Elizabeth “Heidi” G. Bloch, a prominent Texas appellate lawyer, has joined the Austin office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP as a shareholder. The addition of Bloch to the firm further extends the depth and experience of Greenberg Traurig’s Texas Appellate Practice while also strengthening the firm’s already robust foothold of more than 125 attorneys in Texas. Bloch previously headed the Appellate Section and served as a partner for nearly three decades at one of Texas’ oldest law firms, Brown McCarroll, which later merged with Husch Blackwell LLP. (more…)
Shearman & Sterling is delighted to announce the opening of a new office in Austin – its first in Texas – with seven partners focusing on advising emerging growth companies in the technology, media and telecommunications, and life sciences industries. The new Austin-based corporate partners are Matthew Lyons, Carmelo Gordian, Alan Bickerstaff, Ted Gilman, Brian Dillavou and Russ Denton. They are joined by litigation partner David Whittlesey and investment funds counsel J.R. Morgan. They all join the firm from Andrews Kurth Kenyon. (more…)
Baker Botts L.L.P., a leading international law firm, today announced that Andrea Stover, has joined the firm’s Global Projects Practice based in the Austin office. (more…)
Dickinson Wright PLLC is pleased to announce that Attorney Joey Berger has joined the firm’s Austin office as a Member. (more…)
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to announce that esteemed employment lawyer Shafeeqa Watkins Giarratani has joined the firm as the co-managing shareholder of the Austin office. Giarratani joins Ogletree Deakins from Norton Rose Fulbright, where she led that firm’s Austin-based employment group and federal contractor practice. Giarratani has a track record of achieving favorable results for clients in litigating employment claims in state and federal courts and administrative tribunals. She brings a wealth of experience in employment law counseling, including pay equity, whistleblower claims, and federal contractor/affirmative action compliance. (more…)
Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has added Darren Gibson as a shareholder in the Austin, Texas, office. Gibson was previously a senior associate at O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath. (more…)
Dickinson Wright PLLC continues its North American expansion with the opening of its seventeenth office in Austin, Texas. Joining Dickinson Wright’s Austin office as Members will be Corporate & Securities attorney, Darrell R. Windham and Intellectual Property attorneys Ross Spencer Garsson and K. Lance Anderson. (more…)
Butler Snow has expanded into Texas with the addition of Martin S. Sosland, Gary W. Davis and Jose M. Luzarraga. Sosland will practice in the bankruptcy and restructuring group in Dallas; Davis and Luzarraga will practice with the firm’s product liability group in Austin and Dallas respectively. (more…)
The lawyers from Taube Summers Harrison Taylor Meinzer Brown, LLP, a preeminent
bankruptcy and civil litigation boutique firm in Austin, Texas, have joined Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, a
leading provider of legal services to the healthcare, financial services, technology, retail and hospitality
industries. Thirteen trial attorneys with reputations for handling significant and complex litigation and
bankruptcy restructuring have joined Waller’s Austin office which the firm opened in 2012. Taube Summers is
recognized by Best Lawyers as a Tier One law firm in Texas with top‐tier rankings in Bankruptcy and Creditor
Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Commercial Litigation; Litigation ‐ Banking & Finance;
Litigation ‐ Bankruptcy; and Litigation ‐ Real Estate.
Handling large, complex litigation matters in federal and state courts, as well as arbitration disputes for clients
ranging from start‐ups and small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, the lawyers from Taube Summers
represent clients in banking, insurance, real estate, securities, technology, energy, manufacturing, construction,
professional services, entertainment and other industries. The Taube Summers lawyers have significant
experience in real estate entitlement litigation, workouts, bankruptcy reorganization and litigation, as well as
partnership, trust and fiduciary litigation and employment matters.
“Joining forces with Taube Summers presents a very real competitive advantage for our clients and our law
firm,” said Waller chairman Matt Burnstein. “These are battle‐tested trial attorneys who have earned
reputations for getting results in high‐stakes and high‐pressure litigation.”
“It is a tremendous opportunity for us to align with Waller. Waller’s transactional and regulatory practices will
be great assets for our clients, and Waller’s litigation and restructuring teams add valuable depth and
experience for the litigation and bankruptcy cases we handle,” said Eric Taube. “With Waller we found a like‐
minded firm that shares our personal approach and commitment to client service and to being both advocates
for and trusted advisors to our clients.”
“This is an example of our continued focus on having the best talent at every position,” Burnstein said. “We
aggressively recruit highly skilled veteran attorneys with proven experience as well as promising young attorneys
who will begin their careers at Waller. Our goal is to expand and enhance our team throughout the country, and
the lawyers joining us from Taube Summers are perfect matches for that strategy.”
Waller now has more than 225 attorneys in Nashville and Memphis, Tenn., Birmingham, Ala. and Austin. The 13
attorneys who joined Waller are:
Eric J. Taube – focuses on complex commercial and business litigation; bankruptcy restructuring and litigation;
securities litigation; real estate litigation; employment law; and fiduciary litigation. Taube earned his J.D., cum
laude, in 1983 from the University of Houston Law Center and his B.A. in 1979 from Vanderbilt University.
Before forming Taube Summers, Taube was a partner at Liddell Sapp in Austin and Houston.
