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Contact: 
Maggie Martin
Director, Marketing and Communications
O: 346-471-3428
maggiem@hba.org
    

Daniella Landers Sworn In As 2025-2026 President of the Houston Bar Association

Landers becomes the first African American woman to serve as HBA President in the organization’s 155-year history

(HOUSTON – May 16, 2025) – Houston attorney Daniella Landers took office as the 2025-2026 President of the Houston Bar Association at the HBA’s Annual Dinner on May 15. Landers succeeds David Harrell, partner at Troutman Pepper Locke LLP. 

In her Annual Dinner address to HBA members, President Landers laid out her presidential initiatives focused on three core components: People, Service, and Collaboration. These incorporate several projects President Landers planned for her Bar Year, which include: 

• Increasing membership through various programs to include a new section for solo practitioners and small law firms, as well as incentives for local and affinity bar members.
• Inviting HBA members to participate in two dedicated Service Days during the upcoming fall and spring, focused on giving back through events organized in collaboration with HBA committees and local partner organizations. 
• Providing opportunities to network and collaborate with allies and partners in the legal, business, and political communities.
• Serving as an educational platform to ensure members are well-informed of the issues and key developments impacting their practice, and hosting activities to promote the rule of law. 

“I want to ensure the HBA continues to engage with our members, the legal profession, the greater Houston community, and our non-legal allies and partners in meaningful ways,” said President Landers. “I created these goals with the HBA’s primary mission in mind: To serve the needs of Houston-area lawyers and enhance the legal profession. I look forward to serving as HBA President and working with the HBA Board of Directors, as well as our staff, members, and partners.”

President Landers has served on the HBA Board of Directors as first vice president, secretary, and for two terms as director. She has also served as vice chair of the Houston Bar Foundation, chair of the Dispute Resolution Center, president of the Houston Lawyer Referral Service, and chair of Houston Volunteer Lawyers. Additionally, she has co-chaired several HBA committees, including Communities In Schools, Law & the Media, AIDS Outreach, Judicial Polls, Membership, Lawyers for Literacy, CLE, Lawyers Against Waste (now Lawyers for a Beautiful Houston), Gender Fairness, and Minority Opportunities in the Legal Profession (now Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

President Landers has been dedicated to the legal profession and greater Houston community through her service to several professional and community organizations, including the Houston Lawyers Association, Women in Energy Network Houston Chapter, the Institute for Energy Law, the National Bar Association, the Center for Women in Law, the HAY Center Foundation, the Fort Bend County Chapter of the Links Inc., the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the Continentals Houston Chapter, and as a long-time member of the Houston Bar Association and Life Fellow of the Houston Bar Foundation.

Other officers for the 2025-2026 Bar Year are Greg Ulmer of BakerHostetler LLP, president-elect; Collin Cox of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, first vice president; Robert Painter of Painter Law Firm PLLC, second vice president; Kaylan Dunn of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, treasurer; and Todd Frankfort of O’Neil Wysocki P.C., secretary. David Harrell will serve as immediate past president. Board directors are Keri Brown of Baker Botts L.L.P.; Carter Dugan of Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP; Greg Moore of Blank Rome LLP; Stephanie Noble of Vinson & Elkins LLP; Jeff Oldham of Bracewell LLP; Seepan V. Parseghian of Beck Redden LLP; Colin Pogge of Daly & Black, P.C.; and Samantha Torres of Camillo Companies. 

The Houston Bar Association also presented its President’s Awards to outstanding committees, sections, and individuals: 

Campaign to End Homelessness and Hunger (CEHH) Committee and Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL)
Co-Chairs: Deanna Willson and Darren Skyles
HVL Executive Director: Jessica Howton Stool

County Law Library Committee
Co-Chairs: Hon. Frances Bourliot and Hon. Julie Countiss
County Law Library Director: Andre Davison

Historical Committee 
Co-Chairs: Ryan Cunningham and Charles L. Sharman 

Houston Lawyer Referral Service (HLRS)
President: Hon. Cheryl Elliott Thornton
HLRS Executive Director: Karen Ramsey

Litigation Section
Chair: Sammy Ford IV

Exemplary Service and Long-Term Dedication to the HBA and HBF 
Travis J. Sales 

Chief Justice Kem Thompson Frost, former chief justice of the 14th Court of Appeals, was awarded the Justice Ruby Kless Sondock Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement and leadership for women in the law. 

