PARTNERS
C. Andrew Waters (Partner) admitted to bar, 1986, Texas and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas; 1987, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas; 1988, District of Columbia, and U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; 1989, California and U.S. District Court, Central District of California; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas; 1998, North Carolina. Education: College of William & Mary (B.A., 1981; M.A., 1982); University of Houston Law Center (J.D., 1986). Recognized on Texas Super Lawyers List, 2004-2009. Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Houston. Legal advisor to various environmental advocacy groups. Phi Sigma Alpha. Author: "The Enforceability of Forum Selection Clauses in Maritime Bills of Lading," Tulane Journal of Maritime Law 15: (1990); "Admiralty and Maritime Law, by Thomas Schoenbaum," (Book Review) 10 Hous. J. Int'l. V.501 (1988). Member: Dallas County Bar Association; State Bar of Texas; State Bar of California; District of Columbia Bar; North Carolina State Bar; Federal and American Bar Associations; Maritime Law Association of the United States (Proctor in Admiralty); American Association for Justice; Texas Trial Lawyers Association; Consumer Attorneys of California. Languages: French. Practice Areas: Toxic Tort; Pharmaceutical; Asbestos Litigation.Email: C. Andrew Waters
Peter A. Kraus (Partner) admitted to bar, 1985, Virginia; 1986, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia and U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit; 1992, Texas; 1994, U.S. Supreme Court; 2001, U.S. District Court. Education: Duke University (B.A., 1982); University of Texas School of Law (J.D., 1985). D Magazine Best Lawyer, 2001. Recognized on Texas Super Lawyers List, 2003-2009. Member: Dallas Bar Association; Virginia State Bar; State Bar of Texas; American Bar Association (Member, Asbestos Commission); American Association for Justice; Texas Trial Lawyers Association (Executive Committee, Board of Directors); Dallas Trial Lawyers Association; Public Justice (Member, Board of Directors, 2004); American Board of Trial Advocates. Fellow: Texas Bar Foundation. (Managing Partner). Practice Areas: Toxic Tort; Pharmaceutical; Asbestos Litigation.Email: Peter A. Kraus
Charles S. Siegel (Partner) admitted to bar, 1985, Texas. Education: University of Texas at Austin (B.A., 1982); University of Texas at Austin School of Law (J.D., 1985). Law Review: Review of Litigation, University of Texas, 1983, 1984. Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award in Admiralty, 1985. Finalist, Trial Lawyer of Year Award, 1990, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. Recognized on Texas Super Lawyers List, 2003-2009. Contributing Author: "Managing Complex Litigation: Class Actions and Mass Torts," Baylor Law Review, 1996. Adjunct Professor, University of Houston Law School, 1995. Guest Lecturer: University of Texas at Austin School of Law; Southern Methodist University School of Law, Dallas; University of the West Indies College of Law, Barbados. Speaker: Legal Seminars, United States, Environmental Health/Law Seminars, Montreal, Sao Paulo, Jerusalem and Madrid; ALI ABA - Asbestos Litigation in the 21st Century, 2006. Member: Dallas County Bar Association; State Bar of Texas; American Bar Association; American Association for Justice (Member, Amicus Curiae Committee); Public Justice (Member, Board of Directors, 1995-1997). Practice Areas: Toxic Tort; Appellate; International Law; Asbestos Litigation.Email: Charles S. Siegel
Troyce G. Wolf (Partner) admitted to bar, 1988, Texas. Education: Texas Tech University (B.L.A., 1984); Southern Methodist University School of Law (J.D., 1988). Recognized, Texas Super Lawyers List, 2005, 2006, 2009. Member: Dallas Bar Association; State Bar of Texas; American Bar Association; Texas Trial Lawyers Association; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America. (Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization). Practice Areas: Toxic Tort; Civil Law; Asbestos Litigation.Email: Troyce G. Wolf
Leslie C. MacLean (Partner) admitted to bar, 1995, Texas; 2002, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas. Education: University of Oklahoma (B.A., 1986); University of Houston (J.D., 1995). "Filing in the Friendly Fifth - Technical Compliance with the Rule of the Fifth Circuit," Appellate Lawyer, Fall 1986. Associate Editor, Appellate Lawyer, 1996-1997. Participant, Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program. Member: Houston Bar Association (Associate Editor, Appellate Lawyer, 1996-1997); State Bar of Texas; Texas Trial Lawyers Association; Dallas Trial Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Toxic Tort; Product Liability; Civil Law; Appellate Law; Asbestos Litigation.Email: Leslie C. MacLean
B. Scott Kruka (Partner) admitted to bar, 1987, Texas; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; 1989, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas. Education: University of Texas at Austin (B.A., with honors, 1984); University of Houston (J.D., 1987). Adjunct Professor, Trial Advocacy, Southern Methodist University School of Law, 1994-1995, 1997. Participant, Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program. Member: State Bar of Texas; American Bar Association; Dallas Trial Lawyers Association; Texas Trial Lawyers Association; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Languages: German. Practice Areas: Toxic Tort; Asbestos Litigation.Email: B. Scott Kruka
