Ratcliff Business Lawyers

I, Robert A. "Rob" Swofford, was raised in Nassau Bay, Texas, and completed my high school education at Clear Creek High School in 1983. I pursued my undergraduate studies at Baylor University before earning my law degree from South Texas College of Law in May 1994. During my law school years, I was honored with numerous academic awards. Immediately after graduating, I began my career working alongside the renowned criminal defense attorney Dan Cogdell. In 2006, I was recognized as one of Houston’s Top Lawyers in the field of Criminal Defense. My career has allowed me to personally try cases to...

I am the Managing Partner of Litigation at Porter Law Firm, where I lead the firm's litigation section with a dedication to excellence, innovation, and client-focused advocacy. With over twenty years of legal experience, I am recognized as a trusted advisor and accomplished trial attorney. I manage the firm's commercial litigation and construction defect matters, while also promoting a culture of collaboration and success. I am known for my strategic insights and unwavering commitment to my clients, having successfully represented individuals and businesses in a diverse array of legal issues, including construction defects, commercial disputes, toxic torts, product liability, personal injury,...

Sylvia Mayer is an arbitrator, mediator, and attorney with over 30 years of legal experience in courts nationwide. As a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and a TMCA Credentialed Advanced Mediator, Sylvia Mayer serves on several arbitration and mediation rosters. While Sylvia Mayer has served as neutral in a wide variety of disputes, she frequently serves as mediator or arbitrator in disputes involving bankruptcy, business separations, complex commercial litigation, contracts, corporate governance, energy, fiduciary duties, healthcare, oil and gas, personal injury, and consumer issues. An experienced mediator and arbitrator, Sylvia Mayer has served as neutral in...

Steven Tuan Pham has practiced law in the area of business transaction and commercial litigation, immigration and naturalization law, real estate law, landlord tenant law, and divorce. Specifically, Mr. Pham has extensive experience in the areas of immigration and naturalization law, including having the opportunity to travel to Pakistan to assist in providing US. Immigration Seminars and Consultations. In addition, in 2007, Mr. Pham participated in several high-level discussions with various non-profit organizations and the USCIS in the Houston District Office and in Washington D.C., and effectively advocated for changes regarding immigration and naturalization issues, such as N-648 Medical...

Mark Correro is one of the founding members of Correro & Leisure, P.C handling civil litigation cases. He is also a partner at the Houston criminal defense firm Stornello & Correro Law Firm, PLLC. He earned his law degree from South Texas College of Law. During this time, he served as assistant articles editor for the South Texas Law Review and editor for the Texas State Bar’s Construction Law Journal. He has published fourteen scholarly articles in a variety of prestigious publications. In 2013 and 2015, he was selected for inclusion in the list of Texas Super Lawyers®, an honor...

Thomas H. Smith III was born and raised in Arlington, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 2002 with a degree in Chemistry and a minor in Mathematics. He then attended the University of Houston Law Center where he served as an Articles Editor for the Houston Journal of International Law. Tom began working at Roger G. Jain & Associates as a clerk in February 2004. When he graduated from UH Law Center in 2005, he continued here as an attorney, where he has worked through today. He is a trial lawyer, whose insight, analysis, and attention to detail have...

Attorney L. Hayes Fuller is President of Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee, PLLC, and leads the Waco location of the firm. His personal practice encompasses both litigation and mediation (alternative dispute resolution). Litigation covers a broad range of focuses, but his practice includes all civil trial types, including vehicular/premises/insurance/product liability, personal injury, torts, and wrongful death cases. His most recent work has been defending multiple parties in a complex class action case, as well as toxic tort cases involving asbestos. As his practice continues to grow in scope, the businesses and individuals of Waco, Texas can depend on President/Attorney...

The Buchanan Law Office, P.C. is a personal injury law firm committed to protecting and enforcing the rights of those who have been injured by the negligence of others. The firm was founded to provide its clients with access to legal services and the level of representation they deserve when seeking compensation for their personal injuries. Byron was born in Jacksonville, Florida, but was raised in the Houston area. Following his graduation from high school, Byron spent over a decade working as a refinery operator on the Houston Ship Channel. During that time, he earned a degree from the University...

Roger G. Jain earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Houston in 1987 with a degree in accounting. After becoming a licensed CPA, he managed private corporate clients for PriceWaterhouse. Roger enrolled in Baylor Law School in 1990 and graduated in 1993. After graduation, he worked as a criminal prosecutor for the Montgomery County Attorney's Office where he gained significant trial experience. In January 1996, he started his law practice which continues to grow. His practice is dedicated to representing individuals and family owned businesses in a variety of civil matters. Roger's background as a criminal prosecutor allows him...

Mike began his legal career as a prosecutor at the Hidalgo County District Attorney’s office representing the State of Texas in the prosecution of Misdemeanor and Felony criminal cases. He learned to prepare cases for trial and go to trial on a wide variety of criminal matters. Mike was then recruited by a leading employment law firm, Aaron Pena & Associates in the Rio Grande Valley representing clients in all aspects of employment litigation. During his tenor at Aaron Pena & Associates he learned the civil aspect of litigation. Mike handled cases from the inception of...

Pamela Hailey-Petty is an experienced attorney and owner of Hailey-Petty Law Firm, PLLC. She has legal offices in both Austin and San Antonio. Since 2014, Mrs. Hailey-Petty has helped numerous Texans organize their futures through her knowledge and expertise in estate planning law. She also regularly provides legal counsel to clients navigating the probate process and to those interested in business formation.

Prior to her career as an attorney, Mrs. Hailey-Petty worked for the Governor of Texas. During her time at the Governor’s office, she served as the Investment Manager and Deputy Director of the 300-million-dollar Emerging Technology Fund.

Mrs....

