Seven Beck Redden attorneys have been named as 2016 Texas Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers.

The Super Lawyers list recognizes no more than five percent of attorneys in each state and the Texas Rising Stars list recognizes no more than 2.5 percent of Texas attorneys. Selections are determined through peer nominations and research. To be eligible, attorneys must have been in practice for fewer than 10 years or be 40 years of age or younger.

The complete list of Beck Redden 2016 Rising Stars:

Austin

• Chris Cowan – Business Litigation

 Houston

• Patrice Childress – Civil Litigation: Defense
• Chad Flores – Appellate
• William Peterson – Appellate
• Bryon Rice – Business Litigation
• Alex Roberts – General Litigation
• Andrea Whitley – General Litigation

Two high-profile Texas attorneys were sued by a fishing boat captain who said they were involved in a scam to cheat BP Plc out of millions of dollars with false compensation claims for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, reports Bloomberg.

Houston lawyer Tammy Tran said in a complaint Thursday that thousands of Vietnamese-American fishermen and women had their identities faked or stolen in the fraud, bankrolled by lawyers Bob Hilliard and John Cracken. Plaintiffs blame the lawyers in part for obstructing their efforts to pursue their own claims for payments under BP’s restitution program, the report says.

“Tran is seeking more than $100 million in punitive damages from Hilliard and Cracken to compensate the immigrants,” according to Bloomberg. “Many of them claim to have suffered mental anguish from “nightmarish memories” of Vietnam’s communist regime, revived by federal agents knocking on doors to investigate the identity thefts. Compensation is also sought for homes and businesses lost while waiting for BP to pay under its seafood accord.”

Hilliard denied the allegations.

Read the story.

The family law boutique Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, LLP, has promoted Paula A. Bennett to partner in the firm’s Dallas office.

“Paula is among the most dedicated attorneys I have ever had the honor to work with,” says firm partner Keith Nelson. “We are very proud of her commitment and hard work on behalf of her clients, confirming her role among the leaders of this firm.”

In a release, the firm says Bennett represents clients in a wide range of family law matters, including divorce and complex property issues with a particular focus on matters that affect the welfare of children. Her work includes dealing with parental custody disputes, the termination of parental rights, custody modification, custody relocation and child support matters.

“I came to law as a second career and could not have asked for a better group of attorneys to work with,” says Bennett, who worked in pharmaceutical sales before attending law school. “There is a wonderful camaraderie that fosters a collaborative atmosphere benefitting not only the attorneys, but ultimately our clients as well.”

A 2008 graduate of Texas Wesleyan University School of Law (now known as Texas A&M University School of Law), Bennett developed an interest in family law while working with victims of domestic abuse at the school’s law clinic. She is a 1991 graduate of North Adams State College in North Adams, Massachusetts. Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Ms. Bennett is a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists.

With 16 lawyers and offices in Dallas, San Antonio and Frisco, Texas, Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, LLP, is one of the largest firms in Texas focused solely on trials and appeals in family law cases, the firm says in a release. Four partners are Top 100 Texas Super Lawyers. Every firm partner is a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists and all are Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Orsinger holds additional board certification in Civil Appellate Law.

Quarles & Brady has added Shen Wang and Hao Tan to the Intellectual Property Practice Group in the firm’s Chicago office.

In a release, the firm says Wang focuses his practice on preparing and prosecuting patent applications in the U.S. and abroad. He has experience in computer software, network, and printer control technologies. He also has experience litigating patent and International Trade Commission (ITC) Section 337 cases, as well as with client counseling, including patent analysis and opinion.

Hao works with clients in Asia and U.S. to obtain IP protections all over the world. Hao has drafted freedom-to-operate, non-infringement, patentability, and invalidity opinions. In addition to his prosecution work, he provides advice to prospective and existing clients about patent strategies in the U.S. and China. He has handled patent appeals before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Wang received his law degree from Washington University School of Law, his M.B.A. from Washington University Olin Business School, his master’s degree from Old Dominion University, and his bachelor’s degree from Beijing Normal University.

