Haynes and Boone announced the promotion of 13 lawyers to its partnership ranks. This partnership class is the most diverse in the firm’s history.
Effective Jan. 1, the new partners are Raquel Alvarenga, Robert Bruner, Jamie Carter, Matt Costello, Tiffany Ferris, Maria Hopper, Mini Kapoor, Jennifer Kreick, Kim Mai, Kinne Manente, Arsalan Muhammad, Courtney Smith, and Alan Wang.
“Our new partners are immensely skilled and possess seasoned judgment in delivering value to clients by helping them meet both their business and legal objectives,” said Haynes Boone Managing Partner Taylor Wilson. “On top of that, they are well-rounded, devoting time and energy to improving the legal profession and their communities. We could not be more pleased.”
The new partnership class includes 69% women and 62% racial and ethnic minorities.
“It is not surprising that we have such a stellar and diverse group of new partners,” said Haynes Boone Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Sharon E. Jones. “The class is a byproduct of our sustained commitment over many years to recruit and train associates in a fair and equitable manner, providing them with meaningful client and leadership responsibilities so that they are well-equipped to represent our clients and lead us into the future.”
Raquel Alvarenga
Raquel is a member of the Labor and Employment practice group in Haynes Boone’s Dallas office. She represents corporate clients in all manner of labor and employment matters, including advice and counseling, litigation, and internal investigations. A significant portion of Raquel’s practice focuses on advising corporate clients, entrepreneurs, and private equity firms and their portfolio companies on workforce issues in connection with corporate transactions. Raquel received her juris doctor from Cornell Law School; master of business administration from New York Institute of Technology; and bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.
Robert Bruner
Robert is a member of the Investment Management Practice Group in the firm’s Dallas office. His practice focuses on private equity and hedge fund formation, private equity investments, hedge fund investments, investment management agreements, and corporate compliance and governance. He received his bachelor’s degree from Furman University and juris doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law.
Jamie Carter
Jamie is a member of the Private Client and Estate Planning Practice Group in the firm’s Dallas office. Her areas of practice include wealth preservation and estate planning, estate and trust administration and taxation, and charitable organizations. Jamie received her juris doctor from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, cum laude, and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, with honors.
Matt Costello
Matt is a member of the Labor and Employment practice group in the firm’s Orange County office. His practice includes employment litigation, client counseling, internal investigations, executive agreements, employment-law audit and compliance projects, and the employment aspects of corporate transactions. On the litigation front, he handles all facets of day-to-day case management in court, arbitration, and administrative agency employment matters. Matt regularly engages in, and is committed to, pro bono efforts, and was recently selected to the Board of Directors of the Public Law Center, a pro-bono law firm that provides access to justice for low-income residents of Orange County, California. Matt received his juris doctor from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, magna cum laude, and his bachelor’s degree from the University of California Los Angeles.
Tiffany Ferris
Tiffany is a member of the Trademark and Advertising, Marketing, and Promotional Law practice groups in the firm’s Dallas office. She assists clients through all stages of their brand's lifecycle, including the selection and protection of brands, as well as the creation and defense of advertising and promotional programs. Tiffany also regularly appears before the National Advertising Division (NAD), representing clients in advertising-related disputes. Tiffany serves on the firm’s Board Advisory Committee and on the board of the Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas. She received her bachelor’s degrees from the University of Richmond, magna cum laude; and juris doctor from William Mary Law School, cum laude.
Maria Hopper
Maria is a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity practices in the firm’s Dallas office. She is focused on mergers, acquisitions, venture capital/emerging companies/minority investments, and corporate compliance and governance. Maria is an active member of Haynes Boone's Women's Initiative Committee, the firm’s American Heart Association steering committee, and the firm’s Alumni Committee. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Vanderbilt Law School for the 2020-2021 academic year and was elected to participate in the 2021 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellows and Pathfinders Program. Brazilian born and fluent in Portuguese, Maria received her juris doctor from Vanderbilt and her LL.B. from Centro Universitario de Brasilia – UniCEUB and is licensed to practice in both Brazil and the U.S.
