Class Notes

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.

Carlos J. Contreras III has been named chair of the Community Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve System Board of Governors. He currently serves as the president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of San Antonio.

Matthew Richardson has joined the Los Angeles office of Ogletree Deakins as an associate. Richardson, who specializes in employment law and is known for his dedication and zealous advocacy on behalf of employers, has expertise in wage and hour disputes, employment discrimination, wrongful termination, and workplace harassment.

Siddartha Rao has joined New York litigation boutique Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney in New York City as a partner. Rao brings to HNRK nearly two decades of experience in securities, intellectual property, and other disputes in federal, state, and appellate courts as well as arbitration forums.

Kourtney Mueller Merrill has joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton as a partner in Washington, D.C. Merrill, who has extensive experience in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device and broader technology sectors, will work with the firm’s intellectual property practice group and life sciences industry team. She was previously a partner at Perkins Coie.

Bailey Watkins has joined Yetter Coleman in Houston as a senior counsel in the Intellectual Property litigation group. She was previously in-house counsel with Dell Technologies. Bailey’s practice includes representing clients in patent, trade secret, and technology-related disputes in federal courts, the International Trade Commission, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Paul Dean is the new vice president of NTI’s (Nuclear Threat Initiative) global nuclear policy program. In this role, he leads the organization’s efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, reduce the risk of nuclear use, and ultimately end the existential threat of nuclear war.

Richard Williams has been appointed by U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison as chief of the criminal division in the Las Cruces Branch Office for the District of New Mexico. He previously served in supervising roles such as deputy branch chief and section supervisor after joining the office in 2001.

Charles Lee has been appointed senior advisor in the Office of Chair Paul Atkins for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He previously served in the same role under Acting Chair Mark T. Uyeda.

Francisco Solis has been named president of San Antonio College. He has more than 25 years of service to San Antonio College throughout his career including being the college’s interim president since March 2024.

Katherine Reilly has been appointed acting inspector general of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. She has served in the SEC’s Office of Inspector General since 2020.

Mark Nawfal has joined GableGotwals’ Houston office as of counsel, where his practice will focus on mergers and acquisitions, taxation, and energy law. Nawfal has more than 15 years of international legal experience advising multinational companies, private equity funds, and partnerships on a wide range of corporate and transactional matters.

George Lee has joined Ferguson Braswell Fraser Kubasta’s Plano, Texas, office. He previously worked for Carrington Coleman Sloman & Blumenthal as a securities and capital markets lawyer.

Frankie Shulkin was promoted to partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in Dallas, starting Jan. 1, 2025. Shulkin represents private equity and debt funds, as well as private and public companies, in a wide range of transactional special situations.

Daniel E. Mangis has been promoted to chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Cyprus. He was previously the chargé d’affaires ad interim during the temporary absence of Ambassador Julie S. Davis.

Leyna Williams is the newest Texas underwriting counsel at First National Title Insurance Company, based in Plano, Texas. She previously worked as an escrow officer, CE instructor, and in-house counsel for a title agency in Houston.

Leslie Hagin has founded Lawyers Assisting Lawyers, a 501c3 public charity to educate, destigmatize and provide free, confidential and independent peer support counseling to lawyers, law students, and judges facing substance use and other mental health challenges. Previously she was a federal law clerk, partner in private practice, and served as a counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. Hagin also is a Washington state certified peer counselor.

Patrick Flueckiger has joined Decker Jones in Fort Worth as of counsel, focusing on oil and gas law. He previously ran his own private oil and gas law practice.

Josh Pollick has been appointed co-lead of the Orrick’s Tech & Innovation sector after serving in that role for the company’s Technology Companies Group. A founding member and former leader of the firm’s Santa Monica office, he represents high-growth tech companies, VC firms and strategic investors and has been widely recognized as one of the leading VC and emerging companies lawyers in the United States.

Doyle Simons has been promoted to non-executive chairman of the board of directors at Fiserv. He was previously the lead independent director.

Aleza Remis has joined Hicks Thomas’ Houston office as senior counsel. She previously was the assistant deputy chief of the U.S. Department of Justice Health Care Fraud Unit.

Allison Standish Miller has moved her practice to Steptoe in Houston, where she is a partner in the Professional Liability and Commercial Litigation groups. A double Longhorn, Standish Miller has been recognized on the Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers lists multiple times.

Chris Thiele has joined Baker Botts as a partner in the Litigation practice within its Environmental, Safety, and Incident Response section. Thiele, who has more than 25 years of environmental law experience, previously the senior vice resident and legal counsel for an independent midstream energy infrastructure development company.

Kenneth H. “Ken” Goetzke Jr. has a new position as deputy general counsel at the Office of Chief Counsel for NASA Langley Research Center. He was previously the associate chief counsel.

John Donaleski has rejoined White & Case in New York as part of its global project development and finance practice, after working at Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe as a partner in energy and infrastructure finance. He advises financial institutions on complex energy and infrastructure projects, with a focus on renewables, conventional power, and digital infrastructure.

Jason Ryan has been reappointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas Diabetes Council where he will work to address issues regarding quality of education services and treatment for people with diabetes in Texas. He also serves as the executive vice president for CenterPoint Energy.

Jason Boatright has been appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Risk Management Board, where he will administer insurance services obtained by state agencies. He was previously a justice on the Fifth Court of Appeals and serves as special counsel for Duane Morris.

Steven Stodghill was confirmed as a member of the Public Safety Commission by the Texas Senate. Stodghill, a partner at Winston & Strawn, has served on the PSC since his initial appointment in 2019.

Andrew Coleman has joined BraunHagey & Borden as a litigation attorney in the firm’s New York office. Coleman, whose practice will cover complex commercial disputes, recently clerked for the Honorable Brian A. Jackson of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.

Following a long career in business journalism that included positions as editor-in-chief of Environmental Protection magazine, energy reporter for Texas Lawyer newspaper, and senior editor at POWER magazine (McGraw Hill), Angela Neville now owns Neville Wildlife Enterprises and handles hunting and grazing leases for property in Clay County, Texas.  She also was an instructor at Texas A&M University’s Division of Environmental & Occupational Safety and taught continuing education classes to environmental professionals.