Hao received his law degree from Chicago Kent College of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology, his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, and his master’s and bachelor’s degree from Shanghai Jiaotong University.

WB Mills, PLLC, has added Rob S. Ghio as Of Counsel, to the Dallas-based IP law firm.

With his addition to the firm, WB Mills expands its trademark, copyright and business litigation practice to include employment and immigration law.

In a release, the firm said Ghio has 23 years of experience representing businesses and employees with matters involving discrimination, trade secrets, noncompetition agreements, severance agreements, unfair labor practices, wage and hour claims, and immigration. He also counsels employers on employment and immigration compliance issues and with day-to-day advice on hiring, discipline, management and termination of employees, as well as provides in-house training on matters such as litigation avoidance and management practices.

Ghio has represented multinational corporations, Fortune 500 companies and high-ranking executives. He previously practiced at large national law firms in Dallas and was a partner and head of the labor and employment practice at the Dallas office of one national firm.

“We are very pleased to add Rob as Of Counsel for our firm. We often receive requests from our clients for help with complex employment-related matters and by adding Rob, we are better able to address this need,” said Wendy B. Mills, Attorney and Manager of WB Mills, PLLC. “Rob is known not only for his prowess in the courtroom, but also for providing each client, whether it is a small sole proprietorship or a larger corporation, with personal attention to the client’s concerns.  This approach matches the approach that WB Mills, PLLC fosters and as such, Rob will be an extraordinary asset in further serving our clients.”

A 1993 graduate of Stanford Law School, where Ghio served as Editor of the Stanford Law Review and Articles Editor for the Stanford Law and Policy Review. He is a frequent speaker and writer on immigration and employment topics and has published work in the National Law Journal, Texas Lawyer and the Dallas Business Journal. Ghio received his bachelor’s degree in History at California State University, Stanislaus, where he graduated summa cum laude.

Dallas-based trial law boutique Deans & Lyons, LLP announced the promotion of trial attorney Christopher J. Simmons to partner in the Dallas office.

In a release, the firm said Simmons has represented plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial litigation throughout Texas and across the nation. His experience includes securing favorable verdicts and settlements in a wide array of cases ranging from breach of contract, fraud, deceptive trade practices, and breach of fiduciary duties to products liability, catastrophic personal injury, and wrongful death cases. He also has represented clients in various employment matters, including enforcement of non-competition/non-solicitation agreements, as well as discrimination and employment claims before both federal and state regulatory commissions.

In addition to his litigation experience, Simmons has advised clients on corporate governance matters, contract negotiations, regulatory compliance, business strategies, and entity formation. He also has conducted corporate investigations.

“Chris is an extremely talented, accomplished and focused young lawyer who has earned the trust of his clients and respect from fellow attorneys,” says firm co-founder Michael Lyons. “His promotion to Partner is well-deserved.”

Simmons earned his law degree from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law in 2008 and his undergraduate degree, with honors, from Texas A&M University in 2004.

He has been recognized on The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40 list for 2015 and has been selected to the Texas Rising Stars list of the state’s top young lawyers for the past two years. Mr. Simmons is an active member of the Dallas Bar Association and Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, receiving the group’s Outstanding Committee Chair Award in 2013.

Deans & Lyons, LLP has offices in Dallas and Houston.

Dykema has announced that Paul M. Laurenza, Office Managing Member of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s Automotive Industry Group, has been elected Chairman of the Connected Vehicle Trade Association (CVTA). Laurenza, who heads Dykema’s motor vehicle and consumer product safety federal regulatory practices, previously held the position of Vice Chair for the CVTA, and has served on its board of directors since 2007.

Headquartered in Plymouth, Mich., the CVTA is a non-profit business league established to facilitate the interaction and advance the interests of the entities involved in the vehicle communication environment. The organization enables the collaboration of companies, organizations, and governmental bodies engaged in developing bidirectional vehicle communications.

