Cross Roads Lawyers

James P. Whalen is the owner of Whalen Law Office in Frisco, Texas.

James graduated from Southern Methodist University School of Law in May 1995 and was admitted to the Texas Bar in November 1995 and is admitted to practice in the federal courts of the Eastern, Northern, Western and Southern Districts of Texas, Northern District of Illinois, as well as the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. James has been Board Certified in Criminal Law since 2002 and has been Board Certified in Criminal Appellate Law since 2017. Mr. Whalen practices exclusively in federal...

Clients with family law concerns can rely on Jack to put them on a better footing for the future. People going through divorce and other family issues make decisions that affect the rest of their lives, and Jack helps them prioritize what really matters. He steps into his clients’ shoes and advocates for them from a practical and empathetic perspective.

Megan was a family law paralegal for 16 years before becoming a family lawyer, and has seen firsthand what matters to clients: knowing their case is in good hands with an attorney who understands their personal situation and who is capable of providing personalized options for addressing their legal issues. With a combination of sound legal counsel and practical advice, Megan guides clients toward goal-oriented decision-making that positions them for a better future. Megan was named to the 2023 Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch © list in the field of Family Law.

ABOUT BEN
Dallas-based attorney Benjamin Palatiere is a courtroom veteran with over 10 years of experience helping individuals, families, and businesses in civil disputes.


Education

Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, 2008
Texas State University, magna cum laude, 2005


Licensed/Admitted

Benjamin is admitted to the Texas Bar and licensed to practice in all district and county courts at law throughout the state.


Groups / Clubs

Dallas Young Lawyers Association
Sigma Alpha Epsilon

Brandon leads the firm's bankruptcy practice at Tittle Law Group, PLLC ("TLG"), with a focus on corporate reorganization, restructuring, acquisitions and litigation. He has a wealth of experience representing entities in their Chapter 7 and 11 cases and out-of-court restructurings and creditors' committees. His practice also includes extensive general bankruptcy litigation. He has extensive experience managing complex bankruptcy restructuring cases, both on a national and international scale. He provides seamless service to his restructuring clients facing complicated insolvency issues and has experience across multiple industries, including automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, retail, and real estate. As the...

Carla De La Cruz was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Carla has practiced family law in DFW and surrounding counties since 2017 and joined the Bogdanowicz Family Law team in 2020. She has experience in all areas of family law and is a native Spanish speaker.

Carla graduated from the University of Puerto Rico and later attended Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law. While in law school, she gained family law experience interning at the Child Support Offices in the District Court of Ponce, Puerto Rico. She further developed her skills...

SEIFI LAW FIRM, PC is a DFW immigration law firm. We are dedicated to providing our client with competent and affordable legal representation and making their immigration experience less stressful and overwhelming. We are located in Plano, Texas and offer services in English, Persian, French and Spanish. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your immigration case with you.

Doug was raised in Kansas by a father that taught him the most important lesson in work ethic: “If you are going to do a job, do it right or not at all!” This is why Doug puts in the time and effort even when others would give up. He keeps fighting. It is that fundamental mindset that sets Doug apart from other lawyers. It was also that mindset that led him to graduate Texas A&M as a “Distinguished Student”; not an easy task, but his dedication paid off and he moved on to law school. Upon graduating from South Texas College...

After graduating from Sam Houston State University with a degree in law enforcement and political science, attorney J.L. Pierce spent three years working as a police officer for the Houston Police Department. After graduating from Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law, Mr. Pierce worked for three years as an Assistant District Attorney for the Collin County District Attorney's Office, where he prosecuted felony and misdemeanor cases. Mr. Pierce has maintained a private practice in Plano, Texas for over 20 years, establishing our criminal defense firm in 1986.

Mr. Pierce has been providing zealous representation of criminal defendants in Collin County,...

Licensed Attorney and Member of the California and five Federal Bars. Subject matter expert in the general Mortgage Industry Expert regarding Reverse Mortgages and the senior demographic. 25 years of experience. CFPB and Federal Agency Audit Preparation and Defense. Expert knowledge of the SAFE ACT, the National Mortgage Licensing System, Dodd-Frank, the CFPB, TILA, RESPA, HOEPA, ECOA, and other mortgage industry regulations. Experienced with HUD or FHA agency audit analysis and response. Admin Law Specialist. Experienced with public companies - SOX and the SEC Medical Marijuana Cooperative Formation and Administration. Expert Witness federally qualified. IMPORTANT...

Brantley Saunders is a business and real estate attorney in McKinney, TX, specializing in general business advice and litigation, who has been helping individuals and businesses solve legal issues for over 20 years. His experience in over 25 jury trials helps focus his clients on the important issues to attack. It also allows him to see the issues in advance for business planning and avoiding litigation when possible. Setting out a plan for success in litigation or transactional work is his bread and butter. Real estate, business entities, insurance, personal injury and mediation are his primary areas of focus.

