Prairie Hill Lawyers

Kris is board certified in the area of family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Kris earned her law degree at St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio after completing her Bachelor of Business Administration at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She continued her education by earning a Master of Business Administration at St. Mary's University School of Business. She is a credentialed mediator in Family Law and matters involving Child Protective Services. Kris is licensed to practice law in Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma and Missouri. Kris has four children and lives in Dallas with her husband...

Mary Kate Brown is a dedicated attorney committed to providing exceptional legal representation and advocating for her client's best interests. She earned her undergraduate degree from Concordia University in Austin, Texas. Her passion for the law led her to pursue her Juris Doctor from St. Mary's School of Law in San Antonio, where she honed her legal analysis and advocacy skills. While at St. Mary’s she served as a Staff Writer and an Executive Board Member for the Law Review. During her studies, she gained valuable experience by interning at the Hays County District Attorney’s Office and the Third Court...

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...

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...

John Freeman's primary areas of practice are employment law, civil litigation and related areas of business litigation. He regularly advises clients regarding employment law practices, non-competes, discrimination and other employment related matters.

Mr. Freeman was born in Jackson, Tennessee, in 1945. He received his bachelor's degree from Baylor University in 1967, and served in the United States Navy from 1967 – 1969 as a Supply Officer aboard the USS Duval County, LST-758. He attended law school at the Vanderbilt University School of Law, where he was an Associate Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review in 1972 and 1973, and from which...

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...

Darren Harrington is a shareholder whose principal area of practice is focused on representing local, national, and international corporations and their officers in cases involving trade secrets, non-compete agreements, union issues, personnel, and government regulatory matters. He has been recognized as one of the premier Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defense counselors in the country, and is regularly called upon by employers to enforce and defend against restrictive covenants such non-compete and non-disclosure agreements, as well as defend against claims under the various anti-discrimination in employment statutes, the minimum wage and overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act...

Personal Injury Litigation

For over 50 years Lou Fouts has represented thousands of clients who have sustained serious bodily injuries, or the loss of a loved one by wrongful death. He works zealously to achieve fairness and justice in securing recoveries for his clients. His career and reputation are distinguished by excellence and compassion for his clients. Both clients and other attorneys have recognized his tenacity and determination for his clients. Lou Fouts earned his B.B.A from S.M.U. and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from The University of Texas at Austin Law School in 1970. While repersenting individuals who...

I enjoy helping clients prevent foreclosure and receive maximum protection under the law. Naturally, it's a tough road that leads to a foreclosure situation, so our job is to help them out of the situation in the most painless, but also the most effective and beneficial way possible.

My practice focuses on intellectual property, technology, and business. I help my clients optimize the impact of intellectual property and technology on their businesses: I assess and address business threats and opportunities; I facilitate the transfer of technology and intellectual property rights; I litigate commercial and intellectual property disputes. Before becoming an attorney, I worked as a physicist developing instruments and signal processing methods for use in geophysical imaging. I specialized in instruments and methods based on nuclear-physics and radiation-detection principles (e.g., nuclear magnetic resonance, gamma-ray spectroscopy, neutron-induced nuclear excitation and radiative decay, neutron and gamma-ray transport...

With more than 30 years of experience, Mr. Finley has worked with hundreds of clients to develop estate plans, wills, trusts, family limited partnerships, limited liability companies, powers of attorney, and other ancillary documents. He advises clients on critical structural and business formation issues, and provides counsel to clients involved in federal tax controversies and disputes with the IRS.

Attorney Roy Petty has practiced law over 23 years in Texas, Florida, and Arizona. Roy is Board Certified in Immigration & Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Roy has developed creative solutions to get his clients their immigration benefits. He successfully has litigated cases against the United States government in various District Courts and Courts of Appeals. His lawsuits have pushed the government to grant benefits to his clients, changed bureaucratic policies, and reduced delays in the processing of his clients' cases. Roy is in his fifteenth year of hosting "La Hora Legal" (Legal Hour),...

Affectionately known as Lulu to her family and friends, Lucy Fitzhugh brings a unique blend of Southern charm, tenacity, and legal prowess to Punchwork Law. Born and raised in the historic city of Natchitoches, Louisiana, Lucy’s journey to becoming a trusted member of the legal community has been marked by a passion for justice and a commitment to excellence. After completing her undergraduate studies in psychology at Louisiana State University, Lucy embarked on a transformative journey that took her from the bayous of Louisiana to the bustling streets of California. While in California, she immersed herself in the world of equestrian...

