Douglas Atkinson

Adam Larson is a partner in the Houston and Austin offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Adam’s primary practice areas include mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and capital markets. He has counseled private equity investors, their portfolio companies, and other public and private companies in connection with mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and offerings of equity and debt securities. Adam also advises clients in connection with the negotiation of partnership a...

Barham Lewis, a shareholder at Ogletree Deakins, focuses his practice on employment-related litigation before state and federal courts and other civil litigation. Mr. Lewis has tried to jury verdict cases ranging from sexual assault/sexual harassment, retaliation/wrongful discharge claims to commercial disputes and wrongful death causes of action. He also represents companies in arbitrations including discharge/discipline cases and contract interpretation disputes. Mr. Lewis is board certifie...

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...

Marc Grossberg's primary practice is representing clients in tax controversies at the examination, Internal Revenue Service appeal and trial and federal appeals levels, collection issues and pre-IRS examination compliance issues, including filing and foreign accounts and unique issues. Recent representations include bringing taxpayers "in from the cold," meaning assisting them in becoming compliant with the Internal Revenue Service before the Internal Revenue Service has discovered the non-co...

With a 30-year litigation career as a partner in global law firms, John Strasburger is an experienced trial lawyer who is as comfortable in the boardroom as he is in the courtroom. His work typically includes matters involving novel, urgent, and sensitive disputes, that are often the subject of government and media scrutiny. Licensed in both Texas and New York, he has represented some of the world’s largest companies, as well as mid-market companies and high net worth individuals. His p...

Board Certified in Construction Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Tim Ross has a practice focused on the transactional and dispute resolution aspects of construction law. He works with clients in all phases of the construction process with an emphasis on contract drafting and negotiation, dispute avoidance during construction, field management and administration, project close-out and dispute resolution. Tim’s legal acumen is complemented by field experience with a large c...

John D. Surma is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. John D., 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 John D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Carolyn Russell represents management in a variety of employment-related matters, including litigation involving age, disability, race and sex discrimination claims, covenants not to compete, trade secrets, wage and hour claims, ERISA claims, and other workplace torts. Her practice focuses on employment litigation and consultation and commercial litigation. She handles all varieties of employment disputes, including claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful termination and b...

Forrest M. Smith III is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Forrest M., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Forrest M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Kent A. Schaffer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Kent A., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2003. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kent A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.