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Lawyers on the Move & in the News
New Members of the TCBA:
LAWYERS ON THE MOVE & in the News
ATTORNEYS
Colleen Bolin Jessica Brewer Bessie Brostein Paukl Denney Mark Flores Carlos Galliani Ryan Hale Autumn Keefer Edgar Korzeniowski Mary Martin Renea Overstreet Andrea Phillips Amy Pletscher Christina Russo Arin Schall Nicholas Scott John Shipley Uchena Spencer Steven Stratso Amar Thakrar Juan-Joel Tovanche Khanay Turner Whitney Warren Virginia Winn
ASSOCIATE
Kory Giddens
STUDENTS
Haven Albiez Austin Eboh Michael Johnson Lelan Namy David Wilde
Blake Bailey Joe Cleveland D. Mark Daniel Alan C. Duncan Claudine G. Jackson
Joe Cleveland of Brackett & Ellis was elected Chair of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. He was also awarded the Fritz Lanham Trademark Award in recognition of his significant accomplishments in the legal community related to trademarks. Mr. Cleveland is the author of the book Fritz Garland Lanham—Father of American Trademark Protection (Bookhouse Group). The book traces Fort Worth Congressman Lanham’s rise from local prosecutor to the halls of Congress where he ushered in sweeping federal legislation that has served as a foundation of trademark laws in this country and around the globe.
Law offices of Laird & McCloskey founder Steven C. Laird has been named to the Best Lawyers in America list for 2023 as one of the best plaintiffs’ personal injury attorneys in the country. His 2023 selection marks the 12th consecutive year to be honored by the prestigious legal guide. Mr. Laird has over 40 years of experience representing clients involved in trucking accidents and other personal injury claims. He has long been recognized for his success in securing favorable verdicts in complex personal injury litigation. A courthouse veteran, Mr. Laird is one of only five trial lawyers in North Texas who are Board Certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is also Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and in Personal Injury Trial Law and Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Brackett & Ellis is pleased to announce Tom Myers has received the Kelly Frels Lifetime Achievement Award. The School Law Section of the State Bar of Texas recognized Mr. Myers with this award in July 2022. The Kelly Frels Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes attorneys who have made outstanding contributions to the practice of school law and for their lifetime contributions to the School Law Section.
Brackett & Ellis is pleased to announce the addition of attorney Samantha Palma and associate attorney Dillon Minick. Samantha Palma has over 10 years of experience as a litigator with a primary focus on insurance defense. Before joining Bracket & Ellis, Ms. Palma managed a property and personal injury litigation practice for a large insurance company. Samantha received her Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University in 2011 and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at John Brown University in 2008. Dillon Minick received his Juris Doctorate from Texas Tech School of Law in 2021 and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree from Abilene Christian University in 2018. Dillon practices primarily in the areas of commercial litigation and general litigation.
If you are a TCBA member and would like to place an announcement in the Bar Bulletin, we would like to hear from you! Please submit information by email to elizabeth@tarrantbar.org.
Paige C. Jones Steven C. Laird Dillon Minick Alicia A. Murphy Tom Myers Samantha Palma
Six Phelps lawyers from the firm’s Fort Worth offices earned a spot on The Best Lawyers in America’s 2023 lists. One joined “Ones to Watch,” and two made the list of “Best Lawyers” for the first time this year. This list features lawyers with less than 10 years in practice and includes Fort Worth attorney Alicia A. Murphy, who was chosen for her work in insurance law. Of the Phelps attorneys recognized by The Best Lawyers in America 2023, two of Phelps’ Dallas/Fort Worth attorneys made the list for the first time this year: Blake Bailey – Litigation – Antitrust Alan C. Duncan – Trusts and Estates All other Phelps Dallas/Fort Worth attorneys who made the “Best Lawyers” list include: D. Mark Daniel – Commercial Litigation Claudine G. Jackson – Employment Law – Management Paige C. Jones – Insurance Law Since 1983, Best Lawyers has been hailed as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Each year, it ranks lawyers by practice areas and locations. The 2023 edition is based on more than 13 million evaluations of lawyers by their peers and recognizes more than 131,000 lawyers in 147 practice areas worldwide. g
The Executive Committee of the Baylor Law Alumni Association has selected Michael P. Heiskell (J.D. ’74) as the 2022 Baylor Lawyer of the Year. Cynthia Clack (J.D. ’78), President of the Baylor Law Alumni Association, presented Heiskell with the award during a recognition luncheon at the Fort Worth Club on Thursday, September 15th.
Heiskell, who focuses his practice on criminal defense and representing civil rights litigants, is one of the three founding partners of the Fort Worth-based firm Johnson, Vaughn & Heiskell. He now serves as the senior attorney. Before founding the firm in 1984, he served as an assistant district attorney for Galveston County from 1975 to 1980 and as an assistant United States attorney in the Northern District of Texas from 1980 to 1984.
He received the “Lawyer of the Year Award” from the Tarrant County Black Bar Association in both 1995 and 2000. He was awarded the “Presidential Award of Excellence” by TCDLA in 1994, 1995, and 2003 and was inducted into the TCDLA’s Hall of Fame in 2015. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (“NACDL”). In 2020 he received the Blackstone Award from the Tarrant County Bar Association, the Bar’s highest honor. Texas Monthly Magazine has named him a “Super Lawyer” every year since 2003. He has also been recognized in “Texas Lawyer” as one of the “Extraordinary Minorities in Texas Law.”
Heiskell is a ‘Double Bear,’ graduating from Baylor University in 1972 and was the first African American graduate of Baylor Law, receiving his Juris Doctor in 1974. He currently serves on the Baylor University Board of Regents. g
Baylor Lawyer of the Year, Michael Heiskell (center), with Ambassador Ron Kirk, Baylor Law Alumni Association President Cynthia Clack, Baylor University President Linda Livingstone, and Dean Brad Toben at the Fort Worth Club on September 15, 2022.
