New Positions

Melissa Winchester has been promoted to shareholder in McGuire, Craddock & Strother in Dallas. Winchester is a transactions lawyer with experience in mergers and acquisitions, strategic business alliances, securities offerings and fundraising and general corporate matters.

Lou Ann Brunenn, a finance attorney, has joined Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder in its Dallas office. A member of Greenberg Traurig's banking and finance practice, Brunenn focuses her practice on structuring and documenting secured and unsecured credit facilities for financial institutions and corporate borrowers.

Rebecca McKnight has been promoted to the position of partner in DLA Piper's Austin office, and Grayson Stratton has been promoted to partner in the firm's Houston office. A member of DLA Piper's government affairs practice, McKnight advises clients who develop, make and distribute FDA-regulated products and who play a part in the investigation and delivery of health care products and services. Stratton, a member of the firm's litigation and regulatory practice, focuses on complex commercial litigation, internal investigations and investigations and enforcement actions initiated by securities regulators, the U.S. Department of Justice and state attorneys general offices.

Garrett Johnston has joined Hogan Lovells as counsel in the firm's corporate practice in the Houston office. Formerly with Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Johnston has focused his practice on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, joint ventures and securities matters. Before starting his legal career, Johnston was a research specialist in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Corporate Finance.

Alan D. Christenson has joined Blank Rome's intellectual property and technology group as of counsel. Christenson, who is based in the firm's Houston office, focuses his practice primarily on patent law. He joins Blank Rome from Krueger Iselin.

Honors

Stephen M. Loftin, a founding member of Hicks Thomas in Houston, has been accepted into the American Board of Trial Advocates. Loftin has a commercial litigation practice involving energy, insurance coverage, product liability and personal injury matters.

Lisa Thompkins, an associate with Thompson & Knight in Houston, has been selected to participate in the Pathfinder Program of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. Thompkins focuses her practice on corporate and securities transactions.