Husch Blackwell partner Kirk Watson in Austin has accepted a job as the founding dean of the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs. He also announced his retirement as a Texas senator, a position he has held since 2007. His law practice focuses on commercial litigation. Throughout his legal career, he has represented families, physicians, businesses and some of Texas’ major universities in a variety of disputes and transactions. He is also a mediator and involved in negotiation of a variety of business transactions. He is a highly recognized speaker on a range of legal and economic development topics, having addressed business and political leaders at public policy forums across the United States and internationally.

Houston Lawyer Wins State Bar CLE Award

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings is pleased to announce that Robert Ford, a partner in the firm’s Houston office, has received the 2019 Standing Ovation Award from the TexasBarCLE for his exceptional contributions to the state bar’s continuing legal education (CLE) efforts. Ford is one of four volunteer lawyers to receive the award from the TexasBarCLE, which is the State Bar of Texas’ nonprofit division that provides bar-sponsored CLE events. A member of Bradley’s Litigation Practice Group, Ford represents plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes civil litigation, including complex commercial litigation, trade secrets cases, fiduciary disputes, business torts, personal injury suits, product liability claims, and construction litigation. Ford has built a reputation in cases involving Chapter 95 of Texas’ Civil Practices and Remedies Code, trade secrets cases, and motions and appeals under the Texas Citizens’ Participation Act, which is the state’s anti-SLAPP statute. “We congratulate Rob for his outstanding commitment to helping TexasBarCLE deliver important continuing education programs for the state’s legal community,” said Bradley Houston Office managing partner Ian P. Faria, in a statement by the firm.

Managing Partner Named in Firm’s Austin Office