BLANCHARD & THOMAS - Key Persons
Avery Rios graduated from Texas Tech University School of Law in May of 2021, magna cum laude, and she has since joined the B&T family as an Associate Attorney.
Avery spent most of her childhood growing up overseas in Milan, Italy, before her family permanently relocated to New Braunfels, Texas-the home of Schlitterbahn, of two beautiful rivers, and yes, the school with Unicorns as their mascot! Avery received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Texas A&M University before pursuing her dreams of becoming an attorney.
Avery was involved in many organizations in law school. Avery was the Executive Managing Editor on the Estate Planning and Community Property Law Journal, and her student comment, Divorce Destroys the Community, was published in the Spring of 2020. Avery was also a board member of the Board of Barristers, an executive vice president on the Student Bar Association, and a student attorney in the Caprock Regional Public Defender's Clinic. Finally, Avery was the 1st place winner of The Paper Chase Legal Writing Competition in April 2021, hosted by Baylor Law and TYLA.
In her free time, Avery loves spending time with her rescue dog, Sunny, hanging out around the pool (or any body of water), and enjoying the outdoors. Avery is excited to continue her journey at B&T and add on to the dedication and commitment B&T guarantees to every client.
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner
- Founding Partner / Managing Attorney Waco & Abilene
C. Barrett Thomas is a founding partner of Blanchard & Thomas, PLLC and the current Managing Attorney for the Waco location. He is a former First Assistant District Attorney and Chief of Police. He honed his skills as an investigator and litigator over 14 years in law enforcement.
Through that experience, he developed a knack for finding the truth - even when it is intentionally concealed. He now uses his investigative prowess to benefit his family and criminal clients, and to ensure his clients have the advantage, whether in settlement negotiations or the courtroom.
Barrett was named a Super Lawyer for 2021, and he was named a Rising Star by SuperLawyers magazine in 2017, 2018, and 2019. He has been named one of the "Best of Waco" for family law every year since 2017.
He was named an Outstanding Young Alumnus by Hardin-Simmons University in 2019. He has received both the Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) award and the Bob Black Bar Leaders award from Texas Tech University School of Law.
He was elected by his peers as the Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year by the Abilene Young Lawyers Association in 2014.
Barrett is currently serving on the District 8 Grievance Committee of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation Board of Directors, the Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children Board of Directors, and the Hardin-Simmons University Alumni Board of Directors.
He is a member of the Texas Bar College, Waco Chamber of Commerce, Family Law and Criminal Law Sections of the State Bar of Texas, and more. In addition to practicing traditional family law, Barrett is a certified mediator and collaborative law attorney.
Barrett is a former President of the Texas Young Lawyers Association, State Bar of Texas Board of Directors and Executive Committee, President of the Abilene Young Lawyers Association (twice), teacher at several regional police academies and law enforcement agencies, and volunteer with multiple charitable organizations including Greater Waco Legal Services. Barrett is a graduate of the 2019 class of Leadership Waco.
Barrett enjoys watching Dallas Cowboy and Texas Tech Red Raider football, Dallas Star Hocky, and Liverpool "Football."
He enjoys time outdoors and drinking beer of all kinds. He loves to travel, and he has even been known to go on "adventures" with his sons and close friends which includes taking trips with no plans for a destination or lodging.
He takes pride in being a fifth generation Wacoan and the fact his children are sixth generation members of Austin Avenue Methodist Church. Mr. Thomas is most satisfied with his role outside the courtroom as a husband to his wife of over ten years and father to their four children.
Mr. Thomas is the former President of the Texas Young Lawyers Association, a legal organization with 27,000 members. He received the Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) award from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2017. Prior to that, he was named in the list of Rising Stars℠ by Super Lawyers® Magazine. He was voted the Outstanding Young Lawyer in 2014 by the Abilene Young Lawyers Association and received the Bob Black Bar Leaders award from Texas Tech University School of Law in the same year.
Mr. Thomas currently serves on the District 8 Grievance Committee of the State Bar of Texas and volunteers with multiple charitable organizations. He also frequently teaches at several regional police academies and for several law enforcement agencies.
Chelsea joined the B&T family in May of 2022 as the firm's Human Resource & Office Manager and works out of the Abilene office location.
Chelsea was born in Abilene, Texas, and she lived there until the age 13. She graduated from Leander High School in north Austin after a few years in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. Not long after, those big west Texas winds blew her back into Abilene to attend Hardin-Simmons University. Not only did she receive a great education at HSU, but she also played on the women's national championship soccer team in 2010 and was even inducted into the HSU Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2011, Chelsea transferred to Our Lady of the Lake University- San Antonio to complete her bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and continue to play collegiate soccer. As the second youngest of six children, she became the first in her family to graduate from college.
