School of Law in 2013.

Samuel D. Rettew has been elected a partner at Latham & Watkins in Austin, effective Jan. 1, 2022. A member of the Capital Markets Practice in the Corporate Department, he represents private and public companies, private equity firms, and investment banks in a variety of financing and other transactions, including cross-border and leveraged buyout transactions as well as debt and equity offerings.

Demetria Frank has been named as Associate Dean for Diversity & Inclusion at The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.  Frank will remain a member of the law school faculty, while also overseeing the law school’s diversity and inclusion efforts. She began her legal career as a toxic tort litigation attorney before moving into the public sector as a Community Prosecutor in the Dallas City Attorney’s Office. Her tenure as an Associate Judge for the City of Dallas and the City of Houston has been one of the most influential experiences in her legal career.

Hayley Ostrin has joined innovation and technology firm Merchant & Gould as a partner in the D.C. area office. Ostrin will specialize in Section 337 investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), which involve unfair and injurious competition in trade. She has extensive knowledge of ITC procedural and substantive issues, discovery and trial strategies, and other nuances of this unique practice area.

Mollie Duckworth has joined firm Latham & Watkins LLP’s Austin office as a partner in the Corporate Department and member of the firm’s Capital Markets, Public Company Representation, and Mergers & Acquisitions Practices. Duckworth advises clients in connection with M&A transactions and represents issuers and underwriters in public offerings and private placements of equity and debt securities.

Alexander Gras has joined Dallas-based Caldwell Cassady & Curry as an associate after a prior stent in the firm’s summer associate program.

Brian M. Gillett has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Dallas, TX firm as senior attorney. Gillett is a trial attorney with experience handling high-stakes, complex commercial matters on both the plaintiff and defense sides at all stages of litigation in state and federal court and arbitration proceedings, from discovery through trial and appeal. His practice focuses on business litigation matters, including disputes involving claims for breach of contract, fraud, and breaches of fiduciary duties.

Chris Graff has joined global law firm K&L Gates LLP as a partner in the intellectual property (IP) procurement and portfolio management practice. Graff joins the firm’s Austin office from IP firm Pirkey Barber PLLC. He has worked with many iconic brands, and has represented clients in more than 100 cases before a wide variety of courts and tribunals, including federal and state courts and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Madison Young has joined Beck Redden LLP as an associate. Prior to joining the firm, Young clerked for The Honorable Ed Kinkeade of the Northern District of Texas. While a student at Texas Law, she received the Beck Award for Legal Research and Writing Excellence and the Outstanding Memorandum Award.

Nick Bunch has joined Haynes and Boone, LLP as a partner in the White Collar and Government Investigations Practices. His practice focused on the investigation, prosecution, and trial of sophisticated fraud cases, including healthcare fraud, securities fraud, bank fraud, public corruption, cybercrime and intellectual property matters, such as the theft of trade secrets.

Kenneth A. Clark has been appointed to Board of Directors of Summit Therapeutics, Inc. Clark was a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR) based out of the firm’s Palo Alto, CA, office where he  advised biotech companies in strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and financing transactions, in addition to a range of other matters.

Emily Chou has joined Forshey Prostok LLP, a Fort Worth bankruptcy boutique,  as a partner in the firm’s Fort Worth office. Chou brings over 20 years of experience in business reorganization, creditors’ rights, and commercial litigation. Her work has included representing official creditors’ committees and post-confirmation liquidation/litigation trustees in Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases all over the United States.

Kirby Cronin has joined the Dallas-based FBFK law firm as a shareholder and will lead market efforts at its new Austin office. Cronin is an Intellectual Property (IP) attorney formerly of Cronin PLLC. He is a 25-year attorney with expertise in intellectual property transactions, litigation, and counseling as well as extensive experience representing financial institutions’ technology-related matters.

Jamie E. France has rejoined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as an Of Counsel in its Washington, D.C. office.  She will serve as a member of the Litigation and Antitrust and Competition Practice Groups. Before rejoining Gibson Dunn, France served as an attorney in the Mergers IV Division of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Competition from 2015 to 2021. Previously, she was an associate attorney at Gibson Dunn from 2012 to 2015.

Rocio Guadalupe Mendoza has joined Paul Hastings LLP’s Houston office as partner. Mendoza comes to the firm from Baker & McKenzie. She advises on a diverse range of domestic and international energy-related transactions and projects, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and project development.

