Wharton Lawyers

William B. (“Bill”) Connolly is from Houston, Texas and he has been a family, juvenile, protective services trial and appellate attorney for nearly 40 years. He is Board Certified in Family Law and Juvenile Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is a NACC Child Welfare Law Specialist and is a bar leader in the creation of the newly approved Texas Child Welfare Law Board Specialization. Bill is a former Adjunct Professor of Juvenile Law and has lectured and mentored attorneys, judges, CPS (DFPS) officials, juvenile court officials and healthcare professionals on a variety of subjects including substance...

With over 15 years of legal experience, John Scott Black has tried a wide range of cases involving first party insurance claims, catastrophic injury claims, and mass tort litigation for plaintiffs before judges and juries across Texas. His knowledge of commercial matters in a broad array of commercial litigation areas also allows him to confidently pursue cases involving securities fraud, contract claims, fiduciary duty matters, real estate transactions, patent matters, and institutional investor claims. Prior to joining his longtime friend, Rick Daly, to establish Daly & Black, P.C, John served as a legal intern to Justice James A. Baker...

I'm an international tax and estate planning attorney, focusing on foreign tax compliance and high-net-worth estate planning for individuals. When I'm not practicing law, I spend my time with my wife Emily and our rescued mutts Griswold and Molly, I run marathons (40 as of 4/1/18), and I volunteer with the Boy Scouts.

My practice includes traditional estate and disability planning, probate and estate administration, and the preparation of estate and gift tax returns. I design, implement, and administer trusts of all types and related business and investment structures, including taxation and compliance aspects of these structures.

After earning my BS...

Maryssa Simpson is a trial lawyer and partner in The Potts Law Firm’s Dallas office. Maryssa grew up in the small town of Bridgeport, Texas and is from a family of trial lawyers. Her background gave her a passion for trial work, and she carries that forward in her practice.

Maryssa graduated from Baylor University and received her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. During law school, Maryssa was an advocate for a national championship mock trial team and received the International Academy of Trial Lawyers Student Advocacy Award. While at UT, Maryssa also won Best Advocate...

Ruth A. Kollman is a 1990 graduate of Southern Methodist University School of Law. She has tried dozens of state and federal cases, both civil and criminal. She also has extensive state and federal appellate experience. She counsels attorneys throughout Texas in disciplinary rule compliance, in firms both large and small, in every area of practice. Texas courts have recognized her as an expert witness on legal ethics questions, and she has testified before the Texas Legislature regarding revisions to the Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure. She represents lawyers and judges in disciplinary proceedings and has...

Cordt Akers was born and raised in Houston, Texas to a family of attorneys and obtained his law degree at South Texas College of Law. At South Texas, Cordt excelled in the school’s nationally renowned trial advocacy program, earning the title of top trial advocate in his class and being named Regional Champion of the American Association for Justice Trial Competition in 2011. He was inducted into the prestigious Order of Barristers – a national honorary society for those who demonstrate extraordinary advocacy skills. He was also voted Most Outstanding Graduate of his law school class by his...

Houston employment attorney Melissa Moore is the founder of Moore & Associates, a law firm dedicated to advocating for the rights of employees. She is a confident advocate with 15+ years of experience under her belt, and she has obtained numerous favorable outcomes for clients. Ms. Moore has been included in H Texas Magazine’s list of the Top 100 Labor and Employment Attorneys for the past five years in a row, and she has been selected for inclusion in the 2012 Edition of Texas Super Lawyers®.

I've been doing civil litigation in Texas courts for fifteen years, and I am a proud board member of several committees of the Houston Bar Association. My practice focuses on the clients' needs and objectives.

Eddie L. Gomez is the founder and president of Eddie Gomez, P.C. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2003 with a B.B.A. in International Business, and earned his J.D. in 2006 from the University of Houston Law Center. Mr. Gomez has represented clients throughout the State of Texas in matters ranging from consumer litigation to criminal defense. Mr. Gomez is also licensed to practice law in the State of Nevada.

