Grant Martinez. Courtesy photo

Houston Firm Promotes Attorney to Partner, Welcomes New Associate

Yetter Coleman in Houston announced that Grant Martinez will become a partner in the firm, effective Jan. 1, 2020. Martinez joined the firm in 2016 after completing a clerkship with Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is a graduate of Stanford University and Yale Law School, and a former litigation associate with Cravath, Swaine & Moore. His practice focuses on high-stakes commercial litigation and appeals. He handles cases for a broad range of clients, including IBM, Rockland Capital, Vinmar Group, BouMatic, Fulcrum Capital and Stash Hotel Rewards, among others, involving a diverse range of commercial issues. Martinez is active in the Houston community, as a member of the American Leadership Forum's Class XLIX, Houston Methodist Hospital's President's Leadership Council, and the Houston chapter of NationSwell.

In addition, Cody Rutowski has joined Yetter Coleman as its newest associate in Houston. His practice is focused on complex commercial litigation and appeals. Prior to joining the firm, he clerked with Judge Ed E. Carnes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and U.S. District Judge W. Keith Watkins of the Middle District of Alabama. He received his law degree from Harvard in 2017 and served as an executive editor for the Harvard Law Review.

Two Attorneys Elected to Firm's Management Committee

Bracewell has announced that K. Brock Bailey and Constance Gall Rhebergen have each been elected to serve three-year terms on Bracewell's management committee. Bailey serves as the managing partner of Bracewell's Dallas office, where he represents clients in large commercial real estate projects. Over the last few years, he has advised clients in the development, financing and acquisition of real estate projects in multiple product categories across the United States, including office, mixed-use, and hotel and hospitality, as well as in connection with public-private partnership (P3) projects, such as the new Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and the Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas. Bailey is actively involved in the Dallas community, serving on the board of directors of Downtown Dallas Inc. and as an active member in The Salesmanship Club of Dallas. Rhebergen, who currently chairs the firm's technology and intellectual property section in Houston, will be serving on the firm's management committee for a second time. A registered patent attorney and certified licensing professional, she represents multinational clients in strategic management of global intellectual property asset portfolios, identification and protection of intellectual property, and commercialization of technologies. She applies her background in chemical engineering to address legal issues in a variety of industries, including oil and gas, chemicals, petrochemicals and alternative energy industries. Rhebergen is also chair of Bracewell's United Way initiative, serving as a liaison for the firm's efforts in support of that charitable organization's mission to lift up the community through service to those most in need. 

Firm Elects New Management Committee

Barnes & Thornburg has elected its new management committee, which will provide leadership to the firm in 2020. This includes Mark W. Bayer, managing partner in the firm's Dallas office. Bayer concentrates his practice on antitrust, securities, privacy, theft of trade secrets, intellectual property, class actions, RICO and other complex litigation matters. 

Attorney Joins Dallas Firm as Of Counsel 

Hedrick Kring announced that David R. McAtee has joined the firm in an of counsel role.  McAtee's addition aligns with the firm's track record of success in handling sophisticated business litigation matters and plans for future growth in complex corporate disputes. A recent recipient of the Texas Bar Foundation's Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award, McAtee has a wealth of experience in complex litigation matters. Over the course of his career, he has earned a stellar reputation for his accounting profession defense practice, which includes handling numerous matters for the "Big Four" and other major regional accounting firms and individual license holders. His practice also includes federal and state antitrust matters, business litigation, insurance coverage matters, disputes related to tender offers, lender liability claims, multidistrict and class action litigation, and securities litigation. Prior to joining Hedrick Kring, McAtee was special counsel at Hunton Andrews Kurth. Before Hunton, McAtee was a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, where he served as chair of the firmwide litigation practice group and served on the firmwide executive committee and management committees. He also worked alongside several colleagues that are now with Hedrick Kring. McAtee received his law degree from the University of Texas. Following graduation, he served as law clerk to Justice Jack Pope of the Supreme Court of Texas. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the American Bar Association and the Bar Association for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is also recognized in the Dallas community for his civic involvement and leadership. He is past chairman of the board of directors of Dallas Area Rapid Transit, past vice chairman of the Dallas City Planning Commission, and he was the chair of the Texas Bar Foundation from 2007 to 2008. 

New Associate Joins Dallas Office

Josh Zaslawsky joins the Dallas office of Winstead PC as an associate in the firm's real estate development and investments practice group. His practice involves a variety of commercial real estate transactions. Zaslawsky has experience advising clients regarding partnership agreements and LLC agreements relating to joint venture formation, purchase and sale agreements for entity transactions, the acquisition and disposition of real property and the restructuring of joint venture entities. He also has experience representing clients with respect to leasing, alternative energy projects and multi-use development. Zaslawsky received his J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 2018.

Two Associates Join Austin Firm

Chris Camillone and Rachel Mathisen have joined Weisbart Springer Hayes as associates in the firm's Austin office. Camillone has experience in a range of commercial litigation and family law matters, including trials and arbitrations involving breach of contract claims, securities-related claims and other financial disputes, and child custody. He received his law degree from The University of Texas School of Law, where he served for two years as an editor for the Texas Review of Entertainment & Sports Law, and his undergraduate degree from The University of Texas. Prior to joining the firm, Camillone was an associate at Austin-based Duggins Wren Mann & Romero. Mathisen advises clients in all aspects of employment and trade secret law and has represented companies in commercial litigation disputes involving claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of restrictive covenants, and related issues in state and federal courts. She earned her law degree from The University of Texas School of Law, where she served as chief notes editor of The Review of Litigation. During law school, she served as a clerk for the Travis County District Attorney's Office in Texas and the Boulder County District Attorney's Office in Colorado, and was a judicial intern for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in San Antonio. She received her undergraduate degree from Trinity University. Prior to joining the firm, she was an associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Austin, and Bell Nunnally & Martin in Dallas.