Nydia Guevara Villavicencio

Judge Ward served as a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas for 12 years from September 24, 1999 until his retirement on October 1, 2011. During his 12-year tenure, Judge Ward presided over cases in the Marshall, Tyler, and Texarkana divisions and had one of the heaviest intellectual property dockets in the country. Judge Ward conducted over 150 jury trials, presided over hundreds of patent cases, including Hatch-Waxman cases, and held in excess of 150 claim construc...

Timothy Thompson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) and Tax Law. Timothy, who practices law in Columbia, South Carolina, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Timothy is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Erik Klingenberg is the Chair of Dentons' Capital Markets practice, specializing in structured finance, including all aspects of commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and other structured products. Erik is praised by clients as a “sophisticated,” “hands-on,” “creative,” “extremely smart” and “excellent lawyer,” with sources commending his "broad range of expertise and understand[ing] immediate...

David has devoted his practice to fighting for the rights of the injured and aggrieved, representing individuals in personal injury and social security disability. A battle-tested litigator, he has tried more than 100 cases to verdict. Thanks to his legal prowess, work ethic, organization and passion for his clients, he has established an exceptional track record of success. A native of South Florida, David grew up fishing, boating, playing sports and spending entirely too much time in the su...

Chris Wooten is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Chris, who practices law in Huntsville, Alabama, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Chris is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Tim Perla is a seasoned litigator and strategic counselor with over two decades of experience defending complex litigation involving securities, corporate governance, and life insurance. A results-oriented leader, he has repeatedly defeated class certification, secured dismissals, and led high-stakes defenses on behalf of banks, life insurance companies, life sciences and technology firms, healthcare companies, energy companies, and other companies across all sectors of the economy.

EDUCATION Creighton University (J.D., Cum Laude, 1983) Boston University (M.Ed., 1975) Hastings College (B.A., 1970) PRACTICE EMPHASIS Civil Litigation Workers’ Compensation Litigation & Mediation HONORS & AWARDS The Best Lawyers in America

Eliot Harris is a Seattle-based attorney who focuses on commercial litigation and insurance coverage matters. He represents clients in disputes involving insurance coverage, product liability, shareholder claims, commercial contracts, real estate, intellectual property, premises liability, and professional negligence. He is licensed to practice in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. Eliot regularly advises clients on pre-litigation claim evaluation and insurance coverage analysis, and represents ...

Clients facing complex business disputes and companies at inflection points call on Michael Lasky for his astute judgment and experienced counsel. Michael is co-chair of the firm’s Litigation + Dispute Resolution Group and founder and chair of the firm’s Public Relations Law Practice. He is best known for advising fast growing companies whose key assets are people and ideas. These include social media, digital, public relations and integrated marketing communication firms. He also...

Stephen J. van Stempvoort is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Stephen J., who practices law in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Stephen J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.