Our People

We are extremely proud to have been recognized as the “Best Place to Work” by the Houston Business Journal for the last three years, and our diverse team works diligently to support our attorneys and provide our clients with exceptional service every day. We pride ourselves on our high quality of service, responsiveness, efficiency, strategy and experience.

 

OPERATIONS

Headshot of Cynthia S. Birdwell

Cynthia S. Birdwell

Chief Operating Officer | Director of Marketing

Cynthia Birdwell joined Andrews Myers as its first marketing director in 2011, leading the firm’s marketing efforts and attorney business development initiatives, as well as steering on-campus recruitment, association relationships and client engagement. An active member of the firm’s management team and strategic planning committee, Cynthia was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2018, and now also leads the day-to-day administrative operations of the firm.

Cynthia is an active member of Associated General Contractors, where she has chaired the biennial APEX Awards Gala for three consecutive terms, has been Co-Chair of the ABC PAC for Associated Builders and Contractors, is the Associates Co-Chair for the Mechanical Contractors Association, and has been a featured speaker at the State Bar of Texas Construction Law Section Annual Conference.  Active in her community, she is a member of the United Way Women’s Initiative, was an Advisory Board member for Neuhaus Education Center, member of the Episcopal High School Parents Association, and heavily involved with The Nehemiah Center.

With a background in hospitality and real estate, Cynthia was an award-winning marketing leader for a national multi-family developer, as well as an international hotel chain, prior to joining the firm. She is a graduate of the Moody College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin (B.S. Advertising).

LEGAL

Headshot of Belinda Swanzy, TBLS–BCP

Belinda Swanzy, TBLS–BCP

Paralegal and Litigation Support Manager

Belinda Swanzy is a paralegal within the litigation practice group at the firm, but more importantly also serves as the litigation support manager for the entire group. A Board Certified Paralegal in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Belinda is one of the “firm originals,” having joined Tom Myers and Bill Andrews nearly 30 years ago. A native of Port Arthur, she attended nearby Lamar University where she studied business and accounting, before being lured away by the firm. Belinda is Mensa smart, and her specialty is complex, multi-party, multi-jurisdictional litigation – the “hairier the better” – and she is incredibly skilled at managing a very fast-paced and high energy caseload. But she’s also known for her guidance and mentorship of the paralegal team, and is often a source of support for other firm departments as well.  Belinda loves her family, her dog, her job, the Astros, Texans and Longhorns, and in her free time, which isn’t often, might be found around a craps table in Las Vegas singing show tunes.

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Lori Balzen

Paralegal, Litigation

Lori Balzen has been a paralegal with Andrews Myers in Austin since 2017, and has more than 25 years of experience managing cases from anticipation of litigation through trial. She has her bachelor of science in American Jurisprudence/Legal Studies from University of Houston – Clear Lake. Working primarily with the Austin construction litigation practice group, including Carson Fisk and Clayton Utkov, Lori assists with all phases of matters, including hearings, depositions, trials and mediations. She stays busy with her two young sons and enjoys traveling and taking her family RV out for weekend camping trips.

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Debbie Gregersen

Contract Paralegal, Litigation

Debbie Gregersen is a contract litigation paralegal with Andrews Myers, with over 34 years of experience. Prior to striking out on her own in 2021, she was a longtime member of the construction practice group and had the distinction of being one of the “firm originals,” as she was the first person hired by Tom Myers and Bill Andrews when they started the firm. She received a bachelor’s degree from LeTourneau University, and her master’s degree from New England College in New Hampshire. When not providing outside support to Jason Walker’s liens and collections team,  she can be found volunteering with her church, gardening, rooting for the Texans and pursuing various DIY projects.

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Samantha Ray, CBA

Paralegal, Bankruptcy and Litigation

Samantha Ray is a 12+ year experienced litigation paralegal at the firm. A Certified Bankruptcy Assistant by the Association of Bankruptcy Judicial Assistants, Sam works frequently with both the bankruptcy and business litigation practice groups. Sam assists Ed Ripley, Josh Judd, Lisa Norman and other attorneys on a wide variety of complex and corporate bankruptcy and credit matters for the firm. Experienced in federal and state courts, she is considered the “Go To” paralegal at the firm for large bankruptcy cases. Sam has an associate degree in paralegal studies, loves camping, swimming and spending time with her husband and three children. She also greatly enjoys having dance parties in the kitchen while dinner is being made.

