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Twelve Munsch Hardt Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America

August 5, 2010

Twelve attorneys at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C., a law firm with over 100 attorneys and offices in Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas, have been named Best Lawyers in America. Frederick W. Addison, III, William (Chip) T. Cavanaugh, Jr., Jeffrey D. Dunn, James D. Jordan, Mary W. Koks, Richard O. Kopf, E. Lee Morris, Russell L. Munsch, Sally A. Schreiber, Lisa Lepow Turboff, Joseph J. Wielebinski and Richard W. Wilhelm are among those honored in the 2011 list, which was published by Woodward/White, Inc.

Since its inception in 1983, Best Lawyers in America is based on a peer-review survey in which more than 39,000 leading attorneys cast approximately 3.1 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers in America “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

Frederick W. Addison, III
Rick has over 30 years of experience in environmental and commercial counseling and litigation as well as other government regulatory matters including:

  • Representation of corporations, individuals and organizations involved in litigation and administrative proceedings including the Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA) and comparable state laws.
  • Representation of clients in complex litigation and disputes including antitrust and securities and product liability litigation, Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA), loans and other commercial contract claims, enforcement of covenants not to complete, and business and personal torts.

He received his Juris Doctor from The University of Texas School of Law and Bachelor of Business Administration, graduating cum laude, from Southern Methodist University.

William (Chip) T. Cavanaugh, Jr.
Chip is the Section Head of the firm’s Real Estate group, which consists of over 25 attorneys in Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas. His practice focuses on real estate, hospitality and health care companies with respect to a variety of real estate, corporate/securities and general business matters. In his career, Chip has represented investors, developers, private equity funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), management companies, lenders and corporations in the acquisition, financing, development, leasing, management and sale of office, retail, multifamily, industrial, hospitality, health care, seniors' housing and residential properties. Chip has particular experience in the formation of partnerships, joint ventures and funds for the investment of capital in real estate opportunities. He received his Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School and Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, graduating cum laude, from Southern Methodist University.

Jeffrey D. Dunn
Jeff represents banks and other financial institutions and private equity companies engaged in complex corporate finance transactions including loans, leveraged and true leases, sale leaseback transactions, multiple lender syndications and participations, swaps and derivatives, loan restructurings, letter of credit facilities, asset based financing, real estate lending, factoring transactions and corporate usury law compliance. He received his Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, Master of Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Austin and Bachelor of Arts from Texas A&M University.

James D. Jordan
Jim served as Munsch Hardt's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 1998 to 2005. He is currently a member of the Compensation Committee. The Dallas Business Journal has named Jim one of the six most influential leaders in the Dallas/Fort Worth legal community and one of the top 15 business defense attorneys in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Thomson Reuters has named him a Texas Super Lawyer and his peers have selected him for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America in Commercial Litigation. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, trade secrets, trademarks and covenants not to compete. In addition to his litigation docket, Jim regularly provides experienced counsel to companies seeking practical business solutions to difficult legal problems. He received his Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from University of Illinois College of Law and Bachelor of Journalism from University of Missouri.

Mary W. Koks
Mary has more than 26 years of experience in a practice focusing on environmental compliance and litigation. Her experience includes:

  • Representation of potentially responsible parties and landowners in environmental lawsuits including bankruptcy matters, toxic tort, property claims and suits brought under various environmental acts including Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Oil Pollution Act (OPA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA) and comparable state statutes.
  • Representation of clients in administrative and civil enforcement cases before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH).
  • Assisting and advising clients on environmental issues in real estate related transactions, corporate acquisitions and mergers, insurance claims as well as regulatory compliance, supervision of environmental compliance audits and the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plans.

Mary received her Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law; Master of Laws in Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Law from University of Houston Law Center; and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Arts in Government from University of South Carolina.

Richard O. Kopf
Rick was one of the firm's founding partners, is currently the firm's Vice Chairman and has served in virtually every position of responsibility within the firm including Managing Partner, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for over 12 years and as a member of our Compensation Committee for over 15 years.

