Barbara K. Runge

Family Law

Board certified in family law since 1981, Barbara handles divorce cases, complex property cases, custody cases, modifications and premarital and marital agreements. She is also a mediator and arbitrator. Additionally, Barbara represents clients using the collaborative method or litigation as determined by the case and the client’s desires. Her individual practice is only enhanced by her active participation in and dedication to many top legal organizations. Barbara has received numerous awards and honors, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Texas Tech School of Law, the Gulf Coast Family Law Specialists’ David Gibson Award for Professionalism and Excellence in Family Law and the Outstanding Service Award for Texas Tech School of Law.

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BARBARA K. RUNGE
5615 Kirby Dr., Ste. 920
Houston, TX 77005
713-523-5363 • barbarakrunge.com

Crain, Caton & James, PC

Wills, Trusts & Estates

Sarah Patel Pacheco and her team of top lawyers provide services to clients in the areas of trusts, estates, guardianships, and other forms of fiduciary litigation.

Sarah is repeatedly recognized for her expertise, including being named as one of the “Top 50 Female Attorneys in Texas” by Texas Monthly magazine and Best Lawyers’ Houston Litigation – Trust & Estates “Lawyer of the Year” in 2014 and 2017. She is a co-author of three legal treatises regarding estate, trust, and guardianship matters. Sarah attributes her success to her passion for this area of the law, and assembling a team of outstanding professionals who are committed to old-fashioned hard work.

Chasity Cooper concentrates on estate planning, administration and related tax issues, while Kathleen Tanner Beduze advises clients in all aspects of fiduciary, estate and trust litigation, as well as guardianship proceedings. Joshua Flores and Joe Savoie focus their practice on estate, trust and fiduciary litigation, along with business and commercial litigation.

Both Sarah and Chasity are Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate Law, by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. And, Kathleen and Josh have been named as Texas Super Lawyer Rising Stars by Texas Monthly magazine.

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Crain, Caton & James, PC
1401 McKinney St., Ste. 1700
Houston, TX 77010
713-658-2323 • craincaton.com

Robert North

Property Litigation

Engineer-turned-attorney Robert North combines his 24 years of legal and technical training with a practical approach to problem solving to provide effective solutions for the obstacles impacting his clients’ businesses. From traditional real estate transactions to litigation, North and his firm counsel land developers, community associations and other landowners on all issues affecting real property, including: title conveyances; easements and land encumbrances; contract, warranty, fair housing, restrictive covenant enforcement, real property finance and security agreements; lien priority and foreclosure; landlord/tenant disputes; and legislation affecting landowner rights. “I always look at the impact of my client’s decisions not just in the short-term, but also in the long-term, so that today’s decisions don’t become tomorrow’s disasters,” says North.

Among Robert North’s many distinctions include being selected as an H Texas Top Lawyer in Real Estate for 2014–2019, as well as being named to the Super Lawyers Texas Rising Stars list from 2015-2017.

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North Law, P.C.
1010 Lamar St., Ste. 1500
Houston, TX 77002
713-844-8030 • northlawpc.com

Marcela Halmagean

M Halmagean PLLC | Attorney at Law

MARCELA HALMAGEAN FOCUSES HER LAW PRACTICE ON THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF EACH ONE OF HER CLIENTS. “I’m innovative, creative, daring and I do my homework,” she says. Her commitment to researching and applying the law, insisting on close attorney-client communication, full availability, and aggressive representation has earned her clients’ respect.

Her general practice revolves around business and family law, whether such practice involves litigation, mediation, or collaborative law. She is committed to working with each client closely to research and use the law to support the facts in each case.

During her professional tenure, Halmagean has worked for large corporate concerns, managing outside counsel on behalf of her employers, representing them in legal matters, including white-collar crime cases, breach of contract and partnership disputes. Because of her background, her passion lies with cases that involve complex fact structure and issues that tend to be rejected as “losers” by other attorneys.

Marcela Halmagean has a two-year degree in Public Speaking, an undergraduate degree in Accounting, an MBA, and has been licensed by the Texas Supreme Court as an attorney since September of 1997. She is also a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). For all the years she has been working as an attorney, she has built a bond with each and every one of her clients. “I work with them directly as opposed to assigning them to an associate attorney or a legal assistant,” she says. “Every client, regardless of the area of law, needs a whole lot of support and a periodic reality check to complement the legal advice for which they are paying. When you combine that with a whole lot of carrying, and full access and availability, it makes for long-lasting relationships.”

Educated right here in Houston, Halmagean immigrated to the United States from Romania in 1983 at the age of 19. She quickly learned English and went on to building her educational credentials. By 1997 and only thirteen years after coming to this country as an immigrant, she passed the Texas Bar Examination while sitting for it under the Texas Bar Examination “Rule of 86.” The “Rule of 86” allowed her to sit for the Bar Exam before she graduated law school and once she successfully completed 86 credit hours before the final semester in law school.

