Monica Latin, managing partner of Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal in Dallas. Courtesy photo

Trial Attorney Becomes Dallas Firm's First Female Managing Partner

Dallas-based business law firm Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal has named trial lawyer Monica W. Latin as managing partner, effective May 1. Latin, who has been practicing at the firm for more than half of Carrington Coleman's 50-year history, succeeds Bruce Collins, who has held the position since 2013. She was named managing partner-elect in May 2019, is a member of the firm's executive committee and has served for many years as chair of the firm's Business Litigation Practice Group. Latin intends to maintain her active trial and appellate practice and will continue representing clients on a regular basis.

"This is both a tremendous honor and a great responsibility, and I welcome it," Latin said in a statement by the firm. "To have the opportunity to continue the rich tradition and high standard of ethics and client service this firm has established over 50 years is something I look forward to doing."

In her long tenure at the firm, Latin has worked closely with some of its most storied figures, including founding partner Jim Coleman, who died in February 2020, and U.S. District Chief Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn of the Northern District of Texas, who was Latin's first supervising partner. As the first woman in Carrington Coleman's top leadership role, she credits the firm's namesake for the opportunity. "Jim Coleman and our other founders created an inclusive culture where success is measured by dedication to excellence, client service and professionalism," she says. "Carrington Coleman lawyers have always worked in and are deeply devoted to upholding that tradition and the diversity it ensures."

Bankruptcy Judge Named to Bankruptcy Group's Board

The American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) has announced that Chief Bankruptcy Judge Barbara J. Houser (N.D. Tex.; Dallas) has been selected by the ABI Board of Directors to be president for a one-year term, following a meeting of ABI's Board of Directors on April 24. An ABI member since 2003, Judge Houser has served as Vice-President for Research Grants and co-chair for ABI's Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee. ABI was founded in 1982 to provide the U.S. Congress and the public with unbiased analysis of bankruptcy issues. Sworn in as a bankruptcy judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas in 2000, Judge Houser previously was an attorney and shareholder at Sheinfeld, Maley & Kay PC in Dallas. Judge Houser was elected a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy in 1994 and currently serves as its vice president. She was elected to membership in the National Bankruptcy Conference in 1996 and also serves as a member of its Executive Committee. In addition, Judge Houser is a past president of the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges. A frequent author and lecturer on corporate restructuring and insolvency law, she is a visiting professor of law at the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University, where she teaches creditors' rights. She received her J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in Dallas. ABI is the largest multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan organization dedicated to research and education on matters related to insolvency.

Firm Promotes Four Attorneys to Partner in Dallas and Houston

Thompson & Knight is pleased to announce that four attorneys in Texas have been elected to partner in the firm.

In Houston: Emily W. Miller focuses her practice on general litigation disputes involving energy, intellectual property, insurance, product liability and real estate matters. Spanning numerous industries, including health care, energy and manufacturing, she represents clients in complex state and federal business disputes, such as contracts, fraud, negligence, trade secret protection, fiduciary duty and corporate governance. She earned her law degree from Baylor Law School in Waco, Texas. Also in Houston, Anthony F. Pirraglia represents debtors, creditors' committees, acquirers and trustees across a wide array of industries. He focuses his practice on the areas of business reorganizations and debtors' and creditors' rights, covering a broad range of bankruptcy-related matters, including complex business restructurings, litigation, liquidations and distressed acquisitions. He earned his law degree from Fordham University School of Law.

In Dallas: Matthew H. Swerdlow focuses his practice on real estate and banking matters, representing purchasers, owners, and developers in connection with the acquisition, disposition, and development of improved and unimproved real property. Additionally, Swerdlow represents lenders and borrowers in connection with lending transactions secured by or involving real estate, including retail, office, and multifamily projects and related personal property. He earned his law degree from SMU Dedman School of Law in Dallas. Also in Dallas, Mackenzie S. Wallace focuses her litigation practice on health care, securities, antitrust, white collar, and general business and commercial matters. She has extensive experience representing health care providers in coverage and reimbursement disputes; fraud and civil RICO claims; Texas Prompt Pay Act, qui tam, and False Claims Act litigation; and matters relating to the violation of federal and state anti-kickback provisions and Stark laws. She earned her law degree from Baylor Law School in Waco, Texas.

Ft. Worth Lawyer Hired by EPA Region 6

Stephen L. Tatum Jr., a partner with Cantey Hanger, has accepted the assistant (chief of staff) position to Ken McQueen, the regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6, which covers Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Before joining Cantey Hanger, Tatum was a deputy commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). As part of Tatum's work at TCEQ, he advised on legislative and legal issues and acted as liaison between the Commissioner and other governmental entities, including the governor's office and the Texas Legislature; state agencies such as Texas Parks and Wildlife, the General Land Office, and the Railroad Commission; and federal agencies, including the EPA and the White House Counsel on Environmental Quality. Tatum graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts in history and from The University of Texas School of Law. He is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Eastern and Southern Districts of Texas.

Attorney Named Managing Partner in Firm's Austin Office

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Jose Villarreal has been named managing partner of the firm's Austin office. He is the Austin office's first managing partner since its official opening in February 2020. A veteran patent litigator and adviser to technology and growth companies, Villarreal focuses his practice on patent litigation and patent trials, strategic intellectual property counseling and licensing, and merger and acquisition IP diligence across diverse technologies including semiconductors, telecommunications and software. Prior to his legal career, Villarreal worked in the telecommunications and networking industry. He has served on the Conference Planning Committee of the University of Texas School of Law Advanced Patent Law Institute since 2014 and is a founding member of the Yeakel IP Inn of Court. "I'm incredibly excited to take up this new position in our Austin office," said Villarreal, in a statement by the firm. "Perkins Coie's strengths are a natural fit for the expanding technology and health-care industries in Austin. Alongside my counterpart in the Dallas office, Dean Harvey, I see a strategic opportunity in Texas to provide excellent service to our clients in key industry sectors like software, computer electronics, retail, transportation, health care, and pharmaceuticals. I'm looking forward to serving our clients in Austin, Texas and beyond."