FBFK - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Attorney / Shareholder / Mergers and Acquisitions
With more than 20 years of experience, Allison Copeland has extensive experience with intellectual property transactions, litigation, and counseling. Her primary areas of expertise are preparing custom agreements, adapting existing agreements to address clients' needs, and acting as lead negotiator in a wide variety of simple and complex transactions, including software licensing agreements, hardware acquisition and lease agreements, reseller agreements, OEM agreements, ASP agreements, SaaS agreements, consulting agreements, joint marketing and referral agreements, and other similar transactions. Additionally, Allison has extensive experience with open-source licensing issues, commercial litigation, and commercial and general business transactions.
Allison has experience with the use of open-source software, including the creation, implementation, and management of guidelines and procedures for use of open-source applications in development projects. Her background also includes the management of numerous litigation matters ranging from simple contract disputes to complex class actions.
Practice Areas
Intellectual Property
Brandon Williams focuses on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. For more than 20 years, he has counseled clients in managing and developing robust portfolios of both domestic and foreign intellectual property assets.
Brandon has successfully prepared and prosecuted applications across a range of chemical arts including polymer compositions, electronic processing chemicals, pharmaceutical preparations, small molecule chemistry, wafer fabrication and composite fiber manufacturing processes. Additionally, Brandon is experienced in other technology areas, such as software systems and control processes, including machine learning, big data, access control & data security, graphical user interfaces and vehicle feedback control systems.
Practice Areas
Intellectual Property
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Attorney / Shareholder / Estate Planning
- Chairman of the Estate Planning Practice Section
Carol Butrus serves as Chair of the Estate Planning Practice Section of the firm's Taxation Group. With more than 20 years of experience, her areas of practice include wealth preservation and estate planning, estate and trust administration and taxation and charitable organizations. Carol's practice focuses on preparation of estate planning documents and assisting clients in planning for both large and small estates. This includes wills, trusts, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, family limited partnerships, charitable organizations, family wealth planning and preservation, administering trusts and estates of decedents, and assisting clients with the establishment of tax-exempt organizations. Carol also represents clients in connection with probate disputes.
Practice Areas
Estate Planning
Job Titles:
- Assistant General Counsel
- Attorney
Danny Brooks is an experienced litigator in state and federal courts in Texas. He has worked cases from initial client intake all the way through to a final resolution, including appeals. Danny began his practice representing homeowners facing foreclosure in lawsuits against national banks and their mortgage servicers. In order to stop foreclosures and achieve a favorable outcome for his clients, he had to think creatively about the best and most efficient way to attain that outcome while also being their dedicated advocate.
Danny also has extensive experience in most every facet of real estate law in both the transactional and litigation spheres. A self-described "legal nerd" he especially enjoys conducting a deep dive into legal issues when drafting appellate briefs.
Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation
Job Titles:
- Chairman, Corporate Transactional Group
- Corporate Attorney
Chris Williams is a corporate attorney with extensive experience in corporate securities, mergers and acquisitions, transactional and compliance areas including public offerings and private placements of equity and debt securities, mergers, acquisitions and dispositions of public and private companies, public company reporting, disclosure and compliance, including Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K and proxy statements. He also has experience with tender offers, going private transactions and exchange offers, venture capital transactions, startup formation and financing, software, technology, consulting, intellectual property licensing and joint development agreements. Chris has handled pre-merger notification requirements under the Hart Scott Rodino Act and preparation of required filings with the FTC and DOJ.
For more than 25 years, Chris has represented public and private companies with respect to a broad range of corporate governance issues, including drafting and negotiating registration rights, stockholder, co-sale and related investment agreements and documentation, managed and coordinated multidisciplinary legal teams for complicated transactional matters, provided corporate secretary duties, including providing counsel directly to boards of directors and C-level executives. He has also designed, developed and implemented corporate compliance and reporting programs, codes of conduct, insider trading policies, whistleblower policies and document retention programs.
Practice Areas
Banking and Finance
Dan Baucum assists clients with business and tax planning and federal tax disputes. He has over 40 years private practice experience and is a noted tax practitioner for his work with LLCs, LPs, and S Corps.
