Marie Jamison receives Texas Bar Foundation Lola Wright Award;
Natasha Taylor and Brian Cathey named Texas Rising Stars
HOUSTON – Three firm partners at Wright Close & Barger, LLP have received statewide legal honors that place them among the top lawyers in Texas.
Marie Jamison has been awarded the Texas Bar Foundation’s Lola Wright Foundation Award for 2023, which recognizes outstanding public service in advancing and enhancing legal ethics in Texas.
The award, established in 1985, is presented each year to an attorney to whom professional ethics are paramount. It is given in memory of Coleman Gay, a distinguished Texas lawyer who exemplified the highest standards of professional ethics. The criteria include the award winner must be an attorney to whom professional ethics are paramount—qualities exemplified by Ms. Jamison. The award includes a monetary donation from the Lola Wright Foundation to a charity in the recipient’s honor. Ms. Jamison selected the YMCA of Greater Houston as her charity of choice.
Election to the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a member of the State Bar of Texas. Only one third of one percent of Texas attorneys are asked to join. “To become a Fellow is already a distinction in itself, but to receive this kind of award from the Bar Foundation – especially one that recognizes a commitment to professional ethics – is an immense honor,” said Tom Wright, Co-Founder of Wright Close & Barger. “We admire Marie for everything she does to advance our profession and congratulate her on this well-deserved honor.”
Board certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Ms. Jamison handles litigation and appeals in cases involving products and premises liability, personal injury, insurance defense, contract disputes, and commercial lawsuits. She has taught Appellate Advocacy as an adjunct professor at Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
Ms. Jamison is currently an Executive Committee Member of the Garland R. Walker American Inn of Court and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Texas Center for Legal Ethics.
Rising Stars Recognition
Natasha Taylor and Brian Cathey have been named to the 2023 list of Texas Rising Stars, an exclusive legal listing that recognizes only 2.5 percent of attorneys in the state. Both are recognized for their appellate practices.
Ms. Taylor, who is in her eighth year on the Texas Rising Stars list, has also been named to the Up-and-Coming 50: 2023 Women Texas Rising Stars Top List. She is board certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and has appealed cases in courts across the state, including the Texas Supreme Court, the intermediate Texas appellate courts, and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. She handles matters involving insurance coverage, extra-contractual litigation, and a variety of civil litigation.
Mr. Cathey is marking his third year on the list of Texas Rising Stars. He is also board certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and has argued appeals in the Texas Supreme Court, the intermediate Texas appellate courts, and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. He focuses his practice on complex litigation and appeals and has handled cases for clients in the petroleum, transportation, insurance, and construction industries, including contractual, commercial tort, catastrophic personal injury, and wrongful death claims.
“Natasha and Brian are stars indeed,” said Mr. Wright. “Whether it be for our clients or our firm, we see the results of their hard work every day, so it’s great to see them recognized in this way.”
To be eligible for Texas Rising Stars, attorneys must be age 40 or younger or in practice for 10 years or less. The guide is compiled through peer nominations and attorney-led research conducted by Super Lawyers, a division of Thomson Reuters. The complete listing of this year’s Texas Rising Stars will appear in the Texas Rising Stars edition of Super Lawyers Magazine and at https://www.superlawyers.com/.
Wright Close & Barger, LLP is a Houston-based civil trial and appellate firm handling complex trial and appellate work for clients across Texas. Our lawyers have a track record for achieving favorable results in cases involving catastrophic personal injury, insurance coverage, intellectual property, oil and gas, product defects, commercial disputes, arbitration and mediation, trade secrets, and trust and estate litigation, among others. We also assist with pretrial motions, special evidence problems, challenges to expert witnesses, and the critical work on the court’s charge to the jury. To learn more, visit http://www.wrightclosebarger.com/.
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