Jerry Negrete has been promoted to named partner at Chapman Negrete PLLC in Austin. Negrete is board-certified in construction law and serves on the American Arbitration Association Panel of Construction Arbitrators. She provides comprehensive legal support to construction clients through transactional work, outside general counsel representation, and litigating and arbitrating construction disputes.
Hiawatha Northington II has been named co-chair of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP’s Diversity Committee, effective May 1, 2026. Northington, managing partner of the firm’s Jackson, Mississippi, office, also is co-chair of the African American Affinity Group and will act as co-chair alongside Houston Partner Laura De Santos.
Richard Hood has joined Ryman Clark, a new trial firm in Round Rock founded by two fellow Texas Law alumni. Hood, who is of counsel at the firm, specializes in construction defect, tenant health and safety, and mold-related issues. The U.S. Army veteran previously ran his personal practice, Richard R. Hood.
Josh Davis has joined Ryman Clark, a new trial firm in Round Rock founded by two fellow Texas Law alumni. Davis, who is of counsel at the firm, served as a JAG Officer in the U.S. Army before starting his own private practice.
Martin Gatens has joined Ryman Clark, a new trial firm in Round Rock founded by two fellow Texas Law alumni. Martin previously worked at Beck Redden, handling complex real estate and property harm litigation cases.
Alex McClintic has joined Ryman Clark, a new trial firm in Round Rock founded by two fellow Texas Law alumni. McClintic, who is of counsel at the firm, works with a large range of legal disputes spanning consumer protection and real estate.
Kyle Ryman, along with fellow Texas Law alumnus Alexander Clark, has formed the trial firm Ryman Clark in Round Rock, where both will be co-managing partners. Before running his own firm, Ryman Litigation, the U.S. Army veteran practiced at McKool Smith and clerked for Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht of the Supreme Court of Texas.
Alexander Clark, along with fellow Texas Law alumnus Kyle Ryman, has formed the trial firm Ryman Clark in Round Rock, where both will serve as co-managing partners. The U.S. Air Force veteran brings experience in insurance recovery, trials, and crisis management, having spent five years at Haynes Boone, during which he also served as a teaching assistant for insurance law courses at two law schools. Clark previously clerked for the Honorable Lee Yeakel of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Jay Ellwanger has joined the Austin panel of JAMS, which provides mediation and arbitration services. A longtime adjunct professor at Texas Law and founder of Ellwanger Henderson LLLP, he has more than 25 years of legal experience.
Ryan Gorsche has joined O’Melveny as a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice and Private Equity Group at the firm’s Dallas office. He makes the move from BakerHostetler, where he worked on complex domestic and cross-border transactions.
Katie Brien has joined O’Melveny as a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice and Private Equity Group at the firm’s Dallas office. She most recently worked at BakerHostetler, focusing on M&A transactions, dispositions, and other corporate matters.
David Woodcock has been named the director of the Division of Enforcement by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Woodcock previously served as a partner in SEC Enforcement, Investigations, and Corporate Securities at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher while teaching a Securities Law Enforcement course at Texas A&M University School of Law.
Adrienne Wall has been appointed managing shareholder of the Munsch Hardt’s Fort Worth office. Wall’s experience includes representing commercial banks and lenders in finance transactions secured by real estate and business assets.
Amy Sutton has been appointed as regional president of Southside Bank’s Wealth Management & Trust division in Tyler, Texas. Sutton has over 30 years of expertise in wealth management and estate and tax planning to the branch.
Michael Cotton has been promoted to chair of the Opinion Committee for the Texas Attorney General’s Office after previously serving as the committee’s deputy chief. He will head the committee’s efforts to conduct legal research, draft formal opinions, and provide counsel to state and local officials on complex legal matters.
Corinne Sullins Davis has been promoted to partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth’s Houston office. Davis’s expertise lies in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and corporate governance matters throughout a variety of industries.
Stephani Michel has joined the Houston office of Norton Rose Fulbright as a senior associate. She previously served as a senior appellate associate at the boutique litigation firm Tillotson Johnson & Patton.
Kelli Bills has joined the Dallas office of Norton Rose Fulbright as senior counsel. She previously was counsel at the boutique litigation firm Tillotson Johnson & Patton.
Andres Contreras has been promoted to shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr P.C. in Houston effective April 1, 2026. Contreras focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation in both state and federal courts.
Luis A. Galindo has been appointed to the Fort Worth ISD board of managers. Galindo, an attorney specializing in construction, business, and real estate law, teaches at Texas Wesleyan University and is an adjunct supervising attorney with the Texas A&M School of Law.
Pete Geren has been appointed president of the Fort Worth ISD board of managers. Geren, a double Longhorn who formerly served as a U.S. House representative and in the Department of Defense, currently is president and chief executive officer of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation.
Phyllis Y. Young has joined Eversheds Sutherland as a partner and head of Texas Finance in the firm’s Houston office. Young advises on finance and restructuring matters for public and private companies, financial institutions, investors and other market participants. She has successfully guided financings across multiple industries and has played a significant role in assisting companies and lenders through in-court and out-of-court restructurings.
Jeffrey Neill has taken on a new role as executive director of the Office of Acquisition and Logistics (OAL) and senior procurement executive at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Prior to his roles at VA, Neill worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Texas A&M University System, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, and the Department of the Treasury.
Kerrie Ann Nanni has a new position as management officer at the Office of the U.S. Ambassador to Croatia at the United States Department of State Embassy in Croatia. She previously served as financial management officer at the Office of the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo.