While attending law school, Halmagean clerked with the Harris County District Attorney’s office in the Special Crimes Division, assisting prosecutors with the preparation and prosecution of white-collar crime cases. Later, she worked on the criminal defense side as a law clerk for Hinton Susman Bailey, a prominent Houston criminal defense law firm.

After she passed the Bar Exam and graduated law school in May of 1997, she accepted her first job as project counsel consultant, in Zurich, Switzerland, for one of the then “Big Five” Accounting Firms. She was assigned to what today is largely referred to as the “Holocaust Project.” During this period, Halmagean served as the legal liaison on banking and privacy-law issues while supervising the risk-management and compliance functions for the project. While in Zurich, Halmagean was offered a position as an Associate General Counsel for a multi-national corporation with its headquarters in Europe. She accepted the offer and was transferred to Princeton, NJ, where her oldest child who is now 18 years old and a freshman student at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, was born.

On September 11, 2001, and only months after her first child was born, Halmagean was in Washington DC on a job-related matter while her family was in Princeton. The trauma of having to live through the anxiety and fears that September 11, 2001 brought caused her to rethink her priorities. On that day, she decided to leave the corporate arena and start her own law practice…back here, in her adopted hometown. From that day onward, she never looked back.

Currently, Halmagean is a member of The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, The State Bar of Texas, Houston Bar Association and an Alumnae of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston–Business and Professional Women’s Association. “I’m one of the few attorneys out there who love their work. Since I have been in private practice, I have been waking up every morning with the most difficult dilemma on my mind: whether I should take time off and spend it with my children or whether I should schedule them for activities so I can work with my clients on their pressing issues. With time,” Halmagean says, “it got easier, of course. Our oldest is now in college and our 13-year-old boy is beginning to exert his independence from his mom and dad. The one thing that has been consistent in my life is my passion for my children and my clients…but when my children are going to be long gone, tending to their own adulthood, my clients will still be here. My clients give me purpose and for as long as I feel that way, who needs therapy, right?” Halmagean also admits that tending to her clients and their needs at full availability fills a void that is now left by having one child out of the home and in college, which is a transition for a parent, especially if all planning in life was done around that child. “I’m grateful for the opportunity I have been given to help people in need. There isn’t a more satisfying feeling except perhaps for learning that your child is emotionally adjusting very well in college, while far from home.” The giggle was soft but audible. “I’m here to stay, I guess.”

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M HALMAGEAN PLLC
1800 Bering Dr., Ste. 280
Houston, TX 77057
713-975-1202
www.halmagean.com

Alton C. Todd

Personal Injury

Alton Todd is an experienced trial lawyer who has built a solid practice and reputation for successfully handling difficult cases in general civil and trial law, personal injury , negligence, product liability, medical malpractice, toxic tort and premises liability including, chemical plant explosions and railroad crossing accidents. He is Board Certified in both Personal Injury and Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a Fellow with the American College of Trial Lawyers and International Academy of Trial Lawyers and a member and Diplomate of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, Fifth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals, and U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Texas and the Eastern District of Louisiana. He Is licensed to practice in Texas and Georgia.

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THE LAW FIRM OF ALTON C. TODD
312 Friendswood Dr.
Friendswood, TX 77546
281-992-8633• actlaw.com

Mary E. Ramos

Family Law

AT THE HELM OF THE RAMOS LAW GROUP, PLLC, WHICH SPECIALIZES IN ALL ASPECTS OF FAMILY LAW, MARY E. RAMOS IS KNOWN AS THE GLADIATOR OF FAMILY LAW. From adoptions, divorce litigation and child custody to high-asset property division and more, the firm provides exceptional service and insight to each and every client. “From the first time I stepped into a family courtroom, my role as a family law attorney was clarified. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else with my life. Few people get the opportunity to do what they love every day, and I am blessed in being able to pursue my dreams as an advocate,” says Ramos, who’s Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization with more than 15 years of experience.

Together with her seasoned associates, Ramos is a firm believer in continuing education. To that end, the team is active in various legal organizations, with Ramos maintaining membership in the Texas Bar College, which warrants four times the education requirement for all attorneys. Membership is an honor bestowed to less than 10 percent of Texas attorneys.

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RAMOS LAW GROUP PLLC
1214 Miramar St.
Houston, TX 77006
713-225-6200 • ramosfamilylaw.com

Oralia De Luna

Immigration & Nationality Law

BEING THE DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS AND A FIRST-GENERATION AMERICAN, ORALIA DE LUNA UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS OF HER CLIENTS. Due to her zealous representation in immigration matters, she has earned the distinction as one of Houston’s top immigration lawyers for the past 10 years by H Texas magazine, and 10 Best Immigration Attorneys in America for the past seven by the American Institute of Legal Counsel.

