Mason Lawyers

William Morton joined Pless Law Firm in 2022 as Senior Counsel with the Firm’s expansion into the Texas market. Based in the Austin office, he specializes in assisting clients with raw land and developed properties, handling due diligence matters, drafting declarations and other restrictive covenants, construction contracts, and retail and office leasing. Additionally, Bill focuses on representing clients in the acquisition and redevelopment of existing office and retail sites. Prior to Pless Law, Bill worked in both large scale multi-disciplinary law firms and smaller boutique firms focused solely on commercial real estate. He has successfully represented developers from the acquisition stage...

Graduating from The University of Texas School of Law was the start of my legal training. Prior to law school I worked at Hewlett Packard, and during law school I worked at Fulbright & Jaworski (now Norton Rose Fulbright) and Ogletree Deakins (formerly Ogeltree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart).

I have been licensed to practice law for 9 years and have been exclusively practicing criminal law in the central Texas (Travis, Williamson, and Hays counties) area for 8 years. Fast response time and accessibility are the strengths of my practice. I have no employees and am...

I specialize in all types of Family Law cases. A substantial amount of is in traditional, litigated divorces. I prefer the former because it is (in my opinion) a less expensive and more efficient process which gives the divorcing couple the opportunity to improve their communications, settle their disputes with dignity and preserve valuable family relationships. Even in emotional circumstances, I help resolve your divorce through mediation, allowing you a strong voice in the outcome. But we are also prepared to take your case to court if that will provide the best resolution. I handle divorce cases involving a...

I was born and raised in Austin, Texas where my parents set roots from Mexico. I attended the Liberal Arts Academy at the former Johnston High School in East Austin and went on to double major in journalism and government at UT Austin. During my studies at UT, I had the privilege of interning at NBC Mexico/ Telemundo in Mexico City. I also studied abroad in Paris for a semester, where I honed my French language skills. After my undergraduate studies, I worked for a national non-profit organization and later enrolled in law school. Part of my studies took me...

TCDLA Percy Foreman Lawyer of the Year 2014
Board Certified in Criminal Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, conferred and recertified since1995
Board Certified in Criminal Appellate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, conferred and recertified since 2005
TCDLA Percy Foreman Lawyer of the Year 2008
Austin’s Best Unsung Hero, Austin Chronicle 2007
Super Lawyer, Texas Monthly 2003-present
Best Lawyers in America 2006-present
Martindale-Hubble Highest “AV” Rating from both peers and judges
Listed in the Registry of Preeminent Lawyers
President’s Award, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association 2007
President’s Award, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association 2006
President’s Award, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association 2005
President’s Award, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association 2004
President’s Award,...

Kalani Hawks Villafranca practices U.S. immigration law because she believes everyone deserves to feel like they belong in their home and with their families. She loves helping her clients live the life they want to live, wherever they want to live, with the people who matter most to them.

Abogada Kalani has over a decade of experience as an attorney and for several years was the managing attorney for the Texas Here to Stay/Texas No Nos Vamos coalition. She helped bring free legal clinics to communities throughout Texas and provided guidance to thousands of immigrants seeking to renew their DACA...

Richard Self joined Pless Law Firm in 2021, bringing six years of expertise in real estate and business transactions. He began his practice working in San Francisco focusing on construction related litigation. Rich went on to receive his masters from the University of Denver in Real Estate Development and then working at a mid-size firm where he provided counsel to real estate clients in a variety of areas including drafting and reviewing purchase and sale agreements, lease agreements, lease amendments, and other transactional agreements. He currently centers his practice around assisting clients with business governance documents, negotiation of commercial leases, loan...

Helping individuals navigate the criminal justice system.

Mr. Deffenbaugh can offer over thirty years of legal expertise in an array of legal areas. He has worked on cases involving contracts, probate, taxation, insurance, real estate, oil and gas, business startups, and credit unions. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from St. Mary’s University in 1975 and become a Certified Public Accountant in 1977. Mr. Deffenbaugh went on to complete his Master of Business Administration at the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1982. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from St. Mary’s University Law School in 1992. Mr. Deffenbaugh has been a small business owner for...

Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by Texas Board of Legal Specialization and CPA

Ms. Crawford represents clients in a variety of commercial and business related matters and litigation. Her primary focus is on first party insurance litigation.

