SCOTTHULSE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Chairman of the Board
- Shareholder
Attorney Bernard Felsen is President of ScottHulse and Chair of the Firm's Board of Directors. Bernard "Bernie" Felsen, a ScottHulse shareholder, practices primarly in the areas of banking, lending, and financial institutions, real estate, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate law.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Director
- Shareholder
- Member of the American Bar Association
Casey Stevenson practices primarily in the areas of commercial litigation and bankruptcy and creditors' rights. He also advises clients regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Mr. Stevenson is licensed in Texas and New Mexico and represents clients in both state and federal court.
Mr. Stevenson represents clients in commercial litigation and counsel's clients in a variety of areas including construction matters, contract preparation and negotiation, contract disputes, real estate matters, residential and commercial landlord/tenant issues, creditors' rights and bankruptcy matters, and claims regarding the transportation and carriage of goods. Such representation includes advising credit unions, banks, other financial institutions, transportation and logistics brokers, and other businesses, both domestic and international, with respect to issues related to their consumer and commercial collections accounts, including collection of deficiency balances, sequestrations, and foreclosures of real and personal property.
In addition, Mr. Stevenson helps property management companies and real estate developers collect delinquent accounts, resolve construction issues, and assists with evictions as well as the filing of mechanic's and materialism's liens and collection of amounts due on construction contracts.
Mr. Stevenson was recognized as a "Texas Rising Star" in 2009-2016 and as a "Texas Super Lawyer" in 2019-2022 by Thomson Reuters. He is a member of the American Bar Association, El Paso Bar Association, Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Transportation Lawyers' Association, and American Health Lawyers Association.
Regarding community engagement, Mr. Stevenson is actively involved with the ACTS ministries at St. Patrick's Cathedral, El Paso Diocese. He is the current President of the El Paso Central Business Association and sits on the Parish Council of Sagrado Corazon Catholic Church in the Segundo Barrio of El Paso. In addition, Mr. Stevenson is a former member of the boards of directors for the El Paso Children's Miracle Network, El Paso County Historical Society, and Creative Kids, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting art education and awareness.
Don Davie is a business and regulatory attorney whose practice focuses on Public Utility, Healthcare, and Business and Corporate Law.
Mr. Davie represents clients in regulatory matters before state and federal agencies and assists and advises both healthcare and corporate clients on regulatory compliance issues and general business transactions. He is licensed in both Texas and New Mexico.
As a Healthcare attorney, Mr. Davie represents physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and medical provider groups in business, contractual and regulatory concerns. He advises and counsels clients on difficult business decisions and strategies, including business combination transactions, operation and employment matters, and general contractual matters.
As a Public Utility attorney, Mr. Davie represents clients in contested rate-making proceedings, advocating for just and reasonable electric and gas rates. He has experience in contested rate proceedings, tariff and contract negotiations, and energy transition transactions.
With respect to business and corporate law, Mr. Davie advises clients as to business structures and transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and general contractual matters.
Mr. Davie grew up in El Paso and enjoys spending time with his growing family playing tennis, golfing, and hiking in the southwest desert.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Director
- Shareholder
- Member of the State Bar of Texas
- Shareholder and Member of the Firm
Francisco Ortega is a shareholder and member of the Firm's board of directors. His experience encompasses complex commercial litigation, appeals, and labor and employment law.
In the area of business litigation, Francisco Ortega was recognized in the 2021 and 2022 Editions of The Best Lawyers in America© in the area of Commercial Litigation by BL Rankings. He has also been selected to the 2017, 2018, and 2019 Texas Rising Star list and the 2022 Texas Super Lawyers list by Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters company. In this area of the law, Mr. Ortega's experience includes handling claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, deceptive trade practices, fraud, usury, trade secrets, shareholder derivative claims, breach of partnership obligations, copyright infringement, trademark infringement, non-compete covenants, construction, RICO claims, tortious interference, labor and employment, and personal injury.
Mr. Ortega has also been named an Abogado Consultor by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Government of Mexico to provide legal counsel to the Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Ortega served as a law clerk to the Honorable David M. Medina of the Supreme Court of Texas and as a law clerk to the Honorable Philip R. Martinez of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.
While attending law school, Mr. Ortega served as Lead Articles Editor for the Wisconsin Law Review, Note & Comment Editor for the Wisconsin International Law Journal, a staff member for the Wisconsin Journal of Law, Gender & Society, and member and team coach of the Wisconsin Moot Court Board.
Additionally, Mr. Ortega won First Place Brief and Second Place overall in the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) National Moot Court Competition and was a Midwest Regional Semifinalist in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.
Mr. Ortega is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the State Bar of New Mexico. He currently serves on the Admissions Committee for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas and is a past board member of the El Paso Federal Bar Association.
A graduate of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce Leadership El Paso Class XXXIV, Mr. Ortega is active in the Borderplex community. He was appointed by Mayor Oscar Leeser and later re-appointed by Mayor Dee Margo to serve as a commissioner of the Housing Authority for the City of El Paso, where he was elected chairman. He previously served on the board of directors of El Paso Museum of Art, the El Paso Marathon Foundation, AVANCE-El Paso, and the Ethics Review Commission for the City of El Paso, the last two as vice-chairman.
Job Titles:
- Attorney / Shareholder / Chair - Litigation Section / Chair - Appellate Law
Henry Paoli is a litigation attorney who practices in the areas of commercial litigation, defense of medical professionals in litigation, as well as appeals and appellate law. In addition to chairing the Firm's Litigation and Appellate Law sections, Mr. Paoli is also a construction lawyer with experience in all aspects of construction law.
