january 2016 bar bulletin

1 www.tarrantbar.org ■ January 2016


by David E. Keltner

David

President’s page

Upon refl ecting over the last year, we all have a lot to be thankful for.

I wager we share some com-mon gratitude. All of us are grateful for support of our our families. All of us should be grateful for a legal system that allows us to render ser-

vices to clients within the constraint of the code of ethics, but without other types of government regulation. We have the State Bar of Texas and the American Bar Association to thank for this freedom. During the Reagan ad-ministration, the Commerce Department initiated proceed-ings in an effort to regulate the practice of law nationwide. The federal government’s argument was that since entry into the legal profession was limited, the government needed to regulate legal representation in terms of price and practice. Some in the profession intended to give in to the Fed’s de-mand. In fact, the leadership of the ABA advised some type of compromise that opened the door to limited regulation. But the State Bar of Texas disagreed. Fortunately, the Texas president was Franklin Jones. Realizing that he was fi ghting the leadership of the ABA, he addressed the House of Del-egates directly. He characterized the federal government as a “ten pound gorilla” and told the lawyers that they could not quit the fi ght until “the gorilla was dead and bleeding with a knife buried in its chest.” He got a standing ovation and the ABA leadership took up the fi ght. Nonetheless, the Commerce Department submitted sub-poenas to the ABA and other major bar associations. Those subpoenas were fought in court, and the organized bar car-ried the fi ght to Congress. Facing overwhelming opposition, the Commerce Department backed down. As a result, while we were regulated by a code of ethics that is enforced by the Texas Commission on Lawyer Discipline, the practice of law is not regulated by the federal government. And I am truly thankful for that and for the giants in the legal profession like Franklin Jones and our own Kleber Miller who fought the good fi ght. Those of us who practice in the trial courts of Tarrant County are doubly blessed. Over the years, we have main-tained a judiciary that is the envy of other bar associations. I cannot count the number of times neighbors from the south

Happy New Year!and east whisper that they wish they could practice in front of judges like ours. Electing judges is a controversial process. There are those who insist that an appointment method would be bet-ter. On the other hand, the election of judges does much to cut down on cronyism, and I can tell you from experience, judicial campaigning is a humbling experience. The real downside for judicial election is an uneducated electorate. It is up to us lawyers to make sure that the public knows about the candidates’ temperament, effi ciency, and fairness. This Association conducted a judicial evaluation poll. The purpose of this poll was to let our judges know how the lawyers believe they are handling their bench. While we always get some “one-offs,” in the main, the comments al-ways seem to have the string of consistency. Over the years, it has been obvious that our judges have responded well to the evaluation poll. Soon, you will receive a judicial qualifi cation poll only for those benches that are contested. That will include the Supreme Court of Texas, the Texas Court of Criminal Ap-peals, the Second Court of Appeals, and a number of district benches. If you have appeared in and are familiar with the courts involved and the candidates, please vote. This is not a political contest. Instead, the public is interested in your evaluation of these candidates’ qualifi cations. Please help us keep a fair and impartial judiciary. There are several upcoming events that you will want to attend. We will kick off the January stock show and rodeo festivities with a Rodeo Gathering on Thursday, January 14 at 5:30 p.m. at Reata. We will have a silent auction and door prizes including tickets to the Rodeo Finals on Satur-day, February 6. On Thursday, January 28, 2016, the Tarrant County Bar Foundation will have its Annual Meeting and give its An-nual Pro Bono Awards. (See Page 5 for information) On Friday, January 29, we will hold our Brown Bag Seminar on the “Brave New World of Technology.” We are kicking off our Transition to Practice mentoring project. We need attorneys who have been licensed between one and fi ve years to serve as mentors for incoming lawyers. There will be six meetings a year for these beginning law-yers. Each will be a lunch meeting and lunch will be compli-mentary. ■


Tarrant County Bar Association817.338.4092 ■ Fax 817.335.9238website: www.tarrantbar.orgemail: [email protected]

2015-2016 OfficersPresident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David E. KeltnerPresident-Elect . . . . . . . . . . . Robert G. WestVice President . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nick Bettinger

DirectorsTerm Ends 2016

Leslie BarrowsJohn CayceLance Evans

Term Ends 2017Tawana Gray

Gary L. MedlinJason C. N. Smith

2015-2016 Appointed DirectorsGeffrey AndersonDwayne W. Smith

Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association President2015 Fall

Amber Altemose2016 SpringErin Cofer

Immediate Past PresidentMichael J. Henry

Executive DirectorPatricia Graham, PLS, CLAS

Ex-Officio MembersState Bar Of Texas, Directors

J. Benjamin BarlowGary L. Nickelson

ABA DelegateJanna Clarke

Bar BulletinJohn F. Murphy, Editor

H. Dennis Kelly, Assistant EditorApril Holland, Staff Editor

Graphics/ProductionPark Place Enterprises, Inc.

[email protected] • 817.877.8901

The Tarrant County Bar Bulletin is a monthly publication of the Tarrant County Bar Association. Articles, photos, events for the calendar, suggestions, or comments should be directed to:1315 Calhoun Street • Fort Worth, Texas 76102-6504Deadline for submission is the 1st day of the month, one month prior the date of the issue (e.g. April 1 for the May issue). Items for publication may be emailed to [email protected] in Word format.Articles published in the Bar Bulletin do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Tarrant County Bar Association, its officers, or the Board of Directors. Calendar listings, classifieds, advertisements, and feature articles should not be considered an endorsement of any service, product, program, seminar or event.

ContentsFeatures

Departments

14 Holiday Party

20

1 President’s Page

6 LegalLine

6 Lawyer Referral and Information Service News

6 Lawyers on the Move & in the News

7 New Members

7 Transition to Practice

7 YLA Snapshot

8 Benefits of Membership

8 CLE Corner

8 TCBA Member Benefits Vendor List

10 Tarrant County Volunteer Attorney Services

12 Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans - Tarrant County Chapter

13 Our Sections

17 100 Club

18 Snippets

22 Other Associations’ News & Information

Judicial ProfilesJudge Reed O’Connor

23 Diversity SpotlightThe Law Firm of Martinez Hsu, P.C.

44 National Adoption Day

5 TCBF Annual Meeting & Pro Bono Awards

9 TVAS Participates in National Adoption Day

On January 29, 2016“Coffee with the Justices”will be sponsored by theState Bar of Texas Appellate Section at 10:30 a.m. in the 2nd Court of Appeals’ lobby on the 9th fl oor of the Tim Curry Justice Center.

