Meet the Law Practice Management Committee
Rebekah Steely Brooker
Chair
Steven M. Traeger
Vice ChairSteven Traeger practices real estate, estate planning, and oil & gas in New Braunfels, Texas at his firm Traeger & Ricks, PLLC. Before that, Steven was a prosecutor in both Hays and Denton counties. He attended law school at Texas A&M University.
Steven has served as Chairman of the State Bar of Texas Law Student Division and Vice President of the Texas A&M Student Bar Association. He also served as a law student liaison to the Board of Directors of the Texas Young Lawyers Association. Prior to law school, Traeger worked in political consulting. He attended both Texas Lutheran University and Texas A&M University for his undergraduate B.S. in Economics.
He is an Eagle Scout, Master SCUBA Diver and enjoys any time spent outdoors. He spends his free time with his wife, family, and close friends.
Amanda A. Abraham
Amanda A. Abraham is senior associate with the Roth Law Firm, where she practices commerical and business litigation. Since joining the firm in 2006, her primary area of practice has been focused on intellectual property litigation representing both plaintiffs and defendants. She has appeared as counsel of record in over 150 civil cases in federal court.
Amanda dedicates much of her spare time to the Texas Young Lawyers Association, where she serves on the board of directors, currently as treasurer. Since joining the Board in 2013, she has spear-headed and participated on many TYLA projects including: Strength In Unity, TYLA’s Justdrive campaign BSAFE, End Bullying Now, the Minority Law Student Scholarship program, and launch of TYLA’s mobile website.
As a third generation Marshall native, Amanda enjoys serving her community and is involved with many local civic organizations.
Kassi Burns
Kassi Burns is a Senior Attorney at King & Spalding, LLP, based in Texas. Kassi holds a law degree from Tulane Law School, attended the University of Canterbury in New Zealand as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, is a member of the Texas and Arkansas bars, and has multiple legal technology-related certifications.
As an attorney with over 10 years of experience working with AI and Machine Learning in litigation, Kassi’s career has advanced by always being curious and following technology innovations. In addition to a growing collection of publications on topics related to AI, Kassi is actively engaged in thought leadership through her podcast Kassi &, focused on the impact of emerging technologies to our professional and personal lives.
Kassi is a board member of the Academy of Court-Appointed Neutrals, a member of the Sedona Conference Working Group 13 (AI & the Law) Steering Committee, and Texas Regional Chair of Women in AI Governance. She’s an active member of various legal organizations and affinity groups, where she enthusiastically advocates for emerging technology awareness and education.
Corinna Chandler
Corinna is an experienced trial lawyer. She recognizes that most cases can (and should) be resolved before trial; and she will help clients work toward early resolution when a favorable outcome can be achieved through negotiation. But Corinna is a zealous advocate in the courtroom and enjoys arguing cases in both trial and appellate courts.
Corinna is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Dallas Bar Association, the William ‘Mac’ Taylor American Inn of Court, the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA), the Texas Employment Lawyers Association (TELA), and DFW-NELA (president 2017-2020), and is a life fellow of the Dallas Bar Foundation.
Corinna grew up in Germany and is fluent in German, which has occasionally been helpful in her cases.
Andrea Cook
Andrea Cook is the managing partner at Stewart Law Group PLLC, the 9th largest Black Owned Business in North Texas. Our law firm that specializes in business disputes, premises liability, complex litigation, and insurance claims.
She has over 10 years of experience in representing clients in various legal matters, including labor and employment investigations, construction defects, medical malpractice, and catastrophic injuries. She holds a JD from Howard University School of Law, an MPS in Public Services and Urban Development from DePaul University, and a BS from Northwestern University.
Lorna Griffin
Lorna Griffin earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence from St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. Ms. Griffin is a licensed attorney focused on employee rights in the great state of Texas. She is familiar with all aspects of litigation, from the workplace to the courtroom. She is experienced and will handle your issue with care and conviction. Since law is her second career, she’s been on the employee side and, with her Human Resources experience, she’s well-versed on the employer side. She knows how employers operate, but most importantly, she knows the law.
