2000

Alexander (Alex) G. Blue has joined the legal team of Winn, Beaudry & Winn. Blue recently earned a spot on the 2012 Texas Rising Stars list of young attorneys under age 40, as featured in the current issue of Texas Monthly magazine. Only 2.5 percent of eligible Texas attorneys received this honor in 2012. This is the third time he has been so recognized by his peers. He was chosen as the Marine of the Year by the Big D Detachment of the Marine Corps League in 2009, and selected for the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers 2006 Leadership Class. From 2000 to 2008, Blue served as a Corporal in the Marine Corps. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors of Heroes on the Water, a nonprofit designed to help wounded warriors from the military and law enforcement relax, rehabilitate and reintegrate into society.

Michael C. Kelsheimer has been named to the board of directors of Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas. Kelsheimer currently serves as a shareholder in the employment law section at Looper Reed & McGraw PC. Kelsheimer has had experience in a wide variety of employment and commercial matters during his tenure with Looper Reed & McGraw. Kelsheimer is the author of the Texas Employer Handbook, a monthly guide for Texas business owners, and is a frequent radio commentator on KRLD and KTRH NewsRadio 740. Prior to joining Looper Reed, Kelsheimer served as briefing attorney to U.S. Federal District Court Judge Sam R. Cummings.

Christine Adamson Nowak was recently made partner in the firm of Dykema Gossett PLLC in Dallas.

Natalie Scott has been promoted to director in the Austin office of Coats Rose, a Houston-based legal services provider. Scott joined the firm in 2008, and is a Director in its Construction/Surety, Litigation and Government Relations sections. She focuses her practice on a variety of matters, including employment litigation and professional malpractice litigation, as well as construction and real estate litigation.

2001

Jennifer A. King, Partner with Burford & Ryburn LLP, was named a Best Lawyer in Dallas 2012 by her peers and D Magazine for her outstanding work in the Professional Liability Litigation area. King has been named a Texas Super Lawyer, Rising Star, by Reuters, published in Texas Monthly magazine from 2006 to 2011. She is very active in the Dallas Dar Association and has served as chair and co-chair of various Dallas Bar Association committees.

Celeste C. Lawton has joined the Houston office of Fulbright & Jaworski LLP as senior counsel. Lawton comes to Fulbright's tax department from Duane Morris LLP in Philadelphia, where she assisted clients in all aspects of their estate planning. She received her LL.M. in taxation from New York University School of Law, prior to which she received her J.D. from Baylor Law School, graduating magna cum laude and finishing first in her class. She earned her B.S. from Texas A&M University, graduating magna cum laude.

Julie (Harris) Wade has joined the Dallas office of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr as a shareholder. Her practice continues to focus on business- and family-based immigration, including employment visas, PERM labor certifications, and applications for permanent residency and citizenship. She also advises clients on I-9 compliance and outbound immigration issues, and she is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).

John T. Wilson IV, a member of Kelly Hart & Hallman's Appellate and Litigation practice groups, has been named a partner. Wilson was a summa cum laude graduate of the law school.

2002

Amy S. Friday was appointed partner by the firm of Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons LLP. Friday is a member of the Litigation and Products Liability & Mass Torts sections and is based in the Austin office. Friday's practice focuses on civil litigation in a broad range of matters with an emphasis in serious person injury litigation, products liability, construction litigation, contract disputes, healthcare regulatory matters, and catastrophic tort matters. She currently represents defendants comprised of corporate and individual clients in state and federal courts throughout Texas.

William E. Hammel in the Dallas office of Constangy, Brooks & Smith LLP, a national labor and employment law firm, has been honored with inclusion in the 2012 Texas Super Lawyers for Employment Litigation: Defense. Hammel is an experienced employment law litigator and also devotes a substantial portion of his practice to drafting and litigating employment agreements, non-compete agreements, and other restrictive covenants.

Corey J. Seel has been elected to voting shareholder with MehaffyWeber in the firm's Houston office. His practice includes commercial litigation, oil and gas litigation, and transactional matters, intellectual property, bankruptcy litigation, and personal injury litigation. While at Baylor Law, he was the associate editor of the Baylor Law Review and a member of the Harvey M. Richey Moot Court Society.

Tab R. Urbantke was promoted to Counsel by his firm Vinson & Elkins. Urbantke represents regulated electric and gas utilities, competitive energy companies, and other entities in the electric power and gas industry in state and federal regulatory compliance and public policy matters, including rate proceedings, legislative advocacy, and transactions.

2003

Brannon C. Dillard has joined the Houston Office of Winstead as an associate.

Jeffrey Taylor has joined the law firm of Martens, Todd & Leonard in Austin as an associate.

Barbara-Ellen Gaffney has been named to Thompson and Knight's Labor and Employment Practice Group in the Dallas office. She is actively involved in numerous organizations, including the State Bar of Texas, Texas Young Lawyers Association, Dallas Bar Association, and Dallas Young Lawyers Association. She is a Board member of the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church Mothers' Association and is Past Vice-President of the Fort Worth-Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association.