2nd Court of Appeals’ lobby on the 9th fl oor of the Tim Curry Justice Center.

6

10 20

4


Cattle Baron Sponsor • $5,000• Name recognition in all event advertisement

& Association’s social media platforms• Full page ad in the Bar Bulletin• Ten tickets to the Rodeo Finals held on

Saturday, February 6, 2016• Networking opportunity at the event

Trail Boss Sponsor • $2,500• Name recognition in all event advertisement

& Association’s social media platforms• Half page ad in the Bar Bulletin• Six tickets to the Rodeo Finals held on


Ranch Foreman Sponsor • $1,000• Name recognition in all event advertisement

& Association’s social media platforms• Fourth page ad in the Bar Bulletin• Four tickets to the Rodeo Finals held on


Ranch Hand Sponsor • $500• Name recognition in all event advertisement

& Association’s social media platforms• Business card ad in the Bar Bulletin• Two tickets to the Rodeo Finals held on


Rodeo Gathering 2016The Bar Association will host a Rodeo Gathering as a kick-off to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo season. Wear your boots and jeans, and stroll on over to Reata Downtown for an evening of foot-stomping fun. We are celebrating the oldest livestock show and the world’s original indoor rodeo Fort Worth Style. If you don’t have boots and jeans, come as you are. All members are invited to attend this event. Guests are $20.

Join us at the Reata (downtown under the dome) at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 14, 2016, for good food, fun, and a great time to see old friends and meet new ones.

If you would like to sponsor this event, give us a call at the Bar offi ce: 817.338.4092.

Ranch Foreman Sponsor Global Effi cient Energy Stephens, Anderson & Cummings

Ranch Hand SponsorCross Resources Group

HUB International Insurance Services

Northern Realty Group

Southland Property Tax Consultants, Inc.

Ranch Foreman Sponsor

Sponsors


That “something good” happened for sixty-six chil-dren this year during the superhero-themed National Adoption Day (NAD) on November 20, 2015. These special children left the Tarrant County Family Law

Center with their new forever families. Many of the children adopted this year were sibling groups who were adopted together. Retired Judge Jean Boyd said, “We have children who have come from very hard and diffi cult places. Some of them have been abused and neglected . . . . They were wards of the state; today they’re getting permanent, loving

families.” The families and children were greeted with volunteers dressed in superhero cos-tumes and superhero capes. A special thank you to Heroic Inner Kids for support-ing the event with twenty-fi ve volunteers dressed in costume as Captain America, Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Robin,

Antman, Supergirl, Black Widow, Wonder Woman, and many more superhero characters. Volunteers at the event helped the fami-lies throughout the day, in the courtrooms and in the reception area. The families were provided, by generous donations from the commu-nity, many special items—a personalized necklace for each adopted child from Kube’s Jewelry, a bear for each child in attendance from Build-A-Bear and a multitude of other commu-nity donors, Certifi cates of Adoption, a yellow rose for the adoptive mothers do-nated by Bob Leonard Law Group, a keepsake pen the judge used to sign the Order fi nalizing the adoption do-nated by The Barrows Firm,

“No matter how bad things get, something good is out there, just over the horizon.” –Hal Jordan, superhero from the movie Green Lantern

a welcome bag of goodies, new back-packs, an autographed book, and a su-perhero cape for each of the adopted children to take home. Refreshments were provided by The Tarrant County Family Law Bar Association and Susie Maldonado and Camp Gladiator. A special thank you also to Judge Tim Menikos and the other members of the planning committee, all of the volunteers who do-nated their time, all of the community part-ners who provided donated items and funds to support the event, all of the attor-neys and CPS case workers who put in the work to get the cases ready for NAD, all of the judges who volunteered for the event, and all of the families who decid-ed to be a superhero and bring a child or children into their families on NAD. The laughter, giggles, and smiles that lit up the faces of all those involved spoke volumes to another successful year. What a fantastic way to start the holiday season. The Tarrant County Bar Foundation has supported NAD since its inception in 2000. The Foundation raised an excess of $2,000 towards NAD and numerous people from the legal community donated stuffed animals for each child to take home. ■

“No matter how bad things get, something good is out there,

National Adoption Day


Stay CONNECTED to Us

NewsLawyer Referral andInformation Service

News

The LRIS has received over $65,000 in referral fees since July 1! Special thanks to James Culbertson, Christian

Jenkins, Caleb Moore, Lantis Roberts, and Brian Walker. Thank you all! We wouldn’t be here without you! LRIS attorney members, please note that we will start contacting all clients with a brief survey about the program and the attorney contacted. If you have any questions about this, please contact Cindy at 817.338.4092 or [email protected]. ■

Update on LRIS

Lawyers on the Move &in the News

Tarrant County Bar Association - Fort Worth

Cantey Hanger LLP announced that Laura Frase has joined the fi rm as National Coordinating Counsel/Regional Counsel in mass tort claims and as Negotiation/Settlement Counsel. Frase is a graduate of Rhodes College in Memphis, and she received her juris doctor from St. Mary’s Univer-sity School of Law in San Antonio. She is licensed to prac-tice law in Texas and Oklahoma. She can be contacted at 214.978.4134 or [email protected].

Joshua D. Ross has joined the law fi rm as an Associate of Cantey Hanger LLP. Ross is a graduate of The Univer-sity of Texas and received his juris doctor from St. Mary’s University School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Texas. He can be contacted at 817.877.2854 or [email protected].

Forshey Prostok LLP, a Fort Worth-based bankruptcy law boutique, has hired Juan Mendoza as an Associate. Men-doza’s practice will focus on bankruptcy, business reorgani-zations and commercial litigation. He is licensed to practice law in Florida and Georgia. His admission to the Texas Bar is pending. He can be contacted at 817.877.8855 or [email protected].

Brittany A. Weaver, an attorney practicing in business and litigation, has been added as the newest Associate to the law fi rm of Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, P.C. She can be contacted at 817.877.1088 or [email protected]. ■

Please consider donating two hours of your time the 2nd & 4th Thursday, January through November from 6:00pm-8:00pm. Bring a friend.

LegalLine is a valuable community service outreach program that needs your time and skills. If you are interested in volunteering or sponsoring, please contact Carolina at 817.338.4092 or [email protected].

