McCulloch County Appeals & Appellate Lawyers

Professional Summary
Experienced appellate and criminal defense counsel with accomplished background in State and Federal litigation. Over twenty years of experience in both whitecollar and blue-collar cases ranging from State misdemeanors to Federal felonies.

Education
University of Texas School of Law,
J.D., cum laude – 1995

Academic Publications
Yes: Juries Can and Should Correct the Overly Broad use of Criminal
Sanctions, in W.R. Palacios, P.F. Cromwell, R.G. Dunham, ed., Crime and Justice in America: Present Realities and Future Prospects, Prentice Hall,
2002

Jury Nullification: The Evolution of a Doctrine (Carolina Academic Press, 1998) 334 pages.

Professional...

John has been representing businesses and business people in the North Texas area for more than thirty years. He has tried numerous cases at various levels of the judicial system, including federal district court and state district court. He has presented appeals to the Supreme Court of Texas, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and ten of the fourteen intermediate courts of appeal in Texas. He has arbitrated cases before the American Arbitration Association and JAMS, Inc. In addition to his trial practice, John is a trained mediator and summary jury trial...

Ky Jurgensen is an experienced business and probate litigation attorney with an additional focus on estate administration. "I was attracted to probate work because, for many clients, it’s the first time they’ve worked with an attorney. They are going through a difficult personal loss and, in the midst of that, they must also complete a reckoning of their loved one’s estate. It is a complicated process. As an attorney, I can help people through that process and make it more manageable. Personally, that is very rewarding." Ky has advised and assisted numerous estate executors and beneficiaries through probate disputes, from contested wills...

I litigate and appeal in real estate and Constitutional law. I defend homeowners against HOAs, banks, and insurance companies. Foreclosure and foreclosure defense, eviction defense, and home equity loan litigation are most of what we do.

Prominent cases included Pangborn v. Burnet County over a bill of attainder limiting real estate development rights, Piatt v. City of Austin over racially discriminatory affirmative action in the Police Department, and Hendee v. Dewhurst over Texas constitutional spending limits.

Former clerk for Texas Supreme Court Justice Steven Wayne Smith.

I practice criminal defense in both state and federal court throughout Texas state courts and in federal courts all over the United States. I handle all criminal cases from misdemeanors to serious and complicated felonies at both the trial court level and post conviction. We handle trial cases, appeals, writs and parole as well as personal injury matters. As a former prosecutor, I can offer valuable insight and an aggressive defense in criminal cases and real experience in front of juries in all trial cases. We try cases when so many lawyers are at a disadvantage because they...

Colin McLaughlin is a principal partner at Hoeller McLaughlin PLLC and is a former Assistant District Attorney (Prosecutor) and experienced trial attorney. Colin is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Note: we are only accepting new criminal and DWI cases in Tarrant County, Texas only. Colin's goal is to get the best outcome on your case and will fight to protect your rights, your future, and your freedom. His leadership has helped Hoeller Mclaughlin PLLC obtain over 250 5 star reviews in Google alone. Colin has over 15 years of experience dealing...

Farbod Farnia leads the Appellate Litigation Section at McCathern. Mr. Farnia represents parties in civil appeals and original proceedings in a broad array of cases from multiple practice areas. He has successfully prosecuted and defended appeals in cases including constitutional law, labor & employment disputes, non-subscriber negligence actions, and complex commercial litigation. Mr. Farnia has been named a Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine in 2014 and 2015. His clients include individuals, small businesses, and large corporations, whom he has guided through both the trial and appellate stages of litigation.

At the Houston, Texas law firm of Abraham Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, firm partner Brant J. Stogner consistently tries cases to verdict, successfully trying 12 cases in his first three years at the firm. Today, he exclusively represents plaintiffs, focusing his practice on catastrophic personal injury matters, product defect cases, gas explosions, drownings, 18 wheeler and commercial auto accidents. Brant is board-certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in personal injury trial law and received this certification within the first five years of legal practice. In 2009, Brant won the largest verdict in Texas...