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Kimberly Scott

Paralegal, Litigation

Kimberly Scott has enjoyed her entire 24 year career as a paralegal within the Andrews Myers litigation practice group. She joined the firm not long after graduating from Sam Houston State University, and now manages a high-stakes litigation caseload including construction, energy, business and employment matters. Kim is known throughout the firm for her excellent organization and problem-solving skills, but she is better known around Houston for saving and fostering more than 100 dogs through her association with Friends for Life rescue. In addition to walking the dogs, Kim’s hobbies also include cooking, traveling and spending time with her friends.

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Emely Jimenez

Junior Paralegal

Emely Jimenez is a Junior Paralegal in our Austin office. She received her paralegal certification from the University of Texas at Austin and started in the legal industry working with testifying experts in accident reconstruction. Always wanting to make a positive impact on society, Emely volunteers with Keep Austin Beautiful, spends her free time exploring nature and is a busy dog mom to Tashi, who she adopted from Austin Pets Alive. She attributes her success in her career to her family members, who motivated her to continue school to further her career in law.

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Charles Washington

eDiscovery Project Manager

Charles Washington recently joined the firm as our eDiscovery project manager and works very closely with the litigation practice groups. He came to us with more than 20 years’ experience as a highly competent technical project manager and litigation support specialist. Charles attended Northwestern University, where he studied computer science, before landing in Houston several years ago. Charles has the Tech Geek thing down – he and a group of longtime friends have a 25-year running gaming tournament going on, and we hear it gets pretty competitive.

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Michelle Woods

Legal Assistant Support Manager

Michelle Woods has over 28 years’ experience as a legal assistant in the Houston market, where she spent much of her career at an international Am Law 100 firm, prior to joining Andrews Myers in 2012. In addition to her role as a legal assistant within the construction litigation practice group, she is also the Legal Assistant Support Manager for the firm, working with the team to ensure that administrative systems and processes are uniformly implemented across the offices. Michelle supports co-managing shareholder Ben Westcott, as well as Seth Russell, Kevin Murphy, Yvonne Nguyen, Blain Donnell and chief operating officer Cynthia Birdwell. In her free time, Michelle enjoys reading, spending time at the beach, hiking, listening to music, and spending time with her friends and family.

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Angela Broady

Legal Assistant, Litigation

Angela Broady joined Andrews Myers nearly three years ago, bringing along her 25 years of experience as a legal assistant, which helps in supporting litigation attorneys Andy Clark, Josh Judd, Bob Plessala and Tony Stergio. Working with litigators whose practices span several practice groups – employment, bankruptcy and construction – keeps her extremely busy, and she enjoys the challenge of her role. On any given day, you might find her assisting with employment law seminars and presentations, preparing appellate briefs or interacting with government databases, such as EEOC or OSHA, on behalf of clients. Angela is a native Houstonian who stays loyal to her Texas teams and enjoys cheering on the Astros, Texans, and Longhorns. Her hobbies include listening to live music, dancing, trying new restaurants, and playing board games. In her free time, Angela loves exploring the outdoors, walking her dog Carl, traveling, and being with her two kids, friends, and family.

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Kathy DuBose

Legal Assistant, Litigation

Kathy Dubose brings more than 28 years of combined paralegal and legal support experience to the Andrews Myers’ Litigation Group. Her diverse background includes knowledge of, and experience in, commercial litigation, civil litigation, products liability, bankruptcy (Chapters 11 and 13) and other practice areas, which serves her well when working with litigators Jason Walker, Bill Davidson, Lisa Norman and Tim Ross. Kathy assists with all phases of matters within the construction, bankruptcy and employment practice groups to help handle hearings, depositions, trials and mediations. She enjoys working out (she consistently places in the top three with our firm step competitions), gardening, boating, the beach and fishing. She especially enjoys spending time with her family and her grandchildren.

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Alexis Fry

Legal Assistant

Alexis Fry brings two decades of legal experience to our team. She has remained in this industry because she values fighting for who and what’s right and is amazed at how the law touches the lives of every individual, making an impact on the lives around us. Alexis assists construction attorneys Chris Love, Bryan Acklin, Moustapha El-Hakam, and Paul Goldenberg.

