HOUSTON – Thirteen AZA lawyers were selected to the 2024 Texas Rising Stars list of leading young attorneys in the state, an honor based on peer nominations and independent research. 

Partners Cameron Byrd, Nathan Campbell, Taylor Freeman, Edward “Ward” Goolsby, Shahmeer Halepota, Jason McManis, Jordan Warshauer and Kelsi Stayart White were named to the list, which is a part of Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers. Associates Weining BaiMichael Killingsworth, Louis Liao and Paul Turkevich  were also named, as was AZA Of Counsel Kyle Poelker.    

Only 2.5% of lawyers in the state are chosen for this honor. Rising Stars is an exclusive listing of the state’s top lawyers who are age 40 or younger or who have been in practice no longer than 10 years. 

Messrs. Byrd, Campbell, Freeman, Goolsby, Killingsworth, Poelker and Turkevich were named for their business litigation work. Messrs. Bai, Liao and McManis earned selection for intellectual property prowess. Mr. Halepota and Ms. Warshauer were named for civil litigation – defense work, and Ms. White was named for her appellate expertise.    

Eight of these lawyers were also named to the 2024 Best Lawyers Ones to Watch list:  Messrs. Bai, Byrd, Campbell, Halepota, Killingsworth and Liao and Mses. Warshauer and White. 

AZA, or Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing, is a Houston-based law firm that is home to true courtroom lawyers with a formidable track record in complex commercial litigation, including energy, healthcare, intellectual property and business dispute cases. AZA is recognized by Chambers USA 2023 as among the best in Texas in commercial law and intellectual property; has been listed by Best Lawyers’ Best Law Firms as one of the country’s best commercial litigation firms for 12 years.