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IN FOCUS

6-1-1 Day of Service

Jackson Walker continued its firmwide 6-1-1—Six Offices, One Day, One Mission—Day of Service tradition on June 11, bringing together more than 200 volunteers across the firm’s six offices to support local nonprofit organizations and neighbors in need. Participating organizations included Central Texas Food Bank, Caritas of Austin, The Stewpot, Dallas LIFE, Alliance for Children, Kids’ Meals, Meals for the Elderly, San Antonio Food Bank, and Christian Assistance Ministries. Read more about this incredible day

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Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Month

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, Phil Kim joined Jackson Walker’s Fast Takes podcast to reflect on his journey from growing up in Houston to joining Jackson Walker, sharing how early exposure to the business side of healthcare, mentorship, his academic experiences, and cultural background and family shaped his path into healthcare law. Listen to the episode »

Celebrating Pride Month

In honor of Pride Month, Fred Sultan joined Jackson Walker’s Fast Takes podcast to discuss his eminent domain practice and involvement with the LGBTQ+ Bar Association. Listen to the episode »

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Miguel Ortiz joined Jackson Walker’s Fast Takes podcast to share how his Puerto Rican heritage, military service, and family values have shaped his legal career and real estate practice. Listen to the episode »

Martha Barrios reflected on how her Hispanic heritage and Costa Rican roots have shaped her values and outlook: “My Hispanic heritage taught me the value of family, the importance of belonging, and the responsibility to lift others as we rise. Pura vida, a gift from my Costa Rican roots, reminds me to lead with gratitude, cherish the people around me, find joy in life’s simple moments, and remain positive even when life gets hard.”

JW Cornhole Tournament

The 4th Annual JW Cornhole Tournament wrapped up with an exciting championship match that came down to the final points. After a close contest, Tripp Lavely and Emma Roddy claimed the title with a 34–32 win over runners-up Cassandra Gee and Phil Kim. Congratulations to this year’s champions and all who participated!

United Way Law Initiative

Jackson Walker’s San Antonio office received the Certificate of Outstanding Achievement for the 2025 Law Initiative Campaign from United Way. The recognition honors the office’s leadership and outstanding workplace campaign, which helped create lasting change and meaningful impact in the San Antonio community.

Culture and Engagement

Our Culture and Engagement team has had the pleasure of visiting each office for Culture Hack and Metaphoria. The sessions so far have been fantastic, and we’re excited about the ones still to come.

JW Care Blood Drive

In memory of our dear colleague and friend Michael Kuhn, the Houston office partnered with UT MD Anderson Cancer Center to host a JW Care blood drive on April 14. Thanks to the generosity of our colleagues, the drive collected 39 whole blood donations, 1 platelet donation, and 40 total units—potentially impacting the lives of 120 patients.

In Memoriam

We remember and honor our dear colleague, Charles Smith of San Antonio, whose mentorship and friendship are deeply missed.

NEWS & NOTES

Outstanding Young Lawyer Award

Zach Zurek was selected as the recipient of the San Antonio Young Lawyers Association (SAYLA) 2026 Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. The Outstanding Young Lawyer Award recognizes one young lawyer who has demonstrated professional proficiency, service to the legal profession, and service to the community. Read more »

Excellence in Corporate Governance Award

Willie Hornberger was honored with the Constantine “Connie” Konstans Excellence in Corporate Governance Award, one of the highest awards given by the financial community in North Texas. The annual Financial Executive Awards, presented by D CEO in partnership with Financial Executives International (FEI), honors the top corporate finance professionals in North Texas. Read more »

Corporate/Transactional Attorney Award

Michelle Kwan was presented with the 2026 Corporate/Transactional Attorney Award at the Travis County Women Lawyers’ Foundation (TCWLF) and Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association (TCWLA) Annual Grants & Awards Luncheon. Part of the TCWLA mission is to recognize and celebrate the contributions of the women members of the local bar. Read more »

2026 Summer Associates

Jackson Walker welcomed 34 law students to the Firm as part of our 2026 Summer Associate Program. Over the past few months, our Summer Associates gained hands-on experience through meaningful legal work while also taking part in sporting events, concerts, magic shows, community service projects, client visits, museum outings, and plenty of friendly competition. Most importantly, they built lasting relationships across the firm and brought fresh perspectives to each of our offices.