Robert Fadem is a plaintiff's trial attorney born and raised in Houston, Texas. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at University of Colorado at Boulder in 2010. He subsequently graduated from South Texas College of Law in December of 2013 where he was a dean's list student. While in law school at South Texas, Mr. Fadem interned for a prominent commercial litigation firm located in Houston, Texas. Following graduation, Mr. Fadem served as an attorney for Judge Michael Landrum at the 113th Civil District Court where he acquired countless hours of courtroom observation, legal research experience...

I represent plaintiffs who have been hurt. I am board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and handle catastrophic personal injury cases, but I also practice construction, securities, and complex commercial litigation, for companies and individuals. I am a native Houstonian and attended St. Thomas High School where I currently serve on the board. I went to Harvard and graduated with high honors, magna cum laude, in 2004. At Harvard, I served as Historian of the Harvard Political Union, the College's debating society, and as Secretary of Harvard CHANCE, a group dedicated to mentoring and tutoring students from Cambridge...

Jack B. Carroll has effectively executed his criminal-defense law practice in Houston, Texas, and Federal courts, for over 27 years. He's Board Certified® in criminal law per the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in addition to maintaining a flawless disciplinary record since being licensed to practice law in the State of Texas in 1990.
A dedicated student of the law, Jack scored within the top 10% of his class on the Texas Multi-State Bar Exam and is extremely good at what he does. His criminal defense trial results are a testament to his skill as an attorney. When a...

At Valdez Legal Advocacy ("VLA"), we handle a wide array of legal issues such as business development, immigration law, personal injury cases, real property issues, wills and probate, and more. We take the time to get to know each and every client in order to meet the need of each unique legal issue. We pride ourselves in simplified effective legal solutions that are coupled with technology and modern-day conveniences. VLA has also developed a network of experienced legal professionals to ensure your legal concerns do not go unresolved.

Jeff Joyce protects the critical business interests of his clients with over 30 years of experience in commercial litigation and the essential ingredients of sound judgment and a tenacious mindset. His representation of loan servicers, loan originators, financial institutions, real estate-based entities, insurance companies, manufacturing and distribution companies, and technology-based enterprises has earned him a strong reputation as a business lawyer. Recognized as a leader in the legal community, Jeff matches his experience and background with the entrepreneurial practice of law and the flexibility that affords his clients the opportunity to reach a reasonable business solution for their legal problems. Jeff...

Michael Callahan is a trial lawyer who fights for people. He has practiced in the area of personal injury law his entire legal career. Michael specializes in representing victims in serious injury cases, such as those involving spinal cord injury, paralysis, brain injury, loss of limb, burns, and wrongful death. Michael received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1989. Upon graduation, he moved to Houston to work as a design and construction engineer. For the next several years, Michael worked for two major engineering/construction firms and was involved in the...

Matt Parks is a dedicated trial attorney who has experience in business and commercial litigation, admiralty & maritime, energy, and personal injury. Matt attended the University of Texas Law School where he worked at the Environmental Law Clinic and on the Texas Environmental Law Journal. Matt also worked as a law clerk for the Texas Railroad Commission and a summer associate for Enbridge Energy. These hands on work experiences helped Matt hone the skills litigation skills that client have come to rely on him for. After graduation, Matt joined a Texas based litigation boutique where he focused...

Jim Hall is a partner in the Houston office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 2017 and focuses his practice on commercial, products, and premises liability litigation. An accomplished trial lawyer, he has handled numerous matters before state and federal appellate courts and the United States Supreme Court.

Jim is a certified mediator and was primary counsel in a nationwide “early look program” designed to resolve claims before suit was filed. He earned recognition from Thomson Reuters among the Texas Super Lawyers in civil litigation defense in 2006-2007. Jim is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubble.

Courtney Scobie’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts, arbitration, and federal government investigations. Her experience includes a fraud and theft case on behalf of a large technology company, a breach of fiduciary duty and legal malpractice case on behalf of a real estate investment trust, copyright infringement and trade secret misappropriation cases against a leading enterprise software company, an SEC investigation and a securities class action involving alleged accounting improprieties, several CFTC investigations involving the crude oil and natural gas liquids markets, contract and insurance disputes in the energy and petrochemical industries, product liability and...

