1970

Gary D. Compton has joined the Austin office of the law firm of Thompson & Knight LLP as a member of the firm's Oil and Gas Practice Group. Compton has 30 years of experience in regulatory and legislative matters. He represents corporations, major utilities, pipelines, oil and gas producers, and alternative and renewable energy companies. He has representative experience with administrative and regulatory matters as well as government affairs. He was named to The Best Lawyers in America by Woodward/White Inc. in 2012. Compton's experience includes serving as Special Counsel to the Texas Railroad Commission, including participation on the Special Advisory Council for the Blue Ribbon Natural Gas Rules Committee and acting as Special General Counsel to the Chairman's Committee on Natural Gas Marketing. He was appointed by three different Texas governors, including former Governor Bush, to serve on the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission and Chairman of the Texas Youth Commission. He is a former Board Council Member for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. He also participated in the White House Intern Program in 1967 under President Lyndon B. Johnson. He has practiced before the U.S. Congress, White House, Texas Legislature, Texas Railroad Commission, Texas Public Utility Commission, Texas General Land Office, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Comptroller of Public Accountants, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy, Department of Interior, and various other regulatory agencies and state legislatures throughout the southwest. Compton is a former President of the Baylor Law Alumni Association.

Darrell L. Keith was named the Dallas Area Best Lawyers Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year for 2011 by The Best Lawyers in America publication. Keith is the founder and senior shareholder of the Keith Law Firm PC in Fort Worth, and represents plaintiffs in the areas of medical and legal malpractice, personal injury, and civil liability law and litigation. After more than a quarter of a century in publication, Best Lawyers designated Lawyers of the Year in high-profile legal specialties in large legal communities beginning in 2011. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is honored as the Lawyer of the Year. The lawyers honored as Lawyers of the Year have received particularly high ratings in the Best Lawyers surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity. In 2010, Keith was also recognized by the Dallas Bar Association as one of the legal profession's Texas Trial Legends honoring several trial lawyers for their courtroom achievements, preeminent careers, and contributions to the North Texas business and legal communities.

1972

George A. Snell III has joined the firm of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC. Snell will focus his practice on energy law, particularly in oil and gas title opinions, in the firm's Houston office.

 Before joining Steptoe & Johnson, Snell had maintained a private practice in Amarillo since 1972. His career began as a general practitioner and litigator until he merged his practice with a long-time oil and gas title attorney in 1979. Snell turned his focus to title opinions and since then has prepared thousands of opinions for energy companies throughout the nation.

1973

W. Mike Baggett of Winstead PC, has been named Best Lawyers - Lawyer of the Year in 2012 Dallas Litigation - Real Estate by Best Lawyers.

1974

Joe Hinds, a retired lieutenant colonel, is the organizer of the 2013 Veterans Day Citizens Celebration for the tri-state area of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, which will be held on Nov. 10, 2013, at the Willis Music Stage, Turfway Park, Florence, Ky. The Willis stage can accommodate more than 4,000 people, and Hinds is looking for a good turnout from all three states to honor veterans and relatives of veterans in those states. Former President George Bush's staff has contacted Hinds and is attempting to firm up that date for Mr. Bush to be the keynote speaker. Military and local bands and choruses will provide entertainment. Currently, eight city governments are co-sponsoring this program. Hinds also has invited House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and congressmen - both Democrats and Republicans - from Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Hinds served in all four military services for more than four decades and recently retired in Florence. He could think of no better way to bring politicians and these three states together than to honor the military.

1975

George R. Carlton Jr., chair of the Mass Tort Litigation Practice Group for Godwin Ronquillo PC, has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2013 in the area of Product Liability Litigation Defense.

Thomas A. Forbes was elected Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Southwestern University this past March.He has been on the Board since 2001. Southwestern is a selective national liberal arts institution in Georgetown, chartered in 1840. It has a student body of about 1,350 and has sent many of its graduates to Baylor Law School.

Kenneth Stohner was selected for inclusion in D Magazine's "Best Lawyers in Dallas" list. The publication was released in May 2013. D Magazine conducted a citywide search for the best in the legal profession, inviting qualified attorneys to nominate their peers based on reputation and legal excellence. The nominations were reviewed by the magazine's editors, alongside a panel of well-respected local lawyers, to determine the final list.

1976

Kyle Peeler has been inducted into the Lee Legacy Wall of Honor at Lee High School in Midland. Peeler graduated from Lee High in 1970, where he was involved in football and choir. He also was president of the student Council president, was voted Mr. Integrity, and was an Eagle Scout and charter member of Origin. He practiced civil, criminal and family law for more than 30 years. Peeler currently serves as a Midland County court at-law judge.

1977

Marvin W. Jones has been appointed to a three-year term as managing shareholder of the law firm of Sprouse Shrader Smith in Amarillo. Jones is a shareholder with 35 years of experience practicing law, focusing on complex commercial litigation, power and utilities, and natural resources. He concentrates on litigation in a wide range of areas, including litigation on behalf of public utilities and in products liability, oil and gas, fiduciary, groundwater law and insurance defense. Jones has substantial experience representing clients in matters relating to groundwater rights. He has represented clients before groundwater districts, the Texas Water Development Board and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Jones has been a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers since 2005 and is certified in civil trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is a member of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel, International Association of Defense Counsel, Defense Research Institute and American Board of Trial Advocates.

1978

Brenda Jeffers Damuth has been hired by the national law firm Wilson Elser to work in its Dallas office. Damuth has practiced law in Texas since 1978. Her practice primarily focuses on representing health-care professionals and resolving disputes as a mediator. She has extensive first-chair trial experience, representing clients in civil litigation disputes with an emphasis on personal injury. She also represents physicians and nurses before the Texas Medical Board and other administrative bodies.

The Hon. Marilea W. Lewis has been named a shareholder in the newly renamed Texas trial and appellate law firm Godwin Lewis PC. Lewis is a former state district judge. A fifth-generation Texan, Lewis joined the firm in July 2011. Lewis serves as chair of the firm's Family Law Litigation practice group, and provides a strong leadership background that is well-suited to address Family Law issues while ensuring a commitment to family values, justice for children and families, and to the improvement of the community overall.

John Eddie Williams Jr. has been named the Baylor University Alumnus of the Year. Williams, who graduated from Baylor University in 1976, was named as part of the 2012-13 Baylor Meritorious Achievement Awards. Williams is a prominent attorney in Houston. Baylor University received a major gift from Williams earlier this year for Baylor Stadium. This generous gift, which ranks among the top five capital gifts in university history, will support construction of the university's new on-campus Baylor Stadium. With this naming rights gift, the field at Baylor Stadium will be named the John Eddie Williams Field. Williams also provided one of the lead gifts to the Sheila and Walter Umphrey Law Center constructed in 2002.

1979

Roland Johnson, a partner in Harris, Finley and Bogle P.C., has been appointed to the board of directors of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation. The State Bar of Texas appointed Johnson to a three-year term on the Foundation that provides grant funding for civil legal aid in Texas. A proven leader in the Texas legal community, Johnson served as president of the State Bar of Texas for 2009-2010. He holds extensive memberships in professional legal associations, often serving in committee and board positions, and has received numerous awards and recognitions. His extensive legal experience is focused on commercial litigation, arbitrations and legal malpractice matters. Johnson earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Baylor University.

Lee Haney was appointed the new municipal court judge by the Brownwood City Council. Haney was the associate municipal court judge under Don Clements, who recently retired. Haney had been serving as interim municipal court judge since Clements' retirement. Haney has served Brown County as an attorney in many capacities, including county judge, district attorney and as the Early city judge. Haney will continue to serve as Early's city judge.