Mr. Paoli is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. In the entire State of Texas, there are less than 500 attorneys who are board certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Mr. Paoli is an active member in the El Paso Association of Contractors. His construction law experience extends to all stages of the construction process, including determining the appropriate project delivery system; negotiating and drafting project documents; developing risk management programs; instituting contract administration and claims avoidance procedures; advising clients during the construction process; and handling claims through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and trial. His litigation practice includes construction defect litigation, defending against liquidated damages claims, lawsuits to enforce or remove liens, and payment and performance bond claims involving government construction projects.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Counsel
- of Counsel
- Counsel to
- Member of the El Paso Bar Association
Mr. Brown is of counsel to ScottHulse after being a Shareholder of the firm for over 25 years. He has been recognized as one of the "Best Lawyers in America" by Woodward White.
Mr. Brown serves as counsel to clients during tax audits, administrative appeals and tax litigation, and also assists taxpayers confronted with Government action to collect unpaid taxes.
With regard to community engagement, Mr. Brown is a member of the El Paso Bar Association, Texas Bar Association, New York Bar Association, and American Bar Association. Mr. Brown served in the U.S. Navy Reserve from 1971 to 1995, and retired with the rank of Captain.
Richard Munzinger devoted his life to God, and in doing so, lived a life of prayer, charity, and service to his family, friends, colleagues, and community. A brilliant and accomplished trial lawyer, Richard Munzinger practiced with the Firm for 55 years. He inspired many through word and action leaving a legacy of honor, integrity, and commitment.
Richard Munzinger practiced primarily in the areas of litigation and competition and antitrust. He was a member of the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee and served on the Pattern Jury Charge Committee (Business, Commercial) and the Administration of Rules of Evidence Committee.
Job Titles:
- Attorney / Shareholder / Chair - Labor & Employment Section
- Shareholder, Leads the ScottHulse Labor & Employment Section and Participates Actively in the Firm 's Litigation and Education Practices.
Rosemary Marin is Board Certified in Labor & Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and licensed to practice law in both Texas and New Mexico.
Ms. Marin has the highest Martindale-Hubbell peer rating of AV Preeminent. An AV Preeminent peer rating reflects an attorney who has reached the heights of professional excellence. It indicates that she has practiced law for many years and is recognized by her peers for the highest levels of skill, ethics, and integrity. She has also been recognized as a 2021 Texas Super Lawyer by Thompson Reuters, included in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, and named the Best Lawyers® 2022 Employment Law - Management "Lawyer of the Year" in El Paso by BL Rankings, LLC.
Ms. Marin and her colleagues handle the full spectrum of labor and employment practice, on behalf of local, regional, and national clientele, both large and small.
Representing management, Ms. Marin defends against employment litigation and regulatory issues (Title VII, FLSA, ADEA, ADA, FMLA, OSHA), labor union matters (NLRB, NLRA), and provides legal and practical advice on implementing business strategies that affect executives and other employees. Ms. Marin's focus is on both prevention and strong advocacy. She is experienced in providing training and advice to help businesses take proactive steps to prevent employment disputes but is also a seasoned litigator who aggressively defends against lawsuits and other claims of discrimination filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Texas and New Mexico Commissions on Human Rights, with a success rate of more than 90%. She has successfully defended against thousands of workers' compensation claims, also with a success rate of over 90%.
Ms. Marin is also a highly experienced trial lawyer who has successfully tried many jury trials on behalf of employers. She has also successfully resolved hundreds of lawsuits, as well as claims and administrative charges and investigations arising from those charges. She has defended against discrimination claims based on a variety of topics including, but not limited to, age, race, sex, religion, national origin, harassment, retaliation, disability, family and medical leave rights, veterans' rights, wage and hour protections, and state tort and contract laws. She is also a certified mediator.
Other key services provided by Ms. Marin include mediation services, preventive advice and training; counsel on personnel and labor matters arising from sales, mergers and acquisitions, plant closings, and reductions in force; traditional labor matters, including union avoidance; and, counsel and training regarding restrictive covenants, trade secrets, and non-competition agreements; governmental compliance and audits (ICE, DOL, DOJ, etc.) and numerous other areas affecting employers. For additional detail on these services, see Representative Matters, below.
Rosemary Marin, a shareholder, leads the ScottHulse Labor & Employment Section and participates actively in the Firm's Litigation and Education practices.
Job Titles:
- State Bar of Texas ( Member
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Partner
- Senior Fellow
- Shareholder
Mr. Schwartz is a Senior Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America. Membership is awarded to less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers and is by invitation only. Senior Fellows are selected based effectiveness, accomplishment and dedication for seven years of being a Fellow in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation. He has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer from 2010 through 2019.
Job Titles:
- Director of Administration
As a member of the firm's Construction Law practice group, Mr. Porras-Acosta provides legal counsel and representation to construction companies, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and real estate professionals. He frequently assists clients with filing and enforcing mechanic's liens and advancing claims related to payment or performance bonds in construction projects.
Zach Daw is a fourth generation El Pasoan and is a licensed attorney in Texas and New Mexico.
Mr. Daw works with clients to determine which estate planning documents will best meet their individual needs, including, wills, living trusts, testamentary trusts, powers of attorney, and other incapacity planning documents.
Additionally, Mr. Daw advises clients on probate matters, the administration of trusts and estates, and various matters related to business succession planning, contracts, and transfers of ownership.