As one of the founding partners at Lyons & Simmons, LLP, Attorney Michael Lyons is dedicated to providing top-tier legal services for each and every one of his clients. Currently, he handles a wide range of cases in several practice areas, including those that involve personal injury, products liability, professional liability, wrongful death, and complex business disputes. Before committing his life to trial work, Lyons attended The University of Texas where he achieved his Bachelor of Arts degree. Following his undergraduate studies, he attended South Texas College of Law where he achieved his Juris Doctorate, graduating cum laude and as a...

Multi-State Barred Attorney, Scott F. Lemanski began practicing law in the Corpus Christi area in 2005. Scott served as an assistant district attorney exlusively in County Court at Law No. 5, handlng all aspects of juvenile prosecutions. During his tenure with the district attorney's office, Scott handled certifications, pleas, bench trials, and jury trials, with an attention to hard work and a belief that his work was making a difference in the lives of victims, juveniles and the community. Scott is well educated in the legal requisites regarding guardianship law. All this experience has provided Scott with a firm foundation...

Laura D. Heard has practiced law in San Antonio, Texas for her entire career, spanning more than 3 decades. She is known for her motto: "Justice Flows from Truth, Compassion, Wisdom & Persistence." She is a Family Law Mediator, Divorce Attorney, Wills and Probate Attorney. Laura is tenacious and experienced, and also a great listener. She has handled hundreds of cases in Bexar County and the surrounding counties. She can help with child custody cases, property division disputes, alimony, child support, adoptions, executing new Wills, creating trusts, and probate after death. Laura is a family law Mediator...

For more than 20 years, Attorney Jeffrey C. Grass has committed his life to safeguarding the rights and futures of those who have been accused of crimes. Due to his steadfast commitment to judiciary work, Attorney Grass has representation clients before the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Texas. His successes have led him to an inclusion among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers Association as well as the 10 Best for Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys. Before founding the Law Offices of Jeffrey C. Grass, he served as...

Ms. Walter is an experienced trial lawyer, with a practical, business-oriented approach to handling cases. Her practice focuses on business litigation matters, including contracts, leases, construction, real estate, collections and Deceptive Trade Practices case and business owners' disputes. It Feels Good to Prevail!

1997 to Present President, Walter Law Firm, P.C., Houston, TX

2011 to 2012 Burleson, LLP, Houston, TX
Senior Counsel. Business litigation matters, including contracts, leases, collections, construction, real estate title, DTPA, fraud. Preparation of oil and gas title opinions.

1991 to 1996 Whittington, Pfeiffer & Vacek, Houston, TX
Associate Attorney....

A native of Commerce and Temple, Texas, Attorney Paul F. Wieneskie brings over 30 years of practice experience to Bailey & Galyen, with an emphasis on civil appeals, municipal law (representing cities or private citizens), economic development concerns, and land use and planning. He has been board-certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1994, an honor accorded to less than one in every ten lawyers in the state of Texas. He is also AV-rated by his colleagues in the legal profession under Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Rating System®* (since 1997). Paul has successfully represented clients...

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...

Jack Ternan's practice includes extensive experience in commercial litigation, business litigation, arbitration, appeals and appellate, corporate litigation, real estate litigation, breach of contract, open government litigation, partnership / business divorce disputes, and other civil litigation. Mr. Ternan also has experience in advising businesses and individuals on how to resolve or settle disputes without litigation. Jack Ternan grew up in Plano, Texas, where he currently resides with his wife and sons. Prior to starting the Ternan Law Firm, Mr. Ternan was a partner at Bickel & Brewer, now known as Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. He has been...

Beginning her legal career as a prosecutor with the Bexar County District Attorneyâs Office and as a special prosecutor at the Medina County District Attorneyâs Office, Attorney Kerrisa Chelkowksi has gained invaluable experience. Knowing and understanding how the other side of the courtroom operates provides a tremendous advantage to her overall case defense. Using creative strategies, she is more easily able to protect her clientsâ rights in a way that is both aggressive and strong. Ranked as a 10.0 Superb Avvo rated lawyer by both her peers and past clients, this is the highest possible score that an attorney can...

Cynthia Hujar Orr uses her extensive experience to aid those across Texas facing a range of criminal charges. She is a highly respected member of the criminal defense community and has received numerous awards for her contributions to her field. She is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in both Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate Law, a distinction earned by less than 10% of attorneys. After earning her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Cynthia began studying law at St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio. She received her license to practice law in Texas...