Individual and corporate clients worldwide turn to Ms. De Luna for business, family and employment-based matters. A leader within the profession, she has held positions in the State Bar of Texas Hispanic Issues Section and Mexican American Bar Association of Houston.

Whether you’re seeking legal representation or advice in the green card, naturalization, visa processes and federal courts, Ms. De Luna has the experience to handle and answer your most complex immigration questions. Her firm maintains direct communication with clients and provides the utmost reliability, hence their motto: “Clients First. Excellence Always!”

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De Luna Law Offices, PC
713-589-5269 • delunafirm.com

Principal Office
1627 Dunlavy St., Houston, TX 77006

Rio Grande Valley
320 W. McIntyre St. Ste. 10, Edinburg, TX 78541

Naimeh Salem

Naimeh Salem | Immigration Law

AS MANAGING PARTNER OF NAIMEH SALEM & ASSOCIATES, ATTORNEY SALEM LEADS HER DYNAMIC TEAM TO GROUNDBREAKING IMMIGRATION VICTORIES. Attorney Salem’s practice combines compassion with experienced advocacy to navigate complex immigration law and removal defense. While counseling her clients through family and employment immigration matters, Attorney Salem remains committed to serving with the highest quality of representation. Attorney Salem takes special interest in representing victims of persecution and exploitation in court and at the appellate level. Through innovative litigation, Attorney Salem empowers her clients as an influential voice for immigrants’ rights.

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Naimeh Salem & Associates, PLLC
8990 Kirby Dr., Ste. 200
Houston, TX 77054
832-430-3030 • AbogadaNaimeh.com

G. Scott Fiddler

G. Scott Fiddler
Employment Litigation

G. Scott Fiddler’s practice is focused on representing businesses and executives in employment and commercial litigation, including wrongful termination, wage and hour, non-compete, and trade secret cases. Fiddler is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law and in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, making him one of only approximately twenty-five attorneys in Texas with both board certifications.

Fiddler, who has also been named by Texas Super Lawyers^® magazine as one of the top attorneys in Texas in employment litigation, believes experience and skill in a specialized practice benefits his clients through cost-effective, proven results. “We try cases, and we believe our track record in the courtroom benefits all of our clients,” says Fiddler. Because Fiddler routinely represents both employees and employers in the courtroom, he is in a unique position to understand employment cases from both sides.

Running a highly specialized practice means carefully selecting cases. “We don’t believe a law practice should be run like an assembly line. We limit the number of cases we take to ensure we can devote the time each case deserves to obtain the best possible results for our clients,” Fiddler says.

FIDDLER & ASSOCIATES, PC
1004 Congress, 3rd Floor
Houston, TX 77002
713-228-0070
www.fiddlerlaw.com

Top Lawyers

Keith Morris

Keith Morris | Wills, Trusts & Estates

Creating a solid reputation as a successful lawyer is not an easy task, but Keith Morris has accomplished it in spades through hard work, perseverance, and by knowing the right actions to take to produce the most favorable results. As a co-founder of Ostrom Morris PLLC, Keith and his partner, Jason Ostrom, have created a client-first firm that is highly regarded in Houston’s probate community, and known as a premier law firm serving clients nationwide.

Ostrom Morris boasts decades of experience in the areas of estate planning, wills, trusts, probate, fiduciary litigation and bankruptcy. Keith has an expectation of winning, both personally and professionally, and guides clients to help them achieve their goals quickly and efficiently, both in and out of the courtroom. Recognized with multiple top lawyer honors and an AVVO rating of 10 out of 10, his track record speaks for itself.

Keith and Jason have brought together highly talented lawyers at Ostrom Morris, including Erin Jones, Kenneth Scott, Heather Potts and Stacy Kelly—all well-known in their practice areas. With a solid team in place and a reputation for success, Ostrom Morris will continue to be the firm of choice for clients who value experience, wisdom and personalized solutions for their legal needs.

Keith Morris
Ostrom Morris PLLC
6363 Woodway, Ste. 300
Houston, TX 77057
713-863-8891
www.ostrommorris.com

The Foster Law Firm

The Foster Law Firm, Criminal Law

The Foster Law Firm, founded in 1966 as the Law Office of Logene L. Foster, emphasizes both civil and criminal trial practice including Personal Injury, Probate, Criminal Defense, Family Law and General Civil Litigation. The firm also handles Appellate work in both Civil and Criminal areas of the law. The primary objective of the Firm is to deliver quality service for a reasonable fee.
Logene Foster attended the University of Houston and Southwest Texas State University and received his JD from South Texas College of Law in 1966. Logene is Board Certified in Criminal Law & Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Lynn Foster graduated from the University of Houston in 1992 and received his JD from South Texas College of Law in1996.
Lonnie Foster graduated from the University of Houston in 1986 followed by his JD at Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 1999.

7838 Hwy 90A
Sugar Land, TX 77478
(281) 494-3156
www.fortbendlawyer.com

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