Mini Kapoor
Mini is a member of the Occupational Safety and Health and Litigation practice groups in the firm’s Houston office. Mini has handled OSHA matters in several states and has successfully defended clients in OSHA administrative trials. She has wide-ranging litigation experience in commercial, intellectual property, and labor and employment matters. Prior to her legal career, Mini was a faculty member at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where conducted federally funded research in cancer genetics. Mini received her juris doctor from the University of Houston Law Center, with honors; Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from University of Kansas Medical Center; M.Sc. in Biosciences from the University of Roorkee, India. Mini is a prolific writer who has published on both legal and scientific topics. Her articles have appeared in the Houston Law Review and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Jennifer Kreick
Jennifer is a member of the Healthcare and Life Sciences practice group in the firm’s Dallas office. She delivers practical legal and business advice to healthcare clients in a variety of regulatory and transactional matters. Jennifer received her juris doctor from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, summa cum laude; and bachelor’s degree from Duke University, magna cum laude. Jennifer is Board Certified in Health Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Kim Mai
Kim is a member of the Energy Practice Group in the firm’s Houston office. Her practice focuses on complex upstream and midstream oil and gas transactions, including financing, acquisitions and dispositions and hedging transactions. Kim’s recent transactions include secured reserve-based financings, project development and project finance, purchase and sale agreements, and a variety of other transactions ranging from gathering, transportation and marketing agreements to inventory monetization transactions. Kim has been recognized for her work in the Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Thomson Reuters, Energy and Natural Resources, 2014-2021. She was also included in the "Ones to Watch" category of Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc., 2021-2022. Kim received her juris doctor from University of Houston Law Center, magna cum laude; Member, Houston Law Review; Order of the Barons; Order of the Coif; and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Kinne Manente
Kinne is a member of the Finance practice in the firm’s Dallas office. She has experience in a variety of lending transactions, including representing agent banks and participant lenders in fund finance transactions, mortgage warehouse lending, middle market lending, and unsecured revolving and term loan facilities for real estate investment trusts. Her practice focuses on structuring, negotiating, and documenting multi-jurisdictional subscription-secured credit facilities. Kinne takes a practical and collegial approach to her work in order to achieve optimal results for her clients. She believes that building an effective working relationship with all parties to a transaction is the most effective means of securing her clients’ goals.
Kinne serves in various roles within Haynes Boone, including the Board Advisory Committee.
Arsalan Muhammad
Arsalan is a member of the Restructuring Practice Group in the firm’s Houston office. His practice focuses on bankruptcy and restructurings, including related financings, acquisitions, and litigation. Fluent in Urdu, Arsalan received his juris doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston.
Courtney D. E. Smith
Courtney is a member of the Finance practice in the firm’s New York office. She represents borrowers and lenders in a variety of commercial and corporate finance transactions. Courtney serves on the firm’s Board Advisory Committee and served on the Board of Directors for The Network for Peace through Dialogue from 2007 to 2016. Originally from Lubbock, Texas, Courtney received her bachelor’s degree from Trinity University, summa cum laude; juris doctor from Columbia Law School (James Kent Scholar and Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar); and her master’s degree from Columbia University, summa cum laude.
Alan Wang
Alan is a member of the Intellectual Property and Patent Prosecution practices in the firm’s Dallas – North office. Alan focuses on patent-related practices, including patent non-infringement and invalidity analysis, patent portfolio evaluation and negotiation, patent preparation and prosecution, and patent post-grant proceedings. Alan previously served as a design engineer in major semiconductor and telecommunication companies. He received his juris doctor from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, cum laude; master's degree from Tsinghua University; two bachelor's degrees from Tsinghua University; and master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Alan is an avid golfer.