KESSLER COLLINS®, P.C. - Key Persons
Anne-Alise "Ali" Hinckley is a member of the firm's litigation group who represents clients in a variety of sophisticated commercial, business, securities, consumer, labor and employment, real estate, oil and gas, construction, and insurance disputes. She has experience in all aspects of civil litigation, including depositions, complex discovery, mediations, trials, and arbitrations. Ali takes pride in her efficient, no-nonsense approach to her practice. She is a seasoned trial attorney and has successfully represented her clients in state court, federal court, and federal administrative proceedings.
Anthony Interrante focuses his practice on commercial real estate and leasing, business transactions, and commercial litigation. He is frequently invited to speak at symposiums and conventions related to a variety of real estate issues. Graduating magna cum laude at Washington & Lee University, Anthony is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
He received his law degree from Southern Methodist University where he was Senior Editor of The International Lawyer. Anthony is dedicated to volunteerism and leadership in a number of community organizations and is active with the Boy Scouts of America.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation
Bryon is a lifetime fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. He is also an active member of the Financial Services Institute and the Independent Broker-Dealer Consortium. He is a former board member and current advisory board member of Family Gateway, a Dallas non-profit serving children and families affected by homelessness. He is also an active member of First United Methodist Church-Dallas, serving on the Lay Leadership Committee. He graduated (magna cum laude) from Texas A&M University School of Law.
Charmaine Voorhees Becken Charmaine Voorhees Becken is a Shareholder with the firm's litigation group and focuses her practice on commercial and business litigation matters. She represents and advises individuals and corporate clients in disputes involving contracts, partnerships, banking, employment, fraud, fiduciary liability, and other business litigation issues. Charmaine garnered first and second chair trial experience early in her career and works on all aspects of litigation through trial and appellate levels. She has also worked extensively in the areas of estate planning/probate and family law.
She received her Juris Doctor degree from Texas A&M University School of Law in 2014. During law school, Charmaine served as a judicial extern for the Hon. Judge Martin Hoffman of the 68th District Court, participated in mock trial, and worked as a law clerk for litigation firms. She received a dual undergraduate degree in English and Philosophy with a minor in Business from Texas Christian University.
Charmaine is also proficient in Spanish.
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Lead Advisor
Gary Kessler is Board Certified in Civil Trial Practice and has been named Texas's "Super Lawyer" and included in the Best Lawyers in America for over twenty years. He has tried cases involving insurance, securities, intellectual property, and corporate matters and has argued before the Texas Supreme Court and multiple Federal Circuit courts. His broad experiences through commercial litigation helped set the standard for excellent client service at Kessler Collins.
Gary has national and international experience. He has represented the People's Republic of China in claims arising under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, as well major financial institutions, insurers (both domestic and foreign), and international corporations.
He is a frequent lecturer for industry groups and is an instructor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. Gary is a member of the Inns of Court, an organization whose principal mission is to teach young attorneys the value of ethical advocacy in a litigation practice.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the Firm
Hannah is a member of the firm's litigation group, where she represents businesses and individuals in commercial, real estate, employment, and other general liability disputes. As part of her practice, she also represents professionals, including attorneys, accountants, architects, and engineers, in litigation. Hannah's broad litigation experience allows her to adeptly counsel the businesses and individuals she serves.
Heather Barbieri Combining strategic expertise with a passion for her clients' welfare in a way few attorneys can match, Heather Barbieri is known as a force to be reckoned with in criminal law. For over 25 years, she has focused her talents and energy toward protecting those accused of wrongdoing and helping them get their lives back on track. She has developed a reputation for success in defending clients accused of very serious, complex crimes that other attorneys would rather not handle.
"When the government is coming after you with all of their resources, all of their money, and all of their power," she explains, "you should have a team ready to fight for you with just as much vigor." She inspires her team to approach every situation with a positive attitude and to think creatively to uncover every available option for defense.
In addition, Heather makes use of the full talents of her team in every case, collaborating to develop strategies and put every team member's strength to best use. "We end up having a lot of more ideas and making sure a lot less slips through the cracks because we've got so many people working on each case," she notes. She spearheaded development of a 115 point defense checklist to ensure that no stone is left unturned.
In a field where clients are often viewed as a case rather than an individual, Heather and her team treat clients differently. "I see every person as a human being and believe they should be treated with the utmost respect and kindness," she explains.
With Heather's singular devotion to defending the accused, it is not surprising that she earned her board certification from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization within her first decade of practice and that she has maintained her certification in criminal law continuously since 2005. Her peers in the legal field have recognized her effectiveness in defense and devotion to client welfare, naming her the Texas Superlawyers® list every year since 2013. She has also been ranked on the Rising Stars list, selected as one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine, and been named among Top Women Lawyers in Texas by Texas Monthly for the past five years running.