Kevin Dubose, partner of Alexander Dubose & Jefferson, was awarded the Justice Eugene A. Cook Professionalism Award, the association’s highest award for professionalism. 

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The Houston Bar Association is a nonprofit professional organization for attorneys that provides education and service programs for the legal profession and the community. With over 10,000 members, the HBA is one of the largest metropolitan bar associations in the nation.
 

Join the HBA for a FREE CLE program this Friday, May 9, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The program will delve into the challenges and opportunities that special needs families and their professionals encounter in ensuring that family members with disabilities receive adequate support under the law.

REGISTER HERE

Please join us at the 2025 HBA Annual Dinner to honor outgoing HBA President David Harrell and to welcome the leadership and celebrate the historic presidency of incoming HBA President Daniella Landers. We will also honor our award winners, emeritus members, and recognize achievements of outgoing HBA President David Harrell.

The evening will include a cocktail hour at 6 p.m., dinner and awards at 7 p.m., and Afterglow reception.

Click below to see sponsorship opportunities, benefits, menu choices, and ticket information. We look forward to celebrating with you!

SPONSOR ANNUAL DINNER

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Congratulations to the 2025 Annual Dinner Award Winners!

2025 Houston Bar Association President's Award

Historical Committee 
Co-Chairs: Ryan Cunningham and Charley Sharman 

Campaign to End Homelessness and Hunger and Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL)
Co-Chairs: Deanna Willson and Darren Skyles
HVL Executive Director: Jessica Howton Stool

Houston Lawyer Referral Service (HLRS)
Chair: Hon. Cheryl Elliott Thornton
HLRS Executive Director: Karen Ramsey

Litigation Section
Chair: Sammy Ford

County Law Library
Co-Chairs: Hon. Frances Bourliot and Hon. Julie Countiss
County Law Library Director: Andre Davison

Special Award

Presented to Travis Sales for his many years of service to the organization in various roles.

We are pleased to present to you the members of the 2025-2026 HBA Board of Directors. 

President
Daniella Landers
 

 

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Maggie Martin, Director, Marketing and Communications
O: 346-471-3428 | maggiem@hba.org 

Houston Litigator Sara Keith Assumes Role as 2025 HBF Chair

(HOUSTON – FEBRUARY 14) – Sara Keith, Senior Legal Counsel with Shell USA, Inc., is the 2025 Houston Bar Foundation Chair. Keith succeeded 2024 HBF Chair Linda Hester at the Foundation’s Annual Luncheon held at Hotel ZaZa-Museum District on February 13.

(Above: 2025 HBF Chair Sara Keith presents 2024 HBF Chair Linda Hester with a plaque of service for Hester's leadership, service, and stewardship of the Foundation.)

Under Hester’s leadership as HBF Chair, the Foundation:

• Revised its mission statement;

• Updated its Fellows Program, including an exciting new Fellows category called “Champion Fellows” - recognizing Fellows who provide substantial long-term support for the HBF’s access to justice and high-impact programming; and

• Established the HBF Community Grants Program, which will provide grants to qualified local projects that align with the mission of the Foundation.

“I am incredibly honored to serve as the 2025 Chair of the Houston Bar Foundation. I am proud of everything the Foundation has accomplished this year to broaden and deepen the impact of our work to improve the lives of our fellow Houstonians,” said Keith. “Our accomplishments are possible because of our dedicated Board, HBA staff, the generosity of our Fellows, and our amazing Houston legal community. I am grateful to Linda for her dedicated leadership, service, and stewardship of the Foundation during her term as Chair. I look forward to serving at the helm of the Foundation and working with our Board of Directors to continue championing programs that support access to justice in the greater Houston area.”