Laurenza has advised clients on connected vehicle legal and policy issues for more than a decade and is a frequent speaker and author on emerging intelligent vehicle technologies. He has represented clients in the transportation, consumer product, food and drug, and industrial sector for more than 30 years.

He earned a J.D. from Washington University, an M.A. from Brown University, and a B.S., cum laude, from the University of New Hampshire.

A Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., lawyer has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a scam to bilk clients out of more than $1.4 million, officials said, according to a report on lohud.com, a site of The Journal News.

Michael Lippman pleaded guilty on Monday to felony counts of second-degree grand larceny, second-degree criminal tax fraud and first-degree scheme to defraud, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office said.

“Lippman, 71, who had a law office in the village, was arrested in September,” the report said. “He pocketed $1,487,462 from 13 clients between Jan. 1, 2010, and Sept. 15, 2015, officials said.”

Read the story.

A Broward County, Florida, lawyer, arrested on federal child porn charges, is also accused of abusing two underage girls, according to court records, according to a report from the Sun Sentinel.

David Rothenberg, 47, was arrested Saturday at home after an undercover investigation revealed he was logging on to a “daddaughtersex” chat room from the Internet protocol address of his Fort Lauderdale law firm and trying to persuade a stranger to let him have sex with her 13-year-old daughter, authorities said. But in reality he was communicating with an undercover officer for about six weeks, investigators said.

“Authorities said they moved swiftly to arrest Rothenberg on the child porn charges when they found evidence he was sexually abusing a real teenage girl,” the Sun Sentinel reported.

Read the article.

The trial law firm Gardner Haas PLLC has added experienced commercial litigator Jeremy Camp as a partner.

Camp joins Gardner Haas from Dallas’ Brewer Attorneys & Counselors, formerly Bickel & Brewer, where Gardner Haas’ co-founders Michael Gardner and Eric Haas previously practiced. Camp’s litigation and arbitration practice focuses on a variety of complex commercial matters, including merger and acquisition-related disputes, business torts, hospitality law and environmental litigation.

“Jeremy has extensive litigation and arbitration experience and his forward-thinking philosophy aligns with ours,” says Gardner. “He’s an extremely talented lawyer and we are excited he is joining our team.”

Camp has tried several notable cases before judges and juries, including obtaining a take-nothing judgment in federal court for his client, 3M Co., in a dispute concerning the sale of an $854 million business.

“I have great respect for Michael and Eric and share their vision of solving clients’ problems through exceptional work at a value that the big firms can’t match,” says Camp. “I look forward to adding to the depth of Gardner Haas.”

Camp received his law degree, magna cum laude, from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in 2009. He received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006.

Quarles & Brady LLP partners David Funkhouser, Christopher Townsend, and Bradley Vynalek each have received the 2016 Client Choice award from Lexology and the International Law Office (ILO), the firm announced.

Established in 2005, the Client Choice awards recognize partners around the world that stand apart for their excellent client service. Uniquely, these awards survey in-house senior corporate counsel only, inquiring about quality of legal advice, value delivered, commercial awareness, and effective communication. Following one-on-one interviews with clients, this year’s winners were chosen from a pool of more than 2,500 nominations. Only one attorney in each market is recognized for any particular practice area.

From the firm’s news release:

Funkhouser practices in the firm’s Phoenix office and is a member of the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group. His litigation practice has an emphasis in real property disputes, construction disputes, consumer lending, contract disputes, probate, trust and estate litigation, and other commercial torts. He also routinely represents financial institutions in all aspects of litigation. Funkhouser received his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa. Client Choice recognized Funkhouser in the Litigation category.