Recognizing Achievements

During the first and second quarter of 2026, the Firm received the following recognitions:

• Jackson Walker was included in Legal 500’s United States 2026 Nationwide guide, with rankings in the following areas: General Commercial Disputes – Mid-Market ($0–250M) and M&A: Middle-Market ($0–250M). Legal 500 is a leading, independent legal directory that evaluates law firms based on a rigorous research process, including firm submissions, client feedback, and interviews with practitioners across the market. Read more »
• Chambers and Partners selected 88 attorneys and 30 departments for inclusion in the 2026 edition of the Global and USA guides. Read more »
• Chambers and Partners have recognized JW’s Family Office, Trusts & Estates, and Trusts & Estates Litigation practices in the 2026 High Net Worth Guide. In addition, Lauren Sracic Ciminello, Sarah Patel Pacheco, Kathleen Tanner Beduze, Sam Hildebrand, and Scott Schepps were ranked in their respective areas. Read more »
• Jackson Walker ranked among the top “Best Law Firms to Work For” and “Best Law Firms for Firm Culture” in the 2027 Vault Rankings. Visit our profile for the full list of rankings »

In addition, the following individuals received notable achievements:

• 53 Austin-based attorneys were recognized among Austin Monthly’s list of “Austin’s Top Attorneys” for 2026. Read more »
• Lawdragon recognized 14 partners among 500 Leading Energy Lawyers of 2026. Read more »
• 49 attorneys in the San Antonio office were included in Scene in SA’s 2026 “Best SA Lawyers” list. Read more »
• 31 Dallas-based attorneys were included in D Magazine’s list of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas” for 2025. Read more »

Achieving Results for Clients

Attorneys across various practices and backgrounds come together to serve the needs of our clients. From the pitch to the end result, our teams include an array of JW attorneys who are involved at every stage of the representation:

• Jackson Walker secured an important pro bono victory on behalf of death penalty counsel after successfully challenging a state Department of Corrections policy that restricted attorneys from bringing laptops, work product, and paper documents into legal visits at the state penitentiary. The Jackson Walker team included Christina Vitale, Conor Tomalty, Ivan De Leon, Jalen Johnson, Taylor Lanier, and Maggie Lu. Read more »
• Jackson Walker represented Global Energy Services Alliance, Inc. (GESA) in its acquisition by Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Inc. GESA is a leading global provider of full-lifecycle services for turbine and generator systems. Jackson Walker’s multidisciplinary team was led by Michael Attaway and included Adrian Allen, Mica Yinger, Sami Landon, Emily Leitch, Ann Leafstedt, Shari Mao, Aaron Pinegar, Robert Soza, and James Miers. Read more »
• In a significant pro bono appellate victory, Jackson Walker secured a reversal and render in the Supreme Court of Texas in favor of a mother whose parental rights to her three children had been terminated. The Jackson Walker team included Cody Lee Vaughn and Peter Hansen. Read more »
• Brett Kutnick and Cody Martinez secured a significant appellate victory for JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. when the Texas Supreme Court reversed a lower-court ruling that had declared economic development agreements unconstitutional under article III, section 52-a of the Texas Constitution. Read more »
• Cindy Brotman Nelson, Lamar Dowling, and Claire Porterfield represented Braemar Hotels & Resorts Inc. in connection with the $176 million sale of the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort & Spa, a 193-key luxury ski-in/ski-out resort located in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Read more »
• Jackson Walker represented Sky Peak Capital in connection with the formation of Excelus Holdings, a scaled precision manufacturing platform serving mission-critical industries across the United States. The team was led by Patrick Rose IV and included Art Cavazos, Amy Pollard, Aaron Pinegar, Jessica Palvino, David Schlottman, Lindsey Moorhead, Sara Borrelli, Adrian Allen, Madison Alexander, Rachel Saunders, Sami Landon, Mica Yinger, Erik Allison, Rylan Leffall, and Cameron Secord. Read more »
• Michael Flatter, Claire Zurovec, and Brandon Janes represented Syntrio Solutions, LLC in its acquisition of fiber-optic assets from Tri-County Electric Cooperative. Read more »
• Jackson Walker represented T-Bar Fence, a North Texas–based provider of fencing, gate, and sport court installation services, in its acquisition by Fenceworks, a portfolio company of Gemspring Capital. The deal team was led by Kevin Jones and included Rachel Saunders, Mica Yinger, Erik Allison, Nathan Smithson, Ali Andrews, David Schlottman, Peter Wahl, David Stolle, Jessica Palvino, Sara Borrelli, and Lauren Zang Williams. Read more »
• Marc Fuller, Maggie Burreson, and Abby Lahvis represented Frank Figliuzzi in a successful defense of a defamation lawsuit filed by FBI Director Kash Patel. A federal judge in the Southern District of Texas dismissed the claims against Jackson Walker’s client, a former senior FBI official and current television news analyst, finding that the challenged statement was protected speech and not actionable as defamation. Read more »
• Jackson Walker represented Battalion Capital Partners in a strategic partnership with Velocity Restorations, a leader in re-engineered classic vehicles. The team was led by Patrick Rose, IV and included Amy Pollard, Aaron Pinegar, Rachel Saunders, Sami Landon, and Mica Yinger. Read more »
• The Jackson Walker team led by Danny Nappier and Graeme Hawkins, with assistance from Nathan Smithson and Peter Wahl, represented Renaissance Growth Partners, a Dallas-based investment fund, in the successful acquisition of upstream oil and gas assets in the Permian Basin. Read more »

COMMUNITY IMPACT

• David Schlottman was elected Chair of the State Bar of Texas Labor and Employment Law Section. Read more »
• Joshua Romero on his invitation to join the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Read more »
• Michelle Moore Smith was elected as Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL). Read more »
• Paige Welch was elected as Secretary of the Austin Intellectual Property Law Association (IPLA) board. Read more »
• Baker Howry was elected to serve on the South Texas College of Law Houston (STCL) Alumni Association Board of Directors. Read more »
• Clinton Butler was elected as a member to the American Cancer Society, South Texas Board.
• Jenny Purcell was named Chair of the State Bar of Texas Women in the Profession Committee for the 2026-2027 term.

