Ellis County Lawyers

I devote my practice to family law and business litigation matters, both in the courtroom and at the negotiating table, especially when these two areas of law collide. My unique experience includes navigating clients through family and business law disputes involving complex divorce and property issues, child custody, and CPS matters, as well as breach of contract cases, high-stakes securities and fiduciary matters, shareholder and insolvency litigation, malpractice lawsuits, real estate matters, and labor and employment disputes.

Joanna Whittaker, fondly called “Jo” by her close friends, is a dedicated attorney who has been an Arkansan through and through. Born and raised in Maumelle, Joanna attended North Little Rock High School (NLRHS) and later pursued higher education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), earning dual bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice, with a minor in Human Services. Joanna completed her formal education at the Bowen School of Law, where she obtained her Juris Doctorate (JD). Before her legal career, Joanna worked closely with children, gaining valuable experience as a church nursery worker, camp counselor, and...

Carl L. Evans, Jr. is an Equity Partner at McCathern in the law firm's Dallas, Texas office and he practices in the areas of non-subscriber employer defense, trucking, liquor liability, employment, commercial, construction, subrogation, tort and insurance litigation. Mr. Evans has an extensive litigation and trial background, having tried numerous cases in state and federal courts. He has also obtained defense verdicts in arbitrations involving claims of fraud, negligence, breach of contract and breach of warranty. In addition, Mr. Evans has successfully represented numerous clients in summary judgment motions that have included claims for bad faith, fraud, negligence, premises liability,...

over 24 years of trial and defense of legal matters. Servando J. McHazlett has experience trying the most serious of cases. This translates to a salty attorney going up against the insurance defense lawyers and/or prosecutors in your legal matter. Choose the Law Offices of Servando J. McHazlett for your legal security!

Described by colleagues as a “gym rat” in the courtroom, Bill Forteith still loves going into court and fighting for his clients in trial after almost forty years of exclusively practicing civil trial law. Trying hundreds of jury trials, his legal experience has literally gone from the cradle to the grave having represented clients involved in prenatal and neonatal care, daycare centers, nursing homes and even funeral homes. Yet trial work, such as automobile accidents and premises liability cases, excite him just as much as the more unusual cases. He believes that every client deserves the same passionate representation regardless...

Tiara A. Thomas is an attorney, speaker, and philanthropist. Throughout her career, she has helped her clients get the justice they deserve for being injured in both commercial and non-commercial vehicle crashes. In addition to personal injury, Tiara has represented clients in complex civil litigation claims, including breach of contract claims, civil fraud claims, Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act claims, & more! In 2022, she was selected as a “Top 40 Under 40 Attorney,” an honor given to only the top 40 under 40 African American lawyers in each state or region with reputations for providing excellent legal representation in their...

Attorney Roy Petty has practiced law over 23 years in Texas, Florida, and Arizona. Roy is Board Certified in Immigration & Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Roy has developed creative solutions to get his clients their immigration benefits. He successfully has litigated cases against the United States government in various District Courts and Courts of Appeals. His lawsuits have pushed the government to grant benefits to his clients, changed bureaucratic policies, and reduced delays in the processing of his clients' cases. Roy is in his fifteenth year of hosting "La Hora Legal" (Legal Hour),...

I represent individuals and small-to-midsize businesses in a variety of litigation matters, with a primary emphasis on contract and construction disputes.

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...

Grady K. Bergen is a partner at Griggs Bergen LLP, a law firm specializing in intellectual property with offices in Dallas, Texas. He is a registered patent attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is licensed to practice in Texas and Missouri. Mr. Bergen earned his Juris Doctorate from Baylor University School of Law in 1992, and holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma, completed in 1988. His legal practice focuses on patents, trademarks, copyrights, and related intellectual property matters. With a background in engineering, Mr. Bergen is experienced in handling cases across various technology...

Justin Martin – Lawyer, Marketing & Sales Executive, Entrepreneur.
Mr. Martin spent most of his early professional career in ownership, sales, and operations roles. After many successful years, Mr. Martin decided to pursue his law license, which required returning to complete his undergraduate degree. While working fulltime, he received his BA and was accepted into and completed what is now known as Texas A&M School of Law. In 2010, Mr. Martin joined his childhood best friend, in the formation of Godsey Martin, P.C., where he is a shareholder and serves as CEO of IJustGotHit.com. Since 2010, the law firm has...

