Best Lawyers in Texas, United States for Appellate Practice
M. Michelle Carreras is a key member of the Issues and Appeals section of The Lanier Law Firm, handling complex appeals, briefings and research for trial. She has worked on a wide variety of cases, including mass tort, products liability, personal injury, business litigation and sports law litigation. She was a key member of the firm’s Pinnacle bellwether trial team that won a $1 billion combined jury verdict and a $502 million jury verdict in 2016. Those victories were recently ranked ...
Michelle May O'Neil is a board-certified family law attorney and appellate advocate in Frisco, Texas, and the founder of Concierra Legal. She has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for both Family Law and Appellate Practice for eleven consecutive years, including the 2027 edition. O'Neil built her career on a conviction that appellate work is its own discipline. A trial is about persuading a fact-finder; an appeal is about persuading a court that the law itself was misapplied &mda...
Jody S. Sanders obtains his clients’ goals by telling their stories and legal arguments through concise, well-written legal briefing and informative and persuasive oral presentations. His effective legal writing has been recognized by his clients, colleagues, co-counsel, and opposing counsel. But, successful presentations are only part of the process. He also ensures the best outcome by preparing strategies that bring success in litigation and throughout the appellate process—whet...
Civil procedure expert Alexandra Wilson Albright joined the firm full-time as a partner in 2017, after many years of dual service to The University of Texas School of Law and to the firm as of-counsel. Professor Albright’s career as a member of the faculty focused on federal and Texas civil procedure, and her service included many years’ as the school’s Associate Dean. Professor Albright is highly regarded as an expert in the rules of trial and appellate procedure and is Boa...
Bryan Neal focuses his practice on labor and employment law, civil appellate law, school law, and civil rights matters. He represents management in labor and employment law matters in all aspects of administrative, trial, and appellate work, as well as counseling, with specific expertise in employment appeals. Bryan also handles civil appellate matters in all areas and represents public and private schools and governmental entities in various matters. He is Board Certified in both Labor and E...
Shawn McCaskill is a member of the Godwin Bowman PC Appellate Section. Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, he is experienced in litigation support, appeals and original proceedings in business contracts and torts, insurance coverage, medical malpractice, product liability and premises liability cases in state and federal courts. Within the Firm, Mr. McCaskill chairs the Opinion and Audit Committee, and is a member of the Conflicts & Ethics Co...
Melanie Plowman is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Appellate Practice. Melanie practices law in Austin, Texas Best Lawyers has recognized Melanie Plowman since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Melanie Plowman is held by other lawyers.
Kelsi Stayart White focuses on dispositive motions and appeals in state and federal court in all areas of commercial litigation. Before her focus on appellate work, Kelsi first gained substantial trial experience, including trying multiple commercial cases to juries and the bench in both state and federal court, handling an international arbitration, and seeking and defending temporary restraining orders and temporary injunctions. Because of that experience, she brings a trial lawyer’s ...
Jane Webre is a partner at Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP in Austin, Texas, where her practice focuses on appellate practice and complex civil litigation. She handles a substantial portion of the firm’s appeals and represents clients in matters involving significant legal and procedural issues in state and federal courts. Jane’s experience includes appeals involving oil and gas disputes , land use regulation, and other complex commercial matters. She has argued cases before th...
Anna Baker is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Appellate Practice. Anna practices law in Austin, Texas Best Lawyers has recognized Anna Baker since 2025. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Anna Baker is held by other lawyers.
W. Brent Shellhorse is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Appellate Practice and Commercial Litigation. W. Brent practices law in Fort Worth, Texas Best Lawyers has recognized W. Brent Shellhorse since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which W. Brent Shellhorse is held by other lawyers.
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...
Kevin Dubose has a BA in English from Rice University, and a JD from the University of Texas Law School. He began his career in a small litigation firm, primarily doing insurance defense work, and tried about 25 jury trial in his first 6 years of practice. He began specializing in appellate advocacy in 1985, first in a solo practice, then as the appellate specialist for a prominent plaintiff's personal injury practice. Since 1994 he has practiced in an appellate boutique environment. Kevin ha...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.