Dinner served at 5:30pm for all volunteers.

Help!Beginning January 14, 2016,

we need volunteers.

On January 29, 2016“Coffee with the Justices”will be sponsored by theState Bar of Texas Appellate Section at 10:30 a.m. in the 2nd Court of Appeals’ lobby on the 9th fl oor of the Tim Curry Justice Center.

@TarrantBar@TLTVinTarrant@TVASFW

Tarrant County Bar Association - Fort WorthTarrant County Volunteer Attorney ServicesTexas Lawyers for Texas Veterans - Tarrant County Chapter


Amber

YLASnapshotAmber AltemosePresident TCYLA

Last month TCYLA hosted a fi rst-of-its-kind Holiday Party. The entire membership was invited to come and ease into

the holiday season with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails at Fix-ture. I want to thank Jake Ramsey and Patrick Rose for all of their hard work in planning this event! This month TCYLA will be hosting its monthly happy hour on January 14 and its luncheon on January 19. In addition, this month TCYLA members will have the op-portunity to prepare lunch for the families residing at Ronald McDonald House. Be sure to check the newsletter for more details about the happy hour and the opportunity to volunteer at Ronald McDonald House! ■

Happy New Yearfrom TCYLA!

NewMembers

TCBA Welcomes Its

AttorneysScott BarberClint DavisChristina DeFioreLindsey FarlessMatt FoustAulstin GardinerMarializa KellyJustin LopezVykim LeYohana MantranaMatthew McGowanJosh NorrellMatthew SmidJohn Smithee, Jr.Suzanne Taylor Jeffrey TillmanBrittany Weaver

AssociatesAntonia BubanJanice Eidd-Meadows

StudentsGeorgia BeakeEmily Hindman

The Transition to Practice mentoring group has completed its sixth year

of mentoring young lawyers. The group will start up again for 2016 on Wednesday, Janu-ary 20. If you are a member of the TCBA, a young lawyer practicing three years or less, and you are interested in par-ticipating, please email [email protected] with your con-tact information and what area of law you are interested in. Assignments to mentors will be made this month. Also, if you are an attorney who has been practicing ten years or more and interested in helping mentor young law-yers, please volunteer to be a me ntor in 2016. The program doesn’t work without you! ■

Get Ready for Transition to Practice 2016

Please visit our website for a complete list of upcoming events.

www.tarrantbar.org

alendar of EventsCLaw Offi ces of Jason Smith

Board Certifi ed Civil Appellate Law

Amerian Board of Trial Advocates

Trials and AppealsEmployment, Personal Injury, Insurance

letsgotocourt.com

Jason Smith817.334.0880

600 8th AveueFort Worth, TX 76104


ABA Retirement Funds program provides full-service 401(k) plans to benefi t the legal community. To learn more, contact local rep. Jacob Millican at 817.451.5020 or visit www.abaretirement.com.

AMO Offi ce Supply offers TCBA members the lowest price guaran-teed on offi ce supplies, with next-day delivery and free shipping! Call 800.420.6421.

Falcon Litigation Solutions offers discounts on copying, litigation displays, trial boards, etc. Call 817.870.0330.

Fort Worth JSB Co., Inc., offers a 10% discount to TCBA members on printed materials—business cards, letterhead, envelopes, business forms, brochures, fl yers, and more. For a quote, call 817.577.0572.

Fort Worth Zoo, discount tickets - $9.50 adult, $6.50 for child or senior. For tickets, contact [email protected] or 817.338.4092. If mailing or charging tickets, add 50 cents.

Sprint offers 15% off the monthly service. For info, contact [email protected] or 817.338.4092.

UPS - TCBA has signed an agreement with UPS for TCBA members to receive discounts on shipping. The discounts vary according to the type of shipment, but check out UPS for your needs. www.ups.com or 1.800.PICK.UPS.

For IT help:Juris Fabrilis-Cool Tools for Lawyers offers members discounted rates on web-based tools to help you manage your law practice. 817.481.1573 ext. 101.

For Shredding and Document Disposal:Magic Shred is a secure shredding business that shreds your docu-ments on-site. Magic Shred offers a 10% discount to TCBA members.

Expanco is N.A.I.D. AAA-Certifi ed document-destruction service of-fering 40% off to TCBA members. Call TCBA offi ce for details on both.

TCBA Member Benefi ts Vendor ListTCBA members may take advantage of discounts

provided by the following vendors:

Benefi ts of Membership

1) The TCBA has eighteen Substantive Law Sections offering CLE and networking with members interested in the same areas of law;

2) Reduced rates on CLE (Brown Bags, Luncheons, Section meetings, Last Tuesday CLE)3) Reduced rates on room rental at the TCBA Bar Center;4) Monthly Bar Bulletin (by email or mail) and updates on upcoming events by email;5) Community Service Opportunities through the Foundation: LegalLine, Texas Lawyers

for Texas Veterans, Tarrant Volunteer Services; and through community service com-mittees: People’s Law School, Annual Food Drive, Blood Drive, Elder Law Committee, and others;

6) Reduced rates on advertising in the Bar Bulletin and on the TCBA website;7) Mentoring or being mentored through the Transition to Practice program;8) Reduced rates on offi ce supplies, Sprint, UPS, shredding documents, and the Fort

Worth Zoo; and9) The all-important fun networking opportunities.

So the next time someone asks you why join the TCBA, please let them know. We thank you for your continued membership. This Bar Association is great because of its members like YOU! If you have any questions regarding your member-ship, please contact Cindy at the bar offi ce or email her at cindy@ tarrantbar.org. ■

Why be a member of the Tarrant County Bar Associa-tion? Besides wonderful networking opportunities and ca-maraderie in the legal community, membership has other benefi ts.

Need ETHICS?We are here to help!

