In August 2023, Hala A. Abdel-Jaber, an Associate Attorney with the Firm, was selected by the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Young Lawyers Association to participate in the 2023-2024 Leadership SBOT Program. This program was designed to recruit, train, and retain Texas lawyers for leadership positions in the legal community and the State Bar of Texas. Only 20 Texas lawyers are selected each year to participate in this prestigious program.
Monica L. Perez was appointed to the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority Board.
Monica L. Perez presented the "Employment Overview and Update" at the State Bar of Texas Paralegal Dvision District 16- Spring CLE Bootcamp.
At the June 2022 Annual Meeting of the State Bar of Texas in Houston, Firm CEO, Andrés E. Almanzán, received the "Outstanding Third Year Director Award" for the 2021-2022 Board Year, awarded by Santos Vargas, Chair of the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors. This award was presented to Mr. Almanzán, "In Recognition of Outstanding Service & Dedication to the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors."
Recently, Firm CEO, Andrés E. Almanzán, was admitted to the Texas Bar College, the Professional Society of Legal Scholars for the State Bar of Texas. Members must have accumulated at least 80 hours of accredited Continuing Legal Education (CLE) within the preceding 3-year period or at least 45 hours of CLE in the current year (Triple of that required by the State Bar of Texas' Minimum Continuing Legal Education - MCLE rules).
We proudly salute our attorneys named to the Texas Super Lawyers list of Rising Stars for 2021. No more than 2.5 percent of the young lawyers in Texas are selected to receive the Rising Stars honor. Their work has helped make us one of the most respected law firms in West Texas.Recognized lawyers (with areas of practice noted) were: Merwan Bhatti (Business Litigation) and Monica Perez (Employment Litigation: Defense).The Rising Stars list is compiled through peer nominations and attorney-led research by Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters. The complete listing of this year's Texas Rising appeared in the April 2021 issue of Super Lawyers magazine and at https://www.superlawyers.com/. The annual selections are made using a rigorous multi-phased process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area.
Mounce, Green, Myers, Safi, Paxson & Galatzan, P.C. is pleased to congratulate S. Anthony Safi on his receipt of the “Kelly Frels Lifetime Achievement Award” from the School Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. The Lifetime Achievement Award is reserved for an attorney who has made “outstanding contributions” to school law jurisprudence on the state and/or federal level, has been a recognized leader in the school community, has demonstrated the highest standards of ethical behavior, and has demonstrated a high level of collegiality and professionalism in dealing with other attorneys while zealously representing his or her clients. The award is named after Kelly Frels, a former President of the State Bar of Texas, and its first recipient. Mr. Safi received the award at the annual meeting of the State Bar School Law Section held in July in San Antonio. He is the only El Pasoan ever to have received this recognition. Mr. Safi has been with the firm his entire career.He represents clients in a variety of litigation, appellate, and school law matters. He has litigated cases at all levels, including the U.S. Supreme Court, the Texas Supreme Court, and the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.He is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He has earned the distinction of being named a Texas “Super Lawyer®” by Texas Monthly magazine every year since inception of the program in 2003, including his designation as being among the “Top 50 Super Lawyers®” in Central and West Texas in 2010 and again in 2013.He is also listed in the “Best Lawyers in America.”He was named by the El Paso Young Lawyers Association as El Paso’s “Outstanding Senior Lawyer” for 2013-14. He has presented scholarly papers at numerous legal conferences, at the state and national level. He is a past chair of the School Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, as well as of the Texas Council of School Attorneys. After attending Princeton University, Mr. Safi earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.He graduated with high honors from the University of Texas School of Law, where he was an editor of the Texas Law Review and a member of the Chancellors and Order of the Coif honorary societies. Mr. Safi is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, and a Fellow of the El Paso Bar Foundation. Mr. Safi has been an active member of the Church of St. Clement, where he has served on the Vestry, as a Sunday school teacher, as an usher, and as Chancellor of the Parish. He is married to Charlotte Safi, and they have three adult children and two grandchildren.