Lisa S. Tsai, a founding partner of Reid Collins & Tsai LLP, has become Managing Partner and joined the Executive Committee of the national trial boutique. Tsai is recognized for her leadership and contributions to the elevation of women and Asian-Pacific American (APA) attorneys regionally and nationally. She is past chair of the State Bar of Texas Asian Pacific Interest Section.

Allison Skees has recently joined Bourland, Wall & Wenzel in Fortworth, Texas as an associate attorney. Skees has experience in general civil litigation and her practice focuses primarily on fiduciary litigation and guardianships.

Michael M. Parker has been selected by the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to be the next bankruptcy judge in the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division. Parker is a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright and has been with the firm since the end of his two-year bankruptcy clerkship in the Western District of Texas with Hon. Ronald B. King in 1995. He is scheduled to take the bench on Nov. 2, 2021.

Erica Grigg has been named as the Director of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program (TLAP). TLAP provides confidential help, referrals, and peer assistance programs to lawyers, judges, and law students experiencing mental health or substance use disorders. She is a member of the American Counselors Association, the American Mental Health Counselors Association, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, and the Capitol Area Trial Lawyers Association.

Judge Rhonda Wills is the star of a new court reality show, “Relative Justice with Judge Rhonda Wills.” Wills currently practices law in Los Angeles and is also licensed to practice in Texas and New York. She previously appeared on WeTV’s “Sisters in Law” and also has appeared as a legal contributor for such outlets as CNN. The show will focus on conflicts between family members.

Daniel Collins is now an assistant county attorney assigned to the El Paso County hospital district unit, which represents University Medical Center of El Paso. Collins previously served in various legislative roles, most recently as El Paso County’s government affairs manager, and previously as a legislative counsel in the Texas Senate, New York Senate, and at the New York City Council.

Scott Craig has joined the new Austin office of Latham & Watkins LLP in the Emerging Companies Practice. He joins from Wilson Sonsini and represents emerging growth and late stage venture capital backed companies in technology, life sciences, and other high-growth industries, as well as the private equity and venture capital funds that invest in those companies, 

Jenifer Smith has joined the new Austin office of Latham & Watkins LLP in the Emerging Companies Practice. She joins from DLA Piper and represents public and private companies across a broad range of corporate and strategic matters, including venture capital financings, M&A, and capital markets transactions.

Samer Zabaneh has joined the new Austin office of Latham & Watkins LLP in the Emerging Companies Practice and will serve as the Office Managing Partner. He joins from DLA Piper and advises public and emerging private companies and their venture capital and private equity investors through their life cycles, from formation to liquidity.

Michael J. Ritter has joined the San Antonio office of Schmoyer Reinhard LLP as senior counsel. Ritter focuses his practice on state and federal appeals, mandamus proceedings, litigation support, and labor and employment law.

Jackie Johnson has joined Constangy, Brooks, Smith and Prophete, LLP as a partner in the firm’s Dallas office, and will serve as co-chair of the Trade Secrets & Unfair Competition Practice Group. An exceptional litigator, Johnson is nationally recognized for her experience in issues including restrictive covenant agreements, trade secret theft, breach of contract, duty of loyalty, and tortious interference with contract disputes.

Partner Katie Maechler has been appointed to serve as co-chair of the Litigation Practice Group at the Minneapolis law firm of Maslon LLP. Maechler specializes in product liability litigation and has successfully represented device manufacturers in federal and state courts throughout the country.

Judge Steve Smith was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the 10th Court of Appeals in Waco to fill the unexpired term of Justice John Neill, who retired in May. Smith, current judge of the 361st State District Court in Bryan, will start his new job Sept. 1. He will join Chief Justice Tom Gray and Justice Matt Johnson on the three-member panel. Smith has served as judge of 361st State District Court since 1999.

Ken Garcia, executive fellow of Q2 Software, Inc., was elected to serve as an independent director on the board of directors of TimkenSteel Corporation. In his current role, he assists Q2 Software’s board of directors and executive leadership team with long-term planning related to M&A, talent and its product roadmap. Previously, Garcia co-founded and served as president of PrecisionLender, and co-founded and served as CEO of Halo Technologies, Inc.