CLESherry JonesAssociate Executive Director

Each year (usually in September) the Tarrant County Bar Association’s CLE – Brown Bag Committee presents a three hour CLE seminar on “ETHICS.” What is even better is that Brown Bag Season Pass holders can attend at no ad-ditional fee or if you only want to attend this one Brown Bag Seminar, you only pay the member rate. But there is more! We have the seminar video tapped so in the event our members are unable to attend the live ses-sion, you can attend Last Tuesday CLE. Don’t know what Last Tuesday CLE is? On the last Tuesday of each month we show the ETHICS CLE DVD at the bar offi ce from 1:00 – 4:00 pm. If you have purchased a Brown Bag Season Pass there is no cost to attend. If you did not purchase a pass, you can view the DVD for the $80 TCBA member rate. Non-members may attend for $105. So, no more excuses! Everyone can get their ETHICS credit without a hassle or a lot of fuss. Just give us a call at 817.338.4092 or email Sherry at [email protected]. ■

Corner

Bar Foundationdonates $4,000 to

Tarrant AreaFood Bank

TCBF Chair Rick Sorenson pictured with Bo Soderbergh, TAFB Executive Director, with Annual Food Drive Committee Chair Michele Rayburn and Chair Elect Edwin Jensen


Tarrant County Volunteer Attorney Services (TVAS) was honored to sup-port and participate in National Adoption Day on November 20, 2015. Thanks to a grant from the Texas Bar Foundation, TVAS has established

a network of volunteer attorneys and has resources available to assist eligible families adopting foster children. Through its program, TVAS placed a fam-ily with a pro bono volunteer attorney so that they could participate in Na-tional Adoption Day. The adoptive parents (the child’s aunt and uncle), their son, and their family all participated in the National Adoption Day activities. Judge Jerome Hennigan presided over the proceeding, and volunteer attorney Lauren Duffer (Law Offi ce of Lauren Gaydos Duffer, P.C.) represented the family at the proceeding. Margaret McCroan, a law student from Texas A&M University School of Law, also participated in the proceeding. Through grant funds, TVAS was also able to provide fi nancial assistance to additional income-eligible families participating in National Adoption Day; the families were able to offset the fi ling and related costs of the adoption proceeding. ■

TVAS Participates inNational Adoption Day


On November 17, 2015, Tarrant County Volunteer Attorney Services (TVAS) held its second uncontested divorce clin-ic in 2015 with Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (LANWT). Justice Bonnie Sudderth, Judge Judith Wells, and Judge

Mark Pittman attended the clinic and offered remarks to the volun-teers. Attorney volunteers Leslie Barrows, Lyndsay Newell (both of The Barrows Firm, PC), Dwayne Smith (Gardner & Smith, PLLC), and Dick Price (The Price Law Firm) attended the clinic and men-tored the volunteers. Current TVAS Co-Chairs Patricia LaRue (Bene-nati Law Firm) and Philip Vickers (Cantey Hanger LLP) attended the event, as well as incoming TVAS Co-Chair Aaron Young (American Airlines Federal Credit Union). TVAS thanks the law fi rm of Gardner & Smith, PLLC for its gen-erous sponsorship of the clinic.

TVAS also extends its appreciation to all those who volunteered in connection with the event and those who signed up to volunteer for the event. Through the clinic, TVAS and LANWT were able to match over fi fteen individuals with volunteer attorneys for pro bono representation with their uncontested divorces. ■

TVAS HoldsUncontested Divorce Clinic with Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas


Attorney Volunteers:Leslie A raya, Fidelity

Susan Ayres, Texas A&M University School of LawIrwin Barnes, Fidelity

Chris Brown, Cantey Hanger LLPKamryn Caldwell, Law Offi ce of Kamryn Caldwell

Yolanda Castro-Dominguez, Law Offi ce of Jason AmonDaniel Clanton, The Clanton Law Firm

John Corbin, Law Offi ce of John CorbinEmily Cottingham, Parker Strauss LLP

Sylvia Duarte, Duarte Law Offi ce, PLLCClayton Everett, Law Offi ce of St. Clair Newbern, III

Alex GoodNancy Gordon, Law Offi ce of Nancy A. Gordon, P.C.

Emem O. Inyang Jill Johnston, The King Firm

Jessica Lavely, FidelityChristie Lindsey, Berend & Lindsey, PLLC

Jim Loveless, Loveless & NaylorJeffrey R. McCombs, Law Offi ce of Jeffrey McCombs

Taylor McPherson, The Law Offi ce of L. Taylor McPhersonChase Medling, Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP

Mitch Miers, Mitch Miers Law FirmLauren Munselle, Haynes and Boone, L.L.P.

Emily Quillen, Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary, P.C.Karon Rowden, Texas A&M University School of Law

Ricky Torlincasi, Haynes and Boone, L.L.P.Daniel Steppick, Lacy Lyster Malone & Steppick, PLLC

Philip Vasquez, Law Offi ce of Philip VasquezLaurie Weir, Law Offi ce of Carey Thompson, PC

Bryan Wilson, Law Offi ce of Bryan WilsonJordan Woody, Shannon, Gracey, Ratliff & Miller, LLP

Melissa Wilks, The Hurr Law Offi ceRafael Ylanan, Guerra, Sherwood & Ylanan, PLLC

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas:Alexandra EsparzaMerrit KlapperichWilliam Marple

Paralegals and Volunteers:John BerryKatrina Lea

Ethan McNiffStar Moore

Cheryl MuiseJanice PiggottBrent RaynerJulie ShermanLinda WebberDiana Zubalsky

Law Students:Danielle BateniGeorgia BeakeJustin Davis

Ellen DickersonTyler GregstonMacy JonesLynne Nash

Ariel SantillanJoseph VrechekClaire Whitten

TVAS thanks the following attorney volunteers for providing pro bono wills and estate planning assistance to residents of Tarrant County.

Charlotte StaplesTaylor Olsen Adkins Sralla & Elam, LLP

Tom RyderLacy Lyster Malone & Steppick, PLLC

Jordan WoodyShannon, Gracey, Ratliff & Miller, LLP

If you are interested in volunteeringfor TVAS’s simple wills and estate planning program, please contact Megan Cooley at

[email protected].


Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans Tarrant County Chapter

TLTV is looking forward to holding its 2016 legal clinics at several locations next year, includ-

ing the Veterans Administration’s Outpatient Facility, Uni-versity of Texas at Arlington, Texas Wesleyan University, and Tarrant County College’s South, Trinity River, and Northwest campuses. Please contact Megan Cooley at [email protected] if you would like to receive notifi cations about vol-unteer opportunities at the Veteran legal clinics. There are also sponsorship opportunities for law fi rms, businesses, and legal departments. TLTV also needs attorneys from all legal practices to serve as pro bono volunteers for eligible low-income vet-erans after the legal clinics. Attorneys may take a case or offer veterans advice through a telephone or in-person con-sultation. Common areas of legal expertise needed by TLTV volunteer attorneys include: • Employment advice, including wrongful termination

and discrimination cases. Attorney volunteers may offer an evaluation of a potential employment claim, represent a veteran with an employment claim, provide guidance to a veteran who has been laid off from work, or provide information about employee benefi ts.