Dan advises clients on business and tax issues affecting business acquisitions, sales, mergers, conversions, divisions, and other complex transactions, including like-kind exchanges and qualified small business stock (Section 1202) transactions. He also represents taxpayers in IRS disputes and Appeals, and at the IRS Chief Counsel's Office in Washington, D.C. Dan consults with tax professionals on federal tax issues and IRS practice and has served as an advisory and testifying expert witness on federal tax matters.
Dan is an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Southern Methodist University School of Law and is a lecturer at Baylor Law School. While in Washington, D.C., Dan served as Special Assistant to the IRS Associate Chief Counsel (Passthroughs & Special Industries). He also taught IRS Practice as an Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Tax Law Program at Georgetown University's Law Center.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Attorney / Shareholder / Commercial
Dana Campbell is a highly versatile and experienced commercial litigation attorney, with over 35 years of experience with bankruptcy and creditors' rights, receiverships, contract disputes, business torts, corporate governance and intellectual property issues relating to trademarks, domain names, software and data security. Dana serves clients in formulating and implementing effective strategies to avoid and resolve a wide variety of commercial disputes, including disputes between manufacturers and customers, sellers and distributors, sellers and consumers, franchisors and franchisees, commercial landlords and tenants, minority partners and controlling partners, investors and developers, property owners and contractors, employers and employees, creditors and debtors, and intellectual property owners and alleged infringers. Dana has received an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell for more than 20 years.
Practice Areas
Bankruptcy and Restructuring
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Attorney / Shareholder / Commercial
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Attorney / Shareholder / Commercial
A highly regarded attorney, Darrell D. Minter has more than 30 years' experience as a business litigator, having practiced in state and federal courts across Texas, with his focus primarily in the Dallas metroplex. During his career, he has been involved in a wide range of cases, evolving into a material emphasis in the areas of business and contract disputes encompassing breaches of fiduciary duties, statutory and common law fraud, State securities fraud, and related matters. Previously, he founded Minter Law Group after practicing with the Underwood Perkins law firm, for nearly five years, where he also served as a director. Before joining Underwood Perkins, he was of counsel with the David Goodman law firm, and after its merger he continued with the Fox Rothschild law firm.
Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation
Job Titles:
- Canadian Trademark Agent
- Trademark Specialist
A former Canadian Trademark Agent, Diana Cone has more than 30 years of experience in intellectual property law. Her experience primarily lies in trademark clearance, filing, prosecution and enforcement in the United States and abroad. She works with clients to procure and protect trademarks in a wide range of industries, including the food, beverage, clothing, retail, hospitality, entertainment, financial services and high-tech industries. Diana is an active member of the International Trademark Association ("INTA") on various committees, including WIPO harmonization, membership, trademark usage and information services.
Practice Areas
Intellectual Property
As an experienced business litigation attorney, Ekaterina Long focuses her practice on banking and finance litigation, partnership and ownership disputes, and trade secret litigation. Ekaterina litigates such cases as, among others, breach of contract, fraud, theft of trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duty, and defamation. Her experience includes efficiently preparing a business litigation case for trial, including, among others, taking and defending depositions, conducting offensive and defensive written discovery, and arguing dispositive motions. Ekaterina has obtained dismissals of lawsuits at the pre-trial level and successfully handled administrative appeals.
J.W. Beverly is a board-certified civil appellate lawyer who has supported clients with contracts, partnerships, patents, probates and more. His extensive trial practice has included commercial disputes, construction and real estate matters, insurance claims and representing defrauded investors. He has represented plaintiffs and defendants in environmental, telecommunications, construction, real estate, deed restriction, whistleblower, partnership dispute and collection case matters. J.W.'s experience includes successfully representing oil and gas producers in complex environmental contamination cases, contractors and owners in construction disputes, homeowners in construction defect cases and individual investors with investment claims against stockbrokers and brokerage firms.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Attorney / Shareholder / Commercial
James (Jim) Davis is a trial lawyer who provides practical and strategic advice and counsel to clients regarding their business and helps them to resolve complex business disputes in a cost-effective, efficient manner. For more than 30 years, he has tried significant matters before federal, state and appellate courts throughout the United States. Jim concentrates his practice on a wide variety of complex commercial disputes in federal and state courts, as well as arbitral proceedings. He has extensive experience in commercial and financial transactions litigation, intellectual property disputes, including patent infringement cases, complex disputes among partners and business owners, and business torts litigation. In addition, Jim has significant experience in technology litigation, including theft of trade secrets and non-competition disputes. Jim has served as the firm's chief operating officer and has a degree in accounting, which enables him to bring a business perspective to all the matters he handles. Jim previously has been selected as a Texas Super Lawyer and has received an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell for more than 20 years.
Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation
Janelle M. Dease is a civil litigation attorney who has been representing clients in state and federal courts in California since 2003. Over the years, Janelle has worked with individual and commercial clients in a variety of legal matters, including business disputes, employment matters, construction/real estate litigation, enforcement of judgment and recovery efforts, appeals, and family law. A focus on detail, hard work and a keen sense of procedure and preparedness contribute to Janelle's effective representation both in and out of the courtroom.
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Kent State University, Janelle attended the University of Akron School of Law to earn her J.D. Janelle was admitted to the State Bar of California bar in 2003, and is authorized to practice before all state courts of California, U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Central and Northern Districts of California, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California.
Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation
With more than 25 years of experience, Jill Cronin's practice primarily encompasses trademark law, social media issues, although she also has more than 15 years of experience in commercial litigation and insurance coverage law. In addition to seeking assistance with more traditional intellectual property matters, clients enlist Jill's guidance for crisis analysis and response, as well as various insurance coverage issues.
Jill's trademark practice is focused on prosecution and enforcement activities, and she regularly conducts anti-infringement assessments and prepares corresponding opinion letters and frequently assists clients with their third-party infringement enforcement programs.
Her insurance experience includes both first and third-party coverage and bad faith litigation, as well as complex reinsurance and agency litigation and arbitration. Additionally, she has extensive experience handling a variety of general commercial and tort litigation matters.
Practice Areas
Intellectual Property
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Attorney / Shareholder / Commercial
A business trial lawyer in Orange County for over 34 years, John Stephen's practice includes cases involving trade secrets, trademark, real estate, fraud, breach of contract, shareholder and partnership disputes, business dissolution and a wide variety of complex business issues. He has represented Fortune 500 companies and small businesses and individuals in a wide variety of commercial matters, as well as tried many cases to judgment, including jury trials, bench trials and arbitration hearings. A creative negotiator and mediation advocate, John is often able to cut to the chase and achieve a successful early outcome, saving his clients substantial legal fees.
John has been recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer and in Best Lawyers in America, and is an influential "connector" in the Orange County business community. Since 2006, he has been a Group Leader in the national professional organization, ProVisors.
He is also a dedicated public servant, serving as the Mayor of Costa Mesa, California since March 2021, and was a Costa Mesa City Councilmember from 2016 to 2020. In November 2023, John was elected by his fellow mayors to be a director of the Orange County Transit Authority. He has also served as a Costa Mesa Planning Commissioner, and a director of Travel Costa Mesa and the Transportation Corridor Agency (Toll Roads).
John received his law degree from UC Davis Law School and earned a B.S in Business Administration from Cal Poly Pomona. Before starting his own firm in 1998, he practiced for nine years in the Orange County office of the international firm, Paul Hastings.
Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Attorney / Shareholder / Commercial
John D. Fraser has more than 30 years of commercial litigation experience, representing a vast array of companies throughout Texas. His clients are manufacturing companies, service firms, real estate asset managers, high-tech ventures, financial services providers, utility construction firms and many more entrepreneurial ventures. John's vast experience in the courtroom extends to all state district and county courts, as well as all federal district courts in Texas. He works strategically and collaboratively with his litigation team to obtain the best possible outcome for whatever legal challenge is presented. John's goal is to tenaciously represent the interests of his clients, whether in court, mediation, arbitration or negotiation.
John obtained his B.B.A. from Southern Methodist University and his J.D. from Southern Illinois University School of Law.
Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation
An attorney with three decades of successful experience, John Cone largely focuses on trademark, copyright and patent enforcement; state and federal intellectual property litigation; and a variety of brand strategy and management issues for a distinguished clientele. Furthermore, his extensive knowledge of state and federal intellectual property cases on both sides of the aisle has made him a sought-after litigator. John has represented clients in such diverse industries as healthcare, food and beverage, software, sports equipment and apparel. Having tried cases in many different federal court districts in Texas, he is familiar with the nuances of each court's requirements. He has served as both an expert witness and mediator. John also finds time to serve as an adjunct professor at the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University.
Practice Areas
Intellectual Property
For more than 20 years, Kelly Kubasta has built his entire practice around developing and executing an intellectual property strategy that enhances and enforces the client's competitive advantages in an effective and efficient manner.
Kelly partners with each of his clients to leverage an entire array of intellectual property assets, including patents, trademarks, service marks, trade dress, copyrights, and trade secrets. His practice spans all phases, including:
Developing and maintaining an IP portfolio both in the U.S. and abroad;
Monetizing IP assets through technology transactions such as software licenses, Software as a Service (SaaS) agreements, joint marketing agreements, joint development agreements, and manufacturing/distribution agreements; and
Enforcing and defending IP assets, including patent, trademark, and unfair competition litigation, patent validity disputes at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and trademark disputes at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).
With a wide-ranging intellectual property practice, Kelly brings a unique ability to understand each client's business, distill and refine the key issues, and implement an intellectual property strategy that maximizes the client's short-term and long-term advantages.
As a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Kelly counsels clients in strategic patent portfolio management across many technologies, including automotive, computer software, consumer goods, consumer electronics, telecommunications, energy exploration and production, medical, nutraceuticals, and water filtration. He frequently handles patent validity disputes at the PTAB and patent infringement/validity disputes in Federal Court, thus bringing a holistic perspective that improves the likelihood of validity and enforceability of his client's patents-and achieving monetary and competitive return on investment in a targeted patent portfolio.
No matter the industry, a client's brand is often one of its most valuable assets. Kelly dedicates a substantial portion of his practice to trademark and branding issues, including development/maintenance of trademark portfolios (domestic and international), clearance of trademarks, licensing and monetization, and disputes over trademark and trade dress rights. Kelly frequently handles trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings at the TTAB, pre-suit demands and settlement agreements, and litigation of trademarks in Federal and/or State Court.
Kelly has been named as one of The Best Lawyers in America® - Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Intellectual Property (2014-2022), Texas Super Lawyer - Intellectual Property (2011-2022), Best Lawyers in Dallas (D Magazine, 2011, 2013, 2015-2022), has been recognized in the field of Patent Prosecution & Transactions (IAM) Patent 1000: The World's Leading Patent Practitioners (Globe White Page Ltd, 2022), and has received an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell.
Practice Areas
Intellectual Property
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Attorney / Shareholder / Business and Commercial
Kenneth (Ken) Holt provides both litigation services and legal counseling to individuals and businesses. He has tried innumerable cases for juries, where he practices primarily in the areas of commercial litigation, employment litigation, insurance litigation and professional liability law.
With more than 25 years of experience, Kirby Cronin focuses on intellectual property transactions, litigation, and counseling, with extensive experience representing financial institutions concerning their technology-related matters. In addition, he maintains an active trademark practice, while also assisting clients with a variety of copyright, trade secret, domain name, social media, and other intellectual property needs. Kirby also has significant experience throughout his career in a variety of other areas, such as commercial litigation, commercial and business transactions, and employment matters.
Kirby routinely leads or assists in negotiations opposite Fortune 100 U.S. companies, such as ExxonMobil, AT&T, Dell, HP, Hewlett Packard Enterprises, J.P. Morgan Chase, IBM, Capital One, Microsoft, Dow Chemical, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Intel, Cisco, Wells Fargo, and Oracle, as well as other notable entities, such as J.D. Power and Associates, VMware, Wolters Kluwer, Rackspace, Symantec, salesforce.com, Workday, Aramark, Halliburton, KPMG, Nabors, Emerson, Ericsson, Sony, the University of Texas, and the University of Oklahoma.
