COWLES & THOMPSON - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Division 's Counsel of Appellate Lawyers
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Immigration Law
Angela M. Lopez is a shareholder and Section Head of the Cowles Thompson Immigration Practice Group. Angela has been practicing exclusively in the field of immigration law since 2002. She has developed a large national practice representing numerous foreign nationals and their employers in obtaining temporary employment nonimmigrant visas and permanent residence. She has represented numerous hospitals, healthcare systems, medical providers, university medical centers, physicians, and allied staff (nurses, physical therapists, and medical technologists).
Angela's extensive experience includes J-1 two-year foreign residency waiver applications for physicians, H-1B professional worker visas, O-1 extraordinary ability visas, E-1/E-2 treaty investor, L-1 transfer visas, TN temporary work visa for citizens of Canada & Mexico, E-3 professional worker visas for Australian nationals, and permanent residence applications based upon labor certification, extraordinary ability aliens, national interest waivers, multinational managers and executives, and EB5 investor immigrant visas.
In addition, Angela has represented hundreds of individuals and their families in obtaining legal permanent residence ("green card"), successfully overcoming the challenges of the US immigration system and keeping families united.
Angela began her career in 1989 as a Deputy District Attorney and Town Solicitor in Colombia, South America. In 1993, she worked with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Hampden County, as a Family Service Officer, gaining experience in Family Law, mediation and investigative services. In 1997, she was a founding partner in "Mediation Works," a mediation center and dispute resolution service in Springfield, MA. In 1998, Angela relocated to Texas and completed her Masters in International and Comparative Law (LLM) at SMU in Dallas. During and after her Masters studies, she worked with Alcon Laboratories, a Fortune 500 Company, in their International Legal Department, assisting Alcon affiliates worldwide on a broad range of issues related to International Business transactions.
Job Titles:
- Accounting Honor Society, Member
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate Attorney in the Family Law
Brandea Bidelspach is an Associate Attorney in the Family Law practice. Brandea has experience in seeing clients through complex divorce and custody litigation. She is sensitive to the stress placed on families during litigation and works hard to provide guidance and stability in uneasy times whether that be through zealous advocacy in the courtroom or through alternative dispute resolution. Brandea knows that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions when it comes to a family, and she strives to find practical and individual solutions for her clients.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in Our Commercial
Bret Walsh is an Associate in our Commercial Litigation, Corporate/Business Law, and Estate Planning, Wills, and Probate practice groups. His 12 years' experience in legal practice also includes work in government relations. Bret operated his own law office for nine years in Plano, Texas where his counsel provided to non-profit corporations included corporate governance and compliance, and to businesses included drafting and management of business formation documents, commercial real estate agreements, and transfer/sale of business agreements.
Bret has advised legislative candidates on campaign finance and election laws and previously served as Senior Policy Advisor for Legislative and Cabinet Affairs for the Office of Governor Tim Pawlenty in Minnesota.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Employment Law
Brian T. Farrington is a Shareholder and Section Head of the Cowles Thompson Employment Law section. His practice consists of transactional work and litigation advising and representing management concerning employment law, and particularly in the areas of Fair Labor Standards Act and Equal Employment Opportunity laws. He consults with employers to assist them in compliance and to represent them in investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Brian also advises clients on compliance with state wage and hour laws and represents them in investigations by state Departments of Labor. He also advises on matters related to Texas Workforce Commission unemployment eligibility, government contracts labor standards (Davis Bacon Act, Service Contract Act), OSHA 11(c), and state wage payment laws. Brian has represented clients in litigation under the FLSA, Title VII, the ADEA, and the ADA.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Brian spent 12 years working with the US Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division. He has served as an Expert Witness in FLSA employment matters, and is a trained employment-related mediator.
Prior to joining Cowles Thompson, Brian led his own solo practice, Law Offices of Brian T. Farrington, for 18 years.
Brian has developed unique knowledge and experience in DBA/SCA matters. (Few private sector attorneys are familiar with government contracts wage standards.
Mr. Farrington has been engaged as an expert witness in more than 80 FLSA cases in federal and state court.
Brian is noted for his exceptional ability as a speaker and trainer. He has taught sessions on the FLSA for the State Bars of Texas and Arkansas, and for the Dallas Bar Association. He has addressed groups such as the Society of Human Resource Management, the Texas Payroll Conference; attendees at AADP's "Meeting of the Minds" national conference, Ceridian Corporation's "Insights" national conference, local chapters of the Human Resources Associations, American Payroll Association, American Compensation Association, and many others.