Colleagues elected her President of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the largest state association for criminal defense attorneys in the country. She has served on the board of the Association since 2012 and held every officer position within the organization, as well as numerous committee positions. The Association has also honored her with the Percy Foreman Lawyer of the Year Award.
Colleagues in the field of criminal defense have also elected her President of the Collin County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and she is a Fellow in the prestigious Honorable Curt B. Henderson Inn of Court.
Attorneys, judges, and clients all respect Heather's knowledge and dedication. She is gratified that her clients have faith in her and her team. "They willingly put their life into my hands and trust that I'm gonna do everything possible to get them through to the other side. When they can feel confident in us as we help them get back to their normal life as much as possible, that means they're going to be at peace. Putting that trust in us that helps us find the best possible outcome."
Howard has been a contributor of articles and a lecturer at continuing education courses sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), and the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA).
Howard is a frequent speaker and discussion leader at BOMA, IREM, ICSC and ELFA Conferences on topics such as bankruptcy jurisdiction, the handling of "Mom and Pop" bankruptcy cases for the commercial landlord, the drafting of bankruptcy claims, and the American Bankruptcy Institute proposed changes to Chapter 11.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Vice President
Ms. Tulk represents numerous companies and professionals, including architects, engineers, insurance agents, accountants, financial advisors, realtors, software designers and securities professionals, in commercial, professional liability, and employer practices litigation. Lisa also frequently handles commercial business transactions and intellectual property licensing, and advises clients on corporate practices.
Mason Corbett practices in the firm's transactional and corporate group, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, commercial lending, commercial leasing and real estate, and business formation. Mason's approach blends his strong business acumen with his legal expertise, providing clients with a comprehensive and integrated approach to achieving their various business goals.
Before embarking on his legal career, Mason was an outfielder for the Texas A&M Baseball team during his college years. Mason's experience as a Division I college athlete instilled the values of discipline, determination, and teamwork, qualities that continue to resonate throughout his legal practice. Further, Mason graduated magna cum laude from the Mays Business School with a degree in Business Management in just three years.
Inspired by his business law courses during college, Mason decided he wanted to pursue a legal career and enrolled at the Texas A&M School of Law. While in law school, Mason refined his legal writing and analysis skills as a board member of the Texas A&M Law Review. Mason's legal education culminated with him graduating law school magna cum laude and achieving membership in the Order of the Coif.
Outside of his legal practice, Mason enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, playing below-average golf, watching sporting events, attending country music concerts, and strength training at the gym. Additionally, Mason volunteers as an elementary boys Sunday school teacher at his church.
Max Hayashi is a transactional lawyer who practices across a wide range of areas, with emphasis on real estate, environmental, health care, and corporate matters. Max's legal practice relies heavily on a dual approach that focuses not only on addressing clients' immediate needs, but also positioning clients such that they may better identify and realize long-term goals.
Prior to law school, Max graduated from Baylor University with a degree in biochemistry and was employed as a researcher at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, where he studied protein biochemistry. Max received his law degree from Texas A&M University School of Law, where he served as a Notes & Comments Editor on the Texas A&M Law Review Board. Prior to joining Kessler Collins, P.C., Max acquired practical experience as a Law Clerk with the Texas First Court of Appeals in Houston and as a Legal Intern with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Office of Legal Counsel. Through these experiences, Max gained exposure to a diverse array of practice areas, developed strong analytical skills, and found a passion for resolving novel and complex legal issues.
Michael Shaw is focused on real estate, finance, and energy matters. His real estate practice includes the representation of preferred equity providers, developers of all types of commercial properties, representation of buyers and sellers in the acquisition and disposition of raw land and income-producing properties, and the representation of landlords and tenants in commercial leases including build-to-suit leases, office leases, and retail leases. His finance and banking experience includes the representation of both lending institutions and borrowers in commercial financing transactions. This includes syndicated and structured finance transactions as well as the negotiation and preparation of financing documents for real estate acquisition, construction, and permanent loans.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Member of the Firm
Stephen is a member of the firm's litigation group, where he represents clients in complex disputes, trials, and arbitrations. His practice primarily focuses on resolving shareholder, intellectual property, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract disputes. In this role, Stephen has successfully represented companies, officers, directors, accountants, broker-dealers, and other professionals in venues scattered throughout the country. He also has experience representing individuals and companies under investigation by governmental agencies.