Leaders

Natasha Martinez — Chair

Natasha Martinez of McAllen is (i) chair, (ii) past secretary, (iii) past vice-chair/membership, (iv) a past treasurer, and (v) a past chronologist.  She practices civil litigation at Orendain & Dominguez Law Office.  More information is available here.

Gabriella A. ‘Gaby’ Guerena — Chair-Elect

Gabriella Guerena of Edinburg is chair-elect and past website and social media chair. She practices criminal law at the Hidalgo County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. More information is available here.

Reagan Boyce — Vice-Chair/Membership 

Reagan Boyce of Dallas is (i) vice-chair/membership and (ii) past CLE Committee co-chair.  She primarily practices medical malpractice law, product and premises liability law, intellectual property law, and bankruptcy litigation.  More information is available here.

Elizabeth Cantu — Vice Chair/Newsletter

Elizabeth Cantu of Edinburg is vice chair/newsletter editor, (i) immediate past chair, (ii) past Website and Social Media chair, (iii) past Annual Meeting Committee co-chair, (iv) a past section council member, and (v) a past Scholarship Committee co-chair. She primarily practices civil litigation at Ramon Worthington, P.L.L.C. More information is available here.

Carmen Jo “CJ” Rejda- Ponce  – Secretary

Carmen Jo ‘CJ’ Rejda-Ponce of Houston is secretary and a past section council member. She defends both private and public sector clients on matters involving employment issues and civil (constitutional) rights. She is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  More information is here.  More information is here.

Sarah Nicolas  – Treasurer

Sarah Nicolas of Austin is treasurer and past council member. She practices in the areas of ethics-legal malpractice, commercial litigation and personal injury litigation. She is the Managing Member of Ramon Worthington’s Austin office. More information is available here.

Deborah Cordova — Chronologist

Deborah Cordova of Edinburg is chronologist, and (i) past section secretary, (ii) a past Texas Women Lawyers president, and (iii) representative to the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors for medium-sized sections.  She primarily practices real estate, banking, business, estate planning, and probate law as a member of Walsh McGurk Cordova Nixon.  More information is available here.

Denise Paul — Website and Social Media Chair

Denise Paul of Houston is Website and Social Media Chair and past chair.  She practices in-house as regional legal counsel at Jungheinrich.  More information is available here. 

Sylvia Borunda Firth 

Sylvia Borunda Firth of El Paso is (i) a section council member and (ii) past President of the State Bar of Texas.  She specializes in governmental, administrative, real estate and general business law.  More information is available here.

Robin Thorner

Robin Thorner of San Antonio is a section council member. She is the Assistant Dean for Career Strategy and serves as the Director of Professional Identity Formation at the St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. More information is available here.

Ana Lisa Figueroa

Ana Lisa Figueroa of Brownsville is a section council member. She practices in the areas of family, insurance, labor-employment, personal injury litigation, real estate and wills-trusts-probate law at the Law Office of Analisa Figueroa, PLLC. More information is available here.

Judge Amber Morgan

Judge Amber Morgan of Waco is a section council member. She is an Administrative Law Judge and Mediator with the State Office of Administrative Hearings. More information is available here.

Kirby Drake 

Kirby Drake of Dallas is a council member and  (i) past chronologist, (ii) past CLE Committee co-chair, and (iii) a past chair. She primarily practices intellectual property law as founder and managing partner at Kirby Drake Law, PLLC. More information is available here

Laura Kugler 

Laura Kugler of Dallas is a council member and (i) past treasurer, (ii) past Finance Committee co-chair, (iii) a past Chronologist, and (iv) past Business Development Workshop Committee co-chair, and (v) a National Association of Women Lawyers member.  She primarily practices products, premises, employment, and professional liability litigation as a partner at Hawkins, Parnell & Young, LLP.  More information is available here.

Chief Justice Rebecca Martinez

Chief Justice Rebecca Martinez of San Antonio is a section council member.  She is Chief Justice to the Texas Fourth Court of Appeals . More information is available here.

Jennifer Richie

Jennifer Richie of Waco is a section council member.  She is a Senior Attorney with Messer Fort. More information is available here.

Rebecca “Becky” Walker 

Rebecca “Becky” Walker of Corpus Christi is a section council member.  She is a briefing attorney with the 13th Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Leigh Hunt Goodson — Emeritus

Leigh Hunt Goodson of Tyler is (i) a past section chair, (ii) section representative to the State Bar President’s Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, (iii) a past section secretary (iv) President-elect of the East Texas Estate Planning Council and (v) immediate past President of the Smith County Bar Association. Having earned an LL.M. in taxation, she primarily practices trusts & estates and business law as the owner of The Goodson Firm, P.C. More information is available here.

Judy Ney — Emeritus

Judy Ney of Houston is (i) Finance Committee co-chair, (ii) a section emeritus council member, (iii) a past section chair, (iv) a Barbara Culver Clack Award recipient, (v) a past treasurer, and (vi) a past representative to the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors for medium-sized sections. She practices workers’ compensation law as an administrative law judge at Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers Compensation. More information is available here.

Deborah Race — Emeritus

Deborah Race of Tyler is (i) Awards Committee co-chair, (ii) a section emeritus council member, (iii) a past section chair, (iv) a Barbara Culver Clack Award recipient, and (v) a past Smith County Bar Association president. Board-certified in civil appellate law, she primarily practices appellate law as the owner of Deborah Race, Attorney at Law. More information is available here.