• Bankruptcy, debt collection, and related advice and representation. TLTV attorney volunteers have repre-sented veterans in bankruptcy proceedings, provided veterans with debt analysis and related remedies, and negotiated debt collection actions instituted against a veteran.

• Family law matters, including divorce, custody, and support issues. Family law is the largest area of need by TLTV clients. Veterans need assistance with issues

Start 2016 as a TLTV Volunteer or Clinic Sponsor

ranging from uncontested divorces, child support and custody modifi cations, and adoptions.

• Probate and guardianship matters. Many veterans vis-it the TLTV clinics with questions about property that is the subject of a probate proceeding or inquire about their rights or the rights of their relatives in a probate or guardianship proceeding. Veterans also need assistance with their wills and estate planning documents.

• Consumer issues, including negotiation of consumer debt and small claim matters on behalf of veterans. TLTV assists many veterans who are unemployed and need assistance with negotiating their debts or have been sued and need representation in small claim pro-ceedings. In addition, TLTV needs volunteers to assist veterans pursuing DTPA and consumer-related claims against third parties.

• Property issues. TLTV needs volunteers to advise vet-erans about disputes and issues related to property ownership or mineral-right issues. ■

Wes Cooper, Cooper Oil & Gas – Wes secured the non-suit of a debt collection case on behalf of a retired veteran, saving the veteran thousands of dollars.John Johnson, Johnson & Johnson – John continues to take a number of traffi c violation cases on behalf of veterans and has assisted veterans with criminal expunctions and recovering their driver licenses.Ezra Kuenzi, Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP – Ezra provided employ-ment advice to a veteran who had recently been laid off from work and needed advice regarding his employment benefi ts.

Bria Larson, Schneider Law Firm, Bria provided a pro bono legal consultation to a veteran seeking to enforce a child custody obligation.Michael McBride, J. Michael McBride, P.C., Mike is providing pro bono bankruptcy representation to a TLTV veteran.Valerie Simpson, Law Offi ce of Valerie Simpson – Valerie is assisting a veteran and the veteran’s family with estate planning matters.Allen Stidger, Stidger Law Firm – Al continues to help veter-ans with consumer-related matters.

to the following volunteers for taking a case or otherwise providingpro bono legal assistance to a TLTV veteran over the past few months:Thanks


And, now a word from…

Our Sections

Business Litigation SectionLuncheon and CLE

January 13, 2016 at noonFort Worth Club

“I’m a Believer—What Every LitigatorNeeds to Know about

TRCP 91a and theBelievability Standard forEarly Dismissal in Texas.”

Presented by Yolanda C. Garcia,Rob Velevis, and Brandon A. Fuqua,who practice in Sidley Austin LLP’s

Complex Commercial Litigation section.

Cost is $23 members; $28 guestsRSVP to [email protected] •

817.338.4092

1 hour CLE has been requested

AttorneysWomen

Bar Passers Reception & Holiday Luncheon

The second year of the Women Attorneys Section mentor-ship program kicked off on Oct. 14 at Bar Louie with a happy hour event providing student mentees and their attorney men-tors a chance to meet and network. Twenty law student mentees from Texas A&M School of Law’s Women Law Students Associa-tion are paired with members of the Women Attorneys Section according to areas of interest. The program gives mentees the opportunity to learn about what practicing law is really like, as well as ask questions about issues that face many female attor-neys such as balancing family and work. Program participants are required to meet three times per semester. Mentors are encouraged to invite their mentees to sec-tion and TCBA events. Mentees also have the opportunity to engage in activities such as attending hearings with their mentor or shadowing their mentor at the offi ce to expose them to “real world” law practice. There are still a handful of students who would like a men-tor who have not yet been paired. If you are a member of the Women Attorneys Section and are interested in mentoring a law student, please contact Courtney Key, Mentorship Director, at [email protected]. ■

Attorney Mentors Neededfor Women Attorneys Section Mentorship Program

17 www.tarrantbar.org ■ January 2016 January 2016 ■ TCBA BULLETIN 17

To be eligible for the 100 Club, any law fi rm, government agency, law school, or corporate legal department that has four or more attorneys and attains 100% TCBA membership compliance for the 2015-2016 bar year qualifi es for “The 100 Club”! The fi rms/organi-zations listed (above) have already paid their membership dues and qualify for 100 Club membership for the new bar year. Any fi rm/or-

ganization that qualifi es in the future will have its name published in every issue of the Bar Bulletin for this bar year. TCBA is proud of the participation of these law fi rms and other groups! The new bar year began July 1, so if you missed your renewal invoice in your email, contact Membership Director Cindy Rankin at 817.338.4092 or email her at [email protected].

100 ClubMembers of the 2015-2016

100 ClubAdams Lynch & Loftin P.C.

Albert Neely & Kuhlmann LLPAnderson & Riddle, LLP

Baker Monroe PLLCBakutis McCully & Sawyer PCBarlow Garsek & Simon, LLP

The Barrows Firm, P.C.The Berenson Firm P.C.

Blaies & Hightower, L.L.P.Bourland, Wall & Wenzel, PC

Brackett & Ellis, P.C.Broude Smith & Jennings PC

Brown, Dean, Wiseman, Proctor, Hart & Howell, LLPCantey Hanger LLP

City Attorney’s Offi ce-City of Fort WorthCook Children’s Health Care System

Curnutt & Hafer, L.L.P.Decker Jones, P.C.

Dowell, Pham & Harrison, LLPEdison, McDowell & Hetherington, LLP

Fillmore Law Firm, L.L.P.Forshey & Prostok, L.L.P.Friedman, Suder & CookeGriffi th, Jay, & Michel, LLP

Harrison Steck P.C.Haynes and Boone, L.L.P.

Holland Johns & Penny LLPJackson Walker, L.L.P.Jim Ross & Associates

Johnston Legal Group, P.C.Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP

KoonsFuller, P.C.

Lacy Lyster Malone & Steppick, PLLCLaw, Snakard & Gambill, P.C.

Lively & Associates, LLPLoe, Warren, Rosenfi eld, Kaitcer, Hibbs,

Windsor, Lawrence & Wolffarth, PCMartinez Hsu, P.C.