Before joining B&T, Chelsea spent several years in the medical field, ultimately becoming the manager of a medical office responsible for the maintenance and distribution of chemotherapy drugs. During that same time, she attended Texas Tech University Health Science Center where she earned a master's degree in Healthcare Administration in August of 2022.
Chelsea is married to her middle school sweetheart, Rhyan, who has consistently pushed her to be her best and continue to reach for her dreams. They have a sweet and athletic son, Santiago, who brings laughter and joy into their lives. Chelsea attends Beltway church, enjoys coaching her son's soccer team, and helping where needed in the local sports world. She is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, Paris Saint-Germain F.C., US Women's National Soccer Team, UCLA Softball, and Texas Tech Red Raider football!
Chelsea has a heart for people, a passion for our work, and a dedication to detail. She is the glue that keeps the B&T team operating at its best.
Courtney Thomson was thrilled to join the B&T family in August of 2021. She began as a legal assistant for the Dallas office. Since then, she has taken on the role of Paralegal for both family and criminal matters.
Courtney is a Texas girl through and through. She was born in North Texas, raised in East Texas and returned to North Texas for college. Since graduating high school in 2017, Courtney has been in Denton, Texas, with her own little family consisting of her cat, Tinker Bell, and her dog, Benji.
Courtney graduated in the spring of 2020 from University of North Texas. In a few short years, Courtney was able to secure her Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice and Sociology. Courtney spent a semester as a volunteer intern for the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center while completing her undergraduate studies and completed Advocate Training certified by the Office of the Texas Attorney General.
Courtney was a member of the College of Health and Public Service Dean's List, The National Society of Leadership and Success, and she served on the UNT Student Counsel as a board member of the Student Union. Courtney is honored to be a lifetime member of Alpha Phi Sigma, the National Criminal Justice Honor Society. With ambitions of becoming a criminal defense attorney, Courtney returned to UNT and obtained her Paralegal Certification in the spring of 2021 and began her career in the field of law.
Courtney spends her free time painting, with friends, outside on a walk or in a hammock, at the dog park, reading, watching true crime documentaries, or visiting her family.
Courtney is a giving person in and outside of the office and wants to help each client achieve their best reality. One of Courtney's most-cherished compliments she has ever received is, "You make this seem like the best job in the world." In a world of harshness, Courtney aims to be a friendly face in your time of need.
Job Titles:
- Legal Assistant
- Legal Assistant - Waco
Debbie Blount joined the B&T family in October 2022 as a Legal Assistant in the Waco office.
Debbie is a native Texan, and was raised not far from the Waco location she now works in. She has 12 years of customer service management experience working for various businesses in central Texas. Debbie's last position was in Project Management for Texas Farm Bureau, and she simultaneously managed her own business, Integrity Services, while there.
Debbie personally chose B&T for her own legal issues in the past and quickly found friends who genuinely cared about her and her case. Debbie decided she wanted to provide that same support she had received to others in tough situations. Only months later, Debbie now works with her law family, and she is currently obtaining her paralegal certificate and finishing her degree at West Texas A&M University where she is minoring in legal studies.
Outside of work, Debbie is an avid outdoors woman who enjoys hunting, fishing, and tending to her livestock. In her free time, she enjoys traveling to the mountains with her husband and blue heeler, Lou Ann.
Debbie is excited to continue learning and growing with the Blanchard & Thomas team, and turning that knowledge into wins for her clients.
Erica Sisemore joined Blanchard & Thomas, PLLC as an Associate Attorney in 2022. Although Erica primarily practices family law, she also represents clients in the areas of business formation and consulting, civil and commercial litigation, and contracts cases. Erica is licensed by both the State Bars of Texas and New Mexico.
Prior to her law career, Erica earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Texas Tech University, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and was part of the Texas Tech Honors College. Following graduation, Erica represented medical equipment companies in contract negotiations with insurance companies and referral partners. She successfully increased the patient base and ensured compliance for the company with Medicare standards and client benefits. Additionally, Erica acquired 5 years of experience within the property & casualty insurance industry.
Erica attended law school later in life after her own divorce attorney literally and figuratively held her hand through the hardest time in her life. Erica wanted to repay that kindness, and she set to transitioning into a new career while simultaneously raising young twin sons! Her hard work eventually paid off, and she now pays that same kindness and compassion forward to each and every client she serves.