Kirby has been recognized by Acritas Stars (2016, 2017), Whataburger "Vendor of the Year" (2015), and BTI Client Service All-Star (2012).
With more than a decade of experience, Kristen Stocker's practice focuses primarily on various transactional matters, mainly in the software and oil and gas domains. Prior to joining FBFK, Kristen worked for several prominent software and oil and gas companies drafting and negotiating a broad range of agreements, including software licensing and service agreements, non-disclosure agreements, SaaS agreements, consulting agreements, partnership and referral agreements. She also has significant experience in negotiating leases, employment agreements, consultant agreements, supplier and vendor agreements. Additionally, Kristen has assisted clients in numerous financial matters, such as demand letters and settlements, and enjoys assisting her clients navigate both complex and simple matters.
Kristen graduated with a B.A. from University of Pittsburgh, and she received a J.D. from the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University.
Practice Areas
Transactional Law
Job Titles:
- Attorney / CEO / Mergers and Acquisitions
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Attorney / Shareholder / Commercial
Leighton Aiken is a trial lawyer with more than 40 years of national experience in all aspects of complex commercial/business litigation, with an emphasis on business torts, contract disputes, healthcare (with an emphasis in long-term care) disputes, partnership and shareholder disputes, employer rights, creditor rights in bankruptcy and more. In addition to being a former prosecutor with the United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, Leighton has represented clients in federal and state courts throughout the United States, as well as in arbitral proceedings. He has also served as lead counsel in representing clients, including publicly traded companies, in a variety of transactions, including asset sales, equity sales, financing transactions, corporate formations and restructures, credit facilities and joint ventures.
Practice Areas
Bankruptcy and Restructuring
Luc Whyte joined FBFK in its Plano office in 2022 as a summer associate and has been gaining valuable experience as a litigator both in and out of the court room ever since. Early in his career, Luc has had the opportunity to provide counsel across numerous practice areas, and always strives to obtain the best possible outcome for his clients.
Luc earned his J.D. from the Southern Methodist University - Dedman School of Law, where he was an avid participant in the school's moot court programs as well as their Criminal Defense Clinic, where he represented indigent individuals in the Dallas County criminal courts on a provisional law license under Dallas County criminal defense legend Mike McCollum. While in his last year of law school, Luc served as a judicial extern for the esteemed Judge Barbara Lynn of the United States Northern District of Texas, where he gained valuable insight into the federal court system.
Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation
Job Titles:
- Chairman, Employment Law Group
- Chairman, Employment Law Group / Employment Law
For more than 40 years, Mark Zeidman has provided advice and counsel to business management and in-house legal counsel regarding employment issues and workplace disputes. He represents businesses in employment disputes in both state and federal courts, as well as before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Texas Workforce Commission. He also advises and assists businesses with transactions and disputes involving construction, manufacturing, information technology, and government contracts.
Mark has tried and settled numerous cases involving employment discrimination, employee theft, non-competition agreements, covenants not to compete, theft of trade secrets, and non-disclosure agreements. He frequently obtains temporary restraining orders and temporary injunctive relief for companies that seek to prevent employees and former employees from violating employment contracts and legal rights owed by employees to their companies. Mark also represents companies in cases that involve construction accidents and defects, business disputes, product liability claims, insurance coverage issues, and property and casualty claims.
Job Titles:
- Attorney / Shareholder / Mergers and Acquisitions
Paul Braswell is a seasoned transactional lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in partnership and corporate law. Paul advises clients with respect to business entity structure, corporate organization and reorganization, taxation, private securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, corporate financing, franchising, equity and debt financing transactions, syndications, business dispositions, trademark registrations and other general business matters.
Paul earned his B.A. from the University of Texas and his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma, where he was a member of Phi Delta Phi.