I am a seasoned probate litigator with many years of transactional experience. I serve as a counselor and business advisor, guiding my clients through probate matters only after clearly establishing their goals. My practice is focused on probate, trust, and guardianship litigation matters. Additionally, I have experience in the real estate and energy sectors. My primary role involves handling litigation, but I am also well-versed in transactional matters across these areas. I have represented clients in both state and federal courts for over ten years.

David Siegel has helped thousands of people obtain redress through our court system. He has over 30 years of experience advising businesses and individuals in commercial litigation, fiduciary duty and partnership litigation, liability suits, mass tort actions, consumer class actions, securities litigation, and bankruptcy litigation.

David’s cross-border work includes arguing on behalf of clients located in the Philippines and Latin America, among other regions. His successes include successfully representing thousands of agricultural workers in toxic pesticide litigation; successfully representing investors in arbitration claims against their investment advisers; successfully representing wrongful death claimants in a suit against a private prison company for...

I focus my practice on oil and gas, energy, construction, commercial, and environmental litigation. My background as a project scientist for an environmental engineering and consulting firm has equipped me with a broad understanding of environmental, health and safety, and construction issues. Before attending law school, I worked closely with clients in the power generation, transmission, pipeline, and refining industries. This strong technical foundation, combined with my experience in representing clients across all aspects of the energy sector, gives me a unique perspective on the complex challenges my clients encounter. I have also had the privilege of serving as a Law...

Fighting financial fraud, breaches and commercial malfeasance! Kevin Corcoran is a distinguished trial lawyer who gets results for his clients. He has handled and tried a variety of complex and difficult fraud and commercial lawsuits with success, from bet-the-company litigation to individual claims. Kevin brings knowledgeable judgment and a strong work ethic to his cases. As a result of his skills and hard work, Kevin is respected as a trusted trial lawyer when results matter. Mr. Corcoran has represented clients in complex commercial disputes, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and catastrophic claims in the Trusts and Fiduciary, High Tech, Oil &...

Joe Gutheinz is licensed to practice law in ten courts, including the Texas Supreme Court; the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th, 10th and 11th Circuits; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; and the United States Supreme Court. He is a former Commissioner on the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, a Former Commissioned Member of the Texas State Council on Sex Offender Treatment and a Former Commissioned Member on the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Advisory Committee on Offenders with Medical and Mental Impairments. As a college instructor, he has taught over 200 graduate and...

Louis Leichter practices administrative, health, and criminal law, focusing on the area of licensure and license defense. Mr. Leichter advises clients on disciplinary actions and misconduct allegations that may affect their professional licenses. Mr. Leichter also represents clients on related issues that are divergent from the receipt of a disciplinary order within a healthcare practice. Peer review and medical staff privileges, practitioner data bank disputes, network agreements, contract negotiations, and license renewal questionnaires are important to medical and other health care professionals who are involved in disciplinary action. Prior to starting a private practice, Mr. Leichter prosecuted criminal cases as an...

Our practice is 100% devoted to family law matters including divorce, child custody, child support, grandparent rights, marital agreements, collaborative law, family law mediation, transgender issues, same sex marriages, and domestic partnerships. Because we limit our practice to family law, you can be assured that your case will get the attention and care you deserve. We can also offer you a better way to divorce using Collaborative Law, settling your case without utilizing the court system, or a relatively new program for high conflict cases called 'New Ways for Families.' Call us to request a free consultation...

With over 30 years of experience, Ricardo N. Gonzalez has tried numerous cases to jury verdict. After graduating from the University of Houston Law Center in 1984, Mr. Gonzalez opened up his own law office. He has represented clients involved with many areas of law. Some of these areas include criminal defense, wills, adoptions, juvenile defense, worker’s compensation, wrongful death, social security disability, maritime and jones act law, personal injury, immigration and others. Mr. Gonzalez strives to do the best for his clients. Mr. Gonzalez resides in Houston, Texas, with his wife, Martha, a retired schoolteacher....

