Missy K. Atwood has over 20 years of experience in health law and health care related litigation, including medical malpractice defense, and physician anti-trust claims, credentialing lawsuits, and other litigation involving health care…
Mark T. Beaman is an experienced trial attorney and administrative lawyer. He has been with the Firm since 1998. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has…
Karen R. Bennett, managing principal with the firm, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1988 from the University of Texas at Arlington. She received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Texas Tech University, where she…
Chris Blackerby has successfully tried cases in both federal and state courts across Texas. Chris graduated with honors from the University of Oklahoma in 1989 with a degree in Philosophy. He received his law degree from the…
Robin represents a wide variety of clients and companies who are based locally, nationally, and internationally, and whose industries include retailers (premises liability, general negligence, premises security, products, DTPA), oil and gas…
Gregg R. Brown is an accomplished trial lawyer with over 25 years of experience in a wide range of matters, focusing principally on construction litigation, product liability, long term exposure claims and wrongful death claims, as well as…
Ryan Bueche graduated from Trinity University in 2003, where he earned a B.A. with a dual major in Political Science and Philosophy. Ryan earned his J.D. from Baylor University School of Law in 2008. While in law school, he excelled in moot court…
Thomas M. Bullion III graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. After working for several years as an engineer, he went to law school at the Southern Methodist…
Chad Castille is a Principal in the Houston office of Germer and concentrates his practice on complex civil litigation. Chad has tried more than a dozen cases before the American Arbitration Association ("AAA").
Gary W. Coker, a principal with the firm, is a native of Jasper, Texas. He graduated with highest honors from Lamar University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Finance. Gary then attended the University of Texas…
Scott C. Crutchfield is a principal in the firm’s business section, and his practice includes: Representation of developers, lenders and business enterprises in commercial transactions, and in advising clients on the formation,…
Steve Dillawn, a principal with the firm, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Chemical Engineering in 1979, and worked as a petroleum engineer until 1986. He received his law degree from the University of…
R. Chad Geisler graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1991 with History and English degrees. He received his law degree, cum laude, in 1995 from Texas Tech University Law School. While in law school, Chad was selected as…
Larry Germer is a trial lawyer who has defended clients in major cases in all areas of litigation. He graduated from the University of Texas in 1963 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1966, he received his law degree from the…
Charles W. “Charlie” Goehringer, Jr. joined GERMER in 2001. Charlie graduated from Lamar University in Beaumont with a Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering degree in 1980. He received a Masters of Business Administration…
Guy Neil Goodson graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1973, and then attended law school at Southern Methodist University, graduating in 1976. Guy began his…
Richard H. Grafton has extensive experience in products liability, personal injury, property damage, breach of contract, and construction defect litigation. For over 20 years, Rich has defended and tried cases in both federal and state courts throughout the…
Barbara L. Hachenburg, an AV-rated lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell, received her Bachelor of Science in Management degree in 1986 and Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1989 from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. In law school, she…
Jeff is a proud alumnus of both Texas A&M University and The University of Texas. Prior to joining Germer in 2017, he practiced law in San Antonio for 33 years, most of that time with the firm of Prichard, Hawkins and Young.
Rett Holidy has been a principal with the firm since 2003. Rett is a native of Navasota, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and then from Baylor University…
Board Certified in Administrative Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Franklin represents physicians before the Texas Medical Board, where he previously worked as a Staff Attorney. That experience gives Franklin insight into the…
Jason L. Hughes is a native of Beaumont, Texas. He graduated from Lamar University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice in 1993. After graduation, Jason started his career as a patrolman, then detective with the…
Christopher D. Leavins is a native of Southeast Texas and joined GERMER in 2008. Chris attended Texas A&M University and earned his undergraduate degree in Economics in 2004 where he was recognized as a distinguished student in the…
C. Scott Mann, Jr. is a business lawyer with over 25 years of experience in representing developers, lenders and business enterprises in complex real estate transactions, business acquisitions, sales, and in advising clients on the formation,…
Matt McCracken is licensed to practice law in Texas and New Mexico. He has more than twenty-five years of trial, appellate and administrative law experience representing medical, legal, insurance and other professionals as well as product...