Ms. Griffin represents clients in state court, federal court, and in administrative actions, including U.S. EEOC and Texas Workforce Commission representation. Ms. Griffin serves clients throughout South Central Texas and resides in New Braunfels, Texas with her husband, Trey, and three children. The Griffins’ eldest son is married and currently serves in the United States Air Force.
August Harris III
Leveraging a lifetime of experience in Austin, his beloved home town, with an extensive knowledge of neighborhood, public policy, and land use issues, August is committed to providing exemplary service in meeting each client's unique needs and desires. His passion for real estate has been influenced by generations of architects and engineers who have left a significant imprint on Austin and the region, and decades of hands-on restoration and remodeling experience.
Whether it is Austin’s past, present or future, August knows Austin. His ongoing leadership in the community underscores the value he ascribes to its unique sense of place and his investment in Austin ensures that he is ahead of the pack in regard to its future. He places his clients front and center with his warm, collaborative, solution-driven style.
When not assisting buyers and sellers, honing his real estate skills or working to ensure that Austin remains an amazing, vibrant community, August loves spending time with wife, Rosemary, entertaining family and friends, walking pups Ryder and Tigger, cooking, gardening and following his Texas Longhorns.
Javier Herrera
In 2000, Javier Herrera graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Later, he went on to the University of Chicago-School of Social Services Administration, where in 2007 he received his Master of Arts focusing on community planning, organizing, and development. The lessons learned while he received his master’s furthered his desire to promote equality and justice for those who need a voice. Upon graduating from the University of Chicago, Javier returned home to San Antonio.
In San Antonio, he attended St. Mary’s University School of Law and graduated in 2010, where he was a member of the Board of Advocates, the nationally recognized St. Mary’s Mock Trial Team, the Hispanic Law Student Association, and committed two years to serving clients in the St. Mary’s Center for Legal and Social Justice, where he served in both the Civil Clinic and Criminal Clinic defending the rights of those who could not afford an attorney.
Sam Houston
Amber James
Amber James is an experienced business lawyer who represents clients in complex commercial disputes and transactions. She has significant experience in oil and gas, representing oilfield service companies, mineral owners, surface owners, and banks in the Permian Basin and beyond. She currently offices in both Midland-Odessa and Fort Worth, Texas.
Alyssa Krahmer
Bio Pending
Ryan Lee
Ryan K. Lee is the principal attorney at Smith & Lee Injury Lawyers and a lifelong member of the Rockwall community. Born and raised in Rockwall, Ryan graduated from Rockwall High School before attending San Diego State University in California. He later earned his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2009.
Ryan represents individuals and families facing some of the most difficult moments of their lives. His practice focuses on serious personal injury cases, including motor vehicle collisions, commercial trucking accidents, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death claims. He believes clients deserve more than a case number, they deserve an attorney who knows them, communicates with them, and is prepared to stand beside them from the beginning of a case through trial when necessary.
Noemi Lopez
Noemi has trial and appellate litigation experience. Her experience includes claims analysis, investigation, discovery, motion practice, and handling or assisting in all phases of trial and appeals in a variety of complex matters.
Noemi’s legal career began as a law clerk and then a Staff Attorney for the Texas Eighth District Court of Appeals. As a staff attorney, she produced highly advanced appellate work requiring in-depth analysis and preparation of legal memoranda/opinions and extensive research of applicable law in civil and criminal appeals. She also participated in pre- and post-submission conferences and made recommendations to the appellate court. Noemi later worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas in El Paso investigating and prosecuting federal criminal offenses.
Anthony Lyons Jr.
Anthony Lyons focuses his practice on complex commercial and business disputes. He represents corporate clients, including Fortune 500 companies and major hospital systems, in high-stakes employment, commercial, and contract litigation before both state and federal courts. Anthony has experience second-chairing trials and arbitrations, arguing dispositive motions, and developing comprehensive defense strategies.