Headshot of Starla Gurka, in memoriam

Starla Gurka, in memoriam

Legal Assistant, Litigation

Certified as a Professional Legal Secretary by the National Association of Legal Professionals, Starla Gurka was a longtime legal assistant with Andrews Myers, with over 31 years of experience specializing in commercial litigation support within the areas of construction law, employment law, and personal injury. Prior to joining the firm over 10 years ago, Starla gained experience as a legal assistant and office administrator for a regional law firm, where she spent 22 years working with both state and federal courts as a team member in the employment and civil litigation practice groups. An important member of the construction litigation, and liens and collections group, Starla supported Jason Walker, as well as Tom Myers in his construction transactional practice. Starla Gurka passed away January 12, 2022, after a years long, courageous battle with cancer.

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Emily Harrison

Legal Assistant, Litigation

Emily Harrison joined Andrews Myers as a legal assistant in the litigation practice group in 2019. She works with several attorneys within the construction, real estate and employment practice groups, Matt Cire, Billy Davis, Brittany Cooperrider, and Bret Rycroft, in preparing for trials and court proceedings, written reports, draft pleadings, motions and docketing. Prior to entering the legal administrative profession, Emily was a teacher for nearly five years, and uses many of those skills learned in the classroom to efficiently juggle a very busy and active desk.

A graduate in human resource management from University of Houston – Clear Lake, Emily enjoys spending her free time traveling, going to concerts, and playing board games. She can also be found cheering on Houston sports teams, playing with her dog, and visiting with family and friends.

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Shelley Jordan

Legal Assistant, Corporate and Real Estate

Shelley Jordan is a longtime legal assistant with Andrews Myers who has seven years of experience in corporate and real estate transactional law, providing administrative support to Patrick Hayes, Josh Harrison, Brenton Pharis, Terrell Sprague, Conner Bourne, and Andrew Kidda. Prior to joining the firm, Shelley spent 17 years working with a regional law practice where she honed her administrative skills on matters related to family law and commercial litigation. She enjoys her role within the corporate and real estate practice groups not only for its complexity, but also for the ability to work with a variety or associates and clients in a fast-paced environment. Shelley has an AAS degree (with honors) in Paralegal Studies, and her hobbies include listening to music, spending time outdoors, and enjoying time with her family and friends.

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Maricela Koopmann

Legal Assistant, Litigation

Maricela Koopmann is not just a legal assistant within the Austin office of Andrews Myers who has over 30 years of invaluable administrative experience, she’s also the de facto receptionist and primary contact for the firm’s administrative team in Houston. And those are just three of the roles she effortlessly maintains in the course of any given day. Fun Fact: Maricela has worked with many of our Austin attorneys at other firms prior to joining the Andrews Myers Austin office, proving how indispensable she really is to the team. She supports construction litigators Carson Fisk, Clayton Utkov, JG Albertine, and Jacob Roschmann, as well as corporate attorney Champe Fitzhugh. In her free time, Maricela enjoys learning about different cultures and new languages. She is fluent in Spanish and basic American Sign Language, and is currently learning Russian. Maricela is a strong believer in giving back and is often found at her church’s food pantry, donating blood, or coordinating blood drives.

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Pamela Lee

Legal Assistant, Litigation

Pamela Lee began her legal career in 2005, spending most of that time working within the fast-paced oil and gas and litigation practice groups for a large, international law firm before she joined Andrews Myers, along with shareholder Hunter Barrow, in 2019. A consummate professional, Pamela currently supports Jim Aycock, Hunter Barrow, Andrew Bender and Emily Miller in the firm’s business litigation practice group, as well as lends support to Tom Myers in his construction arbitration and mediation practice. A master of the e-filing systems in both federal and district courts, Pamela is an important member of the litigation team, assisting with all phases of client cases, from engagement to resolution and everything in between. She attended American International College before transferring to University of Hartford, and later achieved her paralegal certification from Truman College. She is a certified Microsoft Office Specialist in Outlook 2016, Word 2016, and PowerPoint 2016. She is a proud member of the National Association of Legal Professionals, Houston Association of Legal Professionals, and Texas Association of Legal Professionals. In her free time, Pamela can be found enjoying a good book or going on long walks around her neighborhood.

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Jasmine Nash

Legal Assistant

Jasmine Nash received a Bachelor’s degree and a Paralegal degree and has spent the last four years in the Legal industry. She assists attorneys Adam Robertson, Ieshia Dunmore, Garrett Gray, and Marcela Arévalo in the Construction practice group, and Elliot Kudisch in Employment law.  A native Texan, Jasmine is a big fan of the Philadelphia Eagles and one day hopes to visit all 50 states. When she’s not at the office, she enjoys spending time with her Shih Tzu, Bella, and watching sports.

