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Twelve Chamberlain Hrdlicka Attorneys Named to Texas Bar Foundation’s Fellows

March 20, 2023

Patrick Martin named Sustaining Life Fellow, and Hobbs Gnaim, Julie Offerman and Brittney Williams named Life Fellows

Recently, Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s attorneys Habeeb ‘Hobbs’ Gnaim, Julie Offerman and Brittney Williams, were named Life Fellows and Patrick Martin was named Sustaining Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation (TBF). Additionally, Vincent Bryan, Christine Borrett, Elizabeth Feeney, Tres Gibbs, Lauren Herrera, Michael Overstreet, Leo Unzeitig and Joshua Sutin were named TBF’s Fellows.

Election to the Fellows is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a member of the State Bar of Texas. They are selected for their outstanding professional achievements and demonstrated commitment to the improvement of the justice system throughout the state of Texas. Selection as a TBF Fellow is restricted to members of the State Bar of Texas, with only one-third of one percent of State Bar’s members invited to become Fellows each year. Since its inception in 1965, membership has grown from the initial 255 Charter Fellows to 10,000 Fellows throughout Texas, including 39 Chamberlain Hrdlicka attorneys in Houston and San Antonio.

Gnaim, shareholder at Chamberlain Hrdlicka Houston office, serves as the head of the Tax Planning & Business Transactions practice. He focuses his practice on tax and corporate matters and has significant experience in all aspects of structuring, negotiating and implementing business acquisitions and dispositions, corporate reorganizations, mergers, conversions, recapitalizations, deferred recognition transactions, admissions of and providing equity incentives for management and key employees, as well as choice of entity considerations, and state tax planning.

Martin is a shareholder in the firm’s San Antonio office. His practice focuses on a wide range of international tax issues. He assists domestic and foreign privately held companies, global investors, funds, and other business entities with their international tax treaty planning strategies as well as worldwide investments and financing plans. He also advises multi-national families on issues related to worldwide income, estate, gift, inheritance, and tax withholding planning, as well as international wealth preservation structures. Pre-immigration and expatriation planning is a significant part of his practice. He has a wealth of experience in international tax controversies and routinely defends international taxpayers before the relevant tax authorities, including the IRS and the Department of Justice, Tax Division.

Offerman, shareholder in Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s Labor & Employment practice in Houston, has successfully defended employers in all aspects of employment litigation, including disputes over breach of contract, trade secret misappropriation, non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and retaliation. In many cases, she has obtained complete dismissal for clients on summary judgment. In addition to handling state and federal cases, Julie represents clients in investigations by administrative agencies, including the EEOC, the Texas Workforce Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Department of Labor.

Williams is a senior associate in the firm’s Labor and Employment and Commercial Litigation practices in Houston. With ten years of legal experience, she counsels clients on compliance issues related to employee handbooks and policies, leaves of absence, reductions in workforce, unemployment compensation, as well as management and employee training. She also represents employers in various types of employment disputes involving wrongful termination, retaliation, harassment and discrimination, disability accommodations, wage and hour disputes, and employment-related contracts. Additionally, she represents clients in a variety of commercial disputes, including claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, misrepresentation, Deceptive Trade Practices Act violations, and Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act violations.

About Chamberlain Hrdlicka

Chamberlain Hrdlicka is a diversified business law firm with offices in Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, and San Antonio. The firm represents both public and private companies, as well as individuals and family-owned businesses across the nation. The firm offers counsel in appellate law, bankruptcy, commercial and probate litigation, construction law, corporate, data security & privacy, employee benefits, energy and maritime law, ERISA, estate planning and administration, intellectual property, international and immigration law, labor and employment, real estate, securities and finance, tax controversy and tax planning & business transactions.

About Texas Bar Foundation

The Texas Bar Foundation is the largest charitably funded bar foundation in the country. Founded in 1965 by lawyers determined to assist the public and improve the profession of law, the Texas Bar Foundation has maintained its mission of using the financial contributions of its membership to build a strong justice system for all Texans. To date, the Texas Bar Foundation has distributed nearly $25 million throughout Texas to assist nonprofit organizations with a wide range of justice-related programs and services. For more information, contact the Texas Bar Foundation at www.txbf.org.