Darlene Payne Smith

Masood Anjom is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Patent and Patent Law. Masood, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Masood is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

Austin T. Lee is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Oil and Gas Law. Austin T., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Austin T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

G. Alan Rafte is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law, Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law and Project Finance Law. G. Alan, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which G. Alan is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

A commercial trial attorney with a focus on energy, corporate fiduciary and securities, and construction litigation, Jason Williams has significant first-chair trial and arbitration experience and has argued as lead counsel before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Working as a mechanical engineer prior to attending The University of Houston Law Center, he gained unique insights that have help to make him invaluable to his clients facing technology-related disputes. His construc...

Mary-Olga “Mo” Lovett has been a trial lawyer for more than 30 years. In that time, she has taken dozens of cases to trial, involving a wide variety of complex legal issues, over 50 with more than $100 billion at stake. And she’s just getting started. A proven first-chair trial lawyer, Mo has been a fierce advocate for a wide range of national and global clients in bet-the-company litigation. When reputations are on the line or billions of dollars are at stake, clients have ...

Rene A. Treviño is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Patent and Patent Law. Rene A., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2017. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Rene A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Paul Mitchell is an experienced trial lawyer with a diverse litigation practice. He focuses primarily on representing companies in the energy sector in commercial litigation, arbitration, corporate investigations, and similar matters, but has also handled a wide range of contested matters. For two decades prior to joining Hicks Thomas, Mr. Mitchell was a partner at Baker Botts LLP and Andrews Kurth LLP, two of the oldest and most respected law firms in Texas, and he brings that big-firm exper...

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. ...

The biggest victory is quietly stopping a case, and David has helped clients avoid charges in many DOJ,SEC, and other government investigations. But David is equally known for courtroom and appellate victories – including antitrust, environmental, health care, securities, immigration, commodities, banking, bribery, government contracts, and others. He also has been recruited to try civil cases, sometimes shortly before trial. Cases include: Acquittal of the Boeing pilot charged in the 7...