Townsend practices in the firm’s Chicago office and is member of the Energy Practice Group. He leads a team of energy lawyers who help clients reduce costs, develop projects, and manage risks in the ever-changing energy markets, assisting with strategic counseling, regulatory, litigation, transactional, and government relations matters. On a local, state, national, and international level, he helps clients address risks and opportunities associated with the on-going restructuring of the electricity and natural gas industries. Townsend received his law degree, with honors, from the University of Iowa College of Law and his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Augustana College. This is the second consecutive year Client Choice has recognized Townsend in the Energy & Natural Resources category.

Vynalek practices in the firm’s Phoenix office and is a member of the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group. He serves as a counselor and advisor on strategy, exposure, and enterprise opportunity for clients ranging from local startups to Fortune 500 companies. Vynalek works very closely with law departments to create and manage budgets and create optimal teams for a variety of legal services in the banking, high-tech, Internet, software, manufacturing, e-commerce, health care, higher education, and tech transfer industries. He also serves as a member of the firm’s executive committee. Vynalek received his law degree from The University of Arizona – James E. Rogers College of Law and his bachelor’s degree, with honors, from Stanford University. He was recognized by Client Choice in the General Corporate category.

More information about ILO and Lexology

A $22 million lawsuit against Beaumont, Texas attorney Wayne Reaud, along with several others, have been dismissed. The plaintiff was an electrician who claimed the defendants committed acts that cost him a business contract with the Beaumont Independent School District, reports SETexasRecord.com.

The plaintiff, Calvin Gary Walker, proprietor of Walker’s Electric, had alleged that the defendants worked to end his professional relationship with BISD, insinuating the respondents wrongfully made light of his 2011 federal indictment for fraud. Walker’s claims against the Beaumont attorney and his newspaper were based on two articles published in The Examiner.

Reaud argued that defamation claims based on the articles were frivolous.

Read the article.

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm, has  announced Eric Gordon has assumed the role of Labor & Employment Practice Group Chair.

“Eric is an excellent labor and employment lawyer with a tremendous capacity for leadership and client service,” said Akerman Chairman and CEO Andrew Smulian. “The very personal attention Eric devotes to his colleagues and client relationships reflect the values of our firm. We look forward to the continued growth and success of Akerman‘s Labor and Employment Practice Group under his able direction.”

In a release, the firm said Gordon will work to grow the national practice group while overseeing the delivery of labor and employment services to Akerman clients. He also will continue to practice law, representing employers in labor and employment matters and in many key sectors such as telecommunications, hospitality, healthcare, retail, and financial services. He is a past president of the Human Resource Association of Palm Beach County and will serve as president of the South Palm Beach County Bar Association in 2017-2018. Prior to leading Akerman’s Labor & Employment Practice Group, Gordon served as the office managing partner of Akerman’s Palm Beach County offices.

Gordon succeeds James Bramnick, who will continue representing management in labor and employment matters. He also will work in the labor and employment practice through his role as a chair of Lex Mundi’s Global Labor and Employment Practice Group, the world’s largest law firm network.

David A. Lurker has joined Buchalter Nemer in Orange County as a shareholder in its Real Estate Practice Group, the firm announced. Lurker, who joins from Voss Cook & Thel, LLP, has more than 30 years of experience guiding real estate clients in deal structuring through various economic and industry cycles in the real estate market.

“David’s knowledge of the recent history of the real estate sector will be an excellent asset for our clients as they navigate the transaction environment in 2016 and beyond,” said Adam J. Bass, President and Chief Executive Officer of Buchalter Nemer. “He’s a welcome addition to our strong real estate practice and our growing roster of seasoned experts in this industry.”

Lurker represents owners, developers, investors, contractors, landlords, tenants, property managers and lenders in transactions that involve purchases and sales, development, leasing, and construction of all types of projects. These projects include retail, office, industrial, residential, multifamily, senior housing, churches and nonprofit ventures.

Read the firm’s announcement.

Dallas-based Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, LLP, has bolstered its corporate transaction and counseling services with the addition of former Fortune 500 general counsel David W. Black.