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Jennifer Pipes

Legal Assistant

Jennifer Pipes is a legal assistant with Andrews Myers with over 24 years of experience. She supports Colby Hodges, Elaine Howard, Ed Ripley, focusing her time in Construction, Employment, and Bankruptcy legal support. In her free time, Jennifer can be found spending time with family, especially her grandchildren. An avid reader, Jennifer dedicates her time to adding to her book collection and also shopping for antiques.

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Brenda Ratliff

Legal Assistant

Brenda Ratliff is a 15-year legal assistant at Andrews Myers who has over 25 years of experience in her field. An important member of the transactional team in real estate and corporate law, Brenda assists Scott McKaig, Susan George, Josh Cunningham, Gabe Alonso, Marc Jacobs, and Jeff Lefkowitz on everything from client correspondence, contract review, real estate closing preparation, corporate filings, EIN registrations and calendaring. Brenda recently completed a degree in creative writing, which allows her to focus on her creative side – writing, acting and directing. She earned her Bachelor of Science in English and Writing, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Liberty University.  Brenda also enjoys cruising, spending time with family (she has been married 34 years and has 5 children!) and friends, and being a Sunday school teacher.

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Leticia Teran

Legal Assistant

Leticia Teran has over 35 years’ experience in the legal support field, having worked in large litigation practice groups within both international and national law firms, prior to joining Andrews Myers in 2016. She is proficient in all phases of pre-litigation and litigation procedures, and currently supports the firm’s mega-project and complex construction litigation team, consisting of named shareholder Bill Andrews, and shareholders Kenton Andrews and Kristi Belt. She also supports employment shareholder Mark Levine. Leticia enjoys spending her free time traveling, watching Houston sports teams, and binge watching Discovery+ TV. Leticia also has a great love for gathering with her family and having fun with her grandchildren.

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Kenyatta Thomas-Davis

Legal Assistant

Legal Assistant, Kenyatta Thomas-Davis, brings 12 years of experience and an Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies. She has stayed in the legal industry to make a difference in people’s lives and help them get justice. Kenyata supports Ved Chitale, Mayra Maldonado and Mic Davis. She is very passionate about Mental Health Awareness in teens and stays involved with American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as well as the Houston Food Bank. When not volunteering, in the Fall you can find Kenyatta saying “Who Dat?,” supporting her New Orleans Saints.

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Kimberly Tompkins

Legal Assistant

Kimberly Tompkins is a legal assistant in our Austin office working with Andy Harris, Bill Erwin, Daniel Manning and Ryan McKee. With over a decade of legal industry experience, she’s seen cases in everything from family law to foreclosures, debt collections, personal injury, and real estate. Kimberly hails from South Carolina and loves her rescue Siberian Husky, June, and Clemson Tigers football. Kimberly can be found on the weekends visiting aquariums, zoos, and museums or watching true crime documentaries.

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Melissa Davis

Project Assistant, Litigation

Melissa joined the Firm in 2019 to assist the lien team with lien filings and collections. Her excellent organizational skills, attention to detail and willingness to learn and help out wherever needed quickly led her to additional projects for the paralegals working in the litigation practice group.  In addition to being a very important member of the lien team, handling filing of liens/releases and communicating with many county clerk offices, Melissa is also involved with trial preparation, with heavy emphasis on preparing documents for production and exhibits for use in trial/arbitration proceedings, as part of the litigation team.  In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family, being outdoors, listening to music and baking.

ADMINISTRATION

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Shannon Giordano

Marketing and Business Development Manager

Shannon Giordano joined the firm as marketing and business development manager in 2019. Bringing 13 years of corporate experience, including construction marketing and association work, Shannon uses her skills in event planning, association management, social media and marketing to keep Andrews Myers seen and heard around Houston and Austin. She graduated from LSU in 2008. Along with cheering on the Tigers, Shannon spends her free time as a Girl Scout troop leader and serving as chair of her church’s spring festival. When not vying to be “volunteer of the year,” she can be found reading, running or learning new recipes.

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Veronica Aguirre, PHR

Human Resources Manager

The firm’s human resources manager, Veronica Aguirre is an important member of the firm’s management team and has over 13 years of experience as a human resources professional in the legal and medical fields. Prior to moving into HR, Veronica was a paralegal at a Texas-based litigation firm, experience which helps guide her when crafting employee policies within our industry. She joined Andrews Myers in 2015, and manages everything from recruiting, interviewing and hiring of new staff; consulting with top executives on company culture and health initiatives, and maintaining employee relations. She administers employee benefits and the firm’s 401(k) plan. Veronica is a busy mom of two boys and tries to spend any free time gardening, exercising and reading. She is active in the Houston Chapter Association of Legal Administrators group, is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). She has an associate’s degree in business, as well as the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification. Veronica is passionate about giving back to the Houston community through her volunteer work at Star of Hope.