EVENTS & SPONSORSHIPS

Top Golf Fundraiser

Jackson Walker sponsored the Entryway North Texas Top Golf Fundraiser on May 20. The event featured a relaxed afternoon of networking, gameplay, and fundraising to support Entryway’s career and housing programs.

Reading Partners NYC

Jackson Walker proudly sponsored the Reading Partners NYC Annual Benefit, with Steve Jenkins, Miguel Ortiz, and Abby Wilkinson representing the firm.

Wonders & Worries

Jackson Walker sponsored the Wonders & Worries 2026 Envision Gala, a tremendous success that raised more than $1,055,000 and supported over 1,000 children in our community. Joe Savoie organized the sponsorship.

Houston Kids’ Meals

Nearly 30 Jackson Walker volunteers prepared more than 10,000 meals at the Houston Kids’ Meals volunteer event on Thursday, March 26.

Big Texas BBQ

Jackson Walker proudly sponsored and attended the Trial Lawyers Association of Dallas’ Big Texas BBQ, including sponsorship of one of the event’s trains. Erik Allison and Bowman Givhan enjoyed connecting with colleagues and friends at the well-attended event.

APIS Conference

Priya Coffey, Sang Shin, and Yenmi Tang spoke at the 28th Annual Texas State Bar Asian Pacific Interest Section (APIS) Conference on April 25 in Houston, where the firm also served as a Presenting Sponsor.

‘Deep in the Heart of Capital Markets’

Emily Leitch hosted the firm’s “Deep in the Heart of Capital Markets” women’s roundtable, leading a lively, candid conversation with prominent female executives on the future of capital markets in Texas, recent developments strengthening the state’s competitiveness as a jurisdiction for incorporation, and new opportunities for issuers and investors as America’s capital markets epicenter continues to shift.

Texas Bar Foundation

Jackson Walker supported the Texas Bar Foundation Annual Gala with a Jackson Walker table. Diana Perez Gomez and her husband, Judge Michael Gomez, represented JW.

FIFA World Cup

Jackson Walker was delighted to support the North Texas FIFA World Cup 2026 Media Party, celebrating Dallas’s role as host of the International Broadcast Center for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Bob Latham, Minoo Blaesche, and Paul Watler were proud to join leaders from international and regional media outlets, sports organizations, nonprofits, and the business community for the occasion.

36th Annual Golf Tournament

Jackson Walker, through Rob Harlow, sponsored a team in the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center’s 36th Annual Golf Tournament, supporting STEAM programming, therapy play, classroom and library resources, teacher enrichment, facility upgrades, and more. The team—Joe Savoie, Lindsay Moorhead, and David Parker—earned awards for Longest Drive and third place.

ChildCareGroup

Jackson Walker was proud to sponsor ChildCareGroup’s Great Adventure Hunt, with Sarah Montgomery leading the sponsorship effort.

International Citizen of the Year

Jackson Walker sponsored the International Citizen of the Year Award Dinner, attended by Jed Morrison and Patrick Tobin.

Professional Advisors Seminar

Jackson Walker sponsored The Dallas Foundation’s Professional Advisors Seminar, “Beyond Numbers: Transforming How Advisors Win and Retain Clients” held on March 5 at the Arts District Mansion. JW attendees included Emma Roddy, Sabina Bramlett, Foster Ford, Brian Merkley, Claire Raggio, and Brian Dethrow.

Women’s Power Summit

Jackson Walker sponsored the Center for Women in Law 2026 Women’s Power Summit, held April 8–10 in Austin, TX, which Cheryl Murray attended on behalf of the firm.

Globalaw Asia Pacific

Lauren Ciminello and Shari Mao served as speakers at the Globalaw Asia Pacific Regional Meeting in Singapore on April 15-18, where they presented on “Globalaw Upcoming Destinations.”

SALSA Justice Luncheon

Robert Soza was a featured speaker at the San Antonio Legal Services Association’s (SALSA) Justice Luncheon, held on April 8.

These materials are made available by Jackson Walker for informational purposes only, do not constitute legal advice, and are not a substitute for legal advice from qualified counsel. The laws of other states and nations may be entirely different from what is described. Your use of these materials does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Jackson Walker. The facts and results of each case will vary, and no particular result can be guaranteed.

© 2026 Jackson Walker