40 & Under List - South

Florida
Pascual Oliu represented NextEra Energy Resources in Avangrid, Inc. et al. v. NextEra Energy, Inc. et al., a significant antitrust dispute alleging that NextEra obstructed competition in New England’s wholesale electricity market. He was part of the team that secured dismissal of key antitrust claims, with the court rejecting allegations that NextEra exercised monopoly power through its involvement in the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission project.

Andrea DeField is noted for her work in complex insurance coverage matters, helping clients navigate challenging disputes and policy interpretation issues.

Louisianna
Kaja S. Elmer is involved in complex commercial disputes, including representing the Chapter 7 Trustee of Cox Operating, LLC in bankruptcy and directors and officers litigation arising from the company's collapse. The matter involves claims exceeding $100 million against former officers, directors, and insiders, with recovery efforts pursued on behalf of the bankruptcy estate.

Missouri
Adam J. Simon has a broad commercial litigation practice, representing companies in complex disputes involving consumer fraud, false advertising, trade secrets, and breach of contract claims. He regularly handles matters through all stages of litigation, from pretrial strategy to appeals.

Tennessee
Leigh Anne St. Charles has been active in significant ERISA litigation, including Kim Snyder, et al. v. UnitedHealth Group, et al., where she served as lead counsel for the plaintiff class in a matter that resulted in a $69 million settlement over alleged fiduciary breaches tied to underperforming retirement plan investments. She also appears as lead counsel in McGeathy v. The Reinalt-Thomas Corporation, an ongoing ERISA dispute challenging the alleged retention of underperforming retirement funds for more than 15 years. Jonathan Tepe, Co-Chair of the firm's Public Interest Practice Group, is noted for public-interest litigation with systemic implications, including a class action alleging that Tennessee's juvenile justice system subjects children and young people with disabilities to violence, abuse, and neglect, with plaintiffs seeking injunctive relief.

Texas
James Quigley is an Austin-based trial lawyer whose practice focuses on complex patent and technology disputes. He has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in patent infringement litigation involving a broad range of technologies, including web applications, mobile devices, and integrated circuits. Veronica Manning has emerged as a notable practitioner in the bankruptcy and restructuring space. As part of the McKool Smith team representing the Sorrento Therapeutics liquidation trustee, she is involved in adversary proceedings exceeding $250 million that seek to recover value for the estate through claims against lenders and former company leadership. The representation underscores Manning's experience handling sophisticated post-bankruptcy disputes involving fiduciary duties and estate recoveries.

Jerry Tice is dedicated to high-stakes patent litigation, representing clients in complex technology disputes nationwide. He recently contributed to a successful representation of Secure Wi‑Fi LLC in a patent infringement matter against Samsung, where the team defeated multiple patent validity challenges and resisted attempts to halt the federal court litigation. The matter ultimately resolved favorably for the client following extensive pre-trial proceedings.

Ben Barnes leads Dowd Bennett’s growing Dallas presence, where his practice focuses on commercial disputes in the energy, industrial, petrochemical and private equity portfolio-company sectors. A former Kirkland & Ellis partner, Barnes has helped position the litigation boutique as a flexible alternative for sophisticated commercial matters in Texas. Recent work includes business court, energy-adjacent, and high-stakes industrial disputes.

A peer observed that “Susman has a really great class of young female partners,” adding, “They’re probably already on your radar, but I’ve been really impressed with Alejandra Salinas...” That praise reflects Salinas’s growing profile within the plaintiffs' bar. In Bartz et al. v. Anthropic PBC, she played a key role on the trial team, leading defensive discovery efforts, including defending class representatives, while also contributing to summary judgment, class certification, and expert-related motions. The matter culminated in a landmark settlement requiring Anthropic to pay$1.5 billion to rights holders whose books had been downloaded from widely known pirated databases. The peer also said,"...and then I've heard great things about Krisina Zuñiga.” Elevated to partner in 2024, Zuñiga is quickly building a reputation as one of Susman Godfrey’s rising talents. Based in the firm’s Houston office, she maintains a commercial litigation practice and is already drawing attention from peers across the market. Another member of Susman Godfrey's deep bench of emerging talent, Houston-based Meng Xi focuses her practice on complex commercial and patent disputes. She has represented prominent clients, including Nasdaq and Bitdefender, in high-stakes litigation against major technology companies, earning experience across every phase of a matter from initial filing through trial.

Austin-based litigator Ryan Goldstein is trusted by shareholders and investors in complex disputes involving corporate misconduct and fiduciary duty claims. He is part of the Reid Collins team representing derivative shareholders in ongoing Delaware Chancery Court litigation challenging an alleged conflicted stock issuance involving Juul insiders, a case that seeks substantial relief and centers on the rights of minority investors. Beyond his commercial practice, Goldstein has also earned recognition for his pro bono advocacy through the ACLU of Louisiana’s Justice Lab initiative, helping secure a landmark civil rights jury verdict that was later affirmed on appeal. Scott Saldaña is recognized for handling complex commercial litigation and insurance recovery matters. He recently played a role in the successful representation of JW Aluminum Company in a dispute against multiple insurers over coverage following a fire at one of the company’s manufacturing facilities. The matter culminated in a unanimous jury verdict exceeding $112 million, highlighting Saldaña’s involvement in high-stakes litigation where significant business interests are on the line. Dylan Jones was another young partner who played a role in the JW Aluminum Company matter. Beyond that representation, Jones is also part of the Reid Collins team serving as litigation counsel to the GWG Litigation Trust, where the firm is pursuing claims arising from the collapse of GWG Holdings and investigating allegations that led to hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. The ongoing matter has already resulted in significant recoveries and underscores Jones' growing involvement in complex commercial and bankruptcy-related litigation.

Ashley Kahn continues to be an integral member of the trial teams handling some of Hunton Andrews Kurth's most significant commercial disputes. Based in Houston, she advises clients facing complex litigation with substantial financial and reputational stakes, contributing to matters that demand sophisticated strategic and courtroom advocacy.

Virginia
Johnathon Schronce focuses his practice on corporate securities, regulatory matters, and government investigations. He regularly advises clients in complex disputes and high-stakes proceedings, helping navigate significant business and legal challenges while building a reputation for handling sophisticated matters with strategic insight. Merideth Daly is a partner in Hunton Andrews Kurth’s products liability and mass tort practice. She advises clients on complex litigation involving environmental, toxic tort, and product-related issues, earning recognition for her work on significant matters with far-reaching regulatory and business implications.