Mark D. Dore, a Shareholder with the firm, was named "Lawyer of the Year" for 2022 in Litigation – Labor & Employment (El Paso) for The Best Lawyers in America® by Woodward White, Inc., one of the oldest and most respected peer-review publications in the legal profession. Mr. Dore represents management in all areas of labor and employment law, including claims and lawsuits pertaining to employment discrimination, retaliatory discharge, employment contracts, and wage matters. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this accolade particularly significant. Lawyers being honored as “Lawyer of the Year” are selected based on particularly impressive voting averages received during the exhaustive peer-review assessments the publication conducts with thousands of leading lawyers each year.
Andres E. Almanzán, a Vice President, Shareholder, and Civil Defense Trial Lawyer at Mounce, Green, Myers, Safi, Paxson & Galatzan, P.C., was recently re-elected to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the Firm. Mr. Almanzán is a proud third-generation Mexican-American native and bilingual El Pasoan who graduated from Eastwood High School (1990), Stanford University (B.A., Economics - Quantitative Track, 1994), and the UCLA School of Law (J.D., 1997). Mr. Almanzán has been recognized as a "Texas Super Lawyer" in Personal Injury - Defense by Thomson Reuters as published in Texas Monthly magazine, is an "AV-Preeminent" Rated Lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings, and also serves on the Board of Directors for the State Bar of Texas as an At-Large Director. He is in his 24th year of practice at the Firm and is licensed in both Texas and New Mexico.
We proudly salute our attorneys named to the Texas Super Lawyers list of Rising Stars for 2020. No more than 2.5 percent of the young lawyers in Texas are selected to receive the Rising Stars honor. Their work has helped make us one of the most respected law firms in West Texas.Recognized lawyers (with areas of practice noted) were: David Mirazo (Business Litigation), Merwan Bhatti (Business Litigation), Monica Perez (Employment Litigation: Defense), and Garrett J. Yancey (Personal Injury General).The Rising Stars list is compiled through peer nominations and attorney-led research by Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters. The complete listing of this year's Texas Rising Stars will appear in the April 2020 issue of Super Lawyers magazine and at https://www.superlawyers.com/. The annual selections are made using a rigorous multi-phased process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area.
Darryl S. Vereen participated as a panelist at the 2019 TIDA Conference, addressing a national audience of attorneys, general counsel and industry/insurance executives and professionals. Mr. Vereen spoke on successful approaches to litigation, trial strategies and good news verdicts and outcomes. TIDA is a non-profit association devoted to sharing knowledge and resources for the defense of the trucking industry, with membership of over 1,600 motor carriers, trucking insurers, defense attorneys and claims servicing companies.
We proudly salute our attorneys named to the Texas Super Lawyers list for 2019, published in Texas Monthly. No more than five percent of the lawyers in Texas are selected to receive the Super Lawyers honor. In addition, no more than 2.5 percent are selected to receive Rising Stars honor. Their work has helped make us one of the most respected law firms in West Texas. Recognized lawyers (with areas of practice noted) were: Andrés E. Almanzán (Personal Injury Defense), Raymond Benavides, III (Personal Injury Defense), Merwan Bhatti (Business Litigation), John S. Birkelbach (Real Estate), Mark D. Dore (Employment & Labor), Laura M. Enriquez (Personal Injury Defense), Carl H. Green (Personal Injury Defense) (also named "Top 50" Lawyer, Central and West Texas), Bruce A. Koehler (Employment & Labor) (also named "Top 50" Lawyer, Central and West Texas), David M. Mirazo (Consumer Law), H. Keith Myers (Personal Injury Defense)(also named "Top 50" Lawyer, Central and West Texas), Kurt G. Paxson (Personal Injury Defense) (also named "Top 50" Lawyer, Central and West Texas), Monica Perez (Employment Litigation: Defense), Clyde A. Pine, Jr.(Business Litigation); S. Anthony Safi (Schools & Education), and Darryl S. Vereen (Personal Injury Defense), Garret J. Yancey (Personal Injury General). A "Super Lawyer" distinction is awarded to only five percent of all Texas lawyers. The annual selections are made using a rigorous multi-phased process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area.