Casey Erick is a Shareholder and focuses on Commercial Litigation and Employment Law. He has represented clients in both litigation and transactional matters that span across commercial law, labor and employment, real estate, consumer protection, and general litigation including, but not limited to breach of contract, corporate trade secret theft, tortious interference, defamation, personal injury, fraud, and various other kinds of civil litigation. He has represented high-profile clients as well as defended against high-profile national and global entities in matters related to commercial litigation, defamation, privacy, negligence, the Stored Communications Act, the Texas Harmful Access by Computer Act, Texas identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
Dallas Latina Leadership (NHBA), participant/organizer, SMU, Dallas, TX, October 2016
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Senior Shareholder in the Tort and Commercial
David A. Johnson is a Senior Shareholder in the Tort and Commercial Litigation Sections of Cowles Thompson. David's practice areas include premises liability litigation, product liability defense, trucking litigation, labor and employment litigation, healthcare litigation, and commercial and complex business litigation.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Managing Shareholder
David J. Metzler is a Shareholder and Section Head of the Cowles Thompson Insurance Litigation Practice Group. His practice is devoted to tort, commercial and insurance coverage issues. David also advises clients on insurance and entertainment law, and has significant experience in litigating real estate disputes.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate Attorney in the Commercial
Elizabeth Westphal is an Associate attorney in the Commercial Litigation and Tort Litigation sections of Cowles Thompson. Her experience includes trial support, drafting pleadings, conducting discovery, and presenting oral argument at hearings and pre-trial conferences. She has also led mediation negotiations for settlement.
Education
J.D., SMU Dedman School of Law, 2015
B.S., magna cum laude, Political Science, Texas Christian University, 2012
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Tort Litigation
Frankie Picone is an Associate in the Tort Litigation practice group. Frankie's experience includes drafting, filing, and serving pre-trial and post-judgment motions, discovery, and writs for complex commercial litigation cases.
Education
J.D., Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, 2021
Glenda O. Brewer is a Shareholder and Section Head of the Firm's Estate Planning, Wills and Probate Practice Group as well as a member of the Corporate and Business Law Practice Group. Her practice consists primarily of representation of a wide variety of clients in the areas of probate, trusts, wills, estate planning, and general corporate representation.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Shareholder in the Dallas
Helen Emerson is a Shareholder in the Dallas office of Cowles Thompson, practicing primarily in the areas of civil litigation and civil appeals. Helen served as a briefing attorney for the Honorable Douglas S. Lang, Fifth District Court of Appeals of Texas, 2014-15 and as a judicial intern for the Honorable John R. Roach, Jr., 296th Judicial District Court, 2012.
Jim E. Cowles, of Dallas, TX, age 88, peacefully passed away on June 12, 2022, at his home following a long battle with restrictive lung disease. Jim was a well-known and towering presence in the Texas legal landscape. A [...]
John M. Pease is a Shareholder and a member of the firm's Tort Litigation Practice group. He is also in charge of the Cowles Thompson Transportation and Trucking Litigation Practice. He began his legal practice at Cowles Thompson, and for the past 30 years he has provided representation to clients in personal injury litigation, transportation, products liability, premises liability, oilfield injury, and other personal injury matters. He has also litigated commercial matters.
John has represented both national and Texas-based corporations and other entities in the state and federal courts of Texas. He has tried cases throughout the state, including Dallas, Tarrant, Harris, Bexar, Travis, El Paso, Wichita, Jefferson, Freestone, Henderson, Johnson, and Madison Counties. John has major claim trial experience, representing product manufacturers, transportation and trucking companies, oilfield entities, retailers, insurance companies, and child care centers, among others.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Shareholder and Member of the Cowles Thompson Tort Litigation Practice
Jonathan M. Spigel is a Shareholder and member of the Cowles Thompson Tort Litigation Practice Group. Jonathan's practice consists primarily of general insurance defense litigation, including transportation, product liability and premises liability defense. His clients include a variety of national trucking companies, product manufacturers and retailers, international national hotel chains, and retail stores and restaurants.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Attorney in the Cowles Thompson Appellate Litigation Law
Julia Pendery is an attorney in the Cowles Thompson Appellate Litigation Law section. She has represented clients in the Texas appellate courts for 35 years. She predominantly represents the party appealing an adverse judgment and has successfully appealed business and commercial, personal injury, professional malpractice, real estate, family, and many other types of disputes. She enjoys taking on complex cases and has practiced in most of the appellate courts in Texas and the federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. She is also well-known for setting aside/obtaining relief from default judgments and frequently speaks to other lawyers on that topic.
