May 2021
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.
Jim Darling, JD ’77
Jim Darling, Mayor of McAllen, Texas, retired after 43 years of public service to the city. During his years of service to the City of McAllen, Jim served as city attorney, city commissioner, and mayor.
David Clouston, JD ’93
David Clouston has been named to the 2021 Best Lawyers in Dallas list from the publishers of D Magazine based on his work in securities law.
Robert P. Lord, JD ’94
Robert P. Lord, with Ferguson Braswell Fraser Kubasta PC in Houston, was sworn in for his second two-year term as Mayor of the City of Bunker Hill Village, Texas. Prior to serving the city as Mayor, he was a council member for almost four years.
Laura Hilton Hallmon, JD ’99
Laura Hilton Hallmon, Partner at Cantey Hanger LLP and chair of the Labor and Employment Practice group, has been elected to the Board of Directors of Meritas Law Firms Nationwide, a global alliance of independent law firms that serves the legal needs of companies doing business across markets. As a board member, she will participate in strategic planning, finance, development, member recruitment and retention, and the administration of Meritas’ rigorous quality standards, which set the network apart from other legal organizations. She will serve a three-year term with 20 other attorneys from around the world.
Gilland Chenault, JD ’04
Gilland Chenault was appointed as the Presiding Municipal Judge for the City of Corinth, Texas. He previously served as the Associate Judge and Interim Presiding Judge. He also serves as an Associate Municipal Judge for several other cities in Denton County. He is the founder of the Chenault Law Firm, a multiple attorney firm focusing on estate, trust, and fiduciary litigation.
Lawrence Morales, JD ’05
Lawrence Morales will assume the role of President of the San Antonio Bar Association on August 1. Lawrence is an attorney at the Morales Law Firm, P.C. where he practices litigation and labor and employment law. He is also an active Board Member of the Baylor Law Alumni Association.
Erik Fuqua, JD ’11
Erik Fuqua was promoted to Major in the United States Air Force. He completed a Masters of Laws in Government Procurement Law at The George Washington University Law School in May and currently serves as an acquisitions attorney at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia.
Hon. Lauren Sepulveda, JD ’11
Hon. Lauren Sepulveda, presiding judge of the McAllen Municipal Court, was elected Chair-Elect of the Texas Young Lawyers Association and will serve as Chair of the association during the 2022-2023 bar year.
Amanda Stephens, JD ’11
Amanda Stephens is a partner at Orrick in Houston with a focus on public finance.
Andrea M. Palmer, JD ’13
Andrea M. Palmer has been named Vice President of Legal and Compliance for Higginbotham Insurance Agency, Inc. Andrea has also been elected to a two-year term as TYLA Director for District 10, Place 1.
Claire E. Carroll, JD ’14
Claire E. Carroll, attorney at Munsch Hardt, was recently promoted from Associate to Shareholder. Her practice focuses on litigation in the following areas: Arbitration, Condemnation & Eminent Domain, Construction, Director & Officer, Real Estate, and Warranty.
Oliver Peter Thoma, JD ’14
Oliver Peter Thoma has been promoted to Senior Associate at King & Spalding LLP, and has transferred to the Houston office to further his focus on litigation in the energy, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries.
Katie Wolters Mayo, JD ’15, LLM ’21
Katie Wolters Mayo was recently promoted to Senior Counsel at Thales Group, a French multinational company providing products and services to the technology, aerospace, defense, and security markets. Katie supports the Group’s banking and payments, and mobile connectivity solutions business lines in the United States and Canada. Katie was awarded a Master of Laws in Litigation Management during the February 2021 commencement ceremonies at Baylor Law.
Shelby Raye Holt, JD ’17
Shelby Raye Holt, joined the Houston office of Winstead PC as an Associate in the Business Litigation Practice Group.
Matt Morian, JD ’20
Matt Morian practices with his father, Billy Morian, at Morian & Kahla Attorneys at Law LLP in Jasper, Texas.
Clayton “Reese” Turner, JD ’20
Clayton “Reese” Turner is an attorney with Thomas J. Henry Law in Austin.