Joseph Watts is an attorney and CEO at The Watts Law Firm, P.C. He has been practicing law in Houston, Texas for nearly 25 years. Before Joseph started practicing law, he was studying to be an attorney at Creighton University School of Law in Omaha, Nebraska. After graduating Joseph moved to Houston to start his dream career of being a lawyer. He has spent the past 25 years working within the justice system and along side other experienced attorney's. He continues to use the knowledge he has gained over the years everyday on every case.

Abogado Hispano con mas de 20 años de experiencia y autorizado a litigar casos Estatales y Federales. Atendemos principalmente casos Criminales, Inmigración, Familia y Apelaciones. Tenemos gran experiencia defendiendo casos de alcohol, abuso sexual y defensa de insanidad mental, entre otros. Bilingual attorney admitted to practice Law in Texas, the U.S. Federal Southern District of Texas, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. For the past years, I have been litigating and providing advice in the areas of Criminal law, Immigration, Appellate, and family law. I have strong experience litigating DWI, mental...

After working at Houston mega-firms, Corpus Christi and Victoria mid-size firms, and two different Courts of Appeals, Leslie A. Werner opened her own firm in Victoria, TX, in 2007 under The Soliz Law Group, her then-married last name. Leslie has taken what she learned from her variety of experiences and has not only become a well-rounded attorney but created a firm that has embodied the best attributes of her previous workplaces. Her experience at the 1st and 13th Court of Appeals and her association with the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for Civil Appeals has allowed her to be the...

Jim Dunnam is a Board Certified Specialist in both Civil Trial Law and Family Law. Jim was born and has spent his entire life in Waco. He graduated from Baylor University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and from Baylor Law School in 1987 with a Juris Doctor degree. Since being licensed to practice law in 1988, Jim has worked as a member of Dunnam & Dunnam, where he is a partner. Jim was named Young Lawyer of the Year by Baylor University in 2001. Among other positions, Jim has served on...

Robert Chisholm's law practice focuses on representing disabled veterans in the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and before the Department of Veterans Affairs. Robert has been representing disabled veterans since 1990. During his extensive career, Robert has successfully represented veterans before the Board of Veterans' Appeals, Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Robert is a founding member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Bar Association and served as President of that organization for the year 2002-2003. Mr. Chisholm served as the President of the...

John S. “Jack” Edwards, Jr. handles a wide variety of civil matters in state and federal courts throughout the country. He has represented clients in antitrust, contracts, copyright, ERISA, fraud, insurance coverage, product liability, securities, trade secrets, toxic tort, and wrongful death cases. Many of his cases involve highly technical industries, such as vehicle manufacturing or radio-communication systems. Others involve representing victims of financial fraud, whether in single-plaintiff actions or in class actions under ERISA or securities law. He has tried cases in Texas and Pennsylvania.

Learn more at www.thewhitelawfirm.com.

Anjali Nigam has experience litigating cases on both sides of the aisle. Anjali has litigation and trial experience in both State and Federal courts across the country. In her career, Anjali has a number of years defending small business in commercial and business claims, as well as working on class action and large antitrust matters. Her training helped prepare her for plaintiffs work as she now takes on defendants like those she used to represent. Anjali has had a decade of experience with a number of plaintiffs firms including The Ammons Law Firm. ...

Voted Johnson County's #1 lawyer or law firm for 5 years, Scott is a general practice attorney with an emphasis on civil litigation, trial and appeals. He has handled many jury trials and appeals covering areas that include real estate, oil & gas and business transactions. Scott also currently serves as Mayor of Cleburne. In addition to litigation and trial, the attorneys at Cain & Associates handle transactional matters ranging from estate planning and wills to real estate transactions and corporate matters. The firm's areas of practice include real estate, probate, oil & gas, business and contract.

Sean’s years of experience as an active-duty US Army Captain in the selective and prestigious US Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps are a valuable asset to Tully Rinckey PLLC’s military law practice group. Having served his country honorably at the largest military installation in the world in Fort Hood, Texas as a Judge Advocate from 2009 until 2013, Sean is an aggressive and tenacious advocate for all service members facing legal issues. He is able to pull from his significant and diverse experience as an active-duty attorney in the Army JAG Corps, and as a civilian military law attorney,...