Charles E. Valles (Partner) admitted to bar, 1994, Texas and U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas; 1998, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas; 2002, Tennessee and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas. Education: Southern Methodist University (B.A., 1988); Southern Methodist University School of Law (J.D., 1991). Member: Dallas Bar Association; State Bar of Texas; Tennessee Bar Association; Dallas Trial Lawyers Association; Texas Trial Lawyers Association; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Practice Areas: Toxic Tort; Pharmaceutical; Asbestos Litigation.Email: Charles E. Valles
Kyla Gail Cole (Partner) admitted to bar, 2001, Texas and U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas. Education: University of Texas at Austin (B.A., 1998); Texas Tech University School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 2001). Phi Delta Phi; Order of the Coif; Board of Barristers. Pro Bono Coordinator, Waters & Kraus. Participant, Dallas Volunteer Attorneys Program. Member: Federal Bar Association; Texas Young Lawyers Association; Dallas/Fort Worth National Employment Lawyers Association; Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. Practice Areas: Toxic Tort; Pharmaceutical; Employment Discrimination; Asbestos Litigation.Email: Kyla Gail Cole
Michelle B. Whitman (Partner) born Laredo, Texas, January 14, 1976; admitted to bar, 2001, Texas; 2002, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas. Education: Emory University (B.A., 1998); University of Miami Law School (J.D., 2001). Recognized on Texas Rising Stars List, 2007-2008. Member, Moot Court Board, University of Miami, 1999-2001. Member: State Bar of Texas; American Bar Association; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Texas Trial Lawyers Association. Languages: Spanish. Practice Areas: Federal Practice; Toxic Tort; Civil Law; Product Liability; Appellate; Asbestos Litigation.Email: Michelle B. Whitman
Scott L. Frost (Partner) admitted to bar, 1994, Kentucky and Indiana; 1996, Georgia; 2000, Texas; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky; U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana; U.S. District Court, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit; Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. Education: Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio (B.S.B.A., cum laude, 1991); University of Kentucky (J.D., 1994). Member, National Moot Court Team, University of Kentucky, 1994. Named Texas Rising Star, Texas Monthly, 2005. Speaker: Mealeys Asbestos Premises Liability Conference, December 2003; Mealeys Asbestos 101 Conference, February 2005; "Peripheral No More," Asbestos Litigation Conference, Harris-Martin, 2007; "Life After Borg-Warner v. Flores," Texas Asbestos and Silica Litigation Conference, Harris-Martin, 2007; "Peripheral No More, Part III," Asbestos Litigation Conference, Harris-Martin, 2008; "Alabama Toxic Tort Litigation: Life After the Griffin Ruling," Harris-Martin, May 2008; "Trial of a Mesothelioma Case from Jury Selection to Verdict," Harris-Martin, June 2008. Of Counsel: Trial Lawyers for Public Justice; St. Louis Airport Asbestos Removal Litigation; Cowtown Inn Project; St. Bernard Parish Asbestos Removal. Member: Kentucky Bar Association; State Bar of Georgia; State Bar of Texas; Association of Trial Lawyers of America. [U.S. Army, JAG Corps, 1995-2000]. Practice Areas: Toxic Torts; Products Liability; Asbestos Litigation.Email: Scott L. Frost
OF COUNSEL
Kevin E. Oliver (Of Counsel) born Dallas, Texas; admitted to bar, 1988, Texas, U.S. District Court, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas; U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. Education: Baylor University (B.A., cum laude, 1985; J.D., 1988). Phi Alpha Delta. Regional Mock Trial Champion, Baylor Law School. Recognized on Texas Super Lawyers List, 2007, 2008, 2009. Author: "Ethical Issues in Insurance Coverage Issues in Governmental Litigation," Texas City Attorneys' Association; "Retaliatory Discharge Under Texas Law." Co-Author: "Overview of the Texas Tort Claims Court Act," State Bar of Texas Institute. Adjunct Faculty, SMU Legal Assistant Certification Program. Member: Dallas Bar Association; Dallas Trial Lawyers Association; Texas Trial Lawyers Association. (Board Certified, Personal Injury Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization). Practice Areas: Litigation; Commercial Insurance; Labor and Employment; Medical Malpractice; Professional Malpractice; Products Liability; Toxic Torts; Federal Practice; Asbestos Litigation.Email: Kevin E. Oliver
ATTORNEYS
Julie Celum (Attorney) admitted to bar, 2001, Texas; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: Texas A & M University (B.S., 1998); St. Mary's University of San Antonio (J.D., 2001). Recognized, Texas Rising Stars List, 2008. Presenter, Assessing Damages in Copyright Litigation, St. Paul Travelers, 2004. Participant, Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program. Member: Dallas Bar Association; American Bar Association; State Bar of Texas; American Intellectual Property Association. Practice Areas: Patents; Litigation; Trademarks; Copyrights; Civil Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Pharmaceutical; Toxic Tort; Asbestos Litigation.Email: Julie Celum
Carrie Waters, D.V.M, Ph.D. (Attorney) admitted to bar, 2009, Texas. Education: College of William & Mary (B.A., 1984); Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M., 1990); University of Missouri (Ph.D., 1999); Southern Methodist University School of Law (J.D., 2009). Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 1994. Member: American Association for Justice; American Medical Law Association; American Veterinary Association; State Bar of Texas. Practice Areas: Toxic Torts; Personal Injury; Products Liability; Civil Practice.