“Of the roughly 1 million attorneys in the United States today, there are only a handful in private practice after serving as GC at two Fortune 500 companies,” says Carrington Coleman Managing Partner Bruce Collins. “David possesses a profound and virtually unmatched understanding of the challenges facing corporate leaders of emerging, middle market and global companies.”

Black is the former general counsel for both BearingPoint (formerly KPMG Consulting) and Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), and most recently served as counsel for a private equity firm. He joins Carrington Coleman as a partner and will work with the firm’s corporate team on matters relating to a diverse range of business issues, including:

• Corporate governance
• Corporate finance and securities transactions
• Corporate compliance
• Mergers & acquisitions
• Venture capital and private equity
• Commercial banking and lending
• Retail and wholesale operations
• Information technology
• Business process outsourcing
• Managed software services
• Software licensing
• Marketing, branding and endorsement agreements
• Commercial real estate
• Hospital health care providers

In his prior role as general counsel, Black was responsible for global business operations including building a corporate legal department, handling compliance matters arising from investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice, and day-to-day corporate operational concerns. In addition to leading more than 150 acquisitions, he also directed KPMG’s $2.3 billion initial public offering in 2001, the second-largest in NASDAQ history at the time.

Carrington Coleman is a 46-year-old Dallas-based law firm focused on litigation and transactional services in the real estate, oil and gas, securities, construction, information technology, professional services and health care industries, among others. The firm also represents public entities and provides counsel in the areas of corporate transactions, corporate governance, banking, bankruptcy/restructuring, intellectual property, employment, and estate planning.

David J. Beck of Houston, partner in Beck Redden LLP, was recently honored by the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas with the Luther (Luke) H. Soules III Award. Each year, the Litigation Section of the State Bar recognizes attorneys who embody excellence in the practice of law and exemplary service to the Bar through outstanding professionalism and community impact.

Attorneys who earn the Luke Soules Award must meet the following criteria:

• Demonstrated commitment to equal justice under law
• Conduct promoting the rule of law
• Outstanding examples of professionalism
• Community impact as a result of the practice of law
• One or more significant contributions as a result of legal representation

Read more about the honor.

Akerman LLP announced the expansion of its national Corporate Practice Group with Chicago partners Paul Quinn and Mason “Max” Drake. They work in middle market M&A, private equity and investment funds.

Drake arrives from Greenberg Traurig, Quinn from Paul Hastings. The lawyers join Akerman less than a week after the firm announced it is more than doubling its physical footprint in Chicago. The office has grown fivefold from eight to 44 lawyers since opening just two years ago in February 2014, the firm said.

“Max and Paul are accomplished lawyers who bolster Akerman’s national strengths in middle-market mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital investments, as well as investment fund formation,” said Mary Carroll, chair of the Corporate Practice Group. “Their arrival in Chicago extends the firm’s growing presence in a market of rising importance to our clients across several industry sectors, particularly financial services.”

Quinn represents private equity funds and their portfolio companies in leveraged acquisitions and dispositions. In addition, he advises private companies and portfolio companies in connection with general corporate governance and management teams with respect to employment and compensation arrangements. Quinn also counsels distressed-focused private equity funds in connection with acquisitions through Section 363 asset sales processes, reorganizations in bankruptcy, and out-of-court restructurings, as well as private equity and venture capital funds in minority growth equity investments.

Quinn is a former certified public accountant and has worked with clients in the healthcare, financial services, technologies and manufacturing sectors. Quinn is co-resident in Akerman’s Chicago and Fort Lauderdale office.

Drake concentrates his practice on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital investments, and investment fund formation. He also advises clients in connection with secured debt and structured finance transactions and employment and compensation arrangements. Drake counsels business entities and their owners through all stages of development, from startup, to growth financing, to ultimate sale. He also represents minority investors and management teams and individuals in related transactions. Drake is co-resident in Akerman’s Chicago and New York offices.