Rick's representation of entrepreneurial real estate investors includes acquisition, development, construction, financing, leasing and sale transactions of all types of income and non-income producing real property. That representation has a strong emphasis on the lodging and resort industries, comprising the acquisition and development of mixed-use projects, hotels, condominiums and golf course properties. He has had extensive experience in the structuring of transactions and the preparation, review and negotiation of contracts, management and operating agreements, partnership agreements, leases and conveyancing and financing documentation. The diversity of Rick's practice gives him the ability to see all sides of a transaction and to anticipate and deal with potential issues and problems that may be raised by opposing counsel. He received his Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law and Bachelor of Science from Bowling Green State University.

E. Lee Morris
Lee has a broad range of bankruptcy expertise, having been in practice for over 15 years and represented clients in all phases of reorganization and liquidation including debtors, committees, trustees, lenders, insurers, receivers, major creditors and directors and officers in a number of industries and commercial sectors including real estate, oil and gas, food service, retail, telecommunications, health care and financial planning. Lee also has a strong litigation background, having served as lead counsel in a number of complex commercial disputes and appeals involving avoidance action claims and claims for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, unjust enrichment and breach of contract. He received his Juris Doctor, graduating cum laude, from University of Houston Law Center and Bachelor of Arts in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin.

Russell L. Munsch
Russ is one of the firm’s founding partners and the former Section Head of the Insolvency, Restructuring & Creditors’ Rights group, which consists of over 20 attorneys in Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas. He has also served as the firm’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the firm’s Management Committee. His experience relates to all phases of creditors' rights, insolvency, bankruptcy and commercial law. His primary emphasis during the last several years has been in the representation of major creditors, bank groups and financial institutions in large loan workouts, restructures and bankruptcies. Russ represents trustees and creditors committees in cases throughout the country and has also served as trustee and examiner in cases in Texas. He received his Juris Doctor, graduating cum laude, from University of Houston Law Center and Bachelor of Arts, graduating magna cum laude, from The University of Texas at Austin.

Sally A. Schreiber
For over 30 years, Sally has advised clients on a wide variety of corporate, securities, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity, partnership, franchise, contract and general business matters. Her clients range from small, start-up entities to large, publicly held companies. She has been actively involved in modernizing the business laws in Texas so that they better meet the needs of businesses. Sally received her Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School and Bachelor of Business Administration from University of New Mexico.

Lisa Lepow Turboff
Lisa has 19 years of experience handling a wide variety of complex health care and litigation matters. She has worked with clients in all types of disputes including civil trials, administrative and professional board proceedings, contract disputes, negotiated resolutions and appeals. Her representation includes leading Texas Medical Center hospitals, international pharmaceutical companies, international tire businesses, health care services organizations, limited liability corporations and individual professionals. Lisa received her Juris Doctor from University of Houston Law Center and Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin.

Joseph J. Wielebinski
Joe is the firm's Section Head of the Insolvency, Restructuring & Creditors’ Rights group, which consists of over 20 attorneys in Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas. His practice focus is on bankruptcy, creditors' rights and financial restructuring for almost 25 years and is active throughout the United States in a variety of complex restructuring, insolvency and bankruptcy cases. Joe received him Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law, Master of Public Administration from Maxwell School of Syracuse University and Bachelor of Arts, graduating magna cum laude, from Temple University.

Richard W. Wilhelm
Rick was the former Section Head of the firm’s Real Estate group, which consists of over 25 attorneys in Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas. His practice focuses on commercial transactions, acquisition, development and financing of multifamily residential projects, acquisition and disposition of land and income producing properties and build-to-suit commercial and retail lease negotiations. Rick received his Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and Bachelor of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University.

Munsch Hardt, a commercial law firm, provides the highest quality legal services and strategic business advice to companies and individuals of all sizes and has done so since 1985. In this video, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer as well as our founders describe our 25 years in the making. Whether you’re a big business or a growing company seeking cost-effective results — Munsch Hardt is the … Right Firm. Right Now.® Our practice groups include all aspects of Business Litigation; Corporate & Securities; Employment & Labor; Energy & Environmental; Finance; Health Care; Insolvency, Restructuring & Creditors’ Rights; Intellectual Property; Real Estate and Tax. Munsch Hardt is a multispecialty firm where experienced practitioners work together as a team across disciplinary lines to solve legal problems. For more information, visit munsch.com.