Alejandra Avila has rejoined Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick PLLC as of counsel. Avila was formerly an associate at the firm before serving as a judicial law clerk to Justice Sonia Sotomayor on the United States Supreme Court.
Yolanda Harris Sayre has been appointed as a circuit judge in the 5th Subcircuit of Cook County, Illinois. Sayre spent more than 20 years as an attorney for the Chicago Police Department and most recently served as legal counsel for the Illinois State Police.
Andrew Sherwood has been selected to serve as assistant leader of Dykema’s Real Estate Practice Group. Sherwood, who focuses his practice on debt finance and real estate, has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for Real Estate Law each year since 2019.
Brandy Manning has been named co-director of Dykema’s Energy Industry Group. Manning has more than two decades of commercial trial and appellate experience in both oil and gas and general business matters and is board-certified in civil appellate law.
Will Liebmann has been appointed to serve as director of Dykema’s Business Services Department. Liebmann, who has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for Corporate Law since 2011, focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions.
Andréa Villarreal has been named a partner of Barnes Lipscomb & Stewart PLLC. In January 2024, Villareal was named a Rising Star by Texas Lawyer for a second consecutive year in a row and she recently became board certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in 2023.
Julia Jeffrey Rathgeber has been appointed as the vice chancellor for Governmental Relations of the University of Texas System. Rathgeber previously served as the vice president of Governmental & Regulatory Relations & Business Development for Berkshire Hathaway Energy and has more than 30 years of experience in the public sector.
Jimmy Kirby has been named deputy director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Kirby previously served as associate director of FinCEN’s Research and Analysis Division as well as FinCEN’s chief counsel.
Lamont Jefferson has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Jefferson is an accomplished trial lawyer and partner at Jefferson Cano.
Kennon Wooten has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Wooten is a partner at Scott Douglas McConnico, focusing on general civil litigation and complex commercial litigation.
Roger W. Hughes has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Hughes is a partner at Adams & Graham, LLP.
Linda Addison has joined the board of Lexitas, an Apax Partners private equity portfolio company and national provider of technology-enabled litigation support services to the legal industry, businesses and corporations. Addison, past U.S. managing partner of Norton Rose Fulbright, is founding president of the Center for Women in Law and has received both the University’s Presidential Citation and Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Professor Lonny S. Hoffman has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Hoffman is the law foundation professor at the University of Houston Law Center.
Lisa Bowlin Hobbs has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Hobbs is a founding member of Kuhn Hobbs PLLC.
Mike Hatchell has been appointed as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Hatchell serves at Haynes Boone where he focuses on appeals in all state and federal courts with emphasis on the Supreme Court of Texas.
Macey Reasoner Stokes has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Stokes is partner at Baker Botts where she serves as practice group chair of the firm’s appellate practice.
Pete Schenkkan has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Schenkkan specializes in regulatory and other public policy litigation at Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody.
Cynthia Graham has been appointed as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Graham opened her own law office in 1994 and has been serving the Panhandle community for the last 30 years.
Rich Phillips has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Phillips is a partner at Holland & Knight specializing in appellate cases in energy disputes.
Connie Pfeiffer has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Pfeiffer is a partner at YetterColeman as a board-certified appellate specialist.
Eduardo R. Rodriguez has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Rodriguez is a partner at Atlas Hall Rodriguez.
Hon. Tracy E. Christopher has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Justice Christopher has served as Chief Justice of the 14th Court of Appeals since 2020.
Richard R. Orsinger has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Orsinger is a partner at Orsinger Nelson Downing Anderson as one of Texas’ top family law and appellate lawyers.
Robert L. Levy has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Levy currently serves as Executive Counsel of Legal Policy at ExxonMobil.
Jerry Bullard has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Bullard is a partner at Adams Lynch & Loftlin specializing in handling civil appeals in complex civil litigation.
Hon. John Browning has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Justice Browning has served on the Fifth District Court of Appeals since 2020.
Hon. Harvey Brown has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Brown has seven years of experience as a trial judge.
Hon. Peter Michael Kelly has been appointed to serve as a member of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Supreme Court of Texas. Justice Kelly has been serving on the Texas First District Court of Appeals since 2018.