Anthony is adept at navigating all phases of litigation, from discovery and witness preparation through post-trial briefing, consistently achieving favorable outcomes for his clients in both court and arbitration forums. He has significant experience defending against claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, and harassment.
Fatima Naeem
Fatima Naeem is the founding attorney of Naeem Law Firm, PLLC where she combines legal experience with a commitment to a client-focused service. With a background in Alternate Dispute Resolution, Cyber Law and Data Privacy, Guardianships, Mental Health matters, and Healthcare Compliance, Fatima provides legal support tailored to the unique needs of her clients.
Fatima has a robust career, starting as a staff attorney with Lone Star Legal Aid, where she provided critical legal services to survivors of sexual assault. She has also served as the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at HealthPoint, a Federally Qualified Health Center, where she managed complex healthcare regulations and compliance programs.
Fatima is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, making her a trusted advocate in the legal community.
Kyle Robbins
Kyle Robbins holds a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and serves on the board for the State Bar’s Law Practice Management Committee. His passion for helping families through difficult times inspired him to launch Houston Probate Attorney, PLLC, Fort Worth Probate Attorney, and San Antonio Probate Attorney practices focused entirely on guiding families through the complexities of the Harris County, Texas probate process, Tarrant County probate process as well as Bexar County probate process.
Scott Rothenberg
Scott Rothenberg has provided professional legal services in trial and appellate courts throughout the State of Texas since 1986. He represents a diverse clientele, in cases involving commercial and insurance litigation, insurance law, family law, defamation, and legal malpractice. Scott Rothenberg has been Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since December of 1992. Scott strives to practice professional ethics of the highest standard.
During his 40+ years of practicing law, Scott has twice served on the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors. Scott has also served as special disciplinary counsel on behalf of the State Bar of Texas Commission for Lawyer Discipline, panel chair of a Commission for Lawyer Discipline Grievance Committee, Committee Chair over all grievance panels in District 4, Chair of the State Bar of Texas Appellate Section, Chair of the Houston Bar Association Appellate Section, Chair of the State Bar of Texas Continuing Legal Education committee, and is a frequent guest lecturer in continuing legal education programs on topics including appellate practice, trial practice, and legal ethics.
Mr. Rothenberg also holds the highest rating of AV preeminent for ability and ethics by Martindale-Hubbell, a Thomson Reuters company.
George Salinas Jr.
George Salinas attended the University of Texas School of Law, completing legal internships with Judge Fred Biery with the Federal District Court of the Western District of Texas and with Chief Justice Alma Lopez with the 4th Court of Appeals of Texas, in addition to two clerkships with private law firms. After a clerkship with the Texas Attorney General’s Office, George went on to serve as a Policy Analyst in the Texas Senate during the 79th Legislature.
George then worked for a law firm defending corporations and insurance companies in car accident cases in San Antonio and throughout the state of Texas. While he enjoyed the legal challenge and experience, George knew his heart was with representing those whose lives had been forever changed by the actions of others. He became a trial lawyer for a prominent personal injury law firm in San Antonio, where he represented victims and their families in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases. During this time, George handled hundreds of cases against insurance companies and corporations throughout Texas.
Today, George is proud to be an advocate and a voice for those who have been wronged and seek justice through our court system. The right to trial by jury is a fundamental part of our country’s foundation and George has found his calling in empowering victims of personal injury and wrongful death to exercise that right.
Benjamin Sanchez
Benjamin is an experienced litigator, representing businesses and individuals as plaintiffs and defendants in civil disputes. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Benjamin attended the University of Houston Law Center. Benjamin became a licensed Texas attorney in September of 1998 and immediately thereafter hung his shingle as a solo practitioner, spending two years in Houston and another two years in Dallas. In 2002, Benjamin closed his law practice to learn from law firms, spending the next five years with two law firms in Dallas and then Houston. After learning from mentors, Benjamin reopened Sanchez Law Firm on January 1, 2007.
Benjamin is a leader within the legal profession and the general public. From holding leadership positions within local, state, and national bar associations to public positions appointed by government officials, Benjamin has been entrusted to lead others. Benjamin is also a frequent lecturer, author, teacher, and motivational speaker.