2004

Andrea Hight has joined the Dallas office of Winstead PC as an associate in the Construction practice group. Hight previously worked at Canterbury, Elder, Gooch, Surratt, Shapiro & Stein PC, in Dallas, TX. She has represented clients in litigation and arbitration proceedings as well as contract negotiations and drafting for prime contracts, subcontracts and purchase orders.

Sara Hollan has been elected partner at Jackson Walker LLP. Hollan focuses her practice on corporate and construction litigation as well as related appellate work. Hollan's corporate litigation practice involves breach of contract and business tort disputes. Her construction practice involves cases relating to construction defects, breaches of contract, and mechanic's liens. Hollan also has practiced in a wide variety of other areas.

Leslie L. Hunt has been named a shareholder at Decker Jones McMackin McClane Hall & Bates PC. Hunt joined Decker Jones in 2004 after graduation from Baylor Law School, where she was the recipient of the Loy M. Simpkins Award for Excellence in Marital Property Studies and served on the Order of the Barristers. She had received her B.A. from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri in 1999. Hunt's primary practice areas include commercial litigation, employment litigation, probate litigation and estate planning. Hunt was named the 2011 Outstanding Young Lawyer of Fort Worth and Tarrant County by the Fort Worth-Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association. She served as President of the group in 2008-09. She has been a member of the Tarrant County Bar Association since 2004 and was an Eldon B. Mahon Court Member from 2007-2009. During 2011, she also was honored by the Fort Worth Business Press as one of the area's top 40-under-40 professionals. Hunt has been recognized the past three years as a Texas Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers and five times as a Tarrant County Top Attorney by Fort Worth, Texas magazine. Hunt is active in community service organizations in Fort Worth. She is the current chair of the Advisory Planning/Bylaws Committee for the Junior League of Fort Worth, and served as co-chair of the Sweethearts Dessert Fantasy annual fundraiser for the Lena Pope Home in 2010 and 2011.

Kevin Koronka has been named a partner in the law firm of Brown McCarroll. Koronka is a member of the litigation group in the Dallas office. Koronka has participated in multiple jury and bench trials, including significant first-chair experience, and has successfully handled appeals for his clients before a variety of appellate courts. He concentrates his practice on all aspects of civil litigation, both state and federal, with extensive representation of clients in the human resources, financial services, mortgage lending, commercial leasing and real estate development industries. He also has extensive experience in arbitration and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. Koronka earned his JD from Baylor Law School, where he received the Order of the Barristers award for his oral advocacy skills. He graduated magna cum laude from Saint Edwards University with a B.A. degree.

Terrell R. Miller has been promoted to partner at Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP. Miller practices in the firm's Dallas office. He focuses on all aspects of intellectual property law, as well as complex litigation involving software, electrical, mechanical, and other technical issues. Prior to his legal career, he was a technology consultant for Accenture in Houston.

Marilyn Montano has been elected partner at Jackson Walker LLP. Montano has experience in a wide variety of commercial litigation, having developed particular expertise in eminent domain matters, labor and employment issues, class action litigation, and the availability of mental health and substance abuse coverage under benefit plans governed by ERISA.

Chris Schoessow took part in the Hill Country Memorial Hospital Foundation's annual Wills Clinic in Fredericksburg.

Gayle Schoessow took part in the Hill Country Memorial Hospital Foundation's annual Wills Clinic in Fredericksburg.

T.J. Turner was appointed to the Texas Real Estate Commission by Gov. Rick Perry. The Lubbock native began his legal career as a briefing attorney with the Eastland Court of Appeals. From there, he moved to Austin where he took the position of assistant general council to Perry. After a year at the governor's office, Turner accepted a position with the Texas Attorney General's Office, where he litigated employment claims. Turner, who is currently a partner at Cain and Skarnulius LLP in Austin, assumed his position with the Texas Real Estate Commission in January when the legislative session began.

Gwen I. Walraven has been elevated to partner at Bell Nunnally & Martin LLP. Walraven is a commercial litigator and works with Bell Nunnally's Litigation, Intellectual Property and Creditors' Rights groups. She represents companies and individuals in business disputes involving claims such as breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference and patent infringement. Walraven also represents corporate creditors in collection of defaulted loans; foreclosure of secured properties; perfection of lien claims; and lawsuits based on promissory notes, guarantees, and unpaid accounts.

2005

Justin Blount teaches securities law course on an adjunct basis at the law school. He and a former student and recent graduate (Spencer Markel)have written an article that has been accepted for publication in the Fordham Journal of Corporate and Financial Law. The article discusses the whistleblower provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act.

Michael Blue recently formed Blue Rhodes. The Austin-based firm focuses on corporate, real estate, and estate planning and probate matters.

Jackie Borcherding was sworn in on Jan. 2 as an Assistant District Attorney of Williamson County. Borcherding will be prosecuting felonies committed in Williamson County.