Claudia V. Cubias is a graduate of the Saint Louis University School of Law. She has years of experience in immigration field working for a boutique firm in Dallas before attending law school and volunteering at non-profits as a law student. Ms. Cubias family migrated to the United States in the late 80s from El Salvador and Mexico. Her family’s immigration story inspired her to become an attorney to help those in similar need. Ms. Cubias is fluent in written and spoken Spanish.

Joanna Whittaker, fondly called “Jo” by her close friends, is a dedicated attorney who has been an Arkansan through and through. Born and raised in Maumelle, Joanna attended North Little Rock High School (NLRHS) and later pursued higher education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), earning dual bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice, with a minor in Human Services. Joanna completed her formal education at the Bowen School of Law, where she obtained her Juris Doctorate (JD). Before her legal career, Joanna worked closely with children, gaining valuable experience as a church nursery worker, camp counselor, and...

I represent individuals and small-to-midsize businesses in a variety of litigation matters, with a primary emphasis on contract and construction disputes.

Prior to attending the law school at Baylor University, Jack B. Peacock Jr. was in the Army during the Vietnam War. As a paratrooper, he earned a Bronze Star for Meritorious service in combat operations in the Republic of Vietnam in 1968 and 1969. His family history of military service goes all the way back to the Civil War with his great-grandfather Jacob Levi Peacock and his father during World War II earning a Silver Star for his service. He left the military as a 1st lieutenant. After graduating from law school at Baylor, Mr. Peacock became a...

Mark Meisinger is a Dallas, TX based criminal defense attorney who practices throughout northern Texas. DWI, Drug Charges, Probation Violations, Expunctions/Nondisclosures. All criminal cases. Free consultations. 214 906-3006. http://www.meisingerlaw.com http://www.dwilawyerdallastexas.com http://www.druglawyerdallastexas.com http://www.expunctionlawyerdallastexas.com

Mark Meisinger is a Dallas, TX based criminal defense attorney who practices throughout northern Texas. DWI, Drug Charges, Probation Violations, Expunctions/Nondisclosures. All criminal cases. Free consultations. 214 906-3006. http://www.meisingerlaw.com http://www.dwilawyerdallastexas.com http://www.druglawyerdallastexas.com http://www.expunctionlawyerdallastexas.com

Tiara A. Thomas is an attorney, speaker, and philanthropist. Throughout her career, she has helped her clients get the justice they deserve for being injured in both commercial and non-commercial vehicle crashes. In addition to personal injury, Tiara has represented clients in complex civil litigation claims, including breach of contract claims, civil fraud claims, Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act claims, & more! In 2022, she was selected as a “Top 40 Under 40 Attorney,” an honor given to only the top 40 under 40 African American lawyers in each state or region with reputations for providing excellent legal representation in their...

Described by colleagues as a “gym rat” in the courtroom, Bill Forteith still loves going into court and fighting for his clients in trial after almost forty years of exclusively practicing civil trial law. Trying hundreds of jury trials, his legal experience has literally gone from the cradle to the grave having represented clients involved in prenatal and neonatal care, daycare centers, nursing homes and even funeral homes. Yet trial work, such as automobile accidents and premises liability cases, excite him just as much as the more unusual cases. He believes that every client deserves the same passionate representation regardless...

Gerald W. Livingston, native Dallasite. Served in the United States Army, Graduated Southern Methodist University - Dallas, TX with a LL.B. in Law.
Member of the Texas State Bar, the Dallas Bar Association, Tarrant County Bar Association, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association and past member of the State Bar of Texas District 6A, Grievance Committee in Dallas.
AREAS OF PRACTICE: Personal injury claims in all fields (30 + years experience); Employment Law; Business Law. Member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100, The National Trial Lawyers Top 25 Specialty Associations and AV Preeminent...

I devote my practice to family law and business litigation matters, both in the courtroom and at the negotiating table, especially when these two areas of law collide. My unique experience includes navigating clients through family and business law disputes involving complex divorce and property issues, child custody, and CPS matters, as well as breach of contract cases, high-stakes securities and fiduciary matters, shareholder and insolvency litigation, malpractice lawsuits, real estate matters, and labor and employment disputes.

Licensed Texas Attorney April 1973, State Bar of Texas No. 04086500 (AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and In Good Standing); Certified Attorney Ad Litem/Guardian Ad Litem in Probate Matters by the State Bar of Texas

Selected Examples of Legal/Business Experience (By Area)

General Business Law and Transactions: Business Entity Formation, Governance and Successor Planning. OEM Agreements. Vendor/Reseller, Supply and Service Contract Negotiation and Drafting. Employment Agreements. Commercial and Residential Real Estate. Construction Contracts. Insurance Company, Broker and Agent Transactions. Texas Land Title Insurance, Incl. Defense. UCC. State and Federal Litigation....