McDonald Sanders Law FirmMellina & Larson, P.C.

Moses, Palmer & Howell, L.L.P.Murphy Mahon Keffl er Farrier, LLPNaman Howell Smith & Lee, PLLC

Noteboom Law FirmPadfi eld & Stout, LLP

Law Offi ces of Paup, Shutt& Associates, P.C.Phelps Dunbar LLPPlains Capital BankSchneider Law Firm

Second Court of AppealsShannon, Gracey, Ratliff & Miller, LLP

Stephens, Anderson & CummingsSuzanne I. Calvert & Associates

Tarrant County CDA’s Offi ceTaylor Olson Adkins Sralla & Elam, LLPTexas A&M University School of Law

The Wolf Law Firm, P.C.Thompson & Knight, LLP

Underwood Law FirmVarghese Summersett, PLLC

Watson Caraway Midkiff & Luningham L.L.PWhitaker Chalk Swindle & Schwartz PLLC

Wick Phillips Gould & Martin LLPWinstead PC


Civil and Criminalby Judge Bob McCoy ■ County Criminal Court No. 3

Snippets

Moses

RamsesRamses

Co-EditorLin Morrisett

Associate JudgeProbate Court

No. 2

Who’s That Street Named After? Paddock Viaduct (Main Street bridge over the Trinity)—Cap-tain B. B. Paddock (1842–1922) came to Fort Worth about 1866. He took over the “Fort Worth Democrat” in 1872 and helped to form the fi rst fi re company in 1873. He was Mayor from 1892–1900 and very instrumental in the development and growth of the city. From Werner Magnus, Who was Hulen? An Attempt to Find the Origins of Street Names in Fort Worth.

Ask Judge BobJudge Bob, What constitutes a “general appearance?”A party enters a general appearance when it (1) invokes the judgment of the court on any question other than the court’s jurisdiction, (2) recognizes by its acts that an action is prop-erly pending, or (3) seeks affi rmative action from the court.In the re D. M. B., 467 S.W.3d 100, 103 (Tex. App—San Anto-nio, 2015).

Ask The DanesRamses and Moses, where is a “dangerous dog” ruling ap-pealed?

HB1436 corrected an inconsistency in state law involving appeals from mu-nicipal courts to county courts and county courts at law on dangerous-dog determinations. As corrected by HB1436, the owner of a dog declared “dangerous” by a municipal or justice court may now appeal that ruling to a county court or county court at law as applicable and be entitled to a trial de novo before a jury if requested.Animal Law, Shelby Bobosky, Texas Bar Journal, p. 700, Oct. 2015.

The Danes’ Quote Of The Month“If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience.”—Woodrow Wilson

Criminal Items Of Interest

1. Minor “A minor does not possess the legal capacity to waive ser-

vice of summons, nor can anyone waive it for him.” Ex parte Rodriguez, 466 S.W.3d 846, 850 (Tex. Crim. App.

2015).

2 Habeas Corpus “As a general matter, this Court has long held that a

convicted person may not raise a claim for the fi rst time in a habeas-corpus proceeding if he had a reasonable opportunity to raise the issue at trial or on direct appeal and failed to do so. . . . Even claims of a constitutional dimension are ‘forfeited [on habeas] if the applicant had the opportunity to raise the issue on appeal. This is because the writ of habeas corpus is an extraordinary remedy that is available only when there is no other adequate remedy at law.’”Ex parte De La Cruz, 466 S.W.3d 855, 864 (Tex. Crim. App. 2015).

3. Lesser-Included Offense “An offense is a lesser-included offense of the charged

offense if the indictment for the greater-inclusive of-fense either: (1) alleges all of the elements of the lesser-included offense, or (2) alleges elements plus facts (in-cluding descriptive averments, such as non-statutory manner and means, that are alleged for purposes of providing notice) from which all of the elements of the lesser-included offense may be deduced. Under this ap-proach, if the elements of the lesser-included offense can be deduced from facts alleged in the indictment, they need not be pled in the indictment.”

Smit, v. State, 466 S.W.3d 871, 873 (Tex. App.—Texar-kana 2015).

4. Custody “A person is in ‘custody’ only if, under the circumstances,

a reasonable person would believe that his freedom of movement was restrained to the degree associated with a formal arrest. In assessing the circumstances surround-ing the seizure, allowances must be made for the fact that offi cers must often make quick decisions under tense, un-certain, and rapidly changing circumstances.” Hauer v. State, 466 S.W.3d 886, 891 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2015).

5. Investigative Detention “[A]n investigative detention implies that the obtrusive

act is for the purpose of actually investigating. Where no investigation is undertaken, the detention rises to the level of an arrest.”Hauer v. State, 466 S.W.3d 886, 891 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2015).

6. License Plates “An illegible temporary tag gives rise to the reasonable

suspicion that the driver of the vehicle is displaying a tag


that does not comply with commission rules in violation of Texas Transportation Code section 503.069.”

Pabst v. State, 466 S.W.3d 902, 906 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2015).

7. Juror “A juror is incapable or unfi t and may be challenged for

cause based on the juror’s inability to read and write. Tex.Code Crim. Proc. Ann. art. 35.16(11). Also encompassed in this specifi c challenge is a juror’s inability to under-stand English.”

Stillwell v. State, 466 S.W.3d 908, 912 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2015)

Civil Items Of Interest

1. Docket Entry “A docket-sheet entry ordinarily forms no part of the re-

cord that may be considered; rather, it is a memorandum made for the trial court and clerk’s convenience. Docket-sheet entries are inherently unreliable because they lack the formality of orders and judgments. Perhaps due to this unreliability, a docket-sheet entry is generally consid-ered insuffi cient to constitute a judgment or decree of the court. Signifi cant to this case, a docket-sheet entry cannot contradict, overrule, or take the place of a written order or judgment.”

Barnes v. Deadrick, 464 S.W. 3d 48, 53 (Tex. App.—Hous-ton [1st Dist.] 2015).

2. DWOP Is Not an Adjudication “An order dismissing an action for want of prosecution

without prejudice, such as the one in this case, does not serve as a fi nal judgment on the merits for purposes of res judicata.”

Barnes v. Deadrick, 464 S.W. 3d 48, 54 (Tex. App.—Hous-ton [1st Dist.] 2015).