Lawrence Morales II, formerly of Haynes and Boone LLP, has formed The Morales Law Firm with Lawrence G. Morales. Morales II is board certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and he will continue his practice in the areas of labor and employment law, and business litigation.

Carol H. Wilkins has joined the Houston office of Winstead as an associate.

Christine Adamson Nowak was recently made partner in the firm of Dykema Gossett PLLC in Dallas.

Baylor Wortham has been hired as a federal prosecutor assigned to the Beaumont office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas. Wortham was born and raised in Beaumont and is a graduate of Kelly High School. He is the son of Bob Wortham, the former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas (1981-1993). Wortham is married to Lindsay Wortham and is the father of Baylor Wortham II. While in law school, Wortham was a member of the Baylor Law Review. He started his career in 2006 as an assistant district attorney with the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office. In 2009, Wortham was appointed as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District, primarily prosecuting violent crime in Port Arthur under Operation Time Machine, a Project Safe Neighborhood initiative.

2006

R. Heath Cheek was named one of the 2011 Five Outstanding Young Dallasites by the Dallas Junior Chamber of Commerce. Cheek was selected based on his extensive work raising more than $65,000 in scholarship funds for needy students at Texas Tech University and his work as an Action Team chair for the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee, which aided in preparing and hosting Super Bowl XLV on Feb. 6, 2011, at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Kevin J. Muenster has earned a spot on the Texas Monthly and Texas Rising Stars magazine listing as a 2012 Texas Rising Star, which recognizes the state's top young lawyers. Muenster practices with the Dallas-based law firm of Taber Estes Thorne & Carr PLLC. Muenster represents businesses and individuals in a wide variety of complex disputes, including suits pending in both state and federal courts. To compile the listings, lawyers across the state are asked to name the top attorneys they've personally observed in action. Once the candidate pool is assembled, background credentials and experience of each lawyer are assessed. A blue ribbon panel within their primary area of practice then evaluates the lawyers. Before final selections are made, the lawyers are divided by firm size, and the top lawyers from each group are placed on a list that represents 5 percent of the lawyers in the state. The Rising Stars list is limited to the top 2.5 percent.

Scott Rhodes recently formed Blue Rhodes. The Austin-based firm focuses on corporate, real estate, and estate planning and probate matters.

2007

J. Ryan Fowler, an associate with Sloan, Bagley, Hatcher & Perry Law Firm, has been recognized by Law & Politics Magazine and Texas Monthly magazine for the 2012 Texas Rising Stars list. Fowler is the lead attorney for the firm's Houston office.

Melissa A. Marcus, an associate in the Tucson office of Snell & Wilmer, has been selected as a member of Tucson's 40 Under 40 Class of 2012. The annual awards recognize young leaders in Tucson based on professional accomplishments, leadership qualities and community impact. Marcus is a long-time volunteer and board leader for Tu Nidito, a local organization that offers support for children who are impacted by serious medical conditions or the death of a parent, sibling or other loved one. She serves on the board of directors of the Young Lawyers' Division of the Pima County Bar Association and has served as a volunteer organizer for the Pima County Superior Court's Law Day student event since 2009. Marcus also uses her skills as a litigator to provide pro bono services to qualified individuals who would otherwise not have legal representation. Marcus's practice at Snell & Wilmer is concentrated in product liability and commercial litigation. Her litigation experience includes matters involving pharmaceuticals and medical devices, class action defense, commercial contract disputes, insurance litigation, construction litigation, financial services litigation and receiverships. She is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Arizona, the United States District Court, District of Arizona and the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Captain Campbell Warner, Judge Advocate General's Corps, United States Army, received the Bronze Star Medal in February 2012 for his service as a Detainee Review Board Attorney, Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435, Parwan, Afghanistan. He will return to the United States in March.

2008

Timothy Head has been named the district director for U.S. Rep. Bill Flores. He formerly worked as chief of staff for state Rep. James White and as Central Texas field director for the Victory Texas 2010 campaign, a project of the state Republican Party. He also has worked as a policy adviser for state Rep. Bryan Hughes.

Larence M. Lansford III (Trey) has joined Winstead PC, as an associate. He previously practiced with Mullin Hoard & Brown LLP in Amarillo, specializing in commercial litigation and eminent domain litigation. At Winstead, Lansford is the newest member of the firm's eminent domain team and will also handle commercial and energy litigation.

Laci Myers has been promoted to senior attorney in the Texas trial and appellate firm of Godwin Lewis PC. Myers is a family law attorney.

2009

Danielle V. Ahlrich has joined the Austin firm of Martens, Todd & Leonard as an associate attorney. Martens, Todd & Leonard limits its practice to federal and state tax litigation.

Josh Borderud has joined the firm of Pakis, Giotes, Page & Burleson, P.C., in Waco as an associate. Prior to joining the firm, he served as an Assistant County & District Attorney in Milam County.