Driving Diversity in Law & Leadership: Houston

Zandra E. Foley is trial attorney who has practiced at Thompson Coe Cousins & Irons, LLP for over twenty years.  She has tried over twenty cases in her career, including three cases to verdict in 2022.  She has served as Chair of the firm’s Products Liability Committee and Vice Chair of the Firm’s Professional Liability Committee, and currently serves as the first African-American member of the firm’s Management Committee. Ms. Foley represents clients in complex litigation matters in the areas of products liability, mass tort, malpractice, and errors and omissions. She serves as national and regional trial counsel on medical device, product liability, and mass tort-related matters and has extensive experience advising clients on a variety of complex disputes with an eye toward early and efficient resolution.

Lynn Moffett is the Vice President of Human Resources with BMC Software, Inc., a global leader in innovative software solutions, and has responsibility over the Global Business Partner, Rewards and Payroll organizations.  With over 20+ years of award-winning experience in HR/People, Lynn is passionate about creating and supporting an inclusive work experience that meets the needs of today’s employees.

She originally joined BMC in April 2011 as the Director of Benefits, subsequently progressing to Senior Director of Compensation and Benefits and Area Vice President, before being promoted to Vice President in April 2015.  Lynn worked as a Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Paysafe Group, from November 2019 through November 2020 before rejoining BMC in December 2020.  She has received a Top 15 Women in Business award from the National Diversity Council (Houston).

Lynn holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University Of New Orleans in New Orleans, LA and is a Certified Benefits Professional (CBP), Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), Global Remuneration Professional (GRP) and a Certified Public Accountant (Louisiana – inactive).

Sarah Menendez has served as BMC Software’s Chief Litigation Counsel since 2017.  She is a seasoned litigation leader who enjoys partnering with colleagues throughout the organization to untangle complex legal issues while maintaining focus on strategic business objectives. 

As Chief Litigation Counsel, Ms. Menendez manages BMC’s diverse international litigation and arbitration portfolio. She works closely with outside counsel to craft winning litigation strategies and collaborates with her team to monitor and reduce legal risk throughout the organization and to defend BMC’s interests throughout the world.  

After graduating from Harvard Law School, Ms. Menendez began her legal career at Locke Lord LLP, where she engaged in a broad-based commercial litigation practice focused on business, financial and energy litigation.  Ms. Menendez came to BMC from Columbia Pipeline Group (a TransCanada Company), where she worked closely with the Deputy General Counsel to manage the company’s nationwide litigation efforts. In that role, Ms. Menendez also had sole responsibility for CPG’s labor and employment, immigration, and bankruptcy practice.

 Ms. Menendez also has a keen interest in public service. She spent five years as a member of the Executive Board for Comp-U-Dopt, a national non-profit focused on eliminating the digital divide by providing technology access and education to underserved youth. Ms. Menendez continues to contribute to CompUDopt as a member of its Gulf Coast Regional Advisory Board.  Throughout her career, she has also been an active participant in the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program, which provides free legal counsel to underserved communities in the Houston Area.

She lives in Houston with her husband Mike and two daughters, Emilia (7) and Frances (5).

Rishi Varma serves as General Counsel and oversees Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s legal department globally. Rishi and his team handle, among other things, HPE’s corporate governance, strategic acquisitions, divestitures and investments, litigation, intellectual property, commercial contracting, sales and supply chain issues, securities law compliance and disclosure, treasury and financing transactions, and certain other corporate transactions and restructurings, bankruptcy, credit and collections matters and employee compensation and retiree benefits. From 2013 – 2017, Rishi served as Deputy General Counsel overseeing HPE’s corporate, securities and M&A practice.

Before joining Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Rishi served as general counsel for two different publicly traded companies from 2005 to 2013 – TPC Group, Inc., a petrochemical company, and Trico Marine Services, Inc., a global subsea service provider. During his time at Trico, Rishi also served in additional management roles including chief operating officer and president. Prior to these companies, Rishi served as securities counsel and director of investor relations for EGL, Inc., a publicly traded global freight forwarder (2002 – 2005), and as a business associate in the New York office of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, LP (1998 – 2002).

He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center and also graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. Rishi and his wife, Michelle, have three children.

Rocio Guadalupe Mendoza is a partner in the Infrastructure and Energy practice based in Houston. She advises on a diverse range of domestic and international energy-related transactions and projects, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and project development.