When he's not advocating for clients, Benjamin enjoys spending time with his wife, exploring local coffee shops and bookstores on weekends, and traveling. His dream adventure is walking the El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail in Spain.
Audie Sciumbato
Bio Pending
Alex Shahrestani
Alex Shahrestani combines a background in computer science with legal expertise to help tech-focused businesses navigate law in a practical, innovative way. He founded Promise Legal PLLC to be a “law firm of the future” that understands the needs of modern startups and enterprises.
In his practice, he has merged tech and law to deliver better outcomes. He brings an inventive, future-focused approach to legal challenges. He has published insights on AI and law, spoken at tech conferences (like SXSW) about legal innovation, and founded the Journal of Law and Technology during law school to explore cutting-edge issues. He is committed to making legal services more accessible, efficient, and attuned to the fast pace of the tech world.
Larriet Thomas
Bio Pending
Leslie Turnage
Leslie Turnage is a practicing attorney in the Houston/ Katy area. After graduating cum laude from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, she clerked in the Western District of Texas for the Honorable Alia Moses. After the two-year clerkship, she opened a boutique legal consulting practice in 2018. Leslie not only holds a J.D. but earned her BBA from The University of Houston, and MBA from The University of St. Thomas, (magna cum laude). She serves as a Fellow for The Texas State Bar Foundation, member of the Leadership SBOT Class of 2020, member of Texas Honors College, an advisory member of the Law Practice Management Section and member of the Judicial Internship Opportunity Program Sections of The Texas State Bar and American Bar Association respectively.
Greg Ulmer
Greg Ulmer serves as Deputy Group Chair of BakerHostetler’s Litigation Practice Group. He is also the firm’s Product Liability and Toxic Tort team leader and a member of the Policy Committee, BakerHostetler’s governing body. Greg is a practicing trial lawyer with more than 25 years of experience. His practice consists of civil defense litigation with an emphasis on defending products, product manufacturers and distributors, as well as premises owners, in areas of product liability, premise liability, wrongful death, catastrophic injury and toxic exposure. He also assists clients in crisis management and emergency incident response, including governmental agency investigations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Greg is an experienced trial lawyer with the ability to handle complex product liability cases in the most challenging and contentious jurisdictions. He has defended hundreds of cases from inception through resolution by dismissal, settlement or trial. Greg believes that his primary focus is to be a strategic partner with his clients, including understanding the client’s business, its people and its products. This deeper relationship allows Greg to better anticipate client needs and work more in depth with the client to economically and efficiently resolve matters while also achieving the client’s business and litigation objectives.
As a three-time letter winner and Ivy League champion on the University of Pennsylvania football team, Greg understands the importance of teamwork and the ability to adapt without compromising his competitive edge.
Patrick Wright
Patrick Wright founded The Wright Firm, L.L.P. with his twin brother Paul Wright. Patrick is a licensed attorney and is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He has also been trained in collaborative law, and is a certified Family Law Mediator. Patrick attended South Texas College of Law, where he received his J.D. Prior to this, Patrick attended the University of North Texas and obtained a degree in Political Science. He has been named a Super Lawyer since 2008 and has been named to the 2015 Best Lawyers in America list.
Advisory Member
Greg Sampson
Greg Sampson focuses his practice on estate planning, asset protection planning, business succession planning, trusts, probate, guardianship and non-profit entities. He brings more than 30 years of experience to counseling clients on all aspects of wealth preservation and transfer, including estate and gift tax planning, charitable planning, retirement planning, estate and trust management, trust and estate controversy, trust modification and termination, family asset management and business succession planning. Greg is Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Greg is a regular presenter and author on various estate-related topics, including the impact of recent tax reform on estate planning and charitable giving, business succession planning for family businesses and for lawyers, asset protection planning, fiduciary duties and related litigation, probate and guardianship administration and procedures, alternatives to guardianships and probate, advanced directives and end-of-life decision-making, and the formation and operation of tax-exempt organizations.
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