Prior to joining Doyen Sebesta & Poelma, LLLP, Ms. Crawford practiced in the Houston area and gained valuable experience by conducting depositions, successfully resolving cases through mediations, and arguing at the district and county level in contested hearings involving commercial litigation matters. Ms. Crawford successfully first chaired her first trial in the Harris County Civil District Court, gaining a favorable judgment after two days of trial.

Ms. Crawford earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from The...

My name is Leonardo De La Garza, but please call me Leo. I founded De La Garza Law, PLLC, to help protect and unite families who feel less and less secure in this anti-immigrant political world. I understand that the immigration process can be the most challenging and emotionally draining process a person will ever undergo. It is worth having the help of an experienced immigration attorney to get it right the first time.

As the son of a Mexican immigrant father and Chicana mother, I believe representing immigrants and their families is a way to give back to the...

I spent most of my legal career as an Assistant Attorney General and became Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law, and became an appellate expert. Most of my time there was spent in Tort Litigation, where I defended doctors, nurses, PA's, and Medical Schools. I also tried premises and general negligence cases. Now I teach at ACC’s paralegal program and practice criminal defense, and personal injury.

I have practiced oil and gas law in Texas since 1975, specializing in representation of land and mineral owners. I am certified in oil and gas law by Texas Board of Legal Specialization. I have been employed at Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody in Austin, Texas since 1978, and have been serving as President of the firm since January 2018.

Graduated from St. Stephens Episcopal School 1968. Undergraduate Yale University 1972, JD University of Texas 1975, Clerk on Texas Supreme Court 1975-76, Justice Ross Doughty.

A San Antonio native, Joseph W. Shulter has been practicing law for over 34 years; he has been licensed since 1981. He has practiced consumer bankruptcy law for 27 years. Joseph W. Shulter has worked for several firms in San Antonio and has now decided to open his own practice. He is Board Certified, Consumer Bankruptcy -- Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Attorney David McQuade Leibowitz, P.C. is a personal injury lawyer dedicated to serving clients in San Antonio, Texas and the surrounding areas. At The Law Offices of David McQuade Leibowitz, P.C., Attorney Leibowitz approaches each case with the motto “Leibowitz never quits.” He is wholeheartedly committed to giving his clients the best legal assistance and representation that he can offer. Attorney Leibowitz graduated from The University of Notre Dame. After graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accountancy, he continued his education at St. Mary’s University School of Law and obtained a J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence. He was admitted...

Before starting his own law practice, Don worked for a well-regarded corporate law firm, for a state attorney general, and as a judicial law clerk. He has seen first-hand how the law is made, how it is shaped by court decisions, and how it affects business clients. Don began his legal career with a one-year clerkship at the Texas Supreme Court, which is Texas's highest court and focuses on civil (not criminal) cases. Law clerks help the Court evaluate which of the roughly one thousand petitions filed each year should be granted and help the Justices write their opinions. His private practice...

Since 2005, attorney Mark Kinzler has successfully assisted hundreds of immigrants and their families in securing the American dream. Mr. Kinzler has represented and advised clients in a wide variety of immigration-related matters, both as private practice attorney and as the director of a major Austin-area non-profit immigration services program. He has been a tireless advocate for his clients. Mr. Kinzler has also been a staunch advocate for the rights of immigrants at both the local and national level by participating in and organizing lobbying efforts to put a stop to the harsh and inhumane effects of many current U.S....

Blair Leake is a young attorney with considerable litigation experience and success. His practice thus far has focused on civil and criminal trial work, as well as estate and business planning. Blair attended the University of Texas for his undergraduate degree and received his doctorate of jurisprudence at the University of Houston Law Center.

Amanda Traphagan is a Texas tax attorney who has spent her entire legal career assisting taxpayers with contested tax matters. She has assisted taxpayers against the Texas Comptroller, the Internal Revenue Service, and tax authorities of other states in administrative proceedings as well as state and federal trial and appellate courts. Amanda Traphagan is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas, the United States Tax Court, and before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and District of Columbia Circuits. Amanda Traphagan's published state tax cases include the Texas Supreme Court cases Combs v. Roark Amusement &...