Erica received her Juris Doctor from Texas Tech University School of Law. During law school she was heavily involved with advanced alternative dispute resolution and negotiation clinics which, in conjunction with her previous corporate career, laid the foundation from which her considerable business practice grew. She participated in the Texas Tech School of Law American Inns of Court and was a member of the Student Ambassador Corps.
Erica's tenure as in-house counsel and a development director have helped her acquire a knack for helping business leaders avoid legal pitfalls. Her time as a law student, paralegal, clerk, and mother facing divorce have given her perspective of what many of her family clients face. She now uses her education, experience, and passion to the benefit of all her clients in both areas.
Outside of work, Erica is busy raising now teenage twin sons, and she is engaged to a fabulous man and his little girl. Her golden retriever, Murphy, is a loving but energetic part of her life. She is active with the Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumnae Association, serving on the House Board. She enjoys all forms of travel, reading, and being involved with friends and family. To that end, she has never said no to a friendly happy hour to date!
Job Titles:
- Managing Attorney - San Antonio
John Shaw has worked with Blanchard & Thomas, PLLC since 2017. He began his tenure as an "Of Counsel" Associate Attorney, and in 2022 he was named Managing Partner of the San Antonio Office. John handles primarily personal injury cases for the Firm, and he has been a tremendous advocate for our clients in and out of the courtroom.
From a legal aid lawyer, to practicing in one of the most prominent and respected law firms in Fort Worth, John has gained considerable experience representing clients in state courts and administrative agencies. Regardless of where he has practiced, John has always had a deep-seated interest in the specific problems that his clients face in some of the darkest times of their lives. John is always prepared to work his hardest to obtain the best results for his clients. Whether that involves simple negotiation, pre-trial settlement in alternative dispute resolution, or trial, every decision that John makes is driven by his client's best interests.
John's peers have consistently recognized him for his hard work and dedication to his legal craft. John has been A.V. Rated by Martindale-Hubbel, a lawyer rating directory, as a "Preeminent Lawyer," the highest rating that a lawyer can receive, since 2014. In 2017 and again in 2018, John was named a Rising Star by Superlawyers Magazine, a Thompson Reuters publication. Only 4% of eligible Texas lawyers receive this distinction each year. Every year from 2009 to 2019 John has been recognized by Fort Worth, Texas Magazine, as one of the Top Lawyers in Fort Worth. He was also recognized by 360 West magazine as a Top Attorney in Fort Worth 2017 - 2019.
John has been actively involved in legal organizations at both the local and statewide level, and he has been elected by his peers to several offices in those organizations in which he is a member. He is a Past-President of the Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, was a Director and Treasurer of the Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA), and was nominated by TYLA as one of the two President-Elect candidates for the organization in 2015. John was elected Chairman of the TYLA Board of Directors for the 2017 - 2018 state bar term.
John is passionate about access to justice. He firmly believes that everyone, regardless of their financial position, should be able to turn towards the American Jury System, the best legal system in the world, to address their grievances and right wrongs that have been done to them. In that regard, John currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of a non-profit law firm based out of Austin called Texas Legal Services Center (TLSC). TLSC provides assistance and training to poverty law advocates and their clients in the areas of litigation support, education, and communication. John is also a former board member of The Ladder Alliance, a non-profit organization that provides women victims of domestic violence or low-income women with the tools to lead self-reliant, independent, and successful lives through education and training.
John grew up in Lubbock and San Antonio. He called Fort Worth home for more than twelve years, but he has made his way back home to San Antonio as of 2019. He and his wife Kelsey are the proud parents of two amazing little boys.
Education:
St. Mary's University School of Law (J.D. 2006)
Wayland Baptist University (B.S.O.E. Criminal Justice 2003)
Honors and Awards:
Top-Rated, Superlawyers Magazine, a Thompson Reuters publication, 2022
AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbel®, Preeminent™, 2014 - Present
Rising Star, Superlawyers Magazine, a Thompson Reuters publication, 2017, 2018
Fort Worth, Texas Magazine Top Attorney, 2009-2019
360 West Magazine Top Attorney, 2017 - 2019
Awarded "Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Advocacy in Representing the Mothers of the Children of the YFZ Ranch," Presented by the Poverty Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, 2009
Job Titles:
- Paralegal & Office Manager Waco
Job Titles:
- Senior Attorney
- Associate Partner / Managing Attorney
Job Titles:
- Founding Partner
- Managing Attorney
- Founding Partner / Managing Attorney DFW / Texas Family Law Attorney
Mrs. Blanchard currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the Texas Young Lawyers Association, as the Executive Director of the State Bar of Texas, and as a Trustee for the State Bar Private Insurance Exchange. She also serves on the board of directors for Texas Lawyers for Children, a non-profit organization that provides statewide assistance to judges and attorneys who handle abuse and neglect cases.