Ryan Newman has started a new position as chief deputy attorney general with the Florida Office of the Attorney General. He previously served as general counsel with the Florida Executive Office of the Governor.
Sam Waldon has a new position as acting director at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Enforcement. He previously served as deputy director and chief counsel in this division.
Brendan Henry has joined the Beckage Firm as senior counsel, focusing on cybersecurity, privacy, and incident response services. Henry has more than 17 years of federal national security service, including roles at the National Security Agency (NSA), the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Intelligence and Analysis, and the Department of the Interior in Alaska.
Mark Laughlin has been elected to the National Tax Lien Association Board of Directors for a three-year term. He is the founder and CEO of NAR Solutions, Inc., a firm that partners with local governments to manage and monetize delinquent property tax liens.
Stephanie Franco is the judge-elect of the 187th District Court in Bexar County and will be sworn in Jan. 1, 2027. She has worked as a prosecutor at the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office and previously served as a juvenile public defender in Travis County.
Jonathan Harmon has been named on the 2026 Virginia Power 50 List. He is the chairman of McGuireWoods, the state’s largest law firm, a position he has held since 2017.
Daniel Klein joined Blank Rome’s business litigation team in the Dallas office as of counsel. Klein previously served as partner at Johnston Clem Gifford, focusing on business and financial services clients in high-stakes commercial disputes.
Jennifer Gasser has joined Paul, Weiss as Energy and Infrastructure M&A partner in Houston. She previously worked for Kirkland and Ellis, where she engaged in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, leveraged buy-outs, joint ventures, and corporate governance matters for a diverse range of clients.
Hayden Tiner has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings’ litigation practice group as an associate in the firm’s Dallas office. He previously clerked for the Hon. David S. Morales of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Nicholas Taunton has been selected as the next president of Texas A&M’s Association of Former Students, starting in 2027. He joined the association as director of development and later became the organization’s first executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Brian D. Miller has been reappointed by the United States District Court to continue as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, until the vacancy is filled by the president. Miller was originally appointed to the post Oct. 27, 2025. 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.
Aimeé Vidaurri has been named administrative partner at Norton Rose Fulbright’s San Antonio office. A trial lawyer, Vidaurri has been with the firm since 2018 and focuses her practice on complex commercial litigation for clients in the financial services, energy, and grocery retail industries.
Jay Dewald has been named head of litigation and disputes at Norton Rose Fulbright’s San Antonio office, focusing on white-collar criminal defense, crisis management, internal investigations, and government investigations involving whistleblower claims. Dewald also leads the firm’s U.S. Healthcare Investigations division.
Cody Martinez has joined Jackson Walker’s Dallas office as partner, bringing his experience in sensitive internal investigation and high-profile litigation. He previously clerked for the Honorable Renee Toliver of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, working on cases related to intellectual property disputes, SEC enforcement actions, OFAC penalties, and class actions.
Rony Kishinevsky has joined Jackson Walker’s Austin office as partner in the Corporate & Securities section. A double Longhorn, he focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private fund formations, joint ventures, and private placements of debt and equity securities.
Sean Gallagher has joined Jackson Walker’s Austin office as partner with a wide range of experience from First Amendment litigation to trade secret infringement. He previously served as a business trial lawyer at Reese Marketos.
Allison Allman has joined Jackson Walker’s Ft. Worth office as partner, focusing on complex commercial matters at the trial and appellate levels. She previously worked as a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Tyson Ehlinger has joined Jackson Walker’s Austin office as partner, specializing in wealth preservation strategies and estate planning. He previously served as a tax attorney for Timothy J. Ehlinger.
Steven Stodghill has joined King & Spalding’s Dallas office as a new litigation partner, specializing in trial and global disputes as well as intellectual property. An accomplished commercial litigator who has represented high-profile clients, he previously served as a partner at Winston & Strawn.
Rex Mann has joined King & Spalding’s Dallas office, where he will focus his practice on patent litigation and other complex commercial litigation matters. He previously served as a partner at Winston & Strawn in Dallas.
Michael Bittner has joined King & Spalding’s Dallas office as an intellectual property trial lawyer, with an emphasis on patent litigation. He previously served as a partner at Winston & Strawn in Dallas.
Chad Walker has joined King & Spalding’s Dallas office, bringing experience successfully handling patent cases and complex commercial litigation disputes. He previously served as a partner at Winston & Strawn in Dallas.
Tom Melsheimer has joined King & Spalding’s Dallas office to serve as the global head of trial and managing partner. A nationally recognized trial lawyer, he previously served as co-chair of Winston & Strawn’s Global Litigation Department and managing partner in Dallas.
Kim Altsuler has been named to the executive committee of Peckar & Abramson PC. She serves as the Houston partner-in-charge, chairs the firm’s Residential and Multifamily Construction Practice, and co-chairs the Culture, Career Development, and Inclusion Committee.
John Stavinoha has joined Latham & Watkins’ Houston office as a partner in the firm’s M&A and Private Equity Practice. A double Longhorn, Stavinoha, who specializes in the energy and infrastructure industries, most recently was a partner at Bracewell.
Parisa Fatehi-Weeks has been appointed executive director of nonprofit policy institute Every Texan. Fatehi-Weeks’ career has focused on social justice and advocacy across a variety of organizations, including Google, Indeed, the Workers Defense Project, and HousingWorks Austin.