Practice Areas
Banking and Finance
Job Titles:
- Chairman, Litigation Group
Rachael Smiley brings more than fifteen years of legal experience to FBFK, offering knowledge of all steps of the Chapter 11 reorganization process, including asset sales, plan confirmation and post-confirmation plan administration. She also has experience litigating a variety of disputes, including contested matters and adversary proceedings, plus valuation disputes, claim objections and avoidance actions. She currently serves as Chair of FBFK's Litigation practice
Prior to joining FBFK, Rachael held positions in boutique and large law firms, as well as in the Office of Supply Chain Management at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she negotiated and drafted business agreements on behalf of the university and its hospitals. While there, Rachael also gained valuable insight into the complex and highly-specialized financial and procurement systems that support the healthcare industry.
Rachael was listed as one of the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America (2021 through 2024) in Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, and as a Texas Superlawyer for Business Bankruptcy in 2022 and 2023.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Expert in Real Estate
Richard L. Spencer is a recognized expert in Real Estate lending and law. For 12 years he has been a Best Lawyer in America and for 20 years honored as a Super Lawyer. Spencer is triple-board certified in real estate law and was a member of the Texas Board of Legal Specialization real estate advisory commission. He is a Fellow in the American College of Real Estate Attorneys, a Director of the Texas Bar College, and was Chairman of both the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the State Bar Texas and the Texas College of Real Estate Attorneys. Rick chaired the Texas Real Estate Forms Committee and the committee that drafted and passed the Texas Assignment of Rents Act (Ch. 64 of the Tex. Property Code). Spencer is also a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and a well-recognized Course Director, author, and presenter in advanced real estate law seminars. He is the recipient of the Jim Bowmer Professionalism Award, Weatherbie Workhorse Award, and Standing Ovation Award from the State Bar of Texas. Rick is a board member of the Hay Center Foundation and a former Chair.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
1981-2020 Founding Member and President; West University Rotary Club. HAY Center Foundation; Chairman, Board of Directors; Recognized with "Raise-a-Glass" award. West U Rotary Foundation; Board of Directors. MS-150; 6-time participant and Club 300 member. Director for Graduate Business Network; University of Texas Austin. American Heart Association; Jump Rope for Hearts-Board Member.
Treasurer and Secretary; Tri-Sports Association of West University Place
Scholarship Committee; Texas Ex-Students Association
Richard Lebos represents clients in primarily real estate, including purchases and sales of commercial real property, review-of-title and survey issues and closing documentation, plus financing and leasing of commercial real property. With more than 20 years of experience, he also has experience in general corporate and non-real estate matters, as well as cell-tower and rooftop leasing. Prior to becoming an attorney, Richard honed his business acumen as an accountant.
Richard has a B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Texas, a M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University, and a J.D. from Creighton University.
Practice Areas
Commercial Real Estate
Robert Owens has broad experience in a diverse real estate practice, including development, operation, leasing, financing, and sales and purchases of all types. His clients include developers and owners of residential, retail, office and medical properties, plus developers of condominiums and redevelopers of industrial properties.
Practice Areas
Commercial Real Estate
With over 30 years of legal experience, Robert Miklos is a tenured real estate and land use attorney with extensive experience in all land development-related legal matters. Most recently, he was instrumental in the development of thousands of residential, mixed use and vertical commercial projects, as well as closing more than 30 economic development financing transactions, mainly in public improvement districts and tax increment financing. Previously, Miklos worked as an attorney for the City of Houston, City of Dallas and the Harris County District Attorney.
Practice Areas
Commercial Real Estate
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Attorney / Shareholder / Commercial
Ryan is an experienced commercial litigator. He represents clients in complex disputes and regularly goes against Am Law 100 firms. He understands his clients want to focus on pursuing their business goals and he takes pride in efficiently working with his clients to develop a deliberate and calculated litigation strategy. He has experience with appeals, business partner disputes, contract disputes, patent litigation, trademark disputes, copyright disputes, trade secret disputes, employment litigation, insurance litigation, products liability, bankruptcy (for creditors and landlords), and more. Ryan is Chair of FBFK's Mentorship Program and Chair of the CCBA Young Lawyers Section. He is an avid hockey player and fan.