Ms. Mendoza routinely works with upstream oil and gas as well as midstream clients in transactions involving conventional, unconventional, onshore and offshore resources. She also advises upstream and midstream clients on a variety of commercial issues, including oil and gas leases, surface use agreements, operating agreements, gathering, processing and transportation agreements, and other commercial matters.

Ms. Mendoza also has substantial experience representing downstream refining and petrochemical clients in the purchase and sale of business units, formation and governance of joint ventures, project development, integration and shared site and utility arrangements. She has also advised sponsors in the development, acquisition and divestiture of renewable energy projects.

Jennise has extensive experience representing Fortune 100 companies in the pharmaceutical and medical device, manufacturing, automotive, retail, professional, medical and service industries. She has served as trial counsel in numerous cases from complex mass tort litigation to individual disputes. Her trial experience includes presenting fact and expert witnesses; preparing and successfully arguing pretrial and trial motions; conducting jury selection; cross-examining fact and expert witnesses at trial; and successfully arguing and examining witnesses for post-trial motions. Jennise has helped achieve numerous defense verdicts and other favorable resolutions for her clients.

Besides her role as a trial attorney, Jennise has led and managed multicase litigation through the complete discovery process to trial or resolution. Jennise’s experience also entails successfully briefing and arguing substantive and procedural pretrial and dispositive motions in state and federal courts and obtaining dismissals, and counseling clients on prelitigation strategy. In addition, Jennise has provided counsel and assessment on product liability risk and strategy for managing liability risks. Jennise also serves as counsel on regulatory matters for clients in the pharmaceutical, medical device, biomaterials, automotive, aviation, food and retail industries.

Jennise has been recognized as an outstanding leader in law as a member of the class of 2019 “Women Who Mean Business” by the Houston Business Journal. She has also been recognized for her excellence in practice as a “Lawyer on the Rise” by Texas Lawyer in 2016 and “Rising Star” by Texas Monthly in 2005-2006 and 2009-2016. She was also named as a “40 Under 40” by the Houston Business Journal for her contributions to the industry and community.

Jennise has provided pro bono counsel and volunteered in her community throughout her career. Her pro bono work has included numerous probate cases, multiple custody disputes on behalf of Justice for Children, representation of a student in University of Houston Law Center Honor Court proceedings, and representation of a victim of sexual assault navigating related criminal and civil cases. Jennise has been an active member in various legal organizations, chairing and serving on various committees that focus on children and local schools. She was awarded the President’s Award for outstanding service by the Houston Bar Association.

LaToya Merritt, a community leader and experienced litigator, aims to assist her clients make the best decisions whether that includes taking a case to trial or working to resolve a case through alternative resolutions. She has been recognized by a number of media outlets as an active and engaged member of the Jackson community through devoting her time to volunteer with Mississippi organizations. For nearly 20 years, LaToya has practiced exclusively in the area of labor and employment with a focus on Civil Rights and Title VII, as well as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. She currently serves as the Practice Coordinator of Phelps Dunbar’s Jackson labor and employment group.

An important component of LaToya’s practice entails representing educational institutions, particularly colleges and universities, including HBCUs, in suits alleging civil rights and constitutional law violations. She has dedicated a decade of service as General Counsel to The Piney Woods School, the nation’s oldest African-American boarding school (established in 1909).

Driven to protect and enforce intellectual property rights, Anna Raimer works with clients to design and implement worldwide trademark protection programs, strengthen their IP portfolios, and resolve domestic and international trademark disputes.

Anna has significant experience managing international brands for clients. She counsels clients regarding the development and protection of intellectual property assets in industries ranging from personal care products to automotive goods to sports and entertainment services to energy. Anna oversees all aspects of trademark clearance, prosecution, and maintenance, and she advises on trademark and copyright issues in license agreements and commercial transactions.

Anna assists clients in policing, enforcing, and defending their intellectual property rights worldwide. She represents clients in enforcement actions in courts throughout the United States in cases involving trademark and trade dress infringement, copyright infringement, false advertising, unfair competition, and misappropriation of trade secrets, as well as opposition and cancellation actions before the USPTO Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. She also counsels clients on the use and enforcement of trademarks on the internet, and she represents clients in domain name disputes. Anna is an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center, teaching Internet Law.

Anna is a member of the Standing International IP Task Force of the American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law and a member of the International Trademark Association’s INTA Bulletin Committee. She previously served on the board of directors for the Association of Women Attorneys Houston. Anna is a coauthor of O’Connor’s Federal Intellectual Property Codes Plus, 2020-2021.

