Cesar A. Udave

Natalie Armour offers experience in trial and appellate matters involving mass torts, pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, and other types of products liability claims, personal injury matters and business litigation. A key member of the Issues and Appeals Section of The Lanier Law Firm in Houston, Ms. Armour has briefed appellate matters before the Texas Supreme Court, Texas Courts of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, Eighth Circuit, and Court of Appeals for the Eastern District of Missouri. ...

Katy Sermas has been an attorney with Wilson Cribbs + Goren since 2014, but her experience in real estate law goes back much further. Katy essentially grew up around law, as both of her parents are recognized as well-regarded attorneys in the Houston market. “My mother spent forty years as an in-house real estate attorney for a large retail developer. Growing up watching her practice always fascinated me and definitely influenced me to become an attorney, specifically practicing real es...

Brittany Cooperrider’s practice focuses on construction law, litigation, alternative dispute resolution and labor and employment matters. She represents general contractors, subcontractors, and small and mid-sized companies in a variety of construction and employment related disputes and also provides guidance in their labor and employment needs. Prior to joining the firm, Brittany worked for a civil litigation boutique, the Attorney General of Texas, and The Office of the Attorney Gene...

Wanda Fowler was a Justice on the Fourteenth Court of Appeals for almost 14 years before joining Wright Close & Barger, LLP as a partner. While on the Court she authored approximately 1900 opinions and decided approximately 3,800 more cases. In 2001, the other members of the Court elected her Acting Chief Justice for five months pending an appointment of a new chief justice and, in 2003, the Houston Chapter of the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists voted her Appell...

David Cole is a tax partner in the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. David focuses his practice on tax disputes with trial experience in both federal and state courts. The tax matters David has litigated include disputes with taxing authorities and between private parties. The clients David represents include large and small partnerships, public and private partnerships, corporations, and high net worth individuals. His clients operate across an array of industries, including privat...

Zeke DeRose is a member of The Lanier Law Firm’s Commercial Litigation section. He brings extensive experience to plaintiffs and defendants in a range of disputes before courts and in arbitration, including complex commercial and business litigation, antitrust, licensing disputes, merger disputes, qui tam (under both state and federal False Claims Act), federal securities, and intellectual property. He has represented both large and small clients across the nation in federal court, arbi...

Bill Benitez is a partner in the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, equity investments, recapitalizations, joint ventures and corporate governance, with a particular emphasis on the energy and infrastructure sector. Clients have described Bill as a “great practitioner” who provides “incredible client service” in connection with his recognition in various industry publications, including Chambers Global, The Wor...

Steve Fernelius successfully handles high-profile and complex litigation, especially matters that come under intense public scrutiny. He has a sophisticated understanding of how cases affect his clients’ business, and he does everything he can to resolve his clients’ problems. His work for clients includes representing an international oil and gas company in three separate trials from 2005 to 2009 involving a catastrophic explosion at one of its oil refineries, which ultimately re...

Jesse P. Myers is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Jesse P., 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 Jesse P. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

William Davidson's practice focuses on the litigation/arbitration aspects of construction law. He represents primarily private owners, engineers, general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers on substantial construction projects, including power plants, chemical plants, gas processing plants, cryogenic plants, sports facilities, commercial properties, light rail, and the fabrication of production modules for the upstream oil and gas industry. His experience includes the prosecution and de...