Job Titles:
- Attorney / Head of Austin Office
- Head of FBK 's Austin
Steve Toland serves as head of FBK's Austin office. Steve leads the White Collar and Regulatory Law and Data Privacy and Security practice areas. Board certified in criminal law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a recognized litigator across Texas, Steve brings a unique and specialized skill set to his practice.
As leader of the Data Privacy and Security practice group, Toland focuses on data privacy, cybersecurity, and data protection matters related to legal compliance, risk mitigation, investigations, and data breach response. As leader of the White Collar and Regulatory practice group, Toland represents individuals and companies in all phases of investigation and criminal prosecution. Toland has argued more than 300 contested matters in federal court and tried 60 cases in state court. His strong relationships with government officials in nearly every major enforcement agency enable him to effectively identify persuasive arguments, narrow the scope of inquiries, limit corporate and individual exposure and negotiate favorable resolutions.
Steven Darling is an attorney with a broad range of experience in the municipal law sphere. Currently, his practice focuses on transactional and litigation matters arising out of the representation of developers through their business dealings with cities and counties across the State of Texas, and further assisting clients in securing economic incentives for their projects such as Public Improvement Districts, Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones, Chapter 380 Economic Development Grants, Municipal Management Districts, and more. In addition, he also represents clients in land use litigation ranging from small town disputes to big city issues.
Prior to joining the firm, Steven was an Assistant City Attorney for the Cities of Dallas and Grand Prairie, actively serving as a trial attorney to represent both the State in Criminal Prosecutions and the City of Dallas in its Civil capacity in Municipal, Justice of the Peace, County, and Appellate courthouses.
Steven received his bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and his law degree from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Practice Areas
Commercial Real Estate
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Attorney / Shareholder / Commercial
Todd Friedland combines skill, strategy and business judgment to achieve success for clients in commercial litigation. With more than 25 years of complex commercial litigation experience, Todd Friedland is a lauded attorney well known for his legal leadership in Orange County and for implementing strategies designed to meet client's goals and business needs. His practice focuses on commercial litigation and strategic counseling including matters related to corporate governance and fiduciary duty, complex contract and manufacturing disputes, trade secrets, unlawful business practices, business torts, and real estate issues.
Todd served as the previous President of the Orange County Bar Association (2016), President of the Orange County Bar Association Charitable Fund (2017) and President of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers - Orange County (2020) and has also been named i Top 50 Attorneys in Orange County ranking (Orange Coast Magazine 2018 - 2023), Best Lawyers in America (2015-2023), and Southern California Super Lawyers (2011 - 2023). Todd is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell.
Prior to joining FBFK, Todd co-founded business litigation boutique Stephens Friedland LLP, and practiced with the multi-national law firm of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman.
Todd Shadle has developed an expertise in labor and employment law based on nearly 30 years of experience in the field. Demonstrating these capabilities, he is board certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. His employment law experience includes counseling and preparation of policies and handbooks, conducting investigations, handling administrative matters before state and federal agencies, and litigating claims that cannot be resolved. These issues include claims under Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FLSA, FMLA, state causes of action, covenants not to compete, and trade secret litigation. Todd also handles complex business disputes including cases involving breach of contract, partnership disputes, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty. Based on recognition from his peers, Todd has been selected as one of the nation's 100 Most Powerful Employment Lawyers by Lawdragon Inc., chosen as a Texas Super Lawyer, named among the "Best Lawyers in Dallas" by D Magazine, listed in the Best Lawyers in America, and is rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell®, the organization's highest ranking for legal ability and ethical standards.
Practice Areas
Employment Law
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Attorney / Shareholder / Commercial
Tory Cronin's practice focuses on a wide range of complex commercial litigation matters, including those involving fraud, accounting and legal malpractice, healthcare, securities, credit facilities, real estate, partnership disputes, tax disputes, receiverships, intellectual property, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, labor and employment, insurance bad faith, and business torts. Additionally, as a former IT professional, Tory has expertise regarding computer systems and networks. Tory has worked closely with clients to develop cost-effective strategies and procedures for conventional and electronic discovery, specifically providing solutions for clients with complex data networks and information stored at various international locations.
Practice Areas
Commercial Litigation