Ashley Fischer is the General Counsel for Tiff’s Treats, a cookie-based delivery chain headquartered in Austin, Texas.  Ashley is licensed to practice law in Texas and Oregon and is CIPP/US certified. Prior to joining Tiff’s Treats, Ashley worked in-house at H-E-B, a grocery retail company, Marathon Petroleum, a refining, logistics, and marketing company, and Sirius Computer Solutions, a technology value added reseller.  She got her start in law by working as outside counsel in a general practice firm.  Ashley graduated from Texas A&M University, College Station and St. Mary’s University School of Law.

Hillary Holmes is a partner in the global law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Co-Chair of the firm’s Capital Markets practice group.  Hillary advises public and private corporations, private equity firms and investment banks on long-term and strategic capital raising.  She regularly counsels companies on disclosure and reporting obligations under federal securities laws, corporate governance and ESG issues. She frequently advises boards of directors, special committees, and financial advisors in transactions involving conflicts of interest or unique complexities. 

Hillary has been recognized as top of her field. She is the only woman and the youngest lawyer to be recognized by the premier legal review organization Chambers USA in the category that covers capital raising in the energy industry, receiving ranking in the highest level, as well as in the categories covering national oil and gas transactions and Texas corporate transactions.  She has also been recognized by the National Law Journal as a Finance, Banking and Capital Markets Trailblazer, a Most Effective Dealmaker by Texas Lawyer, a Woman Who Means Business by the Houston Business Journal, as well as by Who’s Who, the Legal 500, the Houston Bar Association, the Greater Houston Women’s Partnership, and the National Association of Women Attorneys, among others. 

Hillary regularly writes and speaks on topics relating to the capital markets, developments in securities regulation, ESG issues and the state of the energy industry, and she is Co-Editor of the academic blog the Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance Monitor.

Hillary demonstrates a strong commitment to providing free legal services to those who cannot otherwise afford to access them, particularly abused women and immigrant girls, and serves on the board of directors of several local nonprofits, including Houston Volunteer Lawyers and Harrison’s Heroes.

Hillary received her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and her Bachelor of Arts from Duke University. Hillary is a native Houstonian who loves to run marathons and watch Avengers movies  with her two active young sons and one lovable pug.

Michelle Arishita is Counsel in Vinson & Elkins’ Austin office. She has represented clients in both federal and state courts in commercial disputes involving contract, antitrust, oil and gas, construction, and trade secret law. In addition to working on commercial and business litigation matters, she has also represented individuals in pro bono matters. 

Michelle serves as a lead on the Firm’s Women of Color Network and is a member of the Firm’s Pro Bono committee. 

Samantha-Anne Horwitch Nadolny, Associate General Counsel for Select Water Solutions in Houston, Texas, is an accomplished, driven and business-savvy professional, experienced corporate lawyer, compliance professional and Human Resources leader with a demonstrated history in the multiple industries. Her background shows a consistent record of excellence in organizational leadership, corporate advisory, litigation and contract management, policy and process creation and implementation, team building and motivation, and corporate training. Samantha-Anne provides expertise in all aspects of corporate legal guidance, strategic business support, domestic and international regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation across relevant industries and sectors. She adapts quickly to evolving legislation and changes in the law, and educates colleagues and clients as a recognized subject matter expert. With extensive experience in public and private corporations, Samantha-Anne possesses instinctive business acumen and an understanding of how to protect and support a company, it’s mission, and it’s employees.  Prior to joining Select Energy in 2020, Samantha Anne served as General Counsel, Chief Compliance and Human Resources Officer for Citelum US-Groupe EDF, and Corporate Counsel for Sterling Construction Company, Inc.

Sweta Sethna is Chief Counsel at Energy Transfer LP, one of the largest and most diversified midstream energy companies in North America. Sweta is a graduate of Columbia University and lives in Houston with her husband, Minoo.

Alan is a partner in Reed Smith’s Commercial Disputes Group, and also serves as Global Chair of PRISM, Reed Smith’s LGBT+ Business Inclusion Group. Alan has been involved in appellate law since the inception of his legal career, serving from 1989 to 1990 as briefing attorney to Justice Sam Robertson on the Fourteenth Court of Appeals. Since that time, Alan has maintained an active involvement in appellate bar activities, serving as chair of the Houston Bar Association Appellate Practice Section, and as a council member of the State Bar of Texas Appellate Practice Section. He has also served as a judicial liaison between these bar sections and the judiciary, and has co-authored and co-presented numerous CLE topics with members of the appellate judiciary.

