Forty-Two Cox Smith Attorneys Named 2015 Best Lawyers in America

Press Releases

9.24.14

Cox Smith, the largest law in San Antonio, today announced that 42 of its attorneys were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2015 including lawyers from each of the firm’s five Texas offices.

In addition, five of the firm’s attorneys were named Best Lawyers® 2015 "Lawyer of the Year” in their respective practice areas. In San Antonio, Cox Smith’s 2015 Lawyers of the Year include: Mike Ferrill – Litigation/Antitrust, Dan Stern - Employment Law (Management), Dan Harkins – Litigation (Patent), and Bill Fisher – Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law. In Austin, Mary Schaerdel Dietz was named Best Lawyers 2015 "Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation (Banking & Finance).

For more than three decades, Best Lawyers lists have earned the respect of the profession, the media and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere. A listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers. Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey. Over 52,000 leading attorneys cast more than 5.5 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas.

“Congratulations to our 2015 Best Lawyers honorees for being recognized by their peers for the outstanding work they do on behalf of their clients,” said Deborah Williamson, managing director of Cox Smith.

Cox Smith’s five Austin-based attorneys included in The Best Lawyers in America 2015 are:

  • Mary Dietz -- Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation – Construction, Litigation-Real Estate 
  • Karen Neeley -- Financial Services Regulation Law 
  • Kathy Poppitt -- Health Care Law, Elder Law, 
  • Keith Shuley -- Environmental Law, Water Law 
  • Phil Slinkard -- Corporate Law, Securities / Capital Markets Law 


Cox Smith’s five Dallas-based Best Lawyers in America 2015 are:

  • Tom Alleman -- Insurance Law, Litigation - Environmental 
  • Mark Andrews -- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law 
  • David Bryant -- Commercial Litigation 
  • Frank Carroll -- Arbitration, Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Litigation, Mediation 
  • George Tarpley -- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law 


The two El Paso-based attorneys recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2015 include:

  • Kathleen Campbell Walker -- Immigration Law 
  • Mark Walker -- Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants 


McAllen-based Diann Bartek was recognized for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, and Litigation – Bankruptcy.

The 29 San Antonio-based attorneys included in The Best Lawyers in America 2015 include:

  • Kerry Benedict -- Banking and Finance Law, Real Estate Law 
  • Ray Bissmeyer -- Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment 
  • Pete Broderick -- Real Estate Law 
  • Mike Ferrill -- Antitrust Law, Litigation - Antitrust 
  • Bill Fisher -- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law 
  • Dan Harkins -- Copyright Law, Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation – Patent, Patent Law, Trademark Law 
  • Cary Kavy -- Banking and Finance Law, Financial Services Regulation Law 
  • David Kinder -- Commercial Litigation 
  • Will Liebmann – Corporate Law, Securities / Capital Markets Law 
  • James M. “Jimmy” McDonough -- Real Estate Law 
  • Donna McElroy-- Employment Law -- Management, Labor Law - Management 
  • Ellen Mitchell -- Appellate Practice 
  • Robert Nelson -- Tax Law 
  • Howard Newton -- Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - First Amendment, Litigation – Municipal, Litigation - Real Estate, Litigation - Trusts and Estates 
  • Mary Potter -- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law 
  • David Roth -- Natural Resources Law, Oil and Gas Law 
  • Patrick Ryan -- Corporate Law, 
  • Thomas Sanders -- Commercial Litigation, Litigation - ERISA 
  • Brett Schouest -- Commercial Litigation 
  • Jamie Smith -- Corporate Law 
  • Dan Stern -- Employment Law – Individuals, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Labor Law – Union, Litigation - Labor and Employment 
  • John Stewart -- Real Estate Law 
  • Joshua Sutin -- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law 
  • James M. “Marty” Truss -- Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Real Estate, Litigation - Environmental 
  • Dan Webster -- Corporate Law 
  • David West -- Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Trusts and Estates 
  • Deborah Williamson -- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law 
  • Roger Wilson -- Energy Law 
  • Harry W. Wolff, Jr. -- Trusts and Estates