David Merkley joined GERMER in 1996 as an associate upon graduating from law school at Baylor University, and was elected as a principal of the firm at the end of 2002. His practice began from the firm’s home office in Beaumont, and has…
W. Paul Miller graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Government and a minor in Mathematics. Paul graduated magna cum laude from Texas Tech University School of Law, and also briefly studied law at…
Toby F. Nash is a native of Beaumont, Texas who began his legal career at GERMER in 2005. He graduated magna cum laude from Lamar University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting in 2002. Toby graduated in…
Chris Pearson is a principal at GERMER in Austin, Texas. Chris has over 25 years of experience as a trial attorney with special emphasis in products liability defense, the defense of manufacturers in suits filed under the Texas…
Collin D. Shellenberger is a trial lawyer. He was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, and he is familiar with the courts of Southeast Texas and the surrounding counties. Collin’s practice is primarily focused on litigation…
Larry J. Simmons, Jr., a principal in the firm, has tried dozens of cases as lead attorney in a variety of commercial, employment, civil rights and personal injury lawsuits. Larry is one of only twelve Texas attorneys double Board Certified as a…
J. Mitchell Smith began his legal career with Lynch, Chappell and Alsup, P.C. in Midland, Texas. He moved to Beaumont in 1994 and joined Wells, Peyton, Greenberg and Hunt, L.L.P. In 2001, he joined GERMER and became a principal with…
G. Robert Sonnier has significant experience representing clients in litigation throughout several states in both state and federal courts with an emphasis in products liability, premises liability, toxic tort, trucking, and general civil…
Roy A. Spezia has focused his practice in the area of products liability for over twenty years. Roy is regional counsel for an automobile manufacturer for all of its products liability matters in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Additionally,…
Paul Byron Starr, a principal with the firm, was born and raised in San Antonio and graduated cum laude from Baylor University in 1995 with a double major in Marketing and Business Statistics. He received his J.D. from Baylor School…
Troy A. Williams represents a wide variety of clients and companies who are based locally, nationally, and internationally, and whose industries include retailers (premises liability, general negligence, premises security, products, DTPA), oil and gas…
Christy Amuny is an experienced trial lawyer who has tried over 100 cases to verdict. She received her undergraduate degree from The University of Texas (B.A. 1986) and attended Texas Tech School of Law (J.D. 1990). Christy is a native of Southeast Texas.
Stephen has represented individuals and businesses throughout the State of Texas, including Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, El Paso, Waco, Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley.
Paula H. Blazek, has been Board Certified in both Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1990 and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. An…
Jennifer Buntz has over 15 years’ experience handling a variety of litigation matters. She regularly represents clients in products liability and personal injury litigation and is part of a team of lawyers that defends numerous national and global clients including heavy truck, motorcycle, automobile, farm and agricultural equipment, vehicle component part and tire manufacturers in state and federal court litigation.
C. Cohron “Buddy” Crutchfield, Jr. joined GERMER as a partner in 2005, bringing to the firm over 50 years of legal experience in commercial transactions involving the financing, construction, acquisition and sale of multi-family apartment…
Maria Cantú Hexsel has more than twenty-three years of experience in civil litigation. She is responsible for a diverse civil litigation caseload with a concentration in health care law. Maria represents physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, and hospitals in all aspects of risk/claims management...
Sandra C. Howard is a Golden Triangle native who graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Lamar University in 1993. She received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from South Texas College of Law in…
Sarah C. Jones is an experienced trial lawyer who has tried cases throughout the state of Texas. Sarah is a native Houstonian and a University of Houston graduate. Prior to law school, Sarah worked for four years in the consumer fraud division of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Mark D. Lambert is a trial attorney with experience litigating across Texas in both state and federal court. He is certified and often appointed by courts as an Attorney Ad Litem. In 1999, he graduated from the University of Texas at Tyler with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance with a Minor in...
Born in Houston, Texas, Valerie Ly graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2004 with a degree in Finance. She then received her J.D. from SMU in 2007. While at SMU, Valerie received First Place at the National Entertainment…
Elizabeth Massey ("Lisa") is a native of Naples, Italy. Lisa graduated from Baylor University with a dual major in Political Science and International Relations. Prior to attending law school, Lisa spent several years abroad where she gained experience working for both a multinational corporation and local businesses.
Laura O’Toole was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas. She earned her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1991 and has practiced in Austin since 1994. Laura is the co-author of Betting Booze & Brothels, Vice, Corruption and Justice in Jefferson County, Texas from Spindletop to the 1960s published by...
Carmen Jo Rejda-Ponce (“CJ”) focuses on a broad range of labor and employment litigation, including, discrimination, harassment, hostile work environment, retaliation, disability accommodation, wage and hour laws, and unemployment benefits…
Kelli B. Smith graduated magna cum laude from Lamar University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance in 1994. She earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, with honors, from the University of Texas School of Law in…
James A. Tatem, senior trial counsel with the firm, is a graduate of the University of Texas where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1989. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from South Texas…
Marcus Waters ("Marc") is a litigation attorney with Germer, PLLC. Marc received his undergraduate degree from Baylor University and his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center in 1998. During his career, he has litigated and tried cases in state and federal courts across Texas.