Ms. Pederson is an experienced litigator who focuses her practice on aggressively defending businesses facing high exposure and catastrophic injuries. She manages a diverse, tort-based statewide litigation practice in both state and federal court representing privately held, publicly traded, insured, and self-insured clients. Ms. Pederson’s areas of practice include commercial disputes, hospitality, products liability/manufacturing, commercial trucking, premises liability, construction, and dram shop actions. Ms. Pederson is licensed to practice before all Texas State Courts, the U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Northern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas, and the Fifth Circuit Court of appeals. 

Michelle I. Taylor is an Associate General Counsel in the Office of the Air Force General Counsel in San Antonio, Texas, advising and providing legal support to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment & Energy (SAF/IE) and the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC). Her primary responsibilities includes drafting and negotiating transactional documents, including Enhanced Use Lease Agreements (EUL), reviews closing and title documents, advising Air Force clients on active duty real estate matters, energy and disposal projects. 

Michelle has successfully closed three major projects that brought significant value to the Air Force’s mission.

Michelle came to the Air Force from the private sector where she worked as an Assistant Vice President, Southwest Regional Underwriting Counsel at Fidelity National Title Company. Michelle is a public speaker and enjoys engaging in legal “Hot” topics dialogue.  

Nicole Perkins is an Associate General Counsel at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), a global edge-to-cloud company.

Nicole joined the HPE legal team in 2015. In her current role, as strategic advisor to the Pointnext Technology Services (Pointnext) business unit, Nicole ensures the business unit’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations, protection of intellectual property, negotiation of strategic relationships, new solution development, commercial transactions, assessments of litigation matters, incident response/management, quality, and business escalations. Nicole began her career at HPE as Legal Counsel for commercial negotiations in North America. She was promoted to Senior Counsel in 2018, assuming responsibility for negotiating large, strategic GreenLake deals.  In 2021, Nicole became the Pro Bono Captain for the HPE Houston legal team.

Prior to her time at HPE, Nicole worked as a Regulatory Compliance Senior Associate in the Energy and Healthcare Industries. Nicole was responsible for performing on-going compliance assessments, including reviewing and updating internal compliance programs. She also assisted clients with mock audits, advocacy, advisory and managed services. Nicole began her legal career as a commercial litigator.

Nicole is a graduate of South Texas College of Law Houston and obtained her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Texas A&M University in College Station.

In her spare time, she enjoys participating in outdoor activities such as camping and hiking with her husband, Ryan, two children: Emeri (10) and Boone (5), and three dogs: Maddux (7), Dottie (5), and Beaux (4).

Christallyn McCloud Williams is Senior Corporate Counsel, Labor & Employment for MilliporeSigma, a global Life Sciences company.  She is a corporate generalist and has focused her practice for nearly the last 10 years on labor and employment and litigation management.  She also serves as a legal partner to the North America D&I office and cross-functional teams on corporate strategic DEI projects and programs.  She has recently led the re-launch of an employee resources group for Black employees, the Black Leadership Network, which she co-founded in 2012.

Norma N. Bennett is Senior Counsel at Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP. Her practice focuses on litigation and alternative dispute resolution defending clients in matters involving thousands of plaintiffs in product liability, intellectual property, employment, personal injury, and complex commercial litigation.

Ms. Bennett received a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Princeton University and a Juris Doctor from Louisiana State University. She is licensed to practice before the State Bar of Texas, the United State Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the United States Patent & Trademark Office among others.

Ms. Bennett has spoken on numerous topics including, intellectual property and product liability litigation, including leading a panel at the 2021 National Bar Association’s Commercial Law Section Conference and a panel at the 2021 Corporate Counsel Women of Color Conference. She has also published several articles, including one on pharmaceutical counterfeiting presented before the American Intellectual Property Law Association.

Before entering the legal profession, Ms. Bennett was a Captain in the U.S. Air Force, serving in combat in Desert Storm.

