Tax attorney Denise Mudigere has joined Holland & Knight's Dallas office as a partner in the firm's Tax Controversy and Litigation Team. Courtesy Photo.

Dallas Office Adds Tax Attorney Partner 

Tax attorney Denise Mudigere has joined Holland & Knight's Dallas office as a partner in the firm's Tax Controversy and Litigation Team. Mudigere focuses her practice on representing individuals and entities in all stages of federal civil tax controversies. She represents clients in U.S. Internal Revenue Service examinations, administrative appeals and litigation. She has settled multiple tax disputes in administrative proceedings and with IRS legal counsel, often avoiding litigation. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, she was an associate with McDermott Will & Emery. Mudigere earned her J.D. degree from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and her B.A. degree from Southwestern Assemblies of God University. "I'm excited to be a part of Holland & Knight's growing tax practice and reputable Dallas office" said Mudigere in a statement by the firm. "Many of my clients require a full range of services and I'm confident that Holland & Knight's impressive roster of attorneys can fulfill those needs." 

Houston Firm Welcomes New Partner to its Corporate and Securities Practice

Mayer Brown has continued the expansion of its energy capabilities with the arrival of Dale Smith, who joins the firm as a partner in the Corporate and  Securities practice in Houston. He was previously at Bracewell. Smith focuses on energy and energy finance matters. He represents energy industry clients in a broad range of transactions, including the purchase and sale of hydrocarbons, oil and gas properties, gas processing plants, production and storage facilities, and pipeline systems. He also negotiates and drafts a variety of transactional agreements, including: farmout and participation agreements; leases; seismic and license agreements; drilling and other service contracts; development and operating agreements; gas, crude and natural gas liquid gathering, transportation, processing, storage and fractionation agreements; produced water gathering and disposal agreements and source water purchase agreements; power purchase agreements; off-take agreements; engineering, procurement and construction contracts; and operation and maintenance agreements. 

Houston Firm Adds Employment Law Partner

Porter Hedges in Houston recently added Laura Alaniz as a partner in the firm's Employment section. She is an experienced litigator and adviser focusing on representation of management in all aspects of labor and employment law matters. As a litigator, Alaniz utilizes her experience to provide guidance to her clients on how to avoid litigation and minimize their risk of claims. She regularly represents employers and their leadership in all types of employment disputes including suits for wrongful termination, retaliation, harassment and discrimination, wage and hour disputes, disability accommodation, breach of contract, and suits for violation of state and federal statutes, such as the FLSA, FMLA, WARN, and the Texas workers' compensation retaliation statute. On the counseling side, her practice focuses on compliance issues relating to employment law and prevention of claims, including counseling clients regarding hiring and terminating employees, leaves of absence, layoffs, unemployment compensation, employment handbooks and policies, and conducting employee and management training. Alaniz earned her J.D., from Baylor University School of Law in Waco, Texas, in 1996, and her B.S. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993. She is board certified in labor and employment by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. 

Firm's Austin Office Welcomes Litigation Partner

Munck Wilson Mandala has added litigation partner Robert Linkin to the firm's Austin office. Linkin represents clients in complex litigation, securities litigation and class-action lawsuits. He has more than 24 years of legal experience advising clients in business disputes, financial reporting and commercial litigation. He frequently serves as first chair trial attorney in multi-million-dollar cases and has an established reputation for developing and executing successful litigation strategies. In addition to his complex litigation and class action work, Linkin represents clients in investor claims, investment fraud, and stockbroker misconduct. He handles FINRA and AAA securities arbitration matters, and he is a consultant to publicly traded corporations on consumer protection matters, fiduciary matters, anti-trust matters, fraud claims, and complex state and federal securities matters. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and received his J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University.

Firm Promotes Two to Partner in Houston

Shook, Hardy & Bacon has promoted two attorneys to partner in Houston. Benjamin Walther is an innovative litigator with significant experience in product liability and business litigation actions. He has successfully represented Fortune 500 companies in the pharmaceutical, medical device, automotive, energy and construction industries. He has managed both complex, individual cases and sprawling litigation with more than 600 lawsuits pending in jurisdictions across the country. As part of his practice, Walther has been on multiple trial teams, cross-examined witnesses in a federal jury trial, and argued appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In recent years, he has focused his practice on defending automotive and medical device manufacturers in design-defect cases. He has worked closely with company and external experts to develop legal defenses supporting the engineering technology used in his clients' products. He earned his law degree from the University of Houston in 2012, and his B.A. in 2007 from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Stephanie McGraw focuses her practice on complex product liability, commercial and business litigation. She received her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in 2009 and her B.A. in 2004 from Cornell University. Prior to joining Shook, McGraw was with an international firm in New York City, where she was the senior associate on a litigation team that represented the only product manufacturer named in In re World Trade Center Litigation, a consolidated action arising out of the Sept. 11 attacks. She has also advised consumer product manufacturers and distributors on pre- and post-market safety issues, including compliance with state and federal regulations, warnings and instructions laws, and product recall and corrective action best practices.