Tommer Yoked. Photo: Gittings Photography

Firm Promotes Three to Partnership in Texas

Sidley Austin has elected three Texas associates to partnership, effective Jan. 1. The new Texas partners are:

Daniel F. Allison, Houston, energy, who focuses on commercial lending and other complex finance and energy transactions matters involving exploration and production companies, pipeline and storage companies, oilfield services companies and renewable energy projects. Before becoming a lawyer, Allison worked, while attending university, for the exploration and production subsidiary of an international "oil major" as a reservoir engineer. He earned his J.D. in 2008 from the University of Virginia School of Law, and his B.A., and also a B.S. degree, in 2005 from Rice University.

Ryan Scofield, Dallas, M&A, advises companies, master limited partnerships and private equity sponsors in energy, manufacturing, technology and real estate on complex corporate and transactional matters. His focus is M&A, dispositions, private equity and capital transactions. Before joining Sidley, Scofield worked for the transactional practice group of an international law firm located in Dallas, and he earlier served as a judicial law clerk to Chief Justice Myron T. Steele of the Supreme Court of Delaware. He earned his J.D. from the Duke University School of Law. He graduated with a B.A. in government and economics from the College of William and Mary, where he accepted an invitation into Phi Beta Kappa.

Tommer Yoked, Houston, energy, who represents energy companies and private equity firms in M&A, global investments, projects in energy and infrastructure, joint ventures and other matters. He also advises startups and emerging ventures through Sidley's Emerging Enterprises Pro Bono Program. Yoked earned his J.D. in 2010 from The University of Michigan Law School. While attending law school, Tommer was a contributing editor on the Michigan Journal of International Law and a Parliamentary intern for the South African Human Rights Commission in Cape Town, South Africa. He graduated with a B.A. in economics in 2001 from The College of New Jersey.

Firm Announces New Counsel in Three Texas Offices 

Vinson & Elkins provided an update on the most recent arrivals and promotions to the firm's counsel ranks in its Texas offices, effective Jan. 1. 

In Houston: Christie Alcalá, counsel, labor and employment. Alcalá's principal area of practice is labor and employment law. She advises and represents clients in a broad range of matters in federal and state courts, and before federal and state administrative agencies, including the EEOC, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, the NLRB, and OSHA. She serves on the firm's associate advisory committee and pro bono committee. She received her J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law in 2010, and her B.S., in biology, from The University of St. Thomas in 1995.

Emery J. Choi, counsel, energy transactions and projects. Choi's practice involves the representation of clients in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, joint ventures, and a variety of energy matters. He graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in 2007 and earned his J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law, in 2011, where he received the Matthew Bryon Dillon Endowed Presidential Scholarship. He is fluent in English and Korean, and proficient in Spanish. 

Matthew Falcone, counsel, mergers and acquisitions and private equity. Falcone focuses his practice on representing private equity funds, financial sponsors and public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, equity financings, joint ventures and other strategic transactions, particularly in the energy infrastructure sector. He received his J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law in 2011, and a B.S.F.S. in international politics from Georgetown University in 2007. 

Douglas C. Lionberger, counsel, capital markets and mergers and acquisitions. Lionberger's principal area of practice is corporate finance and securities law, including securities offerings, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate representation. Lionberger received his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law, in 2010, and his B.A. in political science in 2007 from Texas A&M University. 

Luke Edney, counsel, energy transactions and projects. His principal areas of practice are project development, mergers and acquisitions, project financing and joint ventures. Prior to moving to Houston, Edney worked in Tokyo, where he was seconded into one of Japan's largest international oil and gas companies. He received his Bachelor of Law in 2007 from the University of Queensland, Australia, and his Graduate Diploma in Legal practice in 2008 from the College of Law, University of Queensland. 

Tan Lu, counsel, energy transactions and projects. Lu's practice focuses on upstream and midstream acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, marine terminalling, offshore drilling and oilfield services. He received his J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 2011, a Ph.D. in biological sciences from Vanderbilt University in 2008, and his B.S. in biochemistry in 2002 from Nanjing University, in Nanjing, China. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

In Dallas: Jenn R. Cooley, counsel, real estate. Cooley rejoined Vinson & Elkins in November 2019 from Tekin & Associates. Her practice focuses on real estate and general business transactions, including commercial leasing and property acquisitions and dispositions. Prior to returning to the firm, she served as senior in-house counsel for a retail and multi-family housing developer, where she was involved in all strategic and legal aspects of the acquisition, financing, equity investing, leasing, development and disposition processes. She received her J.D. in 2005 from American University, Washington College of Law, and her B.A. in 2002 from the University of Southern Mississippi. 

Robert Ritchie, counsel, commercial and business litigation. Ritchie's practice focuses on complex business and commercial litigation in both state and federal courts, including significant experience litigating mergers and acquisition litigation matters, oil and gas disputes, professional liability claims, securities actions, and other commercial litigation matters. He received his J.D. in 2011 from Harvard Law School, and a B.S. in economics and a B.B.A., in finance and accounting, from Texas Christian University in 2007. 

Winston P. Skinner, counsel, energy regulation. Skinner's principal area of practice is energy regulation and litigation, with a focus on representing utilities in the electric, oil and gas industries, including rate, certification, and rule-making proceedings before the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), other state and federal regulatory commissions, and Texas courts. He earned his J.D. in 2011 at Vanderbilt University Law School, and a B.A. in political science in 2008 from Louisiana State University. 

In Austin: Sarah E. Fortt, counsel, mergers and acquisitions and capital markets. Fortt's practice is focused on board-level matters. She regularly engages with boards, public and private, on matters regarding corporate governance, disclosure and regulation, and provides board education, representation and engagement on topics. She received her J.D. in 2010 from Yale Law School. 

Taylor Holcomb, counsel, environmental and natural resources. Holcomb helps clients develop and permit domestic projects, operate in compliance with federal and state laws, and defend against claims brought by the government and environmental activist groups. He earned his J.D., with high honors (Order of the Coif; Texas Law Review), in 2010 from The University of Texas School of Law, and his B.A. in 2007 from Texas A&M University.