Congratulations to Sandy Bayne of BayneLaw. Bayne has been elected as a new board member for 2024-25 for HeartGift, a nonprofit assisting children in obtaining life-saving heart surgery. Bayne’s practice involves healthcare law, civil litigation, health insurance, and gestational carrier agreements.
Congratulations to Natalie Domanic, who has moved to Bollier Ciccone as an associate in the firm’s family law practice. Domanic is a graduate of the University of La Verne College of Law in Ontario, Calif. Domanic has been licensed in Texas since 2020 and is active in both the Austin Bar and AYLA.
Congratulations to retired 261st District Court Judge Lora Livingston, who won the State Bar of Texas Legal Services to the Poor in Civil Matters Committee’s 2024 Judge Merrill Hartman Pro Bono Judge Award. The award honors a sitting or retired judge who has provided exemplary pro bono service, including outreach to attorneys to increase the quantity and quality of pro bono representation; modifications to court processes to increase access to justice; advocacy on behalf of access to justice; service as a volunteer judge for pro bono clinics; or other pro bono proceedings. Judge Livingston’s accomplishments include overseeing the design and construction of the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility, which includes a self-help center and law library for pro se individuals.
Congratulations to Gina Shishima, chief strategy and operations partner at Norton Rose Fulbright. Shishima was recently named one of the recipients of the American Bar Association’s 2024 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award. The award is named after the first female lawyer in America—a colonist in 1638. Shishima is also a patent attorney who specializes in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology. She received her bachelor’s in biochemistry from Columbia University, her Ph.D. in molecular biology from Princeton, and her J.D. from the University of California—Berkeley.
Congratulations to Leah Stewart of Reed, Claymon, Meeker, Krienke, and Spurck. Stewart recently achieved certification in health law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Stewart was previously the inaugural associate vice president for legal affairs at The University of Texas at Austin Medical School. Stewart is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law. After law school, she clerked for the Hon. Emilio M. Garza on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Congratulations to Paul Trahan, who has been named co-partner-in-charge of Norton Rose Fulbright’s Austin office. Trahan focuses his litigation practice on complex commercial matters in a variety of industries while also advising clients on bankruptcy matters and serious personal injury claims. He has significant jury trial, bench trial, and arbitration experience, handling all aspects of pretrial, trial and appellate work for corporate clients across the country.