Sara Keith is an accomplished litigator and bankruptcy lawyer with over 16 years of experience. Sara joined Shell USA, Inc. in December 2018, where she advises executive leadership and key stakeholders on insolvency matters, litigation, commercial credit negotiations, risk management, and compliance. In addition to serving as the HBF Chair, Sara is International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC) – Houston Network President, Shell Women Adding Value Everywhere (WAVE) Woodcreek Chapter Vice President, and a Texas Bar Foundation Fellow.  She is also the 2025 Shell U.S. Legal Pro Bono & Community Service Program Veterans Clinic Co-Lead and serves on numerous planning committees for several Texas legal conferences. 

The Foundation’s board includes 2023-2025 directors Andrew Edelman of LyondellBasell, Holly Chastain Nini of CITGO Petroleum Corp., and Christopher D. Northcutt of Chevron Corporation; 2024-2026 directors Benny Agosto, Jr. of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner; Jennifer A. Hasley of Hasley Scarano, L.L.P.; Stephanie Noble, Vinson & Elkins LLP; and Krisina Zuñiga, Susman Godfrey L.L.P.; and incoming 2025-2027 directors Sejal Brahmbhatt of Williams Hart & Boundas, LLP; Hon. Mike Engelhart of Kherkher Garcia, LLP; Mindy Davidson; and Denise Scofield of O’Melveny & Myers LLP.

Linda Hester will serve on the board as Immediate Past Chair. HBA President David Harrell of Troutman Pepper Locke LLP will serve as Ex Officio, as will HBA Executive Director and Secretary of the HBF Board Vinh Ho.

The Foundation also presented the 2025 James B. Sales Pro Bono Leadership Award to Denise Scofield. The award, established in 2009, recognizes the excellence that has been the hallmark of the Foundation’s leadership. Over the past three decades, Denise has spent significant time representing low-income individuals on a pro bono basis on a wide array of issues, including domestic violence, contested divorce and custody, and disability rights. Denise has served locally and statewide in leadership positions to address the justice gap in Texas. Here in Houston, Denise served on, and chaired, the Houston Volunteer Lawyers board, then led efforts that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for HVL as a president of the Houston Bar Association and chair of the Houston Bar Foundation. Denise is a long-time director of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation. She regularly advocates for funding and support of legal aid.

Other awards presented at the HBF Luncheon included:

Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL) Pro Bono Awards

Corporate Law Department – Baker Hughes

Large Law Firm – Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Mid-Size Law Firm – Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.

Small Law Firm – Jenkins & Kamin, L.L.P.

Individual – Shay Johanson

Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) Awards

Stanley Santire - Longevity of Exemplary Service to the Dispute Resolution Center

LeRoy “Mac” Coleman - Outstanding Contribution to the Dispute Resolution Center

Outstanding Legal Article in The Houston Lawyer

Dave Louie, author of “The Many Titles of Tasha Schwikert Moser," from the January/February 2024 issue of The Houston Lawyer

Additional information about these awards and the Houston Bar Foundation can be found at hba.org/foundation.

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The Houston Bar Foundation was established in 1982 as the charitable arm of the Houston Bar Association. Since that time, the Foundation has supported programs that help provide legal representation to the indigent, promote community understanding of our legal system and foster the administration of justice. Through the generosity of its contributors, and significantly its Fellows, the Foundation has been able to make a difference in the greater Houston community.

 

 

 

 

 

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The Houston Bar Association is a nonprofit professional organization for attorneys that provides education and service programs for the legal profession and the community. With over 11,000 members, the HBA is one of the largest metropolitan bar associations in the nation.