Natara is the General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of Trace Midstream II, a Quantum Energy Partners portfolio company. Natara was the General Counsel of Trace Midstream I and the SVP, General Counsel of Intensity Midstream from 2019 to 2022 and both companies were successfully sold in 2022. From 2012 to 2019, she was the Assistant General Counsel of Oasis Petroleum (now Chord Energy) managing a diverse workload of transactional and other legal matters. Prior to going in house, Natara was an associate in the Energy Transactions & Project Finance group at the law firm of Vinson & Elkins where she represented Fortune 500 energy and oil and gas companies in matters involving upstream and midstream transactions, strategic investments and corporate and project financing and development. Natara began her career at Norton Rose Fulbright as an associate in the Corporate Department in 2005. Natara currently serves on the Tahirih Justice Center Advisory Committee and the Event Host Committee and was the 2022 Auction Committee Chair for the organization’s annual gala. She has also provided pro bono representation for the Tahirih Justice Center and for other various nonprofit organizations throughout her career. Natara earned her Juris Doctor degree from Duke University School of Law and has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in International Business and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from Stetson University.

Erika Courtade is Assistant General Counsel of Solar Turbines Inc., a subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc. She supports the global oil and gas business unit. Erika joined Solar Turbines in 2021. Prior to joining Solar Turbines, Erika was an attorney with CITGO Petroleum Corporation, where she handled various complex commercial, compliance and litigation matters. Erika has a bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University and a law degree from South Texas College of Law Houston.

Monica White advises a full spectrum of financial institutions and companies on capital markets transactions at all stages of the business lifecycle. 

Ms. White advises investment banks, as well as public and private companies in the energy, technology, and healthcare industries, on capital markets transactions, including high yield and investment grade debt offerings, follow-on equity offerings, complex liability management transactions, and initial public offerings, including special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs).

She also advises public companies on matters relating to corporate governance, Securities and Exchange Commission compliance, and stock exchange rules.

Ms. White guides clients using a commercial approach drawn from her significant experience with complex transactions. She excels at partnering with clients to develop creative strategies and solutions to navigate economic cycles and market uncertainty.

Ms. White actively supports diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives both within the firm and in the broader legal industry. She has served on the firm’s Recruiting Committee, actively engages with the Women Enriching Business committee, and frequently speaks at law schools and industry conferences.

Lauren Brogdon is an energy litigation partner in Haynes Boone’s Houston office and chair of the firm’s Crisis Management Practice Group.

Lauren has significant experience representing corporations and individuals through all stages of crisis—from prevention, planning, and training to rapid response to long-term recovery. She specializes in mass tort litigation arising from catastrophic industrial accidents, suits related to hydraulic fracturing and other oil and gas operations, and toxic torts involving chemical exposure and environmental contamination. She is a vocal advocate for women and working parents both at her firm and in the Houston legal community.

Tramaine Chargois Singleton is the head of Halliburton Energy Services Inc.’s health, safety and environmental law practice area and the chairperson for the law department’s pro bono Steering Committee.  In the past, she has worked in various roles including environmental engineering, government affairs and law. 

Ms. Singleton holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Houston, Chemical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University and a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.  In the past, she has served on the Board of Directors for the State Bar of Texas African American lawyer’s section, the National Bar Association’s Environmental and Public Utilities section and the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering (TAME).  She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Houston Volunteer Lawyers and the Advisory Board for the University of Houston’s Program for Mastery in Engineering Studies (PROMES).

As a M&A and compliance attorney with nearly 20 years of experience spanning regulated and technology industries, Dianna Jones is a corporate Board Director and trusted C-suite thought partner. She serves on the board of Next Fifteen Communications Group plc (LSE: NFC), a tech and data-driven growth consultancy firm. Dianna is respected for her collaborative engagement style and brings expertise in global ethics and legal compliance program implementation, business risk mitigation in regulated environments for mature and scaling companies, and ESG. Dianna is Director, Legal Compliance at Uber Technologies, Inc. She was previously Regional Compliance Counsel–Western Hemisphere at John Wood Group plc, a global leader in engineering and technical consulting services for the energy and infrastructure industries. Before that, she was with the international law firm, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, where she advised national and multinational companies on complex M&A transactions, reorganizations, and restructurings. She received her B.B.A. from the University of Oklahoma and her Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Alex Wilde represents clients in complex business transactions.  She focuses her practice on key areas of the energy industry and has completed more than $30 billion of transactions.  Her recent representative matters include venture capital and private equity investments, acquisitions, divestitures, carve-outs, and joint ventures involving renewable energy, specialty chemicals, pipeline processing and transportation systems, terminals, oil field services, and oil and gas properties. Additionally, she regularly counsels clients on a variety of corporate governance and commercial contracts matters.