Trent Nichols is a 7th generation Texan born and raised in rural Central Texas. When it came to work, he learned and adopted the values that run deep through the people this great state was built on: Work Hard. Work Smart. Work Honest. Those same values define the approach to legal representation at the Law Offices of Trent Nichols. Trent has dedicated his career to serving, supporting, and fighting for his clients, relying on his wealth of knowledge and experience in business and a tenacity to achieve results. Trent focuses his practice on what he knows best: Business Law, Civil...

From a family of distinguished public servants, after obtaining his law degree from UT Law School, Gregory honed his legal skills for 20 years at Atlas, Hall & Rodriguez, LLP, in McAllen, where he practiced a broad range of property law, including estate planning and probate. He has represented individuals, businesses, national and State banks, and local government entities on all sides of transactions. Gregory is a member of the State Bar of Texas , a member of the Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, and is certified in Professional Fiduciary Management...

Joey Leak has a diverse litigation and business practice, representing clients ranging from individuals and local companies to regional and national firms. His transactional practice includes general business and real estate matters, as well as private equity fund formation and offerings. An experienced litigator, Joey is also able to assist his clients in a broad range of commercial matters, including those involving breach of contract, fraud, embezzlement, property disputes, breach of fiduciary duty, business torts, partnership disputes, and enforcement of intellectual property rights.

Jodi Lazar practices family law exclusively and represents clients in both the traditional litigation and collaborative law models, depending on the client’s needs.

Jodi is also an Adjunct Professor in the Advocacy Department at The University of Texas School of Law, where she teaches Intensive Trial Skills and works with the Interscholastic Mock Trial Program.

EDUCATION
The University of Texas School of Law, 1988
The University of Texas at Austin, 1985

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & HONORS
Member, State Bar of Texas (Family Law Section)
Member, Oregon State Bar
Member, American Bar Association (Family Law Section)
Member, Austin Bar Association (Family Law Section)
Member, College of the State Bar of Texas

COLLABORATIVE LAW...

Matthew G. Messerli is the founding attorney of The Messerli Law Firm, PLLC. Prior to pursuing his legal career, Attorney Messerli earned his Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management and his Master’s in Finance (MSF) from the Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He has accumulated more than a decade of experience as a business consultant and operator. Attorney Messerli later spent several years serving as a financial advisor to high-net-worth individuals and businesses before earning his Juris Doctorate (JD) from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman Law School in Dallas, Texas. His unique blend of...

Attorney John Haugen has been serving the needs of his community and nation for his entire life. He graduated from West Point and then went on to spend five years as an U.S. Army Captain. After he was honorably discharged, he continued his higher education at USC, then received his Juris Doctor as Texas Wesleyan School of Law. Currently, he is a member of the Dallas County Bar Association, Denton County Bar Association, and the Tarrant County Bar Association. He is licensed to practice in all Texas courts, and advocates for clients who are facing family law matters, criminal defense...

I have been practicing law for 30 years. I obtained my law degree from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law in 1994 and graduated in the top 10% of my class. I am licensed to practice in Texas and North Dakota and in all federal courts in Texas and North Dakota plus the Supreme Court of the United States. Before I obtained my law degree, I worked as an environmental engineer for 10 years and before that I was a brakeman/conductor for the Burlington Northern Railroad and a trainmaster for the Colorado & Southern Railway. I wrote about my railroad...

Serving North Texas: Clients throughout North Texas can rely on Jeanne Duke to provide expert counsel for estate planning and probate law, as well as other general legal services. Representing Texas nonprofit and religious organizations: Nonprofit and religious organizations and congregations throughout the state of Texas can benefit from Jeanne Duke’s dual credentials as both pastor and attorney to provide legal services for congregations from formation to dissolution. She brings a pastor’s heart to the practice of law.

I graduated from St. Mary’s University School of Law. I have been practicing law for 14 years. As a labor and employment attorney for Bailey & Galyen, we represent only employees. We can help you with a variety of employment case. We handle wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, failure to hire or promote, whistle blower cases, disability discrimination, FMLA, and wage and hour litigation. If you have experienced a workplace action, I urge you to contact us today for a consultation.

Steven Goodspeed is a partner at My Church Law firm, a full-service, client-centered and cost-effective firm dedicated to serving churches, private schools, and nonprofit ministries nationwide. He has over 23 years of experience representing nonprofit organizations and is dedicated to delivering high quality legal services and advocating for you.

Marla Morgan Mundheim has over 26 years of experience in estate planning, trusts, real estate, small business, negotiations, probate, and contract development. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri in 1992 and attended Law School at Oklahoma City University School of Law, where she graduated with honors in 1996. She was admitted to the Texas State Bar in November of 1996. While in law school, Marla earned the Excellence for the Future Award in Wills and Estates from the Center of Computer-Assisted Legal Instructions (CALI), served as Research Editor for the Law Review, and was recognized for...

Charles McGarry is a sole practitioner in McKinney, Texas. The main areas of his practice are civil trials and appeals and entertainment law. He has been board certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1989.

Charles graduated with High Honors in Philosophy from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1979, and from the University of Texas School of Law in 1982. Upon graduation, he clerked for Hon. Bill Stephens at the Fifth District Court of Appeals of Texas in Dallas, the state’s largest and busiest appellate court. Ten years later, he received...

Joe’s clients benefit from his extensive hands-on experience with researching, drafting pleadings, and discovery. As a trusted advocate, Joe learns his client’s business objectives to effectively litigate matters involving a variety of complex oil and gas disputes, contract disputes, and a variety of other civil matters even through the state and federal appeal process if necessary. His research and experience with drafting briefs in both the state and federal appeals and has helped bring favorable solutions to his clients in previous disputes. In addition to his experience in the courtroom, Joe has provided advice and prepared agreements that cover...