Ware Jackson partner Avery Sheppard is serving as the Course Director for 18^th Annual Damages in Civil Litigation Course, presented by TexasBar CLE. The live webcast will take place on February 5-6, 2026, and will feature presentations on topics such as the new summary judgment rules, whether artificial intelligence can help prove or disprove damages, and issues with valuating and dealing with digital assets. Avery will also be conducting his own presentation on wrongful death vs. survival damages. More information can be found here.

Ware Jackson hosted our annual Veterans Day Lunch Celebration to honor veterans and active service members of the United States. We had the privilege to hear from guest speakers Captain Jamie McCall of the U.S Marine Corps and Major Robert Kroes of the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

Jamie M. McCall served on active duty as a Captain and Judge Advocate in the United States Marine Corps from 2000 to 2005. He began his career as a prosecutor and later as a defense counsel, trying serious felony courts-martial and representing Marines and Sailors in both criminal and administrative matters. In 2004, he deployed to Iraq as the Staff Judge Advocate for 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment during Operation Iraqi Freedom II, advising commanders during combat operations and ensuring compliance with the Laws of Armed Conflict. For his service, he received the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, and other decorations. Following his military career, Jamie served for 12 years as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Miami, Florida and Wilmington, Delaware, where he led major investigations and prosecutions involving violent crime, narcotics, fraud, and national security. He is a two-time recipient of the Department of Justice Director’s Award for Superior Performance. Jamie is now a litigation partner at Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP in Radnor, Pennsylvania, focusing on federal securities fraud litigation on behalf of institutional investors. He is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Major Robert Kroes began his career in the United States Marine Corps, serving more than 20 years in both active and reserve roles. After enlisting as a Cryptologic Interpreter (Korean) in 1993, he supported global intelligence and reconnaissance missions across multiple platforms while stationed in Misawa, Japan. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from the University of Washington through the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program, he was commissioned as an officer in 2001. As an infantry and reconnaissance leader, he commanded platoons and special operations elements during deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and Liberia. His leadership roles included serving as Commanding Officer of Company B, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and Deputy Program Manager for the Black Sea Rotational Force in Europe. In his final military post as Operations Officer for 4th LAR Battalion, he oversaw training, readiness, and coordination across reserve units. Following his military career, Robert earned an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School in 2016 and now applies his military and analytical expertise to leadership, strategy, and organizational development in the civilian sector. His decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Gold Star.

To those currently in uniform and those who have served in the past, we thank you and honor you today and every day.

Ware Jackson is proud to be recognized for 6 practice areas nationally and for 13 practice areas in the Houston area by the 2026 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” report. According to Best Lawyers®, achieving this accolade “signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.” The rankings are based on a “methodology that relies on qualitative and quantitative data on legal skillset, achievements and client successes.” This year’s rankings for Ware Jackson include:

National Tier 1: Litigation – Construction
National Tier 2: Appellate Practice, Energy Law, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs
National Tier 3: Litigation – Environmental

Metropolitan Tier 1 – Houston: Appellate Practice, Arbitration, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Commercial Litigation, Energy Law, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Environmental, Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Metropolitan Tier 2 – Houston: Litigation – Labor and Employment
Metropolitan Tier 3 – Houston: Employment Law – Management