3. Compensatory Damages. “We cannot conclude that the award is compensatory

when it cannot be explained.” In re Longview Energy Co., 464 S.W.3d 353, 360 (Tex.

2015).

4. Labor Code Notice Mandatory “UT concedes that it did not send the notice required by

[Tex. Labor Code Ann] section 410.258(a) to the Division prior to the trial court entering judgment. Because it did not comply with the statutory notice requirements, we hold that the trial court’s judgment is void, and we dis-miss the appeal for lack of jurisdiction.”

Univ. of Tex. v. Thomas, 464 S.W.3d 754, 759 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2015).

5. Lack of Public Concern in Anti-SLAPP “The fact that the potential consequences of Coleman’s

failure to gauge the tank included health, safety, environ-mental, and economic concerns is not enough to trans-form communications about a private employment matter into a public concern.”

ExxonMobil Pipeline Co. v. Coleman, 464 S.W.3d 841, 846 (Tex. App.— Dallas 2015).

6. Probate Bill of Review Limitations “[S]ection 31 unequivocally prescribes a two-year limita-

tions period for all bills of review in probate proceedings. The statute neither provides nor suggests different limita-tions periods for bills of review in the probate context.”

Valdez v. Hollendeck, 465 S.W.3d 217, 227 (Tex. 2015).

7. Judicial Error as New and Independent Cause? (DISSENT)

“This case falls into the category of cases that do not require expert testimony on causation. The record here demonstrates: (1) the Stone Parties argued at trial and in a motion for new trial that the evidence was insuffi cient to prove agency; (2) the trial judge rejected the Stone Par-ties’ arguments; and (3) the court of appeals reversed the Neubaums’ case on the ground that the evidence was in-suffi cient to prove agency. The trial judge’s error is readily apparent from the face of the record. The facts establish a logical sequence of events connecting the trial judge’s error and the Neubaums’ resulting condition. Therefore, the Stone Parties were not required to present expert testi-mony to satisfy their summary-judgment burden.

“I would hold as a matter of law that judicial error was a new and independent cause destroying the causal con-nection between the negligence allegedly committed by the Stone Parties and the harm allegedly suffered by the Neubaums.”

Neubaum v. Stanfi eld, 465 S.W. 3d 266, 281, 279, (Tex. App.—Houston[14th Dist.] 2015) (Browning, J., dissent-ing)

Quote Of The Month “The American political system is like fast food: mushy, insip-id, made out of disgusting parts of things . . . and everybody wants some.”—P. J. O’Rourke

Legal Quote of the Month“Justice is a machine that, when someone has once given it the starting push, rolls on of itself.”—John Gallsworthy

Old NewsOne Hundred Years Ago Today:

• Top speed limit in most American cities: 10 MPH• Percentage of U.S. homes with a bathtub: 14• The average worker’s wages: twenty-two cents ($0.22) an

hour• Life expectancy in America: 47 years• Miles of paved Roads in the US: 144• Top Killers: Diseases of the heart, pneumonia, infl uenza,

tuberculosis, and nephritis. Diarrhea kills nearly as many as automobile accidents.

www.infoplease.com; www.cdc.com; Wikipedia, all reviewed November 9, 2015.

Stay CONNECTED to Us @TarrantBar@TLTVinTarrant@TVASFW


By Perry Cockerell

ProfilesJudicial

In August 2015, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor could fi nally call the Fort Worth Division of the United States District Court his new home. Although he transferred from the Dallas Division to the Fort Worth Division in July 2013 after U.S. District Judge Terry Means took senior status, it was two more years before he had a permanent offi ce in the Judge Eldon B. Mahon Federal Courthouse. His new court-room and offi ce are located on the 2nd fl oor. Fort Worth now has three federal district judges with Judge O’Connor and Judge McBryde serving full time and Judge Terry Means serving in senior status. Judge O’Connor was born in Houston, Texas. He graduated from J. Frank Dobie High School in Houston in 1983. In 1986, he received a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Houston. For one year after college he taught at Sugarland Junior High School before deciding to pursue law at South Texas College of Law, where he gradu-ated in 1989, second in his class. From 1989 to 1994, he was a litigation attorney in the General Litigation Section at Vinson & Elkins in Houston. In 1994, he moved to Fort Worth to take a position with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s offi ce as an Assistant District Attorney. There he handled signifi cant criminal cases, including a death penalty case involving gang violence and an involuntary manslaughter case involving a local periodontist who recklessly administered anesthesiology, without being licensed to do so, to a patient who died in his offi ce. From 1998 to 2002, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Fort Worth Division and successfully prosecuted the federal death penalty case of Julius Rob-inson, whose street name was “Capone” and who was responsible for three murders. As an aside, Judge Terry Means presided over this trial. In 2002, Judge O’Connor changed directions by moving to Washing-ton, D.C., where he joined the Senate Judiciary Committee as a crime counsel to then Chairman U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch. In early 2005, he became Chief Counsel to Senator John Cornyn from Texas who was then the chair of the Immigration Sub-Committee. In June 2007, Senators Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchinson recommend him to President George W. Bush to serve on the federal bench. President Bush nominated him to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas being vacated by the Honorable A. Joe Fish. The Unit-ed States Senate confi rmed O’Connor’s appointment on November 16, 2007, and he received his commission on November 21, 2007. His trans-fer in July 2013 to the Fort Worth Division required only the approval of the Chief Judge of the Northern District. The task of a federal judge can be daunting with the broad nature of federal criminal and civil cases before the court on a daily basis. The Fort Worth Division has a heavy criminal docket “since criminal cases are as-signed between three judges whereas in Dallas they are spread between eight judges,” he said. “There is an increase in the workload in Fort Worth on the criminal side. The split is generally 60/40 between criminal cases fi led in this division versus the Dallas division. The result is that 60% of the criminal cases are spread between the eight district judges in Dallas and the 40% in this division is split between three judges. The net result is I have a much higher criminal docket in Fort Worth.” A typi-cal week for Judge O’Connor involves a criminal docket every Monday morning and guilty pleas as needed on Thursdays and Fridays. “I set things quickly on criminal cases to process them timely.”

