Six Haynes Boone lawyers have been recognized in Fort Worth Magazine’s 2021 Top Attorneys list in the Greater Fort Worth area. They are: Stephen Pezanosky, Thomas Williams, Brian Barnard, Karen Precella, William Greenhill, and Chris Knight.
The annual listing is drawn from peer nominations and the recommendation of attorneys in the region. The lawyers will be recognized in the December issue of Fort Worth Magazine, which will hit newsstands Nov. 24, and at a reception on Nov. 18.
Learn more about the lawyers below:
Stephen Pezanosky, Restructuring partner
For three decades, Steve has handled complex financial restructurings. Steve represents debtors, lenders, lender groups, and other constituents in insolvency matters across the country, as well as buyers and sellers of distressed companies. Although he has worked in numerous business sectors over the years, Steve has developed particular knowledge in the energy, real estate, and technology industries. Steve’s practice is national in scope, including recent matters in New York, Delaware, California, Colorado, Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Puerto Rico.
Steve has been recognized as one of the top restructuring practitioners over the past decade in Chambers USA, 2010-2020, Chambers and Partners; The Best Lawyers in America, 2005-2021, Woodward/White, Inc.; and Texas Super Lawyers, 2003-2019, Thomson Reuters. He is a Fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy.
Thomas Williams, Litigation partner
Tom has served as a trusted counselor to companies, individuals, lawyers, and his community for more than 30 years. An experienced litigator and one of only a handful of members of the firm invited to join of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Tom has handled cases across a spectrum of practice areas, including those involving claims of libel, invasion of privacy and other First Amendment issues, copyright and trademark infringement, professional responsibility and professional liability claims, oil and gas disputes, employment disputes, and a variety of commercial, corporate, and business issues.
Tom is well-established in the local legal community, and judges and opponents alike respect his subject-matter knowledge and litigation skill. Before the age of 30, Tom served as vice-chair of the City of Fort Worth Charter Review and Revision Commission. He was appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas to serve the maximum two terms on the Board of Disciplinary Appeals, a statewide judicial body of 12 attorneys appointed by the Supreme Court to hear certain lawyer discipline cases.
Brian Barnard, Corporate senior counsel
For more than 35 years, Brian has been providing legal advice and business counsel to senior management teams, boards of directors and in-house lawyers of public and private companies on general corporate matters, mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, reporting requirements and corporate governance. He has earned recognition for his work on a number of landmark transactions and he was named as a BTI Client Service All-Star by BTI Consulting Group in 2018 based on nominations from general counsels and other legal decision-makers.
Brian counsels buyers and sellers of public and private companies through merger and acquisition transactions, including documenting and negotiating the transaction. Clients in the securities and capital markets have the benefit of Brian's experience with assisting both issuers and underwriters in a range of public and private equity and debt offerings.
Karen Precella, senior counsel, Appellate Practice
Administrative Partner of the Fort Worth office, Karen has secured favorable rulings in all phases of trial and appellate proceedings—from pre-trial summary judgment to post-verdict motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict to appeals at the intermediate and supreme court levels. Karen, co-chair of Haynes Boone’s Appellate Practice Group, has briefed and argued numerous cases in the Fifth Circuit and Texas appellate courts. She understands that an appellate practice involves not only an in-depth knowledge and respect of the law but also working together with the trial team to get the best results for the client.
Karen speaks and writes frequently on appellate issues and has earned a state-wide reputation on jury charge and mandamus procedures through her legal writing and bar service. She served a three-year term as Chair of the State Bar Pattern Jury Charge Committee for the Business Volume, served on the Pattern Jury Charge Oversight Committee, and now serves on the Pattern Jury Charge Committee for the Oil and Gas Volume.
William Greenhill, Finance counsel
Bill advises corporate decision makers, in-house counsel, and financial industry executives on structuring complicated corporate and financial transactions to promote their business objectives. His clients include established public and private corporations involved in debt, equity, and merger and acquisition transactions; financial institutions involved in structured financings; start-up companies whose goal is either to "go public" or to build up their business to become attractive for purchase; and businesses, including underwriters, borrowers, collateral agents, and trustees involved in sophisticated taxable and tax-exempt municipal bond transactions.
During the course of his 30+ years of practice, Bill has also assisted large corporation, start-ups and emerging businesses in navigating the securities/capital markets and the complex laws which regulate them. Bill also advises clients who deal with land use regulation and zoning issues on a state-wide basis.
Chris Knight, Appellate associate
Chris started his legal career as a judicial law clerk, first at the Texas Supreme Court and then at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Now an advocate, he draws on that experience to advance his clients’ interests through well-crafted legal arguments throughout the trial and appellate process. Chris has prepared briefs on a variety of cutting-edge legal issues—from the types of damages available in fraud cases, to the scope of the State of Texas’ sovereign immunity, to a criminal defendant’s constitutional right to exculpatory evidence before pleading guilty.
Chris is a member of the Appellate Section of the Texas State Bar and regularly authors case summaries for the Section’s quarterly publication. He is also a member of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society, the Tarrant County Bar Association, and the Federalist Society.
