Alief Employment Lawyers

Jake McDonald was born and raised in Houston, Texas. His desire to practice law developed at a young age, as both of his parents were lawyers. As an undergraduate, he studied psychology and was published for his research in the field of human perception. He later applied this unique insight to the study of law and representation of clients. Prior to starting his own legal practice, Jake worked at multiple litigation firms in the Houston area where he gained practical experience in the fields of personal injury law, family law, and civil litigation. He developed a reputation with his...

Ms. Melendez is committed to listening to each client's story, evaluating it, and proposing and executing practical steps to meet client goals. The cornerstone to a successful attorney-client relationship, in Ms. Melendez’s opinion, is creating clear lines of communication to help build trust between her and her clients. Ms. Melendez has always known she wanted to become a lawyer. At every key juncture in her life, when asked what she wanted to do with her future, she always responded that she wanted to become an attorney. However, as she neared the end of her undergraduate career at Texas A&M University,...

Geoffrey Berg is a partner and founder of Berg Plummer Johnson & Raval, LLP. His areas of practice include Business Litigation, Employment Litigation, General Civil Litigation, Government/Private Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense. Geoff has handled every kind of case from representing corporations in complex multi-million dollar commercial disputes to employment matters, arguments over oilfield trade secrets, government and corporate investigations.

I focus my practice in the areas of employment discrimination, family, and immigration law. On the employment front, I passionately and aggressively represent employees with claims of discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, retaliation, and/or unfair wage practices against employers. It is unfortunate, but the reality is that, sometimes, employees still face discrimination and other unfair and unlawful employment practices. I believe that employers who violate employees' legal rights should be punished. I believe that employees should be treated equally and without regard to their race, age, gender, religion, pregnancy-status, or national origin. I also believe an employee should not be...

We are a full service civil litigation firm with a focus on business and consumer law. We also handle immigration cases including business and family petitions and deportation and removal.No matter what legal troubles you’re facing, our staff is sensitive to your circumstances and are here to help. Let our wide range of business and civil legal services bring your issue to a prompt and satisfactory conclusion. We are passionate about what we do and the difference we make and we handle each clients' case as if it were our own.

I am Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. My employment practice is limited to representation of management and high level executives. I am listed as a Best Lawyer in America 2009 in employment law (copyright 2008 by Woodward/White Inc. of Aiken, SC). I was selected as a Super Lawyer for 2004; 2007-09 by Law and Politics Magazine. I also handle commercial litigation in the areas of banking, energy and securities.

Hugh A. Putman is a graduate from the University of Houston Law Center, where he served as a student attorney in the UHLC Civil Clinic. Prior to law school, Mr. Putman earned a Bachelor’s Degree, magna cum laude and with University Honors, from the University of Houston. Before becoming a lawyer, Mr. Putman opened and ran businesses providing him valuable experience in business formation, management, and franchise organizations. Mr. Putman’s practice is focused on labor & employment defense, commercial litigation, corporate law, and estate planning. Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Putman established and managed multiple businesses in the Houston...

Mr. Ricks was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and moved to Sugar Land, Texas in 1980. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Lamar University in 1988. Thereafter, he attended South Texas College of Law and received his Juris Doctorate in 1993.

He was a graduate of Leadership Montgomery County Class of 2014 and remains active in that organization. He served as the Team Lead of the Employment Law Update for The Woodlands Chamber of Commerce in 2014. In the past, he served as a Director of the Amarillo Area Young Lawyers Association in 1999-2000. He also served on...

Houston Attorney Pete Patterson has been practicing law in the state of Texas for over 25 years, with a focus on oil and gas law, business litigation, and personal injury cases. Mr. Patterson was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1990 after receiving his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center, where he was inducted into the prestigious Order of the Barristers. In his legal career, Mr. Patterson has amassed over $150 million in verdicts, settlements, judgments, and recoveries for his clients. He maintains membership in a number of respected associations, including the American Board of Trial...

Gabriel Assaad, Of Counsel at Kennedy Hodges, LLP, was born Rochester, New York. He attended the University of Florida and graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1996. After graduation, he accepted a position with a consulting firm. He then decided he wanted to attend law school, so he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to attend Vanderbilt University. Mr. Assaad graduated from Vanderbilt University with his J.D. in 2001 and accepted a position as an associate attorney at Dickstein Shapiro, LLP, in Washington, DC, where he focused on Patent Litigation. In 2004, he joined Paulson & Nace, a personal injury law...

Don Foty, partner at Kennedy Hodges, LLP, was born in Houston and raised in a small town in central Texas. In high school, he received numerous awards for his performance in the school military program and graduated summa cum laude. After high school, Mr. Foty attended the University of Texas at Austin where he studied finance and business honors--a program reserved for the top students. While working on his undergraduate degree, he also worked for a Fortune 500 company. He graduated with his B.B.A. in 2003. After graduation, Mr. Foty attended law school at the University of Houston Law Center. While...

Dwain Capodice joined Fernelius Alvarez Simon PLLC in June 2011. Previously, Dwain was an associate at a well-respected labor and employment law litigation boutique. During his more than 14 years as an attorney, he has reviewed more than a million pages of complex documentation in some of the country’s most high-profile matters. Dwain has extensive litigation experience practicing before state and federal courts and administrative tribunals.

When you call me, you have a serious legal issue that a court will soon be taking action on, and at a time like this you need a courtroom advocate who will get the job done. When your fate lies in another's hands, you want your advocate to have the facts, the law, and the confidence to get the best possible results under the circumstances.

Colby is a seventh generation Texas native who specializes in civil litigation and trial advocacy. A graduate of UT-Austin and the University of Houston Law Center, Colby began his career working on a team that obtained billions of dollars for stockholders who lost money to securities fraud committed by firms all over the United States – including an energy company called Enron.

Rivaling Colby’s passion for justice is his in-depth and intimate knowledge of the strategies and tactics of those attorneys he faces. He has spent many years in the trenches defending clients against wrongful injury lawsuits. He successfully defended his...

Emma grew up in Houston, Texas. She later moved to San Marcos, Texas and received a Bachelor of Arts in English at Texas State University. In college, she discovered her passion for justice and advocacy. After graduating from college, Emma knew she wanted to return to her roots and practice law in Houston. Emma received her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. At UH, she gained valuable courtroom experience while interning for the Honorable Nancy K. Johnson of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. As an intern, she received exposure to high-profile trials...