Kathleen R. Ellison

John D. Surma is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. John D. practices law in Houston, Texas Best Lawyers has recognized John D. Surma since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which John D. Surma is held by other lawyers.

Elizabeth Pringle Johnson is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Real Estate Law. Elizabeth Pringle practices law in Houston, Texas Best Lawyers has recognized Elizabeth Pringle Johnson since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Elizabeth Pringle Johnson is held by other lawyers.

Lauren E. Waddell's practice focuses exclusively on family law issues including divorce litigation, custody issues, property division, marital agreements, international abductions, paternity actions, child support, and modification actions. Ms. Waddell is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and International Academy of Family Lawyers. She is licensed to practice law in Texas and before the Sou...

Grady Reiff is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Family Law. Grady practices law in Houston, Texas Best Lawyers has recognized Grady Reiff since 2026. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Grady Reiff is held by other lawyers.

Brittany Sakowitz is a corporate partner in the Houston and Austin offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, concentrating her practice on mergers and acquisitions and private equity. Brittany advises private equity and venture capital investors, their portfolio companies, and other public and private companies across a broad range of industries, including infrastructure, energy and energy-related services, renewables, technology and digital infrastructure. She primarily counsels clients on public...

Michael Childs is a graduate of Texas A&M University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. He received his Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law, with a focus on civil litigation. Mr. Childs first came to the firm in 1996 as a law clerk and became an associate in November 1996. He has over fourteen years of extensive experience with complex family matters. As a litigator, his representation has included divorce, disputed property valuations and divisions of pro...

Mike represents a variety of clients in commercial, insurance coverage, tort, environmental, and Qui Tam/False Claims Act matters at the state and federal levels. He has tried numerous cases to verdict and represented clients in venues across Texas and throughout the United States. Mike’s accomplishments as a trial lawyer have been recognized by his peers, who elected him as a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (“ABOTA”). ABOTA is comprised of trial lawyers repr...

Mark C. Rodriguez is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Energy Law. Mark, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2014. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mark is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area. Mark is a trial lawyer with more than 30 years of experience representing companies in high-stakes litigation, pa...

Katherine (Kit) Flanagan handles all areas of employment law for employers, including matters involving: Claims of sex, age, national origin, race, disability and pregnancy discrimination and harassment Retaliation and whistleblower claims Wrongful termination claims Other employment-related litigation Drug and alcohol testing Employment policies and handbooks Counsel and advice regarding employee investigations and employment contracts Kit's practice focuses primarily on employment litigatio...

Andy is a trial lawyer with more than two decades of civil litigation experience involving complex insurance coverage, alleged insurer bad faith, complex commercial disputes, serious personal injuries, and allegedly defective products. Andy has tried cases in multiple jurisdictions, and has handled all aspects of pre-trial, trial, and post-trial litigation, including case analysis, discovery plans, written discovery, depositions, pre-trial motions, jury charges, voir dire, direct and cross ex...