The Houston Bar Foundation was established in 1982 as the charitable arm of the Houston Bar Association. Since that time, the Foundation has supported programs that help provide legal representation to the indigent, promote community understanding of our legal system and foster the administration of justice. Through the generosity of its contributors, and significantly its Fellows, Life Fellows and Sustaining Life Fellows, the Foundation has been able to make a difference in the greater Houston community.

Press Release

Contact:

Maggie Martin
Director, Marketing and Communications
O: 346-471-3428
maggiem@hba.org

Houston Bar Association Releases Results of 2024 Judicial Preference Poll

(HOUSTON – October 14, 2024) The Houston Bar Association released the results of its 2024 Judicial Preference Poll, featuring 37 contested judicial and administrative races in Harris County.             

              The HBA conducts the Preference Poll during election years, asking members to indicate their preferred candidates. This year’s poll includes Democratic, Republican, and Libertarian Party candidates in races for the Supreme Court of Texas, the Court of Criminal Appeals, the Houston Courts of Appeals, Harris County Civil District Courts, Harris County Criminal District Courts, Harris County Family District Courts, Harris County Criminal Courts at Law, Harris County Probate Courts, Justice of the Peace Courts, Harris County District Attorney, and Harris County Attorney.

The poll was conducted through online voting, with 1,134 ballots cast, representing a return rate of 14.5% of eligible HBA voters.

The results are posted on the HBA website, hba.org/polls. The Judicial Preference Poll is not a Houston Bar Association opinion or endorsement.*

The Houston Bar Association has conducted judicial polls since the early 1970s. Learn more from our FAQs page here.

* The Judicial Preference Poll is not an endorsement by the Houston Bar Association and any use of the information contained in this poll, including publication or advertising, must reflect that the poll is not an endorsement by the Houston Bar Association.

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The Houston Bar Association is a nonprofit professional organization for attorneys that provides education and service programs for the legal profession and the community. With over 11,000 members, the HBA is one of the largest metropolitan bar associations in the nation.

Press Release

Contact:

Maggie Martin

Director, Marketing and Communications

O: 346-471-3428 | C: 832-690-0206

maggiem@hba.org

             

Locke Lord Partner David Harrell Becomes Houston Bar Association President
Harrell will serve as the HBA’s 2024-2025 President

(HOUSTON – May 20, 2024) – David Harrell, partner at Locke Lord LLP, became the 2024-2025 president of the Houston Bar Association at the HBA Annual Dinner on May 14. He succeeds Diana Gomez of Chamberlain Hrdlicka, who was recently elected to the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors as Director 4, Place 3.  

In his address to HBA members at the HBA Annual Dinner, Harrell detailed his three major initiatives for the bar year: building community among Houston lawyers, educating HBA members about important legal developments; and expanding opportunities for HBA members to serve their community.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as President of the Houston Bar Association,” said Harrell. “I look forward to working with the HBA’s board, staff, and members to accomplish our major initiatives for the coming year, and I look forward to seeing our community reap the benefit of those efforts. I am grateful for the support that my family and firm have provided over the years, and I appreciate the friendship of my colleagues and clients.”

Harrell is co-chair of Locke Lord’s Litigation Department and chairs the firm's International Arbitration practice group. He has extensive first and second-chair trial and arbitration experience in the areas of energy litigation, commercial litigation, and construction litigation. Harrell’s energy litigation experience includes representations of domestic and international clients in traditional oil and gas operations, as well as increasing representation of participants in the growing renewable energy industry. His commercial litigation resume includes representations of plaintiffs and defendants in contract disputes and fiduciary matters. 

Harrell has been an active HBA member since 2007 and has sat on its board of directors for 8 years. He has served as chair of Houston Volunteer Lawyers, the service arm of the Houston Bar Association. Harrell has also served as chair of the Dispute Resolution Center.

Harrell has co-chaired many HBA committees, including the Membership Committee, the Judicial Polls Committee, and the HAY Center Committee. He is also a Life Fellow of the Houston Bar Foundation and Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.