Kristy Blanchard is an accomplished family law attorney with a reputation for intensity both in the courtroom and at settlement, especially when the welfare of children or other underdogs are concerned.
Her compassion and thorough preparation have won her a place as one of the top lawyers in Texas for nine straight years in Texas Monthly and on the current issue list of Best Lawyers in America®.
Mrs. Blanchard is a past President of the Texas Young Lawyers Association and Executive Director of the State Bar of Texas. She also served as a Trustee for the State Bar Private Insurance Exchange. Mrs. Blanchard currently serves on the Family-Probate Pattern Jury Charge Committee of the State Bar of Texas and is on the board of directors for the Child Protection Connection (formerly known as Texas Lawyers for Children), a non-profit organization that advocates for abused and neglected children and provides statewide assistance to judges and attorneys who handle abuse and neglect cases.
Matthew Dill joined the B&T Family in May 2022 as a paralegal.
Prior to joining the Firm, Matthew completed his Basic Peace Officer course in December 2004 through McLennan Community College in Waco. He worked in law enforcement for seventeen years and holds a Master Peace Officer Certificate. Matthew served in various capacities of patrol, auto theft, commercial vehicle enforcement, traffic, and criminal investigations. During that time he was responsible for managing and training other officers for over ten years ultimately earning the rank of Lieutenant. Matthew has extensive experience in reviewing and critiquing officer reports, as well as the actions of fellow officers. His investigative experience and training allow him to quickly identify improper police procedure in criminal cases and to better investigate criminal history of opposing parties and witnesses in family cases.
Matthew received his Bachelor's of Applied Arts and Science in Criminal Justice Administration in December 2020 from Tarleton State University. He held membership with the Texas Association of Vehicle Theft Investigators and is a current member of Texas Municipal Police Association.
Matthew has been married for thirteen years. He and his wife have four children. His family activities revolve around baseball, soccer, volleyball and band. He loves spending time as a coach for his children's sports. His family frequently travels, camps, hikes and fishes.
Matthew's commitment to service and diligent work ethic extend beyond law enforcement, and the Firm has been richly blessed by his presence on the team.
Job Titles:
- B & T Family in 2022 As a Remote Paralegal
- Paralegal
Miranda Jackson joined the B&T Family in 2022 as a remote paralegal in the cold tundra of Maryland. She has since found herself in the warm west Texas sun and enjoys her position at the B&T - Abilene office.
Miranda was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, but her husband's military career led her to Maryland in 2018. That is where her career in the legal industry began. She worked with a firm that specializes in helping military families with their legal issues. Now, her husband's career has brought her back to Abilene, Texas, where her husband is stationed at Dyess Air Force Base. They hope to stay and call Abilene home for several years to come.
Outside of work, Miranda is kept busy with two kids under two! In the little free time that she gets, she enjoys creating custom wood furniture, karaoke, and baking. If she were asked, she would say her specialty is either French macarons and cinnamon rolls.
Job Titles:
- Managing Attorney - Temple
In an era when most criminal charges end in plea bargains, Nora Farah has made her mark in the courtroom. She has been the lead defense attorney, and prevailed, in criminal trials for aggravated assault, drug offenses, evading arrest or detention in a motor vehicle, burglary of habitation, driving while intoxicated (DWI), theft, and crimes against children. She is a zealous advocate for her clients, both during negotiations and in the courtroom. Her tenacity and devotion to her clients has resulted in dismissal of charges against her clients before those clients ever had to endure trial.
Though Nora's passion as a defender of the Constitution in criminal cases burns strong, her biggest honor is representing parents seeking the best interest of their children and guiding her clients through the heartbreak and stress of divorce. Whether the case is resolved through negotiation, mediation, or a trial, Nora uses her years of experience as a family attorney and a mother to get results for her clients.
Nora is a Sugar Land, Texas native and Orthodox Christian who has called Waco home since 2002. She attended both Baylor University (Bachelor of Arts, 2006) and Baylor Law School (Juris Doctorate, 2008). She is a devoted wife and mother of three boys. Nora is a native speaker of English and Arabic and a proud Syrian-American. She has been fighting for her clients since being licensed in 2009, first at her own firm and then joining the Blanchard & Thomas team.