M. Benjamin "Ben" Cowan

Andrew Gould leads the appellate practice at Hicks Johnson PLLC, a litigation boutique with offices in Houston and Chicago. An award-winning former federal appellate prosecutor, Andrew regularly advocates in state and federal appellate courts nationwide. He has served as lead counsel in some 270 appeals and has conducted over 40 oral arguments, including over 25 before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He also often appears at the trial-court level to assist with complex motion...

Stephanie Jeane is an executive compensation partner in the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Stephanie’s practice focuses on executive compensation and benefits matters in connection with mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs and divestitures and public offerings. Stephanie also advises clients on a wide range of compensation and associated tax, securities and corporate governance matters, including the design, disclosure and implementation of equity and cash incentive programs...

Charley Davidson leads the firm’s criminal defense practice, where he offers passionate, responsive counsel to guide clients facing state and federal charges in the areas of white collar and blue collar crime. Prior to joining Hanszen Laporte, he was a partner at a large international firm specializing in white collar defense, as well as a partner at a Houston-based criminal defense law firm. Charley also spent three years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Offic...

Tesha Peeples is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Tesha, 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 Tesha is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

The first and foremost objective of Lee’s practice is to provide innovative and value-driven solutions to the litigation-related problems facing clients. This objective has been successfully achieved through direct and open communication with the client, early and immediate assessment of the issues, strategic evaluation of the problem and its solution, aggressive representation, and reliance upon Lee’s trial experience. A significant focus of Lee’s practice relates to the re...

Gregory Cokinos is a founder of Cokinos | Young and he has earned a reputation as one of the preeminent lawyers in his field. Gregory’s practice includes all aspects of commercial and industrial construction, including office buildings, high rise condominiums, schools, power plants, processing plants, refineries, pipelines, highway construction, as well as offshore production and drilling platforms. Gregory has extensive experience in real estate transactions and development, having rep...

Darren S. Skyles is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Health Care Law. Darren S., 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 Darren S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Tiffany Melchers is a Shareholder in the Real Estate and Corporate M&A Groups at BoyarMiller. She also serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. Her practice is centered on all aspects of the commercial and industrial real estate industry and business transactions. She represents a diverse set of clients including Texas-based private businesses, developers, and public institutions. Tiffany regularly represents clients in large-scale acquisitions and dispositions, office and retail l...

Kenneth Held is an experienced trial attorney who focuses his practice on business litigation in state and federal courts, arbitration and regulatory enforcement matters, with a particular emphasis on securities litigation, energy litigation and class action defense. His clients range from individuals to publicly traded and privately held companies, as well as private equity firms and hedge funds. Mr. Held has significant experience in securities litigation and defending corporate and individ...