Herrmann Law is an Employee-Focused law firm committed to representing and advocating for employees’ rights in the workplace. This firm was founded as an employee-focused law firm with the mission of providing superior legal representation to employees. We recognize the intricacies of the employee-employer relationship and that employees feel as though they are unable to speak up against their employer. We are more than just a law firm for employees – we are an employees’ fiercest advocate, equipping employees with the legal representation needed to achieve the best result possible.

Employee-Focused

o A large number of lawyers primarily represent employers or...

A founding partner of Steckler Wayne Cochran PLLC (“SWC”), Stuart Cochran is a civil trial lawyer with almost twenty years of experience litigating, trying, arbitrating, and mediating complex commercial, class action, and personal injury cases in state and federal courts across the nation. Stuart has a nationally-recognized consumer class action practice, and he is frequently brought in to cases outside of Texas due to his experience. More locally, Stuart handles complex commercial cases and catastrophic personal injury cases. Stuart’s practice is unique in that he handles cases for both plaintiffs and defendants. Stuart has helped recover...

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.

Fatima Hassan Salam is a Texas attorney with over 23 years of experience in personal injury cases. Ms. Salam graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas with degrees in Sociology, Journalism, and Criminal Justice. Her interest in the law combined with her determination to increase access to legal assistance for underrepresented communities motivated her to become an attorney. Ms. Salam obtained her Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University in 1991 and after two years as a criminal defense attorney in Michigan, she moved permanently back to Texas in order to practice personal injury law. Ms. Salam...

Our practice is limited to serious injury and death claims, injuries from riding lawnmowers, and other dangerous products, traumatic brain injuries, injuries at amusement parks, injuries on dangerous premises, chemical exposure injuries, train derailments, and other railroad related injuries to person and property. Although our practice focuses on cases primarily in Texas, we also have pursued cases in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Main, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington. We are fully licensed in Texas and Montana. It is our belief that when...

AV Rated
40 plus years of experience
Less than 14% of attorneys throughout the entire United States are “AV” Rated
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We have limited our practice to Estate Planning and Taxation. And we are dedicated to giving you the legal solutions and tools you will need to plan and build for your future with confidence.


Member of The College of the State Bar of Texas
The College of the State Bar of Texas is an honorary society of lawyers who are among the best trained attorneys in Texas. Members are qualified attorneys who are interested in both high ethical standards and improved training for...

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...

Mr. Sessions is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Leagal Specialization since December, 1991. He is experienced in handling complex litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts, and arbitrations. His practice includes prosecution and defense of claims, primarily in business-related litigation. In 2008, Mr. Sessions obtained a $22,178,403 unanimous jury verdict in the case of Sovereign Cherokee Nation Tejas v. Frank P. Hernandez, which ranked No. 98 in VerdictSearch's top 100 Verdicts of 2008. Mr. Sessions has been counsel of record in multiple litigation matters involving more than $10 Million in...

Alyssa Krahmer founded Krahmer Law Firm, PLLC in 2017 after over 20 years of practicing for large corporations. Equipped with this experience and knowledge of legal solutions used by large companies, Alyssa’s goal was to bring the same level of service to smaller organizations and individuals. Her firm’s mission was to perform high quality legal work, to charge fair prices for it, and to constantly evolve to respond to the changing needs of the firm’s clients. Areas of law include: contracts, trademarks, entity formation, lease review, franchise, merger & acquisition, employer-side employment law and wills.

The Law Office of Carrie T. Schilling can guide you help you prepare for your family's future; from a simple will to a full estate package. She is also ready to represent you in cases involving civil appeals and family law. She provides affordable representation without compromising quality. If you are facing a legal problem and are in need representation, don’t delay. Waiting to seek legal advice frequently exacerbates the complexity and cost of the issue.

Ms. Schilling graduated from Texas A&M at Galveston in 1999 and received a Juris Doctorate from California...

Board Certified in Consumer Bankruptcy Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

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.

My primary focus is on full service commercial and residential real estate transactions with particular emphasis on document preparation and escrow services, commercial due diligence, foreclosures and foreclosure workouts, landlord/tenant relations and construction lien rights.

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...

Duncan is the sole shareholder of the firm whose practice primarily focuses on estate planning, trusts, business matters, and construction law. He graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1977 with a business administration degree in accounting and finance and earned his law degree from SMU in 1980.

Duncan has more than thirty-five years of legal experience and has been admitted to practice in the United States Tax Court, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and Fifth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals.

During the three years Inside Collin County Business conducted its annual awards,...