January 2020
Alumni Notes are published based on the information we receive from our alumni. If you have been recognized or have other professional news to share, please e-mail law_alumni@baylor.edu, for inclusion in the next issue of Rocket Docket.
Chad Everingham, JD '93
Chad Everingham has joined Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC in Longview. A former magistrate judge in the U.S. Eastern District Court of Texas, Chad has earned recognition as a leading practitioner in intellectual property law since rejoining private practice in 2011. He is recognized by Chambers USA and The Best Lawyers in America for his IP and patent litigation work.
Jennifer McCumber, JD '93
Jennifer McCumber is the new executive director for the Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation. Jennifer served as a school board member for the district from 2015-2019.
Bart McKay, JD '95
Bart McKay, Vice President and Division General Counsel at Carrollton-based McLane Foodservice, Inc., a nationwide distributor of food and related supplies, has been appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Business Advisory Council to the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The Council provides advice and expertise on actions state and local governments can take to assist businesses in recovering from a disaster. Bart has extensive experience in commercial insurance and risk management and holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter credential.
Gregory S. Cagle, JD '98
Gregory S. Cagle is a founding partner of Cagle Pugh, Ltd. LLP, a full service Texas law firm that focuses its practice on business law, real estate law, and the representation of property owners associations.Jorjana Beaubien Marx, JD '98
Jorjana Beaubien Marx moved her practice from Seattle, Washington, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and joined three other attorneys to form Oklahoma Elder Law Group PLLC. They are the largest firm in Oklahoma focusing on Medicaid and Veterans' benefits planning for long-term care as well as guardianships and estate planning.
Matthew G. Nielsen, JD '01
Matthew G. Nielsen is a partner in Bracewell's Dallas office. He advises clients in matters relating to federal and state securities laws, accounting fraud, U.S. export control and sanctions law, and anti-bribery laws.
David Findley, JD '03
David Findley joined the boutique family law firm, Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, as an associate in the Frisco office.
Sara Chelette, JD '04
Sara Chelette of the boutique litigation firm, Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst, has been recognized as a "Texas Rising Star" for 2013-2018. Sara has also been named to "Best Lawyers in America" for 2020.
Brandon Bundren, JD '05
Brandon Bundren, with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP in Nashville, has been named partner. Bundren is a member of the Intellectual Property Practice Group.
R. Heath Cheek, JD '06
R. Heath Cheek, partner at Bell Nunnally, has been named to D Magazine's 2020 "Best Lawyers Under 40 in Dallas" list. Heath is a member of the firm's Litigation, Labor, Employment and Benefits, and Intellectual Property practices, focusing on trials and disputes.
Joseph Hoelscher, JD '06
Joseph Hoelscher, Managing Attorney with Hoelscher Gebbia Cepeda PLLC in San Antonio, was elected to the Board of Directors for the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He will be sworn in at the Rusty Duncan Seminar in San Antonio in June 2020. The board is a working board and members are expected to publish articles, present at CLEs across Texas, and join working committees for one of the largest criminal lawyer associations in the U.S.
Amy Miller, JD '06
Amy Miller was named a partner at Boon Calk Echols Coleman & Goolsby PLLC of Longview. Amy's practice areas are estate planning, probate and general civil litigation. She is the incoming president of the Gregg County Bar Association.
Lauren Melhart, JD '07
Lauren Melhart is now a Partner at Kinser & Bates in Dallas.
Kristopher D. Hill, JD '08
Kristopher D. Hill partner at Bell Nunnally, has been named to D Magazine's 2020 "Best Lawyers Under 40 in Dallas" list. Kris is a member of the firm's Litigation, Labor, Employment and Benefits practices.
Taylor Mohr, JD '12
Taylor Mohr, with Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, was named to D Magazine's list of Best Lawyers Under 40 for 2020. It is the first selection for Taylor, who works in the firm's Frisco office. She is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists. Her practice focuses on complex family law matters involving divorces, modifications, enforcements and child custody disputes. She also advises clients on estate planning and elder law.
Leah Smith Sanchez, JD '16
Leah Smith Sanchez joined Jackson Walker's real estate practice in the San Antonio office.