Alix L. Udelson

M. Michelle Carreras is a key member of the Issues and Appeals section of The Lanier Law Firm, handling complex appeals, briefings and research for trial. She has worked on a wide variety of cases, including mass tort, products liability, personal injury, business litigation and sports law litigation. She was a key member of the firm’s Pinnacle bellwether trial team that won a $1 billion combined jury verdict and a $502 million jury verdict in 2016. Those victories were recently ranked ...

Laura Manion is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law. Laura, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Laura is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Luis F. Gomar is a partner in the Corporate department of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Houston office. Mr. Gomar has over 18 years of experience advising on domestic and cross-border transactions in the energy, finance and private equity sectors. Mr. Gomar counsels clients on both domestic and international transactions involving M&A, asset acquisition and divestitures, fund formations, joint ventures and strategic alliances, project development, and structured finance a...

Patrick Hayes' practice focuses on commercial real estate, and assisting clients in acquiring, disposing, capitalizing and forming companies. Patrick’s real estate practice covers all aspects of commercial real estate, including acquisition, development, capitalizing, financing, leasing and disposition of all product types of commercial real estate. His corporate/commercial practice centers on the formation and restructuring of commercial entities, including corporations, partnerships a...

Andrew Pratka is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Andrew, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Andrew is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Gregg Laswell has been a trial lawyer for nearly four decades. He began with a large national firm, where he practiced for 13 years, moved to a large international firm, where he practiced for 7 years, and then joined some of his former partners in 2004 at Hicks Thomas, where he has practiced for the last 18 years. His practice has focused almost exclusively on business and commercial litigation and while he has significant experience in various industries and practice areas, a primary emphas...

Stephen Pate focuses his litigation practice on property insurance matters, Directors and Officers insurance matters, business interruption issues, CGL insurance matters, builders risk matters, commercial general liability insurance disputes, fraud, and various other extracontractual litigation matters. Over a 30 year career in coverage work, he has tried more than 45 first-party extracontractual cases to verdict. Prior to joining the firm, Stephen had been partner in the Houston office of an...

Kent has served as a justice on the Texas Court of Appeals, a judge for the 80th District Court in Harris County, Texas, and as First Assistant Attorney General, the second-highest-ranking official of the Texas Office of the Attorney General. In 2017, he was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to serve as the Texas Commissioner of Insurance, the state’s top insurance regulatory position, responsible for the policies, operations, and enforcement activities of the Texas Department of Insura...

A shareholder in the Firm’s Houston office, Mr. Mitchell's practice focuses primarily on employment-related litigation in federal and state court and representing clients before the various federal and state agencies charged with the enforcement of employment and labor laws. Mr. Mitchell also advises clients regarding various issues related to employee rights and benefits and employer obligations and policies. His practice also includes both creation and review of employment policies an...

Ryan aggressively seeks justice and accountability for people and institutions that have been harmed. He has 20 years’ experience successfully litigating complex disputes from the East Coast to the Gulf Coast. Ryan represents both plaintiffs and defendants in matters including breach of contract, partnership disputes, breach of fiduciary duty, antitrust, RICO, civil theft, theft of trade secrets, fraud, fraudulent transfer claims and securities, and antitrust class actions. His clients ...