For the first 7 years of his career, Philip engaged in a general civil trial practice, with an emphasis on personal injury defense and commercial litigation cases. In personal injury litigation, Philip defended businesses and individuals in cases involving premises liability, products liability, motor vehicle accidents, and general negligence claims. In commercial litigation, he defended businesses in cases involving claims for breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, and insurance coverage disputes.

In 2008, Philip turned his attention away from representing corporations, insurance companies and insureds, and began focusing on family law. Since then, Philip has handled hundreds of family law...

Mr. Mickelsen is "AV" rated by Martindale Hubbell, an independent evaluation which identifies a lawyer with "very high to preeminent legal ability". He was also voted by his peers as a "Super Lawyer" in criminal defense in 2004 - 2014. In his six years at the Federal Public Defender's Office, Mr. Mickelsen acquired extensive experience in virtually every kind of federal criminal case, including numerous high profile "white-collar" cases. In 1998, Mr. Mickelsen left the public defender's office to form the partnership of Broden & Mickelsen. Broden & Mickelsen represents clients in federal courts throughout...

A former Harris County prosecutor, Rosario Stornello has since gone on to become one of Houston's leading criminal defense attorneys. With nearly a decade of experience as a prosecutor, Rosario has a unique insight into the workings of the criminal justice system and he brings this understanding to the table in his work defending clients. His work as a defense lawyer has earned him accolades such as the 10.0 "Superb" score on Avvo and inclusion in the Houstonia Top Lawyers list.

Levi G. McCathern, II is widely recognized as one of the premier litigation lawyers in Texas. He is Board Certified in both Civil Trial Law and Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a double certification held by only 26 of the 87,000 attorneys in Texas.

Mr. McCathern specializes in catastrophic damage litigation and is frequently summoned to defend specialized, high-damage claims, including all types of commercial litigation. In addition, he has served as lead counsel for numerous jury trials and is regularly called upon to provide legal consultation to companies throughout the country.

Mr. McCathern serves as...

Troy Hornsby has been involved in over 250 appellate proceedings including civil and criminal appeals to Texas, Federal and Arkansas Courts of Appeals. He also has extensive experience in complex probate litigation matters.

As the managing shareholder of Hendershot Cowart P.C., I look out for the best interest of our clients by utilizing our many years of combined experience practicing business law, business litigation, health law, and regulatory compliance. Our tagline is: "Your Attorneys. Your Team. Your Law Firm for Life." And that's true. It's my approach to client service, and it lays the foundation for our collaboration – now and into the future. My decision to practice law was inspired by the strong work ethic of my father and grandfather. Being a successful attorney requires dedication and experience. Whether reviewing an employment contract or...

I am a former prosecutor, and have been practicing criminal law since 2007. I am an aggressive trial lawyer that will fight for your rights! I was recently voted best criminal defense attorney, best criminal appellate attorney, and best juvenile attorney in Hays County.

I provide bankruptcy solutions for consumers and business primarily in the greater Houston area but also in other parts of Texas and the rest of the United States. I also represent clients nationwide in federal appeals.

Attorney Jesse Hoffman joined McCathern, PLLC in 2011 from the Texas Attorney General’s Office and now has a thriving business litigation and appellate practice with McCathern, PLLC.

Mr. Hoffman represents some of the most promising and successful businesses in the nation, and is routinely recognized for his accomplishments by both clients and respected legal publications. He specializes in Civil, Business & Employment Litigation, and serves as Outside General Counsel for corporate clients. Mr. Hoffman is licensed to practice in all Texas State Courts, all Federal District Courts in Texas, and in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Hoffman earned his bachelor’s...

Don Flanary serves as a passionate defense attorney to those facing criminal charges in the San Antonio area and across the State of Texas. He believes that attorneys should serve as more than just counselors to those in difficult situations, but that they are obligated to fight tirelessly for the futures of every client, no matter how challenging the situation may seem. With a decade of legal experience, Don Flanary has taken on a variety of both state and Federal charges in Bexar County, TX. Some of these charges include misdemeanors, felony drug charges, white collar crimes, and federal...