Wilson Elser announces that corporate attorney William Tolin Gay has joined the firm’s Los Angeles office as a partner.

Gay brings to Wilson Elser 30 years of experience representing domestic and international clients in their business matters. His current transaction-focused practice encompasses all aspects of corporate law, including entity formation, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, licensing agreements and technology transfers. He also has extensive experience working with domestic and foreign clients in securities, real estate, intellectual property and franchising, the firm says in a release.

“Bill is a welcome addition to the firm’s growing corporate law practice,” said David Eisen, regional managing partner of the Los Angeles office. “Over the past 12 months the firm has acquired a number of laterals in offices across the country focused on domestic and cross-border matters including transactions, mergers and acquisitions, contracts, joint ventures, and others.”

Fluent in Japanese language and law, having practiced in Tokyo for many years, Gay represents U.S. companies in their Japanese operations and Japanese companies in their U.S. operations. He also partners with immigration lawyers on obtaining immigrant investor visas primarily for Chinese clients.

Gay has earned an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell and was selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America, including earning its highest honor, “Lawyer of the Year,” in the Corporate Law category in Orange County, CA (2009, 2013, 2015).

Gay is an active member of the State Bar of California and is currently serving a three-year term on the International Law Section’s Executive Committee. In addition to holding this and other state bar positions over the years, Gay has assumed leadership roles with the Orange County Bar Association.

Gay earned his graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of Washington, including his J.D. and LL.M degrees from the School of Law (1982 and 1984, respectively); his M.B.A. degree from the Michael G. Foster School of Business (1983); and his B.A. degree in economics and East Asian studies (1978). He is a California Real Estate Broker certified by the California Department of Real Estate.

Dallas-based technology law firm, Munck Wilson Mandala LLP  announces the addition of Shain Khoshbin as a partner in the firm’s Litigation Group.

Khoshbin focuses his practice on business disputes and commercial litigation, the firm said in a release. He has represented companies, partnerships, and entrepreneurs across the country on both sides of the docket. Khoshbin has worked with matters including hospitality management/franchising; intellectual property and unfair competition; and breaches of trust, fiduciary duties and complex contractual relationships.

“We are thrilled to have Shain return to the firm. He is a well-respected advocate who, over the course of his career, has built an impressive practice and has become a ‘go-to attorney’ for clients needing seasoned complex litigation counsel,” said William A. Munck, managing partner of Munck Wilson Mandala. “Shain adds substantial experience to our talented group of commercial litigators and trial attorneys. This is a very exciting time for our firm.”

“I have known Shain for over 20 years, and he excels at complex commercial litigation, “ said  Jamil Alibhai, Chairman of the firm’s Litigation Section. “He is a strong addition to Munck Wilson Mandala’s trial team.”

Khoshbin has been honored by Texas Super Lawyers for business litigation every year since 2007. He has been featured in the Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel and Business editions annually since 2008 and honored among the Super Lawyers Top 100 attorneys in Dallas/Fort Worth for 2011 and 2012. He is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, Life Member of The Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and Lifetime Charter Member of Rue Ratings’ “Best Attorneys of America.”

Patent litigators Mark C. Howland and Samuel E. Joyner have joined the Dallas-based law firm Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, LLP, marking an expansion of the firm’s existing intellectual property practice.

Howland and Joyner join the firm’s Dallas office as partners, working in Carrington Coleman’s existing copyright/trademark licensing, protection, and management services. The firm also advises clients on data privacy and cybersecurity matters in its Dallas and Longview offices, the firm said in a release.

Howland formerly was a partner in the intellectual property practice at Jones Day. Joyner is a former name partner at the Dallas technology litigation boutique Ross Joyner PLLC.

“Our clients rely on us to provide complete representation in matters most important to their businesses,” says Carrington Coleman Managing Partner Bruce Collins. “The addition of Mark and Sam will allow us to offer that same level of expertise to technology companies facing complex, high-stakes patent litigation.”

Read more about the new hires.