Lakshmi Ramanathan

Mingda Zhao is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Mingda, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mingda is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Alasdair A. Roberts is a trial attorney with Kean Miller in Houston, Texas, focusing his practice on Litigation – Insurance. He represents clients in complex disputes in both state and federal courts, handling matters at the trial and appellate levels. Al has extensive experience addressing discovery and procedural issues, including successfully obtaining review by the Supreme Court of Texas that resulted in the reversal of multiple trial court orders compelling the production of irrele...

Andrea “AJ” Johnson, a director at the Firm, has been practicing in employment law and employment/commercial litigation for more than 30 years. She represents clients all over the nation, provides day-to-day advice on critical, time-sensitive business and employment matters, has tried numerous cases to successful verdict and/or to dispositive adjudication, and has arbitrated and enforced mandatory arbitration programs in several states. AJ has a straight-forward approach. She seek...

Lauren Black is a partner in the firm’s Litigation Practice Group with more than a decade of experience handling a diverse array of matters. While her practice is “industry agnostic,” she has represented clients in the energy, construction, manufacturing, healthcare, shipping, technology, and logistics industries. Lauren has achieved favorable results for clients facing all aspects of civil litigation, from a strategic approach to early dispute resolution to a favorable sett...

Houston divorce attorney John “Bo” Nichols has been practicing family law for more than twenty years. A native of Houston, Nichols is a regular selectee to the Best Lawyers in America list, holding that honor since 2009. Additionally, Nichols has been a Texas Super Lawyer honoree for more than ten years. Devoted to the practice of family law, including divorce, child custody and property division, Nichols is regarded as one of the foremost trial specialists by his peers. Nichols h...

Some cases are complex because of the mountains of ​evidence at issue; others because of the technical complexity of the industry involved. Either way, John Deis has a knack for distilling his cases down to the core issues and clearly presenting his client’s side to judges and juries. Mr. Deis once spent four days living aboard an oilrig offshore of Libya in order to understand how various equipment worked and the crew's performance. This was key to disproving his opponent’s conte...

Nicholas Earles is a partner in SBSB’s Houston office and has been a knowledgeable resource in the maritime space for more than 20 years. While his practice focuses in admiralty, his experience also extends to general and premises liability, workers’ compensation, subrogation and transportation. Additionally, he has navigated difficult cases for energy companies and overseas defense contractors covered by the Defense Base Act. A member of SBSB’s original roster in February 2...

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

With over two decades of experience as a litigator, Chris Hanslik’s practice has spanned the full spectrum of commercial and business litigation, including contracts, business torts, securities and corporate governance, oil and gas, lender liability, trade secrets, non-compete agreements and other employment-related disputes. Recognizing that the last place most business clients want to be is in the courtroom, Chris strives to develop creative, practical, and value-driven solutions to c...

Dan Cogdell is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers . His Chambers rating is “Band 1” in White Collar Crime and Government Investigations. Cogdell has been trial counsel in more than 300 jury trials in over sixteen different States. His experience includes verdicts of “Not Guilty” in the Branch Davidian matter, the only acquittal in any Enron related matter, and the successful representation of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton-both as a member of Paxton&r...