Rand recently joined The Butler Firm after heading up the bankruptcy department at Patricia Brown & Associates, P.C. He has extensive knowledge and experience handling bankruptcy cases and enjoys finding creative ways to obtain debt relief for consumers and businesses. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Rand moved to Austin in the late-nineties to attend the University of Texas at Austin. While in college, Rand met his wife and developed a love of Austin that would stay with him for the remainder of his life. After acquiring a bachelor's degree in Economics with a minor in Business Administration, Rand enrolled in...

Kevin Collins focuses upon environmental crime and other litigation, counseling during grand-jury investigations, and internal corporate investigations. He practices in state, federal, and administrative courts. Prior to joining Baker Botts, Mr. Collins served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Texas. As a former federal prosecutor, he has signficant experience leading government investigations and prosecuting individuals and corporations who committed crimes in several areas including environmental crime, health-care fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering.

Anthony Choueifati graduated from the University of Houston with a B.A. in Psychology in 2002 and from South Texas College of Law, receiving his Juris Doctorate in 2005. His 19+ years of experience plays a significant role in advising clients, whether that involves forming business entities, complex partnership agreements, contract drafting and negotiation, estate planning, or mergers and acquisitions. Anthony enjoys meeting business owners of all types and strives to form long-lasting relationships with his clients. Anthony is married, has two children, and enjoys golf and traveling.

Scott Cook represents employees in a variety of employment disputes with their employers. Scott Cook is Board Certified in Labor & Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has dedicated his career to extensive knowledge and practice in the area of employment law. His law firm, the Cook Law Firm, also focuses primarily on the representation of employees in employment law cases, ranging from disputes regarding unpaid overtime to discrimination to retaliation (and a long list of other matters). Dedicated to obtaining justice and fairness in the workplace, the Cook Law Firm continues to...

Mr. Trevino practices exclusively in Immigration Law. He has represented foreign nationals from almost every country and continues to reunite families and provides invaluable assistance to individuals wanted to keep their foreign relatives in the United States.

Nick has been practicing law since 2014, representing businesses and individuals before the courts and in negotiations. Now, his primary practice regards residential construction transactions and litigation. He takes a tailored approach to each client matter. In complex cases, he leverages sophisticated strategies, hard work, and his firm's veteran team members. With smaller issues, he focuses on achieving efficient and swift solutions without "breaking the bank." In every case, he prioritizes communication with clients and integrity. Nick grew up in rural Northeast Texas in the dairy farming community. Later, he obtained his accounting and law degrees from The University of Texas...

Micah McBride is licensed to practice law in Texas and Utah and has been admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Utah, the Supreme Court of Texas, the Federal District Court for the Western District of Texas and the Federal District Court for the District of Utah. Mr. McBride’s practice is focused on corporate law where he engages in a wide variety of business transactions including drafting and negotiating contracts, winding down, business formation, secured transactions, and other commercial transactions. Mr. McBride also dedicates a significant portion of his practice to counseling a variety of businesses ranging from...

Elizabeth Reed is an employment based immigration attorney in San Antonio, TX. She handles simple to complex immigration cases. She specializes in Employment Based Immigration Visa's and Visa applications; such as the L1A Visa, EB-1C Visa, E-2 Treaty Investors Visa, TN Visa, E-1 Treaty Traders Visa, PERM: Labor Certification and H-2B.

At Christiansen Law Firm, we work hard to help clients reach a positive resolution in their case. Our family law, immigration, and probate attorneys take a genuine interest in your legal issues and we pride ourselves on the personalized service we provide. You will find everyone in our office to be friendly, approachable and ready to help. Contact our law firm online or call 281-579-2800 to schedule an initial consultation.

Kevin L. Collins has practiced law for more than 25 years, primarily in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, and the surrounding areas at The Law Offices of Kevin Collins. He received his bachelor of arts from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1983 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1986. Mr. Collins is a board-certified specialist in both criminal law and juvenile law as recognized by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is also a member of the Sentencing Committee of the National Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association. As a specialist in juvenile law, Mr. Collins...

A 2012 alum of St. Mary’s University School of Law, I practice and provide counseling in the areas of intellectual property and commercial litigation. I am a registered patent attorney, allowing me to prosecute patents and trademarks and represent clients in administrative proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Fluent in Spanish, I am able to provide bilingual services for his clients. Prior to attending law school, I graduated with a B.S. in biochemistry, with honors, from St. Mary’s University and then enrolled in the UTMB School of Medicine in Galveston, TX. I am a member of...