April Goff, partner with Perkins Coie. Courtesy photo

New Partner

Perkins Coie announced that former J. C. Penney director April Goff has joined the firm as a partner in the firm's tax, benefits and compensation practice. She joins the firm in Dallas after serving as senior counsel at J. C. Penney Corp. Inc., where she oversaw all employee and executive compensation matters, as well as cybersecurity and data privacy issues. For nearly two decades, Goff has advised executive leadership teams on issues relating to employee benefits, corporate restructuring, executive and associate compensation, cybersecurity risk, financials, and budgeting and cost containment strategies. She also serves as chair of the Fiduciary Responsibility, Administration and Litigation Committee for the American Bar Association Section of Real Property Trusts and Estate Law and will be taking over as vice chair of the Employee Plans and Executive Compensation Group with the new bar year. Goff earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from St. Thomas University School of Law B.A. and her M.B.A. from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She graduated with a B.A., magna cum laude, from Tarleton State University.

New Positions

The Houston office of Kane Russell Coleman Logan has hired T. Kelly McKee as an attorney in the litigation section. McKee joined the firm as a law clerk and has already become deeply involved in a complex litigation case regarding the development of a midstream oil and gas storage facility, as well as litigation involving the construction of public infrastructure. McKee graduated cum laude from the University of Houston. While earning his Bachelor of Business Administration, he earned a certificate in corporate entrepreneurship. McKee completed his Doctor of Jurisprudence, magna cum laude, from the University of Houston Law Center in 2019, where he served as the Senior Articles Editor for the Houston Business and Tax Law Journal.

Polsinelli has added three professionals to its top-ranked global franchise and supply network practice in Texas, which has experienced significant growth since its creation at the firm last year. The new hires include shareholder Michelle Schulz, who joins in the Dallas office and will serve as chair of the firm's International Trade and Customs practice. Also joining are Luis Arandia Jr., a Dallas-based associate in the practice, and Matthew Savage, who also joins the firm's Dallas office as a trade analyst. Schulz is a nationally recognized leader in her field and currently serves as a senior adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative on the Industry Trade Advisory Committee for Aerospace. Arandia represents clients in a wide range of domestic and international franchise, supply chain and distribution matters. His practice focuses on customs laws and export controls, representing importers and exporters before several government agencies. Savage provides strategic solutions on matters related to import and export regulations, international supply chain, procurement support and global logistics. He works with clients in diverse industries such as oil and gas, cosmetics, aerospace, international automobile sales and manufacturing. 

New Associates

Porter Hedges in Houston recently added Jack E. Byrom as an associate in the construction section. His practice includes a range of complex litigation matters with a focus on construction litigation. His experience covers all facets of construction, from contract execution through delivery and management of post-delivery warranties and also includes project delay and impact claims, claims related to change order disputes, construction defect claims, and breach of warranty.  Byrom earned his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 2012, and his B.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business, marketing, in 2009. He is admitted to the State Bar of Texas (2012) and the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Winstead PC announced the addition of three new attorneys in the firm's Dallas office. Perry Klauber, Travis Renna and Allen Rowe join the firm as associates in the corporate, commercial transactions and outsourcing and real estate development and investments practice groups. Klauber's practice focuses on commercial real estate acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, finance and business transactions. He received his J.D. from Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law in 2015. He most recently practiced at Titus Brueckner & Levine in Scottsdale Arizona. Renna's practice focuses on complex commercial financial transactions .He received his J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law in 2017. Rowe's practice focuses on matters involving procurement and disposition, distribution, technology and intellectual property, licensing, outsourcing of business processes, professional services, and other related commercial transactions. Rowe received his J.D., with honors, from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2016. He most recently practiced at Sidley Austin in Dallas.

Kirkland & Ellis Breaking Ground on New Office

CBRE announces that Kirkland & Ellis, an international law firm, has leased 65,986 square feet of office space at Weir's Plaza in Dallas and will become the anchor tenant. Weir's Plaza, a mixed-use retail and office development in the Knox-Henderson neighborhood, broke ground on July 15. Kirkland will occupy the top three floors of the 12-story building and receive top-building signage. The move to the upscale office space signifies Kirkland's commitment to strengthening its Dallas office and the premier Knox District location gives the firm an advantage for recruiting and retaining top talent in the region, especially with the easy accessibility to the Park Cities, Uptown and Lakewood areas. Weir's Plaza is scheduled for completion in November 2021. 

Appointments

Sean Gorman, a partner in Bracewell's litigation department in Houston, has been named to the board of directors of the Society for the Performing Arts (SPA). Gorman's two-year term began July 1. Gorman actively promotes the arts in the greater Houston community, serving on the advisory boards of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts and the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston. Founded in 1966, SPA is the largest independent, nonprofit presenting organization in the Southwest.

Diana Pérez Gomez, an attorney with Chamberlain Hrdlicka in Houston, has been selected to serve as a 2019-2020 Texas Bar Foundation Nominating Chair for District 4. Nominating Chairs for each of the 17 State Bar of Texas districts identify elite nominees to join the Foundation as Fellows. They are selected for their outstanding professional achievements and their demonstrated commitment to the Texas Bar Foundation. Selection as a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation is restricted to members of the State Bar of Texas. Each year the top one-third of one percent of Texas attorneys are invited to become Fellows. Once nominees are selected, they must be elected by the Texas Bar Foundation Board of Trustees. Gomez is a trial attorney with extensive experience regarding civil lawsuits. Gomez is also a director for the Houston Bar Association. She is married to Judge Michael Gomez of the 129th Civil District Court for Harris County. Founded by attorneys determined to assist the public and improve the profession of law, the Texas Bar Foundation has maintained its mission of using the financial contributions of its membership to enhance the rule of law and the system of justice in Texas. To date, the Texas Bar Foundation has distributed more than $20 million throughout Texas to assist nonprofit organizations with a wide range of justice-related programs and services.