Patrick Bredehoft is joining Bracewell LLP as a partner. Bredehoft is ranked as a leading lawyer in Texas Healthcare in Chambers USA (2021) and brings significant experience to Bracewell. 

Wilson Jones has joined Bracewell LLP as a Partner. Jones, who chaired Thompson & Knight’s healthcare practice group, will also chair the healthcare regulatory and litigation practice at Bracewell.

Jeff Nalley, will be a co-president of the NFL representation division at ICM Partners. The move comes after ICM Partners acquired Select Sports Group, an indie agency that represents NFL coaches, players and executives, which was co-owned by Nalley.

The Honorable Dimple Malhotra was elected to the Travis County Judiciary as the first and only judge of Asian-Indian descent as well as first elected Asian-American woman in the history of the county. Malhotra presides over County Court 4, which specializes in domestic violence cases.

Danielle Fink Kruger is the Jewish Herald-Voice’s new food writer. Kruger is a native Houstonian whose birth, Jewish day school years, Bat Mitzvah and wedding all have been documented in the JHV. Kruger previously practiced law and worked in other roles in the legal industry for 13 years until she decided to leave the industry in January 2020.

Jonathan B. Bush has been promoted to Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary at ModivCare. Bush has over two decades of in-house and law firm experience. Previously, he was Vice President, Corporate Development and Deputy General Counsel at BioScrip, Inc.

Grant O’Hickey joined Gunster in Jacksonville, FL, where his practice focuses on commercial litigation and e-discovery.

Texas Law Professor Randall H. Erben has been elected Vice-Chair of the Texas Ethics Commission.

Sylvia Kerrigan has been elected vice-chair of Southwestern University’s Board of Trustees and will assume her new duties on July 1, 2022. Kerrigan has served on the board since 2015 and chairs the academic affairs committee. She is the executive director of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Energy, Law and Business at The University of Texas at Austin. Kerrigan also currently serves on the board of directors for Team Industrial Services, where she chairs the corporate governance and nominating committee and sits on the audit committee.

Kara L. Karcher has joined Bourland, Wall & Wenzel as associate attorney in Fort Worth, Texas. Her practice focuses on commercial relate estate and general business transactions, including the acquisition, financing, development, leasing and disposition of commercial real estate.

Poonam Kumar, a partner in DLA Piper’s Minneapolis office, has been elected treasurer of Minnesota Women Lawyers (MWL), an association of more than 1,200 attorneys, judges, law students and legal employers in Minnesota. Poonam will also serve on the organization’s 2021-2022 Board of Directors.

Pamelya Herndon has been appointed by the Bernalillo County Commission to District 28 in the New Mexico House of Representatives. She will serve this position until January of 2023. Before her appointment, Herndon served as the president and CEO of KWH Law Center for Social Justice and Change and the CEO of The Women’s Center for Social Justice and Change. She also worked with the Southwest Women’s Law Center, Herndon Legal Services, and the State of New Mexico.

Shane Pennington recently joined top-ranked national cannabis law firm Vicente Sederberg LLP as counsel in the firm’s New York office. He was also just elected to the board of directors for the International Cannabis Bar Association. Pennington, who focuses on federal appeals and regulatory issues, is co-counsel on several high-profile cases against the DEA regarding cannabis research, hemp, and psychedelics.

Jaime Garcia was promoted to Partner of J. Cruz & Associates, LLC in Laredo, Texas. Garcia will continue to serve public and private clients in the areas of general civil litigation, education law, employment law, and public finance.

Carlos Eduardo Cárdenas, of the Law Office of Carlos Eduardo Cárdenas, P.C. in El Paso, has been elected 2021-2022 Fellows Chair of the Texas Bar Foundation.  Cárdenas’ law practice focuses on personal injury and commercial litigation, and in administrative law proceedings

Cynthia Dooley has joined Dallas’ Brousseau Naftis & Massingill. Her practice focuses on wills, trusts, estates and probate issues. Dooley earned her undergraduate degree from Rice in 1986 and her J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law in 1992.

Jason Marlin has joined the Dallas trial firm of Bailey Brauer PLLC as a partner. Marlin is a corporate litigator and experienced trial lawyer who represents companies on complex commercial disputes involving shareholder derivative actions, real estate disputes, financial services litigation, catastrophic personal injury cases, and energy-related lawsuits.