Cox Smith Adds Corporate Attorney Pat Ryan and Litigators Jane Bockus and Sandra Zamora

Cox Smith Matthews Incorporated ("Cox Smith") today announced Jane Bockus, J. Patrick "Pat" Ryan and Sandra Zamora have joined the firm as shareholders.

"We've known Pat, Jane and Sandra for years and are quite familiar with the outstanding counsel and service they provide to their clients, which makes them such a great fit for our firm," said Jamie Smith, managing director of Cox Smith. "Pat's experience will be a welcome addition to our robust – and growing -- corporate and securities law department, while Jane and Sandra's knowledge of pharmaceutical products litigation is going to be extremely valuable as companies are exposed to the regulatory aspects of complicated health care reform legislation."

Pat Ryan brings nearly three decades of corporate law experience to Cox Smith, where he will continue to assist his clients with corporate, securities and franchising matters. He counsels clients on private and public debt and equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, SEC filings and investigations, venture capital and other private financings, joint ventures, contract negotiations and other corporate matters. He has assisted clients with the development and acquisition of franchise programs in a number of industries on both the franchisor and franchisee sides, including the preparation of required disclosure documents and agreements, compliance with state and federal exemptions, franchise system roll-ups, restructurings and acquisitions. He counsels clients in a wide variety of industries, with a particular focus on restaurant, retail, entertainment and gaming, healthcare and construction services. Prior to joining Cox Smith, Ryan was a shareholder in the San Antonio office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where he practiced for nearly 30 years. He received his B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, and is a member of the State Bar of Texas, American Bar Association, and the Business Law Section and the Forum on Franchising of the American Bar Association.

"The depth of experience I've found at Cox Smith is exceptional. The firm represents many of the region's major employers, as well as developing businesses and entrepreneurs operating in the South Texas region or on a national or international scale," said Ryan. "In joining this growing Texas firm, I'm able to offer my clients a deep bench of legal talent in all key practice areas and a compelling value proposition, which is an important consideration for businesses of every size."

Litigators Jane Bockus and Sandra Zamora bring many years of products liability, pharmaceutical products defense and medical device litigation experience to the firm's products liability practice. "Cox Smith is a forward thinking firm with a stellar reputation. Its regional footprint and deep bench of legal talent will provide us with the resources to assist large national companies with mass tort lawsuits and litigation matters in Texas," said Bockus.

Bockus has more than 30 years of experience as a trial lawyer. She has worked on national trial teams, including trying two multidistrict litigation cases, and works frequently on pharmaceutical product and mass tort litigation. As part of national science and expert teams, she formulated and implemented the scientific and trial strategies for national litigation, recruited and developed numerous scientific and medical expert witnesses, and successfully tried jury cases. She has been first chair counsel in dozens of jury trials in a wide range of cases including cases claiming Consumer Credit Code violations, insurance bad faith, products liability, and medical and legal malpractice defense. Licensed to practice in Texas, Bockus is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and St. Mary's School of Law. She is a member of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel, San Antonio Bar Association, American Board of Trial Advocates, American Bar Association, Defense Research Institute and the International Association of Defense Counsel.

Litigator Sandra Zamora has 25 years of products liability and pharmaceutical litigation defense experience. Throughout her career, she has successfully defended a wide range of clients in complex healthcare litigation including pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, physicians, hospitals and nursing homes. She has also represented clients in products liability, legal malpractice and premises liability litigation. Most recently, her practice has primarily involved the representation of pharmaceutical drug manufacturers in mass tort products liability litigation pending throughout the nation. A graduate of Texas A&M University and St. Mary's University School of Law, Zamora was appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas to serve as a member of the board of the Texas Board of Law Examiners. She is a member of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Defense Research Institute, State Bar of Texas, San Antonio Bar Association and Texas Bar Foundation.