Julia writes amicus curiae (friend of the court) briefs for industry groups, businesses, and individuals who are interested in important Texas Supreme Court cases but are not direct parties to the case. She is an active faculty and planning committee member of the Appellate Practice Institute, sponsored by the American Bar Association's Judicial Division, where she helps other appellate lawyers develop their skills. She has served as vice-chair of the ABA Judicial Division's Council of Appellate Lawyers and the ABA's Appellate Law Section, as well as President of the Dallas Bar Association Appellate Section.
Julia also represents landowners in eminent domain proceedings. She became involved in this type of law through her family ranch corporation in the 1990s and has represented both urban commercial landowners and rural agricultural landowners in the North Texas. Her experience as a Special Commissioner appointed by a County Court at Law to assess value in a condemnation proceeding gives her an advantage in representing clients before panels of Special Commissioners. She helps her clients maximize the compensation they receive for their land by providing compassionate and effective legal guidance through a difficult process. She can also negotiate non-monetary concessions and, in some cases, successfully challenge the governmental entity's right to take private property.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate Attorney With Cowles Thompson in the Insurance
- Insurance Litigation, Transportation & Trucking Law
Kayla Aitken is an Associate Attorney with Cowles Thompson in the Insurance Litigation and Transportation and Trucking Practices. She is experienced with personal injury, commercial trucking, wrongful termination, DTPA, and premises liability cases where she managed litigation and pre-litigation dockets, drafted legal documents, and developed and negotiated settlements. She is a graduate of Texas A&M School of Law where she was a Merit Scholar and member of the Mock Trial Team.
Education
J.D., Texas A&M School of Law, 2021
Shareholder Lené Alley DeRudder is a collaboratively trained divorce attorney with strong litigation skills. She takes a strategic approach to problem solving and helping guide clients to resolution - both inside and outside of the courtroom. She focuses on highly complex divorces - specifically those involving high-value and/or extensive property issues, as well as contentious family law matters. A respected and recognized leader in the family law community, Lené has appeared as a guest on broadcast television and radio nationwide. She primarily practices in Collin, Dallas, and Denton counties.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Counsel With Cowles Thompson
Melissa J. Pegram is Of Counsel with Cowles Thompson and a member of the firm's Corporate and Business Law Practice and Labor and Employment Law Practice groups.
Melissa is a frequent speaker at educational seminars on a wide range of commercial and employment law-related topics. She is an adjunct professor in the Paralegal Studies Program of the Dallas County Community College District. She is the author of numerous articles on various commercial and employment topics.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Immigration Law
- Shareholder in the Cowles Thompson Immigration Practice Group
Michelle V. Alonzo is a Shareholder in the Cowles Thompson Immigration Practice Group. She focuses on employment-based immigration matters, where her experience includes:
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate in the Tort Litigation
Morgan Crider is an Associate in the Tort Litigation section at Cowles Thompson. A recent graduate of SMU Dedman School of Law, Morgan's experience includes internships for the U.S. Department of Labor - Dallas Regional Solicitor's Office and the Honorable Martin Hoffman in the 68th Civil District Court of Dallas County. She is also a licensed Real Estate Sales Agent.
Job Titles:
- American Inn of Court, Associate
Mike Northrup is a Shareholder and Section Head of the Cowles Thompson Appellate Practice Group. He practices in both the trial and appellate courts in cases involving personal injury, insurance issues, employment law, commercial disputes, and zoning disputes. He provides litigation support to attorneys in other sections of the firm. Mike served as a briefing attorney for former Chief Justice Thomas R. Phillips, Texas Supreme Court, 1988-89. He has taught as an adjunct professor at Hastings College of Law and SMU School of Law. He is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Mike is a contributing author to the Texas Torts & Remedies as well as the Texas Litigation Guide for which he has authored chapters on the Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Punitive Damages, Limitation of Actions, the Appellate Record, and Liquor Liability. He also authored "In Search of Consensus on ‘Net Worth'," (co-author),(Spring 2010); "Restrictions on Class-Action Attorney-Fee Awards," 46 South Texas Law Review 953 (2005); "Per Curiam Review in the Supreme Court,"The Appellate Advocate(Winter 1990); and "Per Curiam Disposition," The Houston Lawyer(March/April 1990)
Mike provides litigation support in pretrial matters, including review of pleadings, drafting of complex motions and responses, preservation of error during trial, and preparation of jury charges. He handles post-trial and appellate matters, including drafting of proposed judgments, post-trial motions, requests for findings of fact and conclusions of law, supersedeas challenges, and appellate briefs.
