Raffi Melkonian

Anthony Speier is a corporate partner in the Houston and Austin offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. His practice focuses on acquisitions, divestitures and formation of joint ventures involving assets across the energy value chain. Anthony has represented clients in connection with the purchase and sale of a broad range of energy assets, including metals critical to commercial battery production and the EV market, upstream and midstream oil and gas assets and companies, refineries, LNG facili...

Kent Newsome serves as Chair of the firm's Houston Real Estate Practice. He has more than 25 years of experience that includes commercial real estate, real estate development, health care acquisitions and development, financing transactions, and general business law. Kent regularly represents owners and developers of commercial, retail and industrial properties in the acquisition, financing, development, leasing, management and sale of income producing properties, including office buildings, ...

Denise H. Kim is a former prosecutor and recognized civil trial lawyer with nearly 20 years of experience representing corporate clients and individuals. With a practice focused around commercial litigation and complex business disputes, Ms. Kim’s extensive litigation work includes cases involving construction defects, professional responsibility for financial professionals, products and premises liability, insurance coverage and defense, derivative shareholder claims, legal malpractice...

Cory Itkin has established a reputation as one of the most aggressive and prepared trial lawyers in the country. His experience includes maritime accidents, trucking accidents, plant explosions, and other high-stakes personal injury cases. Mr. Itkin has won verdicts and settlements for clients in more than two dozen states. He also obtained favorable results in the high-profile litigation involving families who lost loved ones or workers who were injured in the BP Deepwater Horizon explosion ...

Kenneth J. Harder is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Immigration Law. Kenneth J., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kenneth J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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

Barham Lewis, a shareholder at Ogletree Deakins, focuses his practice on employment-related litigation before state and federal courts and other civil litigation. Mr. Lewis has tried to jury verdict cases ranging from sexual assault/sexual harassment, retaliation/wrongful discharge claims to commercial disputes and wrongful death causes of action. He also represents companies in arbitrations including discharge/discipline cases and contract interpretation disputes. Mr. Lewis is board certifie...

Co-founder of Houston-based Heim, Payne & Chorush, Les has helped build a nationally respected team of lawyers and has led litigation resulting in numerous 8- and 9- figure verdicts and settlements. As patent law has evolved with inter partes review validity challenges at the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board, Les has become particularly effective representing both patent owners and accused infringers in this rapidly changing landscape. Heim, Payne & Chorush staffs its litigation for...

Clinton Wolbert is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Insurance. Clinton, 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 Clinton is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Phillip L. Sampson, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Real Estate. Phillip L., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Phillip L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.