Attorney Hal Agron began his career as a criminal prosecutor in the Montgomery County Attorneys Office responsible for defending Montgomery County and its elected officials in State and Federal court. After several years on the criminal side, Hal served as a civil litigator for the county until he left for the public sector in 1994 and began practicing law as in-house counsel for several national insurance carriers. Over the years, Hal Agron has tried and settled countless cases involving misdemeanors and felonies. Much of his success can be attributed to his skills in laying the groundwork and...

Blake Watson is a graduate of South Texas College of Law and Baylor University. After graduating law school, Blake went on to work at a large firm in Houston, Texas that specialized in personal injury. While there he helped his clients receive far and lucrative settlements for cases involving auto and 18-wheeler accidents, wrongful death, slip and falls, and work related injuries. From Houston, Blake took his practice to Bastrop and Austin Counties where his practice included everything from real estate transactions to business litigation. When he is not practicing law, Blake is an avid outdoors-man who enjoys all types...

After attending both undergraduate and law school at the University of Texas, Corey Young began his legal career as an appellate prosecutor in Montgomery County, Texas.

Sherry D Tavel has been licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Texas since 1989. She is board certified in Residential Real Estate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization with the State Bar of Texas. She has worked for the Texas Attorney General in the Child Support Division as Managing Attorney. Sherry has owned and managed Chicago Title Company in Deer Park, Texas. She was appointed as the first female for the City of Pasadena as a Municipal Judge, and is currently the Presiding Municipal Judge at Roman Forest, Texas.
Sherry D Tavel has also served as...

I completed my bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas and earned my law degree from the University of Houston, driven by a passion for defending people's rights. I hold service as one of my core values, dedicating quality time and effort to each case. I work closely with my clients, ensuring clear communication throughout the legal process. Growing up in Carrollton, Texas, I am deeply familiar with the Texas legal system and the specific needs of local clients. When I'm not advocating for my clients or seeking justice, I enjoy hiking in the DFW metroplex and exploring the...

An experienced trial attorney, primarily focused on criminal defense, child custody, divorce, real estate and business matters. My client selection criteria are based on merits as opposed to finances. I believe that, in decades past, citizens had greater access to representation in the courts, but that, due to changes in the profession and the economy, access to justice has become a problem for many. I try to address that problem by keeping my practice small, focused, selective, and project-based instead of volume-based. It works very well. I have also learned that maintaining credibility inside and outside the courtroom is not...

Ms. Webb is a founding member of The Webb Firm, P.C., and a former Assistant District Attorney in Montgomery County. During her tenure, she was promoted to a court chief, managed the environmental crimes division, participated in the Brady committee, and led the prescription fraud task force. She is deeply committed to assisting individuals struggling with addiction and mental health issues. Ms. Webb's work and dedication are well-recognized in the community. Ms. Webb earned her Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law and B.S. in Political Science from The University of Houston. She is actively involved in the Montgomery County...

Gabe Perez is an associate attorney at Zendeh Del & Associates, PLLC. Gabe holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Gabe earned his Juris Doctorate from Oklahoma City University’s College of Law and was a visiting student at the University of Oklahoma School of Law.

During his time at UTEP, Gabe was a Senator-at-Large for the Student Government Association, a member of the UTEP Men’s Division 1 Track & Field Team, and a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Gabe excelled in college track and field and was part of two...

Our lives our integrated, and work is no longer 9-5. Business is intertwined with family, and family is intertwined with work. A legal decision at work or at home doesn’t just effect you.

It’s important to have counsel that is present in your conversations, but futuristic in counseling so you can maximize the long-term goals of your company, your family, and your life.

it’s important to have counsel that understands that one sentence in a legal document can effect every other area of your company, your employees and/or your family.

Deborah understands the importance of words, of timing, and of the long...