Matthew D. "Matt" Shaffer

Walter Lynch is a name partner at Houston’s Jordan, Lynch & Cancienne. He is a seasoned trial lawyer whose experience includes a wide range of matters, including intellectual property, medical issues, personal injury and complex commercial litigation. Mr. Lynch’s previous work as a management consultant is one of the reasons he is able to understand complex matters quickly and effectively identify issues, arguments and opportunities for his clients. Mr. Lynch has tried cases i...

David Castro Jr. is a corporate partner in the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. David’s practice focuses on mergers & acquisitions and the formation of joint ventures involving energy assets across the value chain, including traditional and renewable energy sources. David has represented clients in connection with the purchase and sale of a broad range of assets, including upstream and midstream oil and gas assets and companies, processing and fractionation facilities and...

Joe Roden grew up in Liberty, Texas and attended the University of Texas as an undergraduate, where he graduated in 1988. He then went into the U.S. Marine Corps. Joe attained the rank of 1st Lieutenant and was a decorated officer in the Marine Corps during Desert Storm, the first Gulf War. After leaving the Marine Corps, he graduated from the University of Houston Law Center with honors and then clerked for Justice Murry Cohen on the First Court of Appeals. After clerking for the Court of Ap...

John H. Kim is a seasoned, respected civil trial lawyer who handles high-stakes litigation for international corporations and the most important case of their lives for individuals who have been injured by others. He practices in Texas, nationwide and internationally. He has been named a Best Lawyer in America in the Commercial Litigation category by his peers. Recent past president of the Houston chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), elected nationally to be a trustee of ...

Jeffrey B. Andrews is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of IT Outsourcing Law and Technology Law. Jeffrey B., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2011. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jeffrey B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ed Ripley has practiced in the restructuring and related litigation area for over 30 years with significant experience in energy space (including upstream, mid-stream and downstream), on-shore and offshore, both conventional and renewable; real estate and related development (including construction, M&M lien and related surety bond issues); and retail (including commercial landlord and tenant issues). Ed has been involved in some of the largest bankruptcy cases filed in Texas and througho...

Jesse Pierce has more than fifty years of litigation experience and has tried many types of cases in state and federal courts of Texas and other states. He is licensed to practice in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. He specializes in trials of complex energy and commercial cases. Mr. Pierce is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Pierce is a member of Litigation Counsel of America, a trial-lawyer honorary society composed of less...

Jennifer Tomsen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy). Jennifer, 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 Jennifer is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jason S. McManis is a partner at AZA and the head of AZA’s intellectual property group. He is a skilled trial lawyer with extensive experience in front of the jury in courtrooms across the United States. IAM Patent 1000 ranks Mr. McManis as a leading patent litigator and highlights that he “is often brought in to take over cases from previous counsel” while commending his ability to “adapt to changing circumstances with alacrity.” Mr. McManis represents both plai...

Michael McBride is an intellectual property and patent trial lawyer who focuses primarily on high-stakes, complex patent litigation and patent prosecution matters in which his deep technical skills as an electrical engineer are a powerful asset to his clients. His vast experience in patent disputes over the last 13 years includes cases in venues across the country involving semiconductor manufacturing and transistor design, flash memory controllers, fiber optic networks, digital video compres...