Accolades
Achievements
Super Lawyers (Civil Litigation Defense) (2004, 2006-2007, 2009-2024) Thomson Reuters, published in Texas Monthly
Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (Civil Trial and PI) (1993-2018)
The Best Lawyers in America (Commercial Litigation), U.S. News and World Report (2012-2019)
“Top 100 Attorneys in Houston,” Texas Monthly Magazine and Super Lawyers (2014, 2016 and 2017)
“Best Lawyers in Texas” (The Wall Street Journal, June 2017; The Houston Chronicle, June 2018)
“Top Attorneys in Texas,” Texas Monthly Magazine (October 2014, October 2015, October 2016, and October 2017)
“AV Preeminent” Rating –- Martindale Hubbell Peer and Client Review Rating for Ethical Standards and Legal Ability
Featured in The American Lawyer: “The Asylum Wars” (February 2006)
American Immigration Lawyers’ Association Pro Bono Award recipient (June 24, 2006)
The Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas
Publications
“Eliminating Forced Labor from Your Company’s Supply Chais: Lessons Learned from 2018 and Trends Developing for 2019”, Co-Author, K&L Gates, March 2019
“Top 10 Tips for an Ethical Supply Chain in 2018 (co-author), Supply Chain Dive, April 12, 2018
“Mexico’s Energy Reformation and its Anticipated Impact on Dispute Resolution Involving Foreign Stakeholders,” Arbitration World, K&L Gates, July 2014
“Texas Surface Rights Will Be Tested in Pooling Case” (co-author), Law360, March 17, 2014
“‘Houston, We May Have a Problem!’ — Surface Owner Who Put up ‘Roadblock’ to Oil Driller’s Use of Property to Service Wells in a Pooled Unit Arrives at Texas Supreme Court,” Oil and Gas Alert, February 27, 2014
“The Eyes of Texas are upon a Subsurface Trespass Case,” Oil and Gas Alert, January 13, 2014
Presentations
“Labor Trafficking and Supply Chains - Mitigating Risk”, panel discussion, sponsored by Greater Houston Partnership, Quality of Life Council, April 30, 2019
“Ethical Issues in International Supply Chains”, The International Law Section of the State Bar of Texas’s 31 st Annual Institute at The Baker Institute at Rice University, April 11, 2019
“Global Ethical Supply Chains: What Officers, Directors, and Counsel of International Oil Companies Should Know,” panel co-sponsored by K&L Gates and Acorn International, April 3, 2019
“Corporate Risk for Unethical Supply Chains”, Guest Lecture at Neely School of Business, TCU, Executive MBA Program, Fall 2018
“Stopping Traffick: Ethical Supply Chains and Corporate Risks”, Host of K&L Gates Podcast Series, 2018-2019
The Role of Public Interest Engagement in Developing International Law: From Pro Bono Practice to Private Sector Involvement (panelist), biennial conference of the International Law Association, Sydney, Australia, August 22, 2018
“Global Supply Chain Risks: Corporate Exposure for Human Trafficking, Forced Labor and Human Rights Abuse”, K&L Gates Webinar, October 24, 2017
Texas Oil and Gas Litigation Update” (co-presenter), 40th Annual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference, October 27, 2016
“Current Issues in Royalty Litigation” (co-presenter), K&L Gates Lunch and Learn Series, March 22, 2016
“EPC Contracting Issues in the Oil & Gas Industry” (moderator), seminar co-sponsored by K&L Gates and Marsh, Houston, TX, November 2, 2015
“Texas Oil and Gas Litigation Update,” 39th Annual Page Keeton Civic Litigation Conference, October 30, 2015
“Injection Wells and Seismic Events: How are Courts and Regulators Reacting to this Emerging Issue?” presented at the 35th Annual Energy & Mineral Law Foundation Institute, The Greenbriar, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., June 1, 2014
“Protecting, Overcoming and Distinguishing the Work Product Privilege in Texas” (CLE), The University of Texas School of Law Land Use Conference, March 27, 2014
Presentations Continued
Testimony before the Federal Civil Rules Advisory Committee on proposed revisions to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Dallas, Texas, February 7, 2014
“A Litigator’s Perspective on the Current State of, and Recent Developments in, Arbitration” (CLE) (co-author), presented at the 37th Annual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference, The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TX, October 24-25, 2013
“Confronting the Human Trafficking Epidemic” (moderator), 27th Law and the Media Seminar, co-sponsored by Houston Bar Association, Society of Professional Journalists and the Houston Press Club, February 2, 2013
“The Scope of the Work Product Doctrine and Attorney-Client Privilege Under Texas Law,” 36th Annual Page Keeton Civic Litigation Conference, October 25, 2012
“Contractual Risk Management,” 2012 Higher Education Risk Management Conference, April 2, 2012
“Ins and Outs of Indemnity,” 35th Annual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference, October 28, 2011
“Threshold Issues in Trade Secret Litigation,” 32nd Annual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference, October 31, 2008
“The Subprime Crisis: Hot Issues for Officers, Directors and General Counsel,” January 16, 2008
“Litigating Against DHS on Arbitrary Denials of Specific Consent,” American Immigration Lawyers’ Association, December 7, 2007
“What is Pro Bono and Why Do We Do It?,” ACCDFW/Fulbright & Jaworski Pro Bono Summit, March 8, 2007
“Stock Options Backdating” (CLE Webcast), State Bar of Texas, February 6, 2007
“The Enron Trial Verdict: What We Can Learn from this Landmark Case,” June 20, 2006
“Corporate Governance Roundtable,” H.S. Grace & Co., October 5, 2006
“Stock Options Backdating,” Houston Bar Association Securities and Arbitration Section, November 16, 2006
“The E-Discovery Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,” November 29, 2006
“The Odyssey of a Pro Bono Attorney Representing Unaccompanied Immigrant Children” (Key Note Speaker), Bi-National Conference on Procedures, Protections & Due Process for Unaccompanied Children, April 20, 2006
“Corporations Under Siege; Juror Perspectives of Large Companies,” May 2005
“Gandy: What Practitioners Would Like to Tell the Supreme Court,” State Bar of Texas, November 2004
“Trade Secrets: How to Stop Your Former Employee from Exploiting Your Most Valuable Assets,” Legal Issues Forum, May 16, 2002
“Indemnity and Other Extraordinary Contract Provisions,” May 1998
“Ethical Considerations in Client Reporting,” South Texas College of Law, 1995
“Deposing Expert Witnesses,” Houston Bar Association, 1992