Rick Harrison – focuses on complex commercial litigation; estate and trust litigation; intellectual property
disputes, professional malpractice cases; employment law; and general civil litigation. Harrison earned his J.D. in
1968 from the University of Texas School of Law and his B.B.A. in 1966 from the University of Texas at Austin.
Before joining Taube Summers, Harrison was a partner at Fritz, Byrne, Head & Harrison, LLP in Austin and also
served as the head of the litigation section in the Austin office of Jones Day.
Mark C. Taylor – focuses on bankruptcy, restructuring, creditors’ rights and collections; complex commercial
litigation and business torts; appellate law and general civil litigation. Taylor earned his J.D. in 1987 from the
University of Texas School of Law and his B.A. in 1984 from Rice University. Before joining Taube Summers,
Taylor practiced at Liddell Sapp.
B. Neal Meinzer – focuses on construction litigation; creditors’ rights and collections; complex commercial
litigation and business torts; and general civil litigation. Meinzer earned his J.D. in 1996 from St. Mary’s School of
Law and his B.A. in 1992 from the University of Texas at Austin.
Kevin Brown – focuses on complex commercial litigation and business torts; entertainment law and intellectual
property litigation; employment law; and general civil litigation; Brown earned his J.D. in 1998 from the
University of Texas School of Law and his B.A., cum laude, in 1995 from Northwestern University. Before joining
Taube Summers, Brown was an associate with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and Pryor Cashman LLP and a
partner with Fritz, Byrne, Head & Harrison, LLP in Austin.
S. Alex King – focuses on complex commercial litigation and business torts; employment law; and general civil
litigation. King earned her J.D. in 2004 from Harvard Law School and her B.B.A, magna cum laude, in 2001 from
the University of Texas at El Paso. Before joining Taube Summers, King was a partner at Fritz, Byrne, Head &
Harrison, LLP in Austin and an associate with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in New York.
Paul Matula – focuses on commercial landlord and tenant disputes; construction litigation; creditors’ rights and
collections; employment law and general civil litigation; Matula earned his J.D. in 1990 from the University of
Texas School of Law and his Bachelor of Journalism degree in 1987 from the University of Texas at Austin. Before
joining Taube Summers, Matula served for nine years as Assistant Attorney General in the Texas Attorney
General’s Office.
Jamie McGonigal – focuses on complex commercial litigation and business torts; estate and trust litigation;
securities litigation; and general civil litigation. McGonigal earned her J.D., with honors, in 1998 from the
University of Texas School of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, in 1995 from Texas Tech University.
Morris D. Weiss – focuses on bankruptcy; restructuring, and creditors’ rights and collections; and complex
commercial litigation and business torts. Weiss earned his J.D. in 1985 from South Texas College of Law and his
B.S. in 1981 from Babson College. Before joining Taube Summers, Weiss was Managing Director of Tejas
Securities Group, Inc., Senior Vice President and General Counsel of National Bancshares Corporation of Texas,
and a partner with Weil Gotshal and Manges LLP.
Christopher G. Bradley – focuses on complex commercial litigation and business torts; bankruptcy,
restructuring, creditors’ rights and collections; securities litigation; and appellate law. Bradley earned his J.D.,
magna cum laude, in 2007 and an LL.M. in International Legal Studies in 2008 from New York University School
of Law. He holds a Master’s degree (2003) and a Doctorate (2008) in English Literature from Oxford University.
Bradley earned his B.A., summa cum laude, in 2001 from Princeton University. Before joining Taube Summers,
Bradley was a Judicial Law Clerk in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Western District of Texas and an associate
with Weil Gotshal and Manges LLP.
Cleveland R. Burke – focuses on complex commercial litigation and business torts; bankruptcy, restructuring,
creditors’ rights and collections; and appellate law. Burke earned his J.D., with high honors, in 2008 from the
University of Texas School of Law and his B.A., magna cum laude, in 2001 from Duke University. Before joining
Taube Summers, Burke was an associate with Thompson & Knight LLP.
Rola Daaboul – focuses on commercial landlord and tenant disputes; construction litigation; entertainment law;
intellectual property litigation; professional malpractice cases; and securities litigation. Daaboul earned her J.D.
in 2010 from South Texas College of Law and her B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. Before joining
Taube Summers, Daaboul practiced at Reed & Scardino LLP in Austin.
Andrew Preston Vickers – focuses on complex commercial litigation and business torts; and general civil
litigation. He earned his J.D. in 2012 from the University of Texas School of Law and his B.A. in 2008 from the
University of Texas at Austin where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa.
Carl von Merz joins Kelly Hart Austin office. Carl von Merz has joined the firm as a partner in the Corporate & Securities Practice Group, Austin office. (more…)
Baker Botts L.L.P., a leading international law firm, announced today that David B. Weaver will be joining the firm’s Austin office as a Partner. (more…)
Continuing its strategic growth in Texas, the international law firm of Greenberg Traurig, LLP has added three real estate attorneys to its Austin office. Carey Gunn Venditti, a native Austinite and a graduate of The University of Texas, who has nearly 20 years of experience joined as a shareholder, and Emily Jung and Jennifer Cook Purcell joined as associates. All three lawyers were previously with Winstead. Venditti joins her former colleague, Joshua Bernstein, a real estate shareholder in Greenberg Traurig’s Austin office. (more…)