Scott P. Hazen has more than 30 years of legal experience and has successfully defended clients in a wide variety of litigation including: toxic/mass torts, product liability, personal injury, medical malpractice, construction defect, professional liability, employment, and creditors rights.
Scott has spent the majority of his career focusing on toxic torts/environmental, product liability, and personal injury litigation. He has represented a wide variety of public and private sector companies including manufacturers, lenders, service providers, premises owners, suppliers, and distributors. Scott has successfully defended toxic exposure cases involving asbestos, diacetyl, hydrogen sulfide; mortar/mixed dust, benzene, mineral spirits, silica, legionella, and other chemicals. Scott has also defended a number of fire damage cases involving refineries, oil field equipment, and land owners. In addition, Scott has extensive experience handling large dockets, and multi-district litigation.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Shareholder in the Tort Litigation
Steven Moses is a Shareholder in the Tort Litigation and Commercial Litigation Practice Groups of Cowles Thompson. He represents clients on a wide range of legal matters including premises liability, business/commercial litigation, construction project litigation, and real estate matters. He has achieved outcomes favorable to his clients in matters related to trial, arbitration, re-trial of claims, settlements, and mediations.
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Construction Law, Healthcare Law, Premises Liability Attorneys, Product Liability Attorneys, Tort Litigation Attorneys, Transportation & Trucking Law
- General Counsel for a Texas
Stuart O'Neil has more than thirty years of legal experience and has successfully defended clients in a wide variety of litigation including: personal injury, healthcare, medical malpractice, trucking, product liability, construction law, premises liability, and general litigation. In addition to being a senior shareholder, he leads the Cowles Thompson Healthcare section, and is also a member of the Tort Litigation section. He has successfully tried many high-value cases to jury verdict over the last five years.
Stuart currently serves as the General Counsel for a Texas healthcare system representing both their Board of Directors and all their healthcare entities. He also represents other hospitals, playground manufacturers, pharmacies, trucking companies, nursing homes, acute care facilities, hospice agencies, carriers, and other companies from Texas' southern border to the panhandle. He has also worked with healthcare companies in amending and updating their policies, procedures, and bylaws.
Stuart has also led a group of attorneys, who defend the largest international retailer, in matters related to pharmacy, security, slip and fall, fallen merchandise, and other areas. Additionally, he represents a large national healthcare company representing all their facilities on a broad range of matters including premises liability claims, auto liability claims, healthcare and medical malpractice claims throughout the State of Texas. Stuart has experience in both Texas state and federal courts, and in administrative disciplinary proceedings with the Texas Board of Nursing, Texas Medical Board, Texas State Board of Dental Examiners, and Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services. He has also served in an advisory capacity for clients seeking to develop national strategy for the defense of their tort and healthcare litigation.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate Attorney in the Tort Litigation
Travis Boltz is an Associate Attorney in the Tort Litigation practice. His experience includes drafting, filing, and serving motions and pleadings, conducting and defending depositions, discovery, and research related to issues such as insurance defense.
Education
J.D., Texas Tech University School of Law, 2020
Dallas, TX (February 3, 2020) -- Cowles Thompson, P.C. is pleased to welcome Whitney E. Morgan as an Associate in the Commercial/Business Litigation and Tort Litigation sections. Whitney's experience includes managing more than 100 cases in active litigation and [...]
William L. (Bill) Siegel is a Shareholder and Section Head of the Cowles Thompson Bankruptcy & Creditors' Rights Practice Group as well as a member of the Corporate and Business Law Practice Group. His experience includes representing individuals and business entities in their corporate and transactional affairs, including drafting and negotiating agreements of all types, and representing individuals and business entities in disputes that may arise in litigation in State and Federal Courts. He also represents debtors, creditors, Trustees, and Committees in bankruptcy matters in Chapter 7 liquidations and Chapter 11 reorganizations. His clients include small and medium-sized businesses, start-up technology companies, and partnerships.
Bill Siegel is a sought-after speaker, moderator, and commentator, especially concerning areas related to business formations (from sole-proprietorships to partnerships to corporations); contracts, obligations, and responsibilities of corporate leadership; reorganization; and bankruptcy. He has also led presentations at the National CLE Conference on topics of Bankruptcy Law and the Texas Real Estate Commission, and he is a frequent lecturer before various professional organizations regarding corporate law and bankruptcy.