Judge Reed O’Connor

Federal judges make rulings on a broad range of subjects that include reviewing the fi ndings and conclusions of the U.S. Magis-trate Judges. The cases can run from appeals of social security benefi ts, habeas corpus peti-tions fi led by state and federal prisoners, mo-tions to vacate sentences, constitutionality of local ordinances, federal interstate challenges to gun-bans, and bankruptcy appeals. He recently declared the federal interstate handgun sales ban violated the Second Amendment, and he is known to take an interest in patent cases. The burden of writing can be enormous on a fed-eral district judge. Because of the heavy crimi-nal docket the Judge said, “I handle civil cases as they come and hearings are set as needed.” He sets civil cases for trial after all parties have appeared, and the trial usually occurs roughly 12-16 months later. Judge O’Connor is concerned about pro se litigants in the Fort Worth Division. He would like to see a panel of volunteer attorneys in the Fort Worth Division established to handle pro bono civil cases in his court. In some cases pro se litigants have fi led cases that have survived Federal Rule 12 and 56 motions and will need representation at trial, which can be a jury tri-al. He believes that attorneys who volunteer to take such an assignment would have a great op-portunity to gain valuable trial experience in the federal system. “There is no substitute for gain-ing that experience and making yourself a better lawyer.” Judge O’Connor recommends that new at-torneys take advantage of real world experience in any way possible, from pro bono family law to landlord-tenant to federal court appointments. His advice to attorneys is to “be prepared, know the law, be respectful to the court and to the op-ponent.” Judge O’Connor is married to Tammy O’Connor, whom he met in l aw school. She is in-house counsel with ExxonMobil in Las Coli-nas. They have two daughters. One is at Texas A&M and the other in high school. ■

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Other Associations’

Arlington Bar AssociationMeets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. President, Larry Gaydos. For location & information, email [email protected] or call 214.651.5622.Black Women Lawyers AssociationFor meetings and information, contact Sue Allen, President, at 817.926.5005 or [email protected] J. Kelly Law Library Welcomes Bar Members! For the latest Texas A&M University School of Law library hours and information, please visit http://law.tamu.edu, or call 817.212.3800.Fort Worth Chapter Association of Legal AdministratorsMeets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the City Club, 301 Commerce Street, Fort Worth, 76102. For more information, contact Lisa Boyd, 817.339.2478 or [email protected] Worth Paralegal Association - General Membership Meetings are held at noon every 4th Thursday of the month at Joe T. Garcia’s, 2201 N. Commerce. FWPA Board of Directors meets at noon every 1st Tuesday of the month at the Bar Center. For more information, go to www.fwpa.org.L. Clifford Davis Legal Association (f/k/a TarrantCounty Black Bar Association) holds its meetings on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. For more information, contact President Crystal Gayden at 817.496.8408 or by email at [email protected] (Mexican American Bar Association)Meets on the last Thursday of each month at Rivas Mexi-can Restaurant, 5442 River Oaks Blvd., River Oaks 76114. For more information, contact President Eloy Sepulveda at 817.332.1285.Northeast Tarrant County Bar Association (NETCBA) Meets for CLE luncheons on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at La Hacienda Restaurant, Hwy. 121. Contact President Leslie Barrows at 817.481.1583, lbarrows@barrowsfi rm.com.Tarrant County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (TCCDlA) Meets every 2nd Thursday at Joe T. Garcia’s, 2201 N. Commerce. For more information, contact President Randy Bowers at 817.348.8094 or [email protected] County Family Law Bar AssociationMeets at noon on the 4th Tuesday of each month at Family Law Center Assembly Room on the 2nd fl oor. For more information, contact President Kevin Schmid, 817.377.3000 [email protected] County Probate Bar AssociationMeets on the 1st Thursday of each month at the Petroleum Club—members free, guests $30. For more information, contact Tena Fox, 817.280.0811 or [email protected] County Trial Lawyers AssociationMeets on the 4th Wednesday of each month at Joe T. Garcia’s. For more information, contact John S. Jose at 817.288.8988.Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association 2015-2016 new Bar Year began September 1, 2015. If you need an application or meeting information, call 817.338.4092, email [email protected], or go to the website at tcyla.org.Texas Association of Defense CounselMeets for lunch every 4th Wednesday at Angelo’s. Contact George Haratsis, McDonald Sanders, 817.336.8651 for more information.

News & Information

Advertisers’ IndexDEBORAH ADAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24THE COLLIE FIRM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26JURIS FABRILIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26JOHN W. HUGHES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22KOONSFULLER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INSIDE FRONT COVERTHE LAW OFFICE OF GREG JACKSON P.L.L.C. . . . . . . . INSIDE BACK COVERLAW OFFICES OF JASON SMITH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7LAW OFFICES OF STEVEN C. LAIRD, P.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25LAWPAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24LEXISNEXIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27PARKER LAW FIRM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21SOUTHSIDE BANK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26STEPHENS ANDERSON & CUMMINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BACK COVERTINDALL SQUARE OFFICE COMPLEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24RANDY TURNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28


Diversity Spotlight

The Diversity Spotlight this month is on the minority law fi rm of Martinez Hsu, P.C. located in Arlington.

This fi rm was founded in 2013 by attorneys An Lee Hsu and Michael S. Martinez. They were joined by Michael’s brother, Marcos, Andrea Dwyer, and Courtney Burns, who are associates at the fi rm and all minority. Elaine Wang and Jazmine Cano are legal assistants and secretaries at the fi rm, also minority. Martinez Hsu, P.C. has clients in Texas, New Mexico, Florida, and even Taiwan and China. They practice family law, probate, trust and estate matters, tax matters, as well as general litigation and corporate matters. The staff speaks English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese. The fi rm’s philosophy begins with dedication to its cli-ents. After experiencing the fi rm culture that prevails at some larger fi rms, An Lee and Michael were determined to design a private practice where each particular client, whether corporate or individual, would receive more in-divid ual attention. To further this goal, the fi rm strives to keep an open and consistent line of communication with its

clients to better facili-tate their legal needs, as they may arise. With the fi rm’s corporate practice, it strives to cater to each corpora-tion’s growing needs, from inception to suc-cess as an established company, including liti-gation, restricting, tax planning, risk manage-ment, compliance and mergers/acquisitions, and purchase/sales. ■

Article submitted by Marcos Martinez, Martinez Hsu, P.C.


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BAR BULLETIN • January 2016Tarrant County Bar Association1315 Calhoun StreetFort Worth, Texas 76102-6504

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

If any of your contact information is incorrect, please submit your corrected information to the TCBA office at 817.338.4092, fax to817.335.9238 or e-mail to [email protected]

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