Kirk Watson partner with Husch Blackwell. Courtesy photo

Austin Attorney Retires from Texas Senate to Head New School at UH

Husch Blackwell partner Kirk Watson in Austin has accepted a job as the founding dean of the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs. He also announced his retirement as a Texas senator, a position he has held since 2007. His law practice focuses on commercial litigation. Throughout his legal career, he has represented families, physicians, businesses and some of Texas' major universities in a variety of disputes and transactions. He is also a mediator and involved in negotiation of a variety of business transactions. He is a highly recognized speaker on a range of legal and economic development topics, having addressed business and political leaders at public policy forums across the United States and internationally.

Houston Lawyer Wins State Bar CLE Award

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings is pleased to announce that Robert Ford, a partner in the firm's Houston office, has received the 2019 Standing Ovation Award from the TexasBarCLE for his exceptional contributions to the state bar's continuing legal education (CLE) efforts. Ford is one of four volunteer lawyers to receive the award from the TexasBarCLE, which is the State Bar of Texas' nonprofit division that provides bar-sponsored CLE events. A member of Bradley's Litigation Practice Group, Ford represents plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes civil litigation, including complex commercial litigation, trade secrets cases, fiduciary disputes, business torts, personal injury suits, product liability claims, and construction litigation. Ford has built a reputation in cases involving Chapter 95 of Texas' Civil Practices and Remedies Code, trade secrets cases, and motions and appeals under the Texas Citizens' Participation Act, which is the state's anti-SLAPP statute. "We congratulate Rob for his outstanding commitment to helping TexasBarCLE deliver important continuing education programs for the state's legal community," said Bradley Houston Office managing partner Ian P. Faria, in a statement by the firm.

Managing Partner Named in Firm's Austin Office

Laura LaValle has been named managing partner in the of Beveridge & Diamond (B&D)'s Austin office. With more than 20 years' experience focused on Clean Air Act matters, LaValle is one of the firms leading air quality attorneys advising and representing entities on a broad range of permitting, compliance, and policy issues. She advises clients regarding compliance audits and disclosing violations pursuant to Environmental Protection Agency and state audit programs, including the Texas Environmental, Health & Safety Audit Privilege Act. Previously, LaValle served as an assistant attorney general in the Natural Resources Division of the Office of the Attorney General of Texas. She also worked for the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (now the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality or TCEQ). She earned her J.D. in 1987 from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in Gainesville, Florida, where she was assistant articles editor for the Florida Law Review, and her B.A. in political science at Duke University in 1984.

Houston Firm Recruits Construction Lawyer to Its Corporate, Finance and Investments Practice

King & Spalding today announced that Ingrid Myers has joined as a partner in the firm's Corporate, Finance and Investments (CFI) practice group in its Houston office. Myers joins the firm from Morgan Lewis. Myers' practice focuses on the drafting and negotiation of construction-related contracts for the development of energy and other major infrastructure projects. She assists clients in the development of LNG, solar, biomass, and nuclear facilities. She has prepared bid requests and drafted and negotiated engineering, procurement, and construction contracts; technology licenses; and equipment supply, operations and maintenance, and fuel supply agreements. Before attending law school, she worked as a geologist in the mining and petroleum industries. Myers received her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, her Ph.D. from James Cook University of North Queensland, Australia, and her M.S. and B.S. degrees from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 

New Attorney at Dallas Firm

KoonsFuller Family Law welcomes attorney Marissa Hatchett to the firm's Dallas office. Her practice area is family law. She received her J.D. from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 2012 and her Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Houston in 2010. She is admitted to the J.L. Turner Legal Association (president elect, 2020), the Dallas Young Lawyers Association (member, 2018) and the Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inn of Court (associate, 2018). 

Austin Partner Named Chief Operations Officer for U.S.

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright announced that firm member Gina Shishima has been appointed US chief operations partner. She succeeds Jeff Cody, who last month became the firm's U.S. managing partner. Based in Austin and New York, Shishima will lead key operations and organizational matters for the firm, working closely with Cody and U.S. chief operating officer Tracee Whitley. Shishima will be the partner responsible for the strategic direction of the firm's nonlegal operations, including accounting, human resources, information technology, marketing and practice services. Shishima served as the firm's U.S. head of intellectual property for the past four years and also previously served as the partner heading the firm's diversity and inclusion efforts. Shishima provides business solutions related to all aspects of patent law in the life sciences, particularly prosecution, post-grant challenges, litigation and due diligence to a variety of clients–small and large companies, hospitals and research institutions. Shishima earned her J.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, her doctorate in molecular biology at Princeton University, and her A.B. as a biochemistry major at Columbia University. Cody, who is also chair of the firm's U.S. management committee and a member of its global executive committee, said in a statement by the firm: "Gina has excelled at the helm of our world-class intellectual property group. She will bring that same innovative and insightful approach to her new role, enhancing our firm from an operational standpoint."

New Associate Joins Houston Office

Porter Hedges in Houston recently added Christian Siboldi as an associate in the firm's Real Estate section. Siboldi focuses his practice on real estate leasing, development, acquisitions, dispositions, creating homeowners' associations, and financing real estate projects. He represents clients throughout various industries, including industrial, residential, office, retail, and mixed use developments, money market and regional financing institutions. Christian's leasing practice involves both landlords and tenants in office and industrial leases. His finance practice has an emphasis on affordable housing financing involving low-income housing tax credits. He also has experience in market real estate financing, including office buildings, retail buildings, and multifamily projects. He earned his J.D. from South Texas College of Law in 2015, and his B.A. from Texas Tech University in history in 2008. While in law school,  Siboldi was a recipient of the CALI Award in Legal Research and Writing, the CALI Award in Texas Oil and Gas, the STCL Academic Merit Scholarship, the L. Slohm Memorial Scholarship and on the Dean's Honor List. He also interned for Judge Harold R. DeMoss Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Judge Don R. Willett, Justice of the  Supreme Court of Texas.