William is a seasoned trial attorney with over 30 years of experience litigating claims involving personal injury, medical malpractice, professional negligence, products liability, motor vehicle collisions, deceptive trade practices, premises liability, property/casualty losses and insurance coverage.
Ben Zinnecker was born and raised in Austin, Texas. He attended Texas A&M University, where he received a B.A. in Philosophy in 2005. In 2008, Ben earned his J.D. from Baylor University School of Law, where he enjoyed success in pretrial, mock trial, and moot court competitions.
Yanet M. Benitez was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Yanet graduated cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. Yanet attended law school at the University of Houston Law Center and received her J.D. in May of 2014. While in law school, Yanet...
Kaitlin L. Carrillo joined Germer as an associate attorney in 2017. Kaitlin was born and raised in the west Texas town Sweetwater. She graduated with Highest Honors from the University of Texas at Austin.
Selina A. Contreras was born and raised in Rosenberg, Texas and graduated from the University of St. Thomas with Bachelor of Arts in psychology and minor in political science. Selina attended law school at South Texas College of Law and received her J.D. in May 2016.
Hunter Davidson is a native of Beaumont, Texas. He earned his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2015 where he was a member of the Phi Delta Phi honor fraternity, receiving the Top Grade Award in Criminal Procedure and…
Julie DeWeese is a summa cum laude graduate of St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas where she received a Bachelor of Arts in English Writing and Rhetoric in 2009.
Sonny Eckhart began working for Germer in 2015. Previously, he served as an Assistant Criminal District Attorney for Polk County, Texas, where he worked as a prosecutor and represented the county as its general legal counsel. Sonny has tried a…
James Hicks graduated from Duke University in 2007, where he earned a B.A. in Public Policy Studies and worked as Chief Operations Officer of a food delivery business. He then served for two years as a policy analyst under Mayor Michael…
Gregory Howard is a litigation attorney with Germer PLLC. Greg is a proud native Houstonian, with undergraduate and graduate business degrees from Texas A&M University and a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. Since…
Maria Korzendorfer graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2006. From 2006 to 2013, she worked as an English teacher, primarily at schools in Turkey and Mexico. She received her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude...
Ryan focuses his practice on a wide variety of labor and employment matters, including Title VII discrimination, harassment, retaliation, on-the-job injuries, ADA and FMLA compliance, wage and hour issues, and unfair labor practice charges.
Kate K. Leverett is a native of Beaumont, Texas. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 2009. Kate earned her law degree from South Texas College of Law in 2012 where…
Valerie Lewis is a Beaumont, Texas native. After graduating from Rice University in 2008, she taught English in two high schools in rural France for a year...
Lori B. Wiese, a native Texan, has practiced law in Houston since 2001 and began her practice in Dallas in 1988. She joined Germer in 2019 as a trial lawyer with 30 years of trial experience representing insurance companies, hospitals...
Roswill is an experienced business lawyer, who joined the Austin office of Germer in February 2019.
Katherine served as a Judicial Intern for the 13th Court of Appeals under Justice Dori Contreras and the United States Bankruptcy Court under Judge Eduardo Rodriguez.
Nadine Ona is a native of Houston and joined GERMER in 2017. After attending the University of St. Thomas for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Nadine earned her J.D. from Texas Tech University School of Law, where she graduated in 2017 as a member...
Justin Allen Rhodes is a native of Vidor, Texas. He graduated from Lamar University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Business in 2011. Justin earned his law degree from South Texas College of Law in 2014 where he…
Harrison E. Tatum is a native of Southeast Texas and joined GERMER in 2017. Harrison attended Lamar University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 2013. Harrison earned his law degree from...
Samantha’s practice focuses on civil litigation, commercial litigation, and medical malpractice in state and federal court.
Jenna S. Zwang joined Germer as an associate attorney in 2018. Born and raised in Seattle, she graduated from the University of Southern California before earning her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law.
GERMER PLLC
550 Fannin, Suite 400
Beaumont, Texas 77701
Ph: 409.654.6700
Fax: 409.835.2115
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GERMER BEAMAN & BROWN PLLC
301 Congress Avenue, Suite 1700
Austin, Texas 78701
Ph: 512.472.0288
Fax: 512.472.0721
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GERMER PLLC
America Tower, 2929 Allen Parkway,
Suite 2900, Houston, TX 77019
Ph: 713.650.1313
Fax: 713.739.7420
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