Newsmakers of the Month
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Robert Crain, Crain Lewis Brogdon[/caption] MovesPeggy Heeg has joined Reed Smith as partner in its global energy and natural resources practice group. Heeg’s practice focuses on pipeline development, regulatory compliance and corporate governance. She joins Reed Smith from the Houston office of Norton Rose Fulbright, where she was a partner and former member of the firm’s executive committee. Zack Tobolowsky has joined Munck Wilson Mandala as an associate in the firm’s commercial litigation practice group. Tobolowsky represents clients in commercial litigation and intellectual property disputes. He received his J.D. from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, where he graduated cum laude and served as president of the SMU International Law Review Association. Andy Mielnik has joined Munck Wilson mandala as an associate in the firm’s commercial litigation practice group. Mielnik represents clients in complex litigation matters, including matters involving breach of fiduciary duty, business torts, securities law, real property, insurance, and oil and gas disputes. He previously practiced law at Winstead, and he was a judicial law clerk to Judge Walter S. Smith Jr. and Judge B. Dwight Goains, both of the U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas. Brandon Jones has joined Winstead as shareholder in the firm’s taxation, employee benefits & private business practice group. Jones has more than 15 years of experience counseling clients across a variety of industries, including energy, entertainment, health care, hospitality, insurance, retail and waste recycling. Israel Miller joins Gray Reed tax practice group. Prior to joining Gray Reed, Israel served for five years as a trial attorney for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. While at the Comptroller’s office, he personally handled more than 1,700 cases and litigated over 850 of them. Mark Waite has joined DLA Piper in Houston as partner. Waite’s practice focuses on commercial litigation. He has extensive experience in petrochemicals. Waite joins the firm from LyondellBasell, a chemical company, where he served as head of global litigation. Awards and other newsSara Burgin, a partner at Bracewell, has been elected to the American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL), an association of distinguished environmental lawyers whose members are admitted by invitation from their peers. Burgin has helped industrial and municipal clients navigate through issues related to water quality, including permitting and compliance and enforcement matters relating to industrial and stormwater discharges. Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson, has opened a new full-time office in the North Dallas suburb of Frisco, the firm’s third full-service location for clients needing representation in divorce and other family law matters. The new office location is 2600 Network Blvd., North Dallas. Henrik Strand, a third-year law student at Texas A&M University School of Law, will serve as clerk for Justice John Phillip Devine of the Texas Supreme Court this fall. Stand did a six-week summer internship with Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht. The Dallas Bar Association recently held its annual meeting, where it recognized its officers for 2018. Officers are Michael Hurst, of Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst, president; Laura Benitez Geisler, of the Geisler Law Firm, president-elect; Robert Tobey, of Johnston Tobey Baruch, first vice president; Aaron Tobin, of Condon Tobin Sladek Thornton, second vice president; and Vicki D. Blanton, of AT&T, secretary-treasurer. Rob Crain, of Crain Lewis Brogdon, will serve as immediate past-president. The DBA also recognized several award recipients at its awards luncheon. Kim Askew, of K&L Gates, was awarded the inaugural DBA Distinguished Service Award. This award, which going forward will be named the Kim Askew Distinguished Service Award, recognizes the DBA member who, through service to the Association and the Dallas community, has shown a lasting dedication to good works while promoting good relations among lawyers, the judiciary and the community. The Texas Center for Legal Ethics & Professionalism, along with the DBA, awarded the Morris Harrell Professionalism Award to Roy Stacy of Stacy Conder Allen. The Outstanding Minority Attorney Award was awarded to Jennifer Wang of Carter Scholer. The Jo Anna Moreland Outstanding Committee Chair Awards were presented to Kathy Roux, of the Law Office of Kathy E. Roux, chair of the Minority Participation Committee, and Alex Farr of Vinson & Elkins and Keith Pillers of Bank of Texas, co-chairs of the Publications Committee. The Intellectual Property Law Section, chaired by Marc Hubbard of Hubbard Johnston received the Cathy Maher Special Section Award.
