Anne Chandler. Courtesy photo

Houston Volunteer Lawyers Names New Executive Director

Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL) has named Anne Chandler as the new executive director, effective June 22. Previously serving as executive director of the Tahirih Justice Center's Houston office, Chandler brings strategic vision and leadership to her new role overseeing the nonprofit organization's mission to provide free civil legal services to low-income people in Harris County and promote volunteerism among lawyers. Chandler has a long history of working with volunteers, supporting legal clinics, managing grants and advocating for regional, state and federal policies that provide justice and safety to immigrant survivors of violence. Her diverse background also includes serving as a clinical professor for the University of Houston Law Center, Director of Immigration Legal Services for YMCA International Services, and an adjunct professor for the University of Houston Law Center and Thurgood Marshall School of Law. She was also an associate attorney at Locke Lord.

Chandler served on numerous coards and committees, including the Executive Committee of the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, the Board of Trustees of the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, the Board of Trustees of the American Immigration Council, and the City of Houston's Houston Area Council on Human Trafficking.

"Anne brings years of leadership and accomplishment to HVL at a time when Houston needs—more than ever—the services offered by HVL," Bill Kroger, Houston Bar Association's president, said in a statement..

"We couldn't have found a person better suited to lead HVL in its mission, especially given the challenges our community faces today," Chris Popov, HVL board chair, said in a statement. "We feel very fortunate that Anne was available during our search."

"I am very excited to be joining the Houston Volunteer Lawyers' team at this time," Chandler saidin a statement. "HVL is in an ideal position to provide low-income Houstonians with a free attorney so that our community is able to remain resilient and strong as we face challenges posed by this economic downturn, systemic racial injustices, and COVID-19."

Supreme Court, Appellate Lawyer Joins Dallas Firm

Daniel L. Geyser, one of the nation's leading Supreme Court and appellate lawyers, has joined the Dallas office of Texas-based appellate firm Alexander Dubose & Jefferson as a partner. Highly regarded for his work and high-profile wins before the U.S. Supreme Court, Geyser will serve as chair of the firm's U.S. Supreme Court and Federal Appellate Practice and will focus on complex and high-stakes appellate litigation.

Geyser's 18-year legal career is punctuated with an impressive list of accomplishments. Prior to joining the firm, he was one of the few lawyers in private practice to argue eight merits cases in the U.S. Supreme Court's past three terms, prevailing in matters that industry experts said could not be won. He had three certiorari petitions granted in a 12-month period and personally handled over 5 percent of the Court's merits docket for October Term 2018. He has argued more cases in the U.S. Supreme Court in private practice than any other active lawyer in Texas.

Geyser also handles high-stakes appellate matters nationwide. He has argued cases in the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth (including before the en banc court), Eleventh and Federal Circuits, and briefed still other cases before the First, Sixth, and D.C. Circuits. He has special expertise at the rehearing stage where he has recently handled high-stakes cases involving subjects such as securities, patents, ERISA, arbitration and bankruptcy. In addition to an active federal practice, Geyser has handled landmark appeals in state courts, including arguing seven times in the Texas Supreme Court.

Geyser graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors and distinction from Stanford University and received his law degree with honors from Harvard Law School. During law school, he was the Notes Chair of the Harvard Law Review, a best-brief winner and oralist on the championship team of Harvard's moot-court competition, and a research assistant to Professor Laurence H. Tribe, working on his academic writing and appellate docket. After completing his J.D., he clerked for the Hon. Alex Kozinski of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Before launching his own practice, Geyser was the appellate chair at Stris & Maher, leading that firm to the National Law Journal's "Appellate Hot List." He also practiced with an elite appellate team at Munger, Tolles & Olson in their Los Angeles office, where he received the State Bar of California's Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services (2006) and was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Pro Bono Panel. From 2007-2011, Geyser served in the Office of the Solicitor General of Texas, where he conducted and supervised appellate litigation for the state.

"We feel incredibly fortunate that Dan has chosen Alexander Dubose & Jefferson to enhance his practice and expand his footprint," said ADJ's managing partner Marcy Hogan Greer in a statement by the firm. "This will take our federal appellate practice to the next level. Dan's experience and deep appellate knowledge have made him a recognized authority in the U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts throughout the country. Dan has handled appeals and complex matters in virtually every major area of law, and we are honored to have such a brilliant, accomplished, and genuinely delightful attorney joining our team."

"Alexander Dubose & Jefferson is an absolute powerhouse in the Texas appellate space," said Geyser, in a statement. "These are titans of the Texas bar. From top to bottom, the firm's roster is a dream team of appellate superstars. This rare collection of sophisticated, high-end talent is a perfect fit for an elite U.S. Supreme Court and national appellate practice. And I find it particularly special that the team's extraordinary talent is matched only by its kindness and collegiality. I am thrilled to join such an exceptional group and am proud to work alongside attorneys and former judges that I've admired and respected over the years. I cannot wait to see what we accomplish as we grow the firm's stellar state and federal appellate practice."

Houston Firm Adds Bankruptcy Associate

Porter Hedges in Houston recently added Jack Spencer as an associate in the firm's Bankruptcy section. He advises clients on insolvency matters, including debtors, DIP lenders, official committees of unsecured creditors and other creditors across many industries, including energy, health care and finance. He earned his J.D. in 2018 at the University of Alabama School of Law, and his B.A., magna cum laude, in 2015 from the University of Mississippi. Upon graduating law school, He clerked for Judge William R. Sawyer in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Alabama.

Two Attorneys Promoted at Spring, Texas Firm

Stibbs & Co., P.C. in Spring, Texas, announced that Haley Paul has been promoted to Senior associate attorney at the firm. Paul is a talented lawyer who represents clients in a variety of labor and employment matters and chairs the firm's labor and employment section. The firm also announced that Veronica Rossitto has been promoted to senior associate attorney at the firm. Rossitto is a dedicated and experienced attorney who practices in the firm's transactional law section. Her extensive background in business and commercial litigation bring unique skills to her transactional practice.