Headshot of Greg Harris, CPA, CLM

Greg Harris, CPA, CLM

Controller

Greg Harris brings 37 years of accounting experience to Andrews Myers, 28 of those years spent in accounting departments within the legal industry. In his role as firm Controller, he oversees the firm’s daily accounting operations, including the accounting, payroll, accounts payable and accounts receivable departments.  Integral to the financial health of the firm, Greg is a CPA and Certified Legal Manager. Greg is also a 25+ year member of the Association of Legal Administrators, and was recently named an ALA Distinguished Member.

When not working with numbers, Greg enjoys biking, skiing and boating in Galveston. He most recently has become a licensed captain for the U.S. Coast Guard.

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Cheryl Edwards

Accounting Clerk

Cheryl Edwards joined the firm’s accounting team in 2013, and has over 12 years of experience working in accounting. As the firm’s accounting clerk, she runs our accounting software programs to process business transactions, like accounts payable and receivable, handles disbursements, expense reports and receipts. Cheryl’s hobbies include sewing and putting together intricate jigsaw puzzles. In her free time, she also loves to travel and spend time with family.

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Veronica Hatfield

Electronic Billing Specialist

Veronica Hatfield joined Andrews Myers in 2018 as the firm’s first, dedicated e-billing specialist, and we consider ourselves lucky to be the beneficiaries of her 36 years of experience.  Veronica is responsible for reviewing client billing guidelines, crafting attorney communications based on those guidelines, and managing the appropriate rate codes in the many e-billing systems we are involved with. She studied accounting at the University of Houston, enjoys spending her free time rescuing and fostering dogs, and also dedicates herself to rescuing goats and assisting with the maintenance of a 50 acre ranch in Centerville, Texas.

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Kimberly Spaeth

Accounting Associate

Kimberly Spaeth is the accounting and payroll associate for Andrews Myers, and has over 18 years of experience working within the legal field. She attended the University of Houston, and also achieved her paralegal certification at UH. She is responsible for managing employee and staff payrolls, timesheets, as well as entering payroll and salary documentation. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and devotes herself to animal rescue organizations. Kimberly is also a big Astros fan and loves to spend a lot of time with her three boys.

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Wanda Henderson

Client Relations

The first person you see and hear when visiting or calling Andrews Myers, would be Wanda Henderson. After having worked in management and public relations in her family-owned business for over 22 years, Wanda has worked in reception at Andrews Myers for 20 years, and is as familiar to our clients as she is to our team members. In addition to her role in reception, she is a key member of the accounting team, responsible for ensuring that the firm’s invoices are accurate. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, photography and gardening.  She loves to spend time with her family and friends and can also be found dedicating herself to various volunteering efforts in her community.

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Billy Nelson

Office Services Manager

Billy Nelson works as the Office Services Manager at Andrews Myers, and has an extensive 30 years of experience managing copy centers and mailrooms, vendor relationships and quality assurance needs. There is probably not a single firm litigation client who doesn’t know Billy – he becomes an extension of their account team when preparing for trial, making sure every single need is met while in preparations. He treats everyone at the firm, both in Houston and Austin, the same way – no one is want for anything in our firm thanks to Billy. He is well known for being a great cook, and his homemade gumbo is legendary for firm celebrations. When he’s not at the office, he can be found cheering on the Dallas Cowboys and Golden State Warriors.

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Robert Sevier

Office Assistant

Robert Sevier is an office assistant with Andrews Myers, who has been working in the support services industry for more than 20 years. Based in the Houston office, he is a proven team player who keeps the office running efficiently.  Robert loves Fantasy Football, baseball, and is the commissioner of 2 Football Leagues and 2 Baseball Leagues.  People have a difficult time telling Robert apart from his twin brother, so that’s great fun for them! He enjoys spending time with his wife, tending to their vegetable and flower gardens and grilling outdoors.

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Lucas Raney

Network Engineer

Lucas Raney is a member of the firm’s IT Services team, responsible for maintaining the firm’s network, ticketing support system, implementing new systems across all devices, equipment needs and audio visual support.