Stephanie Paver. Courtesy photo

New Partners

Foster LLP, a leading global immigration law firm, announced Oct. 23 that Sandra Dorsthorst, Todd Fowler, Stephanie Paver and Andrés Zamberk have been promoted to partnership. Dorsthorst and Zamberk work in the firm's Houston office; Fowler and Paver are both based in the firm's Austin office.

Dorsthorst practices employment-based immigration law, focusing on both temporary work visas and permanent residency solutions, family-based immigration law and naturalization. She graduated from the University of Houston Law Center with a Master of Laws degree. She also earned a J.D. equivalent from Utrecht University in The Netherlands.

Fowler works primarily in inbound U.S. and outbound global employment-based immigration law, as well as Form I-9 compliance and employer sanctions and family-based immigration law. He graduated from the University of Miami School of Law and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond.

Paver works primarily with employment-based non-immigrant and immigrant visa petition processes. She graduated from the University of Houston Law Center and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

Zamberk provides strategic counsel on employment-based temporary and permanent visa categories, family-based permanent residence and naturalization. He received his LL.M. degree from the Washington College of Law at American University in Washington, D.C., and received his Licenciatura en Derecho (J.D. equivalent) from the University of Málaga in Spain.

"We are delighted to welcome these top-notch attorneys into partnership," said firm chair Charles C. Foster. "Each has proven their unwavering commitment to providing personalized, one-on-one attention to our clients as well as developing and advancing the firm's mission to assist both businesses and families with their U.S. and global immigration needs." 

Dallas Firm Adds Finance and Bankruptcy Partner 

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton announced that Joel Bannister has joined the firm's finance and bankruptcy practice group as a partner in the firm's Dallas office. Bannister joins from McGuireWoods. He represents financial institutions and credit funds, as well as sponsors and borrowers in sponsor finance transactions, asset-based, cash flow-based and mezzanine lending, and complex intercreditor arrangements. He also advises clients regarding restructurings, workouts, distressed debt transactions, foreclosures, and other creditors' remedies. With the addition of Bannister, Sheppard Mullin has 30 attorneys based in its Dallas office, which opened in April 2018. 

Of Counsel

Kean Miller announced the addition of Daniel P. LeFort as of counsel in its Houston office. With more than 40 years of corporate legal and private practice experience, including almost 20 years as in-house counsel for major domestic and international energy companies, LeFort regularly advises U.S. and foreign companies on the development of energy-related projects in the liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), petrochemical, oil and gas, and electric utility sectors. He joins Kean Miller from the Houston office of K&L Gates, where he was a partner in that firm's energy, infrastructure and resources group. LeFort earned his B.A. from Louisiana State University and his J.D. from the LSU Law Center. 

Houston Firm Brings on Immigration Attorney

The Houston law firm Davis & Associates welcomed immigration attorney Michael Mayer to its team. Prior to joining Davis & Associates, Mayer worked across several fields of law in San Antonio, but now focuses solely on immigration law to provide his clients with the highest level of service available. With a Juris Doctorate from Washburn University School of Law, Mayer is currently a member of the Texas State Bar Association and is licensed to practice law in Texas. However, because immigration laws are federal, Mayer represents clients nationwide. Mayer is from an immigrant family, so he has first-hand knowledge of both sides of the same coin. His mother was born in Canada, and his grandfather hailed from Austria. Mayer himself served as a missionary in the Dominican Republic for two years prior to returning to the U.S. to study at Brigham Young University. "I'm so glad to be part of Davis & Associates," said Mayer in a statement issued by the firm. "I've practiced in many areas of law over the past several years, but immigration law is where I really get the chance to help people."

Associate

Adi Sirkes has joined Houston litigation firm Reynolds Frizzell as an associate. A trial attorney, Sirkes focuses his practice on advising clients across a wide array of industries to protect their legal rights and provide strategic remedies. He graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 2019, and served as a judicial intern for Justice Debra Lehrmann in the Supreme Court of Texas. He earned his B.A. in political science from Rice University in 2013.   

Houston Volunteer Lawyers Gives Out Pro Bono Awards 

In conjunction with National Pro Bono Week, Oct. 20-26, Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL) presented awards for Outstanding Pro Bono Achievement and Outstanding Community Partners, and celebrated bar year achievements at its "Pro Bono Matters! A Celebration of Pro Bono and Annual Pro Bono Awards," held Oct. 21 at the CenterPoint Energy Tower in Houston. In the last bar year, July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019, HVL hosted 349 legal advice clinics with over 6,000 individuals receiving legal advice and counsel, provided representation for 1,182 individuals through volunteer and staff attorneys and provided legal information to over 11,000 individuals representing themselves in court at its Pro Se (Self Help) Assistance project. In total, volunteer attorneys donated over 13,000 hours of legal services, valued at $3.4 million. "Our lawyers serve people who are in the greatest need, and help solve legal problems that dramatically affect the well-being of Gulf Coast families," Texas Supreme Court Justice Jane Bland, chair of the board of directors of Houston Volunteer Lawyers, said at the event. "Our partners in the community make these legal services possible. At HVL, we are grateful to both our lawyers and our community partners, who improve the lives of families one legal problem at a time." The following awards were presented: Outstanding Community Partners—the City of Houston, Department of Neighborhoods; and the Neighborhood Recovery Community Development Corp. (NRCDC); Outstanding Pro Bono Achievement—Emma Doineau, associate, Locke Lord; Jared Grodin, associate, Hunton Andrews Kurth; Peter Lowy, shareholder, Chamberlain Hrdlicka; and Cassandra McGarvey, partner, Sanders McGarvey.

AG Barr Honors Southern District Attorneys

U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr recognized two Southern District of Texas employees in Houston for their distinguished public service at the 67th Annual Attorney General's Awards Ceremony, held Oct. 23 in Washington, D.C. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharad Khandelwal and Kate Suh were recognized, along with Department of Justice trial attorney Saeed Mody, for the successful prosecution of Marq Vincent Perez, who on Jan. 28, 2017, burned down a mosque in Victoria, Texas. The trial commenced for a week and involved testimony from more than 25 witnesses.The federal jury in Victoria returned guilty verdicts July 16, 2018, on all counts as charged. The district court sentenced Perez to more than 24 years in prison. "Our greatest strength in our fight for justice is our people, the thousands of men and women who have dedicated their careers, often at great personal sacrifice, to working for justice in America," said Barr in a statement.