Steven R. Daniels

Steven Highlander’s practice focuses on portfolio management for universities, non-profits and small to mid-sized corporate clients. Preparation and filing of patent applications, as well as prosecution of these cases, makes up the bulk of his docket. He also has considerable opinion experience for patentability, validity, infringement and inventorship disputes. Dr. Highlander has also been involved in over 20 interference proceedings, including several garnering Federal Circuit review....

Lauren S. Aldredge is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law. Lauren S., who practices law in Austin, Texas, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Lauren S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ms. Hunt is a Partner of Osborne, Helman, Scott, Knisely & Stanton, LLP. She focuses her practice in the area of fiduciary litigation, primarily involving trusts, estates, family limited partnerships, powers of attorney, community property and financial account disputes. Ms. Hunt currently serves as a Board Member for the Texas Real Estate & Probate Institute (“T-REP”), and is Chair of Estate and Trust Legislative Affairs for TREP, where she participates in the development...

Monica M. Jacobs has been practicing Texas water law for more than twenty years. She focuses her practice on strategic water supply planning and water asset management for both surface water and groundwater rights. Ms. Jacobs chairs Kelly Hart's Water Law practice group, and is a registered lobbyist. Her experience includes: Water Resources: water supply and water rights management for large landowners, industrial users and major Texas municipalities; surface water permitting at TCEQ; groundw...

Board Certified in Construction Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Clayton C. Utkov has a practice which focuses on both the transactional and dispute resolution aspects of construction law. He represents general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers and suppliers in all matters, from drafting and negotiating construction contracts to complex construction disputes, including contract disputes, performance and payment disputes, delay claims, design and construction defec...

David Garcia is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law and Health Care Law. David, who practices law in Austin, Texas, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Kristiana Butler is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and a partner at Goranson Bain Ausley in Austin. With over 13 years practicing exclusively in family law, Kristiana has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America for Family Law, Collaborative Law, and Family Law Mediation (2024–2025), named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Family Law (2020–2023), named a Texas Super Lawyers Rising Star (2017–2023), named by Texas Super Lawyers (20...

For more than 25 years, Shannon Vale has specialized in trademark and copyright law, intellectual property transactions and due diligence, and right of publicity law. Prior to joining Pirkey Barber, Shannon was a Trademark partner in the Austin office of Fulbright & Jaworski and a shareholder in Arnold, White & Durkee. Shannon also spent five years as the head of personal management firms that directed the careers of major label and major independent label recording artists based in t...

Jerry is a founding member of Matheson Keys & Kordzik PLLC. Previously, Jerry had more than thirty years of legal experience with large law firms and as company general counsel. He has broad experience in representing technology, industrial and other intellectual property-based enterprises ranging from Fortune 500 companies, multinationals and universities to startups in both domestic and international matters. Jerry’s legal practice focuses on technology business, intellectual prop...

Andrew Smetana is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Venture Capital Law. Andrew, who practices law in Austin, Texas, has been recognized since 2027. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Andrew is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.