Attorney Will Underwood is an attorney who prioritizes his clients’ needs in every case they bring to him. He is relentless like a bulldog and has even made cops cry on the stand before. However, he is compassionate with each of his clients and seeks to do everything he can in their service. At Underwood & Associates, everything is about the clients, not the firm. Attorney Underwood is always seeking to find an edge in his clients’ cases and aims to strategize innovative approaches to every situation his clients face. In fact, he is currently working on becoming a forensic...

Chosen by peers as one of the Top 100 lawyers in the entire Dallas/Fort Worth region according to SuperLawyers magazine.

Stacy Henderson is an attorney that was born to practice law. She won her first trial in 4th grade at Woodway Elementary in Fort Worth, Texas. From that date, her desire was to zealously represent people and to make sure that their rights were protected. As a high school student in Carrollton, Texas she interned for the City Attorney's Office of Carrollton. Ms. Henderson attended Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Sign Language Interpreting. While at SFASU, Ms. Henderson used sign language to assist persons on the...

Ryan is a seasoned and successful trial attorney who practices almost exclusively in criminal defense. Ryan has secured verdicts of NOT GUILTY in cases with very serious charges ranging from Continuous Sexual Assault of a Child, Aggravated Assaults, and felonies, as well as misdemeanor cases. Ryan has both the reputation for and the experience of trying difficult cases. His skill in trial allows him to come up with the best strategies for his clients, giving them the best opportunity to succeed. Ryan is board certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of legal specialization since 2021. This distinction is held...

Bo has proven himself an experienced attorney capable of handling intricate cases from misdemeanor to high-profile felonies for a diverse list of clients including professionals such as pilots, teachers, CEOs, and NFL athletes. Bo’s litigation skills and attention to detail have forged successful outcomes on a broad variety of criminal cases both at the trial court and appellate court levels.

Bo has been honored with many awards, including being selected for the Texas Super Lawyers list by Super Lawyers, a division of Thomson Reuters for the past eight years, an award only given to less than 5% of the attorneys in...

I am Board Certified in both Residential Real Estate Law and Commercial Real Estate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. I have been practicing in the DFW area since 1986. I started my own firm in 1995.

Taylor Mohr distinguishes herself by offering effective, affordable, and compassionate legal services. Her practice focuses on family law in Williamson and Travis counties. She is a member of the Williamson County Bar Association, Texas Bar Association, Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Baylor Law Alumni Association.

Taylor graduated from the Baylor Law School. She attended this prestigious university with a full-tuition scholarship. As a law student, she balanced her studies with a variety of extracurricular work, serving as Secretary and Executive Vice-President for the Student Bar Association and working as an editing assistant for professor Gerald Powell, director of...

Tom Trahan is proficient in all facets of family law, from out-of-court settlements to courtroom litigation. His deep understanding of the litigation process enhances the chances of reaching negotiated or amicable resolutions, as opposing counsel and clients often realize that finding common ground can lead to beneficial outcomes.

Matthew Gilpin began working for McCathern as a partner in 2018 and his practice primarily focuses on probate matters, estate administrations, and inheritance issues in the North Texas region.

Mr. Gilpin’s probate experience involves managing all aspects of cases – legal and administrative – from start to finish. This includes helping his clients find the most efficient and cost-effective solutions to settling estate matters. Additionally, he advises clients regarding estate planning and asset protection and he drafts trusts, wills, directives, releases, and other estate planning documents.

Mr. Gilpin firmly believes that to create the most effective estate plan, it must be...

AYBR Partner Marissa Balius focuses on family and collaborative law. She uses her experience in representing, negotiating, settling and litigating in matters of divorce, child custody, post-divorce modifications, paternity, child support, and pre-/post-nuptial agreements. Her goal is to help people get successfully through a difficult life transition while minimizing the emotional uncertainties and challenges of the case.

Daniel Dower was born in Dallas, Texas in 1972. He graduated from the Texas Academy of Math & Science at University of North Texas before moving on to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at University of Texas at Dallas, a Master’s degree in Business Administration from South Methodist University, and Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University School of Law.

Daniel has a long career as a financial executive, including a long tenure as CFO for CHI Investment Corporation, a local real estate investment company. He also served as President of Boo Koo Beverages, Inc. and engaged in...

In 2009, Drew Christman founded a law firm where he practiced law with his partners for nine years. In 2018, he parted ways with his then partners and formed Christman Attorneys, PLLC, where he continued to provide clients with outstanding legal representation in a variety of practice areas. He was voted “Best Business Attorney” in Denton County in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Most recently, Christman Attorneys merged with another firm and is now Christman, Ramsey & Foster PC. The firm offers legal services in the practice areas of Business/Corporate, Family Law, Civil Litigation, Estate Planning, Real Estate, and Title...

