Jackson Walker Appoints Priya Coffey and Mike Taten as Office Managing Partners

Jackson Walker is pleased to announce S. Priya Coffey and Michael E. Taten have been appointed as managing partners of the Houston and Dallas offices, respectively.

“Jackson Walker has been fortunate to have decades of strong leadership in each of our offices across Texas, and Priya and Mike are part of the next generation of those leaders,” Firmwide Managing Partner Wade Cooper said. “Under the guidance of Kurt Nondorf and David Moran, the Houston and Dallas offices have grown substantially, and our advancement over the past 10 years is just incredible. Kurt and David established a strong foundation that Priya and Mike will build upon.”

A partner in the Real Estate practice, Priya assists clients with complex commercial real estate transactions, including the representation of buyers and sellers in the acquisition and disposition of raw land, office buildings and retail centers, and the representation of landlords and tenants in commercial office building leases and retail leases.

Outside of her practice, Priya serves on Jackson Walker’s Management and Compensation committees, the Board of Directors of Recipe for Success, and the University of Chicago’s Houston Regional Council. She is also a member of the South Asian Bar Association of Houston, the Houston chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women, and The Junior League of Houston, Inc. In addition, Priya stepped up to help the Houston community in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Under her leadership, Jackson Walker attorneys and staff volunteered more than 2,000 hours toward providing relief by collecting monetary contributions, coordinating volunteer and pro bono efforts, and reaching out to displaced clients and those in the legal community who were affected by the floods.

In honor of her leadership excellence and commitment to the community, the Texas Diversity Council recognized Priya among the Top 50 Women Lawyers of Houston in 2017.

On her appointment, Priya noted: “I am so proud and happy to serve the Firm. It is my honor and privilege to work with so many of my friends and colleagues to advance the interests of the Firm and our clients. We would not be where we are without extraordinary leaders like Kurt Nondorf who have worked tirelessly to expand our client base, promote diversity and preserve the Firm’s culture — all reasons why I have stayed at Jackson Walker for over 20 years. I cannot thank them enough for the past years, and I am excited about the future.”

With her appointment, Priya is the third woman—and the first woman of color—to serve as an office managing partner in the Firm’s history. Currently, Julia W. Mann serves as Managing Partner of the San Antonio office, a role she was appointed to last year.

Priya earned her J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law, M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, and B.A. from The University of Chicago.

Mike focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions, joint ventures, executive employment and compensation arrangements, equity financing transactions, and corporate governance. His clients represent a diversity of industry sectors, including healthcare, manufacturing and distribution, technology, and service providers. Since 2014, Mike has been recognized as a “Texas Super Lawyer” in Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers list.

In addition to his practice, Mike has held leadership roles within the Firm as a chair of the Dallas Corporate & Securities practice group, a three-year member of the Management Committee – for which he was recently re-elected to serve a second term, and a member of the Compensation Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Dallas Regional Chamber.

“Jackson Walker’s culture has been foundational to our commitment to excellence in client service and our success as a firm, and it is the chief ingredient in making our office such a great place to work,” Mike said. “David Moran has set a superlative example of service for all of us, and it is a privilege and an honor to follow in his footsteps. I look forward to carrying those traditions forward together with my colleagues.”

Mike received his J.D. from Duke University School of Law and his A.B. from Stanford University.

Meet JW

Founded more than 130 years ago, Jackson Walker has played a vital role in the growth and development of Texas business. With more than 400 attorneys across seven Texas-based offices, the Firm represents Fortune 500 companies, multinational corporations, major financial institutions, insurance companies, and a wide range of public companies and private businesses around the globe. The Firm is ranked nationally in 27 practice areas in the U.S. News’ “Best Law Firms” rankings, has eight Chambers USA-ranked practices and 16 practice areas with Chambers-ranked attorneys, and has been recognized on the BTI Client Service A-Team since 2014. Learn more at JW.com.