NEW DEAN AT SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE OF LAW: Michael F. Barry, South Texas College of Law Houston's 11th president and dean, addresses students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community leaders at his official investiture ceremony. [Photo Credit: John Everett.]

Law School Invests 11th President and Dean

The oldest law school in Houston, South Texas College of Law Houston, officially welcomed Michael F. Barry, the school's 11th president and dean, at his investiture ceremony Oct. 25. In front of hundreds of students, alumni, faculty members, staff and law school supporters, Barry took an oath to execute his duties as president and dean "with integrity, prudence, and respect," and to "honor, preserve, and advance [STCL Houston's] mission to provide a diverse body of students with the opportunity to obtain an exceptional legal education, preparing graduates to serve their community and the profession with distinction." He thanked the school's board of directors for the privilege of leading Houston's 96-year-old law school in the heart of downtown, and he underscored the many contributions of the 10 deans who preceded him. He noted that the school's administrators stand on the shoulders of those who founded STCL Houston in 1923, as well as those who have ensured its growth and success over many decades. Following the ceremony in the school's 750-seat auditorium, attendees gathered for a reception in the school's atrium. Prior to joining STCL Houston, Barry served as assistant dean and practitioner in residence at St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio, where he was a member of a three-person leadership team for the law school. Barry earned a law degree from Yale Law School, a master's degree in theology from the University of San Francisco, and a bachelor's degree in English and religious studies from the University of Virginia. 

US Managing Partner

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright announced the election of Jeff Cody as its U.S. managing partner, effective Jan. 1, 2020. Cody will also become chair of the firm's U.S. management committee, succeeding Daryl Lansdale in both of these roles. A partner since 2001, Cody represents clients in complex commercial disputes in the health care, financial and information technology industries. Based in Dallas, Cody currently serves as the firm's U.S. chief administrative partner and will be responsible for the firm's U.S. operations and strategy. He has substantial experience in disputes involving health-care reimbursement matters, complex stock and asset purchase and sale agreements, limited partnership agreements and information systems development projects. Licensed to practice in Texas and Oklahoma, Cody earned his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and his B.A. from the University of Oklahoma.

New Partners and Counsel

Latham & Watkins is pleased to announce that four associates in Houston have been elected to the partnership and one associate there has been promoted to the role of counsel. 

The lawyers elected to the partnership are: 

Lauren A. Anderson is a member of the corporate department, who primarily represents private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies within the energy industry. She focuses on a broad range of private equity transactions, M&A, and general corporate matters. She received her J.D. from Tulane University Law School in 2011.

Jim Cole is a member of the tax department, who advises clients in the energy sector, including strategic investors, private equity firms, and investment banks. He received his J.D. from University of Houston Law Center in 2011.

Matthew Jones is a member of the finance department, who focuses his practice on representing borrowers, sponsors, and lenders in complex finance transactions, with an emphasis on oil and gas and other commodity industries. He received his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2009.

Trevor J. Lavelle is a member of the corporate department, whose practice focuses primarily on secured and unsecured high-yield bond offerings, complex liability management, and special situations in the oil and gas sector. He received his J.D. from University of Minnesota Law School in 2009.

Promoted to counsel: Herman H. Yue, a member of the litigation and trial department, focuses his practice on patent litigation, with an emphasis on the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries. He received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2007 and earned a Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from the University of California, Berkeley in 2004. 

New Firm Name, New Associate

Co-founding partners Caroline Harrison, managing partner, and Lu Pham announced that their Fort Worth-based labor and employment law firm has changed its name to Pham Harrison. In addition, Spencer Mainka has joined the firm as an associate. Mainka joins the firm after having graduated from Texas A&M University School of Law, where she served as the business editor for the Texas A&M Journal of Property Law and a board member for the Employment and Labor Law Student Association. She was voted into the National Order of Scribes by the faculty at Texas A&M School of Law. Pham, Harrison and Brad Dowell founded the firm in 2015. The firm's address remains 505 Pecan St., Ste. 200, in downtown Fort Worth. Its website is www.phamharrison.com. 

Houston Shareholder Receives Pro Bono Award

Peter Lowy, a shareholder in the Houston office of Chamberlain Hrdlicka, recently received the Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL) Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Achievement. Through the Houston Volunteer Lawyers, Lowy provided support to a fellow volunteer attorney on a pro bono tax case. With his help, the pair assisted the client to file suit for a refund in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and upon successful resolution of the claim, to obtain more than $200,000 in refund checks from the IRS. Renesha Fountain, a tax associate at Chamberlain Hrdlicka, assisted Lowy. Dedicated to pro bono work throughout his career, Lowy devotes substantial time annually to represent underprivileged taxpayers. He is an adjunct law professor at the University of Houston Law Center. Lowy earned his LL.M. in taxation from New York University School of Law and his J.D. from Tulane Law School. The Houston Volunteer Lawyers is a nonprofit service of the Houston Bar Association that provides free legal aid to low-income residents of Harris County by connecting them with volunteer lawyers who agree to handle their matters for free. 

Houston Attorney Receives Diversity Award

The National Diversity Council named Bracewell LLP's Brad Y. Chin as one of this year's "Top 50 Multicultural Lawyers." The award comes on the heels of Bracewell's recognition by the National Diversity Council as one of the top five law firms in Houston for diversity. Chin is the chair of Bracewell's intellectual property practice. He represents clients in the energy and high-tech sectors on patent and trademark procurement and enforcement, licensing and technology transfer, invalidity, non-infringement and freedom-to-operate opinions, post-grant review proceedings, government contracting compliance and corporate due diligence. Chin is active in the firm's diversity and inclusion committee and mentors law students and engineering students across the country. The National Diversity Council is a nationwide network of affiliated councils that advances and promotes diversity and inclusion in the workplace.