Drew Bivona

Matt Pacey is a partner in Kirkland's Houston office. His practice concentrates on capital markets transactions, corporate governance and compliance. He regularly represents private equity-backed companies in connection with initial public offerings, particularly in the upstream, midstream and oil field service sectors. He has extensive knowledge of master limited partnership matters and has represented issuers or underwriters in numerous MLP financing transactions, including initial public o...

Katherine Odom Sermas is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Katherine Odom, 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 Katherine Odom is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Christopher has experience centered around probate, trust and fiduciary litigation matters. He is sensitive to the intricacies involved in probate matters and the impact they have on clients. A strong competitive spirit drives Christopher to advocate for his clients and to see the best results possible, both inside and outside the courtroom. He has significant trial and courtroom experience and has participated in all phases of pre-trial and trial proceedings. In addition, Christopher is also...

Mark Lanier is consistently recognized as one of the top civil trial lawyers in America. Best known as a zealous advocate for individuals in personal injury and product liability claims against major corporations, Mark brings passion, creativity and an unparalleled ability to connect with juries in courtrooms across the nation. During the past 30 years, Mark has taken on some of the biggest challenges in the legal field. In doing so, he has achieved some of the largest verdicts in history, ac...

Stephen E. Hart is of counsel in the Houston, Texas, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Certified by the Texas State Bar Board of Legal Specialization as a specialist in Labor and Employment Law, Stephen represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment law. Leveraging more than 20 years’ experience in federal and state court employment-related litigation, arbitration, and administrative agency proceedings, Stephen helps clients defend and negotiate complex discrimination, harassmen...

Phillip L. Sampson, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Real Estate. Phillip L., 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 Phillip L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ms. Schovajsa joined the Eastham firm in 1998 and became a partner in 2003. Her practice focuses on the firm’s major casualty, personal injury and appellate dockets. Ms. Schovajsa is an experienced advocate with substantial experience in both Texas state court and federal court. She guides her clients through every stage of the legal process, from pre-litigation incident investigation, risk analysis and case evaluation to motion practice, discovery, mediation and, if necessary, trial. T...

Charles is a board-certified civil trial lawyer and primarily represents property owners in securing just compensation when government takes private property for public use. While his experience has included takings projects for highway expansion, pipelines, electric transmission lines, and flood control, Charles’s principal practice is focused on highway and roadway widening projects impacting retail, commercial, and industrial uses. Charles has obtained successful special commissioner...

Heather Peterson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Heather, 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 Heather is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...