Tara Porterfield has been named senior counsel at Littler in its Austin office. She focuses her practice exclusively on employment law litigation and counseling. Porterfield has more than 20 years of employment litigation experience, including her most recent position at Vinson & Elkins.
Hilary Frisbie has been appointed to senior director of investor relations at Oceaneering International, Inc.. Frisbie has served as associate general counsel, leading Oceaneering’s global contracting programs.
Nicholas Maxwell has been promoted to partner at Cohen Ziffer Frenchman & McKenna. Maxwell, who specializes in insurance litigation, served on the editorial advisory board of the Insurance Coverage Law Center for several years and has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in New York.
Carson Glass Lamle has been elected as one of the newest shareholders at Hall Estill. Lemle, who rejoined Hall Estill in January 2022, started her career with the firm in 2016 before serving as a law clerk for the Honorable John F. Heil, III. Carson practices in complex commercial litigation and energy and natural resources law.
Maka Hutson has been promoted to partnership at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s Dallas office. Hutson focuses her practice on immigration law and policy and received the National Law Journal’s Immigration Law Trailblazer Award in 2023.
Hayden Harms has been promoted to partnership at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s Houston office. Harms focuses on the development, construction and operation of highly complex power and infrastructure projects with a focus on the renewable energy and energy transition industries.
Kate Doorley has been promoted to partnership at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s Washington D.C. office. Doorley focuses her practice on advising clients on a wide range of complex financial restructuring matters.
Jason P. Steed has been elected to the American Law Institute. Steed is currently a visiting professor at the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law and has previously worked as an appellate attorney.
Judge Richard B. Farrer has been elected to the American Law Institute. Farrer currently serves as a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Brian M. Gillett has been promoted to partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP in Dallas. Gillett specializes in handling high-stakes, complex commercial matters at all stages of litigation.
Manuel Mungia has joined Norton Rose Fulbright’s global insurance practice as a partner. Mungia worked at the firm as an associate previously in his career, specializing in advising domestic and foreign insurers in complex coverage matters.
Carrie Douglas has been promoted to partner at Bracewell, specializing in the firm’s healthcare and life sciences practice. Douglas represents hospital systems, surgery centers, and large physician practices in coverage and reimbursement disputes with health insurers.
Paul F. Schuster has been promoted to partner at Bracewell’s litigation department. Schuster specializes in representing healthcare providers on a range of litigation and regulatory matters.
Miatta Echetebu has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as an associate. Echetebu is a member of the firm’s Corporate and Securities Practice Group, specializing in private equity and other corporate and securities transactions.
Matt Pyeatt has joined Vinson & Elkins’ Dallas office as senior associate. Pyeatt focuses his practice on restructuring and reorganization and represents companies, creditors, and investors in complex corporate restructurings.
Amanda Bush has joined strategic communications advisory firm TrailRunner International as managing director. Bush also serves as of counsel to law firm Jackson Walker and has spent her career advising clients facing complex legal matters.
Amanda Thomson has been named partner at Arnold & Porter. Brown is a member of the firm’s complex litigation practice, specializing in representing clients in health care and aviation industries.
Christopher Luna has joined SPCA of Texas—the most comprehensive and longest-serving animal welfare agency in North Texas—as president and CEO. Luna previously spent 18 years as vice president of legal affairs at T-Mobile. He also was a Dallas city councilman for three terms and served as deputy mayor pro tem.
Sherry Talton has joined Ogletree Deakins as shareholder in the firm’s Seattle office. Talton represents local and national employers in court and previously served as principal of Jackson Lewis’ Disability, Leave and Health Management practice group.
Saeed Mody has started a new position as deputy associate attorney general at the Office of the Associate Attorney General, Office of the Deputy Attorney General, United States Department of Justice.
Charles “Chip” Roy has started a new position as Chair Republican Member at Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, Committee on the Judiciary. Roy is currently serving his third term in Congress representing Texas’s 21st Congressional District.
Nathan Robinson has been elected as partner of Wilson Sonsini, a leading legal firm for technology and life sciences. Robinson specializes in corporate and securities law, advising clients on general corporate matters and transactions including public offerings, private placements, and mergers and acquisitions.