Other officers for the 2024-2025 bar year are Daniella Landers of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP, president-elect; Jeff Oldham of Bracewell LLP, first vice president; Collin Cox of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, second vice president; Greg Ulmer of BakerHostetler LLP, treasurer; and Kaylan Dunn of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, secretary. Diana Gomez of Chamberlain Hrdlicka will serve as immediate past president. Directors are Keri Brown of Baker Botts L.L.P.; Carter Dugan of Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP; Todd Frankfort of O'Neil Wysocki P.C.; Greg Moore of Blank Rome LLP; Robert Painter of Painter Law Firm PLLC; Seepan V. Parseghian of Beck Redden LLP; Colin Pogge of Daly & Black, P.C.; and Samantha Torres of Okin Adams Bartlett Curry LLP.

The Houston Bar Association also presented awards to outstanding committees, sections, and individuals.

Judge Carolyn Dineen King, a circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, was awarded the Justice Ruby Kless Sondock Award, which was established by 2019-2020 HBA President Benny Agosto, Jr. to recognize outstanding achievement and leadership for women in the law.

U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas and Christopher L. Tritico of Tritico Rainey, PLLC were awarded the Justice Eugene A. Cook Professionalism Award, the association’s highest award for professionalism.

HBA Past President (2019-2020) and current Houston Bar Foundation Board Member Benny Agosto, Jr., managing partner of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, was the recipient of the Exemplary Service to the Legal Profession and Community Award.

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The Houston Bar Association is a nonprofit professional organization for attorneys that provides education and service programs for the legal profession and the community. With over 11,000 members, the HBA is one of the largest metropolitan bar associations in the nation. Learn more at HBA.org.

After an extensive nationwide search, Houston attorney Vinh Ho will join the Houston Bar Association as its new executive director on May 13. Ho is an attorney with over 16 years of experience in immigration and family law, civil matters, and nonprofit leadership. He succeeds Executive Director Mindy G. Davidson, who will retire later this year after an orderly transition.

Ho is the senior director of legal services at the Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics at South Texas College of Law Houston. Ho also served as executive director of the Houston chapter of Boat People SOS, Inc., a nonprofit primarily serving the Vietnamese and Asian community, with branches across the United States and Southeast Asia. He has served on numerous nonprofit boards and State Bar of Texas Committees, including Legal Services to the Poor in Civil Matters and Laws Relating to Immigration and Nationality. Ho earned his joint J.D./MBA from Texas Tech University and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Houston with a BBA in Management Information Systems and a B.S. in Biology.

“I am thrilled to join the Houston Bar Association,” said Ho. “I have dedicated my career to public service and look forward to serving Houston lawyers in furtherance of our profession and the administration of justice.”

Ho will succeed Davidson, who has served the HBA as its executive director since 2019 after a more than 30-year legal career in Houston, focused on fiduciary responsibility and corporate governance. 

“It has been a tremendous honor to serve as the HBA’s executive director and I am proud of all that our team has accomplished over the past five years. Vinh brings fresh perspective and I believe the future of the HBA will be very bright under his leadership.”

HBA President Diana Gomez said Ho’s experience and expertise will serve as a valuable resource as the organization continues to grow. 

“We greatly appreciate Mindy Davidson’s contributions and are very excited to have Vinh Ho join us as executive director at such an important time for the organization,” said HBA President Gomez. “Vinh’s background and experience will be pivotal as we continue to expand the HBA’s impact.”

  

Thank you to everyone who joined us for "Bites & Beverages for the Bar" immediately after the Bench Bar Conference on April 12! 

The event brought together members of the bench and bar together in an informal, inviting environment with cuisine and libations from around the world to reflect Houston’s diversity. Guests mingled by the pool to celebrate our shared commitment to the administration of justice in the best legal community in the nation.

Thank you to our "Bites & Beverages for the Bar" sponsors!

View the "Bites and Beverages from the Bar" Photo Album