Alex received her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and her Bachelor of Science from The University of Texas at Austin. Outside of work, Alex enjoys spending time with her husband, two daughters and two rescue dogs.

Naana Danquah Jefferson is the General Counsel Americas Land, for SLB located in Houston, Texas.  She is an integral member of the Basin HQ Management team and over sees a team covering onshore operations in the US, Canada, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru.  She has worked with SLB for over 16 years in various legal positions providing support and guidance to operations and technology, and in compliance roles in benefits and human resources.   She serves on the Steering Committee and as the Community Outreach chair for the Black Organization for Leadership and Development (BOLD), a SLB Employee Resource Group.

Naana holds a Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from Tulane University. She is a member of the board of directors of the Lupus Foundation Texas Gulf Coast Chapter with a focus of raising awareness and funds for Lupus, and Literacy for Life with a current focus of building a library for children in a Ghana, which is the birthplace of both her parents.  She has a passion for helping others via mentoring, volunteering, and fundraising activities on a state, local and individual levels. 

Naana resides in the greater Houston area with her husband, young daughter and adopted fur baby.  She is a creative who enjoys dancing, crocheting and jewelry making, and the opportunities to share these loves with her daughter and others.

Idris Ashimi is a Texas-licensed attorney who has been practicing law for nine years. He is the legislative and regulatory counsel for Allstate Insurance Company. As a legal and public policy expert, Idris advises his organization on federal and state level compliance, legislative, public policy, and DE&I initiatives. He is DE&I certified and is dedicated to creating, developing, and implementing programs to serve underrepresented communities, achieve business objectives and elevate his company’s reputation in the communities in which it does business.

In addition to his time as a legislative and regulatory counsel, his legal career includes a five-year stent as a prosecutor at the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office where he specialized in child abuse, domestic violence, high-level drug crimes, and DWI cases. While specializing, he received a full-bodied, and oftentimes difficult, lesson in how the criminal justice system affects marginalized communities, individual families, and the legal community. He later gained experience in civil litigation where he perfected his trial skills as an insurance defense attorney with Allstate Insurance Company. He defended policy holders from personal injury litigation and advised stakeholders on coverage issues.

Idris was born and raised in Garland, Texas. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from The University of Texas at Austin, and his law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. In his spare time, Idris volunteers at the Nigerian Muslim Association of Dallas as a youth coordinator. He also enjoys cycling, all things Dallas Cowboys, reading, and spending time with his family.

Justine Lin is the Senior Legal Counsel, Trade for Weatherford, where her practice focuses on driving global trade compliance legal strategy, conducting trade compliance investigations, and monitoring and advising on trade-related regulatory developments. 

Justine got her start in compliance with the R. McConnell Group, a Houston law firm focusing on corporate compliance, governance, and litigation. She then joined CEVA Logistics, a global freight forwarder and logistics provider, where she supported over 750 stations and offices worldwide with applicable export controls, sanctions, and other compliance inquiries and matters. Prior to Weatherford, Justine was the Sr. Compliance Counsel for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in its shared services group, where she oversaw the anti-bribery, anti-trust, and code of conduct compliance programs, as well as led the compliance investigative function. Justine is an alumna of Rice University and the University of Houston Law Center.  

Anne Peetz is a partner in the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Her principal areas of practice are capital markets transactions, corporate governance and compliance, and mergers and acquisitions. Her capital markets experience includes the representation of both issuers and underwriters in public offerings and private placements of debt and equity securities, and she regularly advises public companies on governance and SEC compliance and disclosure matters. Anne also represents private equity investors, their portfolio companies, as well as public and private companies, in connection with mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and strategic investments.

Amber Ali is an associate in the Commercial Litigation Practice Group. She has defended a wide variety of clients, from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses and individuals. Amber has prior experience in litigating and resolving contractual disputes; bad faith claims against insurance companies; and matters involving products liability, premises liability, and personal injury. Prior to beginning her practice, Amber interned for former Justice Evelyn Keyes of the Texas First Court of Appeals.

Carmen Jo Rejda-Ponce (“CJ”) is a Principal in Germer’s Houston office, but her practice takes her all across Texas.  She regularly counsels and defends both private and public sector clients on matters involving employment issues and civil (constitutional) rights.  She handles matters from the pre-claim and pre-suit stage, through litigation, and through appeal.  CJ also serves as the Chair of Germer’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.