Born New York, N.Y., April 14, 1951 admitted to Bar: 1982, Texas; 1983, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas; 1984, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; 1986, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas; 1989, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Paris Junior College, Paris, Texas (A.A. 1971); Trinity University (B.A., cum laude, 1973; M.F.A., 1976); Southern Methodist University (J.D., 1982). Adjunct Professor, Business Law, University of North Texas, 1992-1993. Lecturer, Lewisville Library Law Lectures, 1984-1986. Member, College of the State Bar of Texas, 1989-1998. Diplomate, National Institute for Trial Advocacy. Associate, Durand & Associates, P.C., 1990-2015. Sole Practitioner, 1986-1990....

Born just south of Dallas, and true to his Texas roots, Andrew M. Lloyd fights proudly for families and justice. He exemplifies the attitude contained in the phrase - Don’t mess with Texas! He doesn’t let people mess with his clients, either. Big government and belligerent litigators threaten his clients’ lives, so he defends them. He’s a negotiator by birth and an attorney by trade, whose ultimate prowess and skill lie in the courtroom. He’s tenacious, witty, intelligent, and scrappy. With a nickname like “Texas Spanker,” what else would you expect? A...

Paul Grinke is Managing Partner of McCathern’s office at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Mr. Grinke has broad experience on a national level, litigating complex commercial and catastrophic event claims from both sides of the docket. He has successfully litigated commercial breach of contract, fiduciary duty, and employment covenant claims. In addition, Mr. Grinke prosecutes and defends claims involving personal injury, wrongful death, and disastrous property damage arising from construction defect, product defect, trucking, and liquor liability.

Mr. Grinke leads McCathern’s Construction Defect, Product Liability and related Fire Litigation practices. He has particular expertise in counseling institutional clients involved in tragic...

Erin R. Clegg joined McCathern in 2017 as part of the Family Law division and offices at the firm's Frisco, Texas office. Erin has extensive litigation experience in family law from working on cases involving divorce, custody, child support, modifications, enforcements, domestic violence, and cases involving Child Protective Services. She also has experience as a mediator for family law cases, helping parties reach creative and unique results that might not otherwise be available through the Court system.

Erin is a member of various organizations, including the Texas Young Lawyers Association (serving on the Board of Directors as a Director of District...

Before joining McCathern as a partner in 2019, Scott J. Becker presided over the 219th State District Court in Collin County, Texas from 2010 through 2018. As a court of general jurisdiction, Judge Becker presided over a broad variety of matters including multi-million dollar civil litigation, family law matters including divorces and child custody disputes, and felony criminal matters including murder. Two of the cases over which Becker presided have been the subject of television episodes: CBS’s 48 Hours: Taken Away (aired September 2017) and Dateline NBC’s: Someone Was Waiting (aired December 2016).

Judge Becker is Board Certified in Family Law...

I've practiced consumer bankruptcy since 2011 and have helped hundreds of good people find financial peace-of-mind. My clients find me honest and thorough. They know I care about them because I take the time and effort to make sure they understand how bankruptcy works and how it can work for them.

The Albarado Law Firm, P.C., serves clients in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex & North Texas areas with criminal defense. Founding lawyer & former prosecutor Emmanuel Albarado believes that we all have a story to tell, his story is one of redemption & perseverance. The son of a world champion boxer, Emmanuel was born with a fighting spirit. He now brings this fighting spirit to your case & is ready to work diligently to provide you with the legal representation you deserve. After graduating from law school, Emmanuel served as an assistant county attorney in Cooke County, TX, prosecuting a wide range of...

Mr. Freeman, a dual-credentialed attorney-CPA, author, law professor, and trial attorney, is the founding and managing member of Freeman Law, PLLC. He represents clients in litigation and disputes, with a particular focus on federal and state tax controversies, as well as white-collar and financial disputes, both civil and criminal. He also advises and assists clients with tax and regulatory compliance, including domestic and international tax and regulatory reporting requirements. Recent litigation experience includes serving as trial counsel in a criminal tax evasion and conspiracy jury trial in the Federal District Court for the United States Virgin Islands. In...

Ryne Sandel graduated from Texas A&M University with a Major in Psychology and Minors in Philosophy and Sociology. He attended law school at Texas A&M University School of Law (formerly Texas Wesleyan School of Law) in Fort Worth. Ryne was on the Dean’s List, served as a teaching assistant, and graduated number 6 in his graduating class.

As an advocate, Ryne Sandel will fight for his clients. Ryne prides himself on his ability to stand toe to toe with anyone in the courthouse. Cutting his litigation teeth by winning numerous awards in national level mock trial competitions, he was coached, trained,...

My experience in Divorce, Family Law and all phases of domestic relations ranges from simple uncontested divorces to highly involved contested cases that require extensive preparation and litigation.

In Criminal Law areas, I have extensive trial experience varying from misdemeanors to complex capital felonies.

I am licensed to practice law in both Texas and Florida. From my office in McKinney, Texas I provide services of Divorce and Family Law in Collin County, Denton, Rockwall, and Grayson counties.

~ PERSONAL ~

In 2003 I became a Texan by marriage, moving from Florida to join my husband in McKinney. Together my husband and I have...