Susannah B. Chester (Attorney) admitted to bar, 2007, Texas. Education: Southern Methodist University (B.A., magna cum laude, 2004); Southern Methodist University School of Law (J.D., 2007). Phi Beta Kappa, Southern Methodist University, 2004. Order of the Barristers, SMU School of Law, 2007. Board of Advocates, Officer, SMU School of Law, 2006-2007. Howie Sweeney Moot Court Champion, SMU School of Law, 2007. University Scholarship, Southern Methodist University, 2001-2007. Distinction Graduate, Political Science, Southern Methodist University, 2004. Student Bar Association, Officer, SMU School of Law, 2005-2007. Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program (Volunteer). Member: Dallas Association of Young Lawyers. Practice Areas: Products Liability; Toxic Torts; Asbestos Litigation.
Gibbs Henderson (Attorney) admitted to bar, 2003, Texas; 2004, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas. Education: Vanderbilt University (B.A., 1999); University of Texas School of Law (J.D., 2003). Named to Texas Rising Stars List, 2008. Dean's Scholar, University of Texas School of Law, 2000-2003. Law Clerk to Hon. Harry Lee Hudspeth, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, 2003-2004. Member: State Bar of Texas; Texas Trial Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Asbestos Litigation; Toxic Torts; Products Liability; Personal Injury.Email: Gibbs Henderson
Loren Jacobson (Attorney) admitted to bar, 2003, New York and U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York; 2004, U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit; 2005, Texas and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas. Education: Yale University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1996) Phi Beta Kappa; Columbia University School of Law (J.D., 2002). Phi Beta Kappa. Law Clerk, Hon. Wilfred Feinberg, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, 2003-2004. Law Clerk, Hon. Alvin K. Hellerstein, Southern District of New York, 2002-2003. James Kent Scholar, Columbia Law School, 2001-2002. Law Review, Articles Editor, Columbia Law Review, 2001-2002. Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, Columbia Law School, 1999-2001. Member: New York State and American Bar Associations Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Languages: Spanish and French. Practice Areas: Toxic Tort; Pharmaceutical; Qui Tam; Appellate; Asbestos Litigation.Email: Loren Jacobson
Mark A. Linder (Attorney) admitted to bar, 2008, Texas. Education: University of Texas at Austin (B.A., 2000); University of Houston Law Center (J.D., cum laude, 2008). Chief Articles Editor, Environmental & Energy Law & Policy Journal, 2007-2008. Aide to Congressman Lloyd Doggett, 2001-2003. Author: "Pollution v. Preemption: Vermont and the Fight for CO2 Regulation," 2 Envt'l & Energy L. & Pol'y J. 357, 2008. Member: State Bar of Texas. Practice Areas: Toxic Torts; Products Liability; Personal Injury; Asbestos Litigation.Email: Mark A. Linder
Gregory W. Lisemby (Attorney) admitted to bar, 2002, Texas. Education: Henderson State University (B.M.E., cum laude, 1988); University of Rochester, Eastman School (M.M., 1991); Southern Methodist University (J.D., 2002). Associate Professor, Southern Arkansas University, 1993-1999. Member: Dallas Bar Association; Dallas County Bar Association; State Bar of Texas; Texas Trial Lawyers Association; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Practice Areas: Toxic Tort; Civil Law; Asbestos Litigation.Email: Gregory W. Lisemby