Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the selection of the following attorneys to the “Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation” list for 2024:

• Edwin Buffmire – Complex Litigation, inc. Antitrust, Class Action
• Art Cavazos – Corporate, Finance
• Amanda N. Crouch – Trial & Appellate Litigation
• Brian Oates – Commercial Litigation
• Manny Schoenhuber – Global Business Advisor, inc. Litigation
• Bethany Pickett Shah – Trial & Appellate Litigation
• Ashley P. Withers – Tax

Launched in 2005, Lawdragon is a legal media company that features news, editorial features, and a variety of guides to the nation’s top legal professionals who lead in a particular practice area or industry and who have handled significant matters within the past year.

Art is a finance and corporate lawyer focused on complex financial transactions and other business matters. His clients include companies from a range of sectors including finance, healthcare, energy, real estate, construction, and technology. His transactional experience includes M&A, private placements, entity formation and governance, and general contract negotiations. In 2022, Art launched Jackson Walker’s Future-Ready Business Podcast covering emerging topics that are quickly affecting everyone, like AI, automation and advanced robotics, cryptocurrency and blockchain, the metaverse, and the continually evolving tech startup scene. He has been named among the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (Woodward/White Inc.) for Banking and Finance Law and Corporate Law since 2022. Outside of his practice, Art serves as an Advisory Board Member of the Justice Technology Association.

Amanda represents clients in a wide range of industries in state and federal courts and arbitration. She has been essential in securing favorable results on a range of matters, including contract disputes, collection matters, personal injury defense, probate litigation, First Amendment and media litigation and defending claims on behalf of cities and counties. Amanda has ranked among the “Up and Coming” attorneys in San Antonio, Texas, in the area of Litigation: General Commercial by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. She has also been named a “Texas Rising Star” by Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers since 2019, a “One to Watch” for her appellate practice by Best Lawyers since 2022, and a “Best S.A. Lawyer” by San Antonio Scene since 2015. Outside of her practice, Amanda serves as a director of the North East Education Foundation and a Steering Committee member for Leadership San Antonio Class 48. She is a past President of the Junior League of San Antonio, a former board member and officer of the Bexar County Women’s Bar Association, a Past President of Defense Counsel of San Antonio, a founding member of the Hemisfair Coalition, and a member of Leadership San Antonio Class 47.

Brian routinely represents clients in trademark, oil and gas, and real estate disputes. He also utilizes his prior experience as a professional baseball player to assist athletes in all sports, including representing top 10 round picks in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft, advising National Basketball Association Lottery Picks, and providing guidance to those preparing for the National Football League’s Scouting Combine. In recognition of his work in the areas of commercial litigation and intellectual property law, Brian was recognized in the Chambers USA Guide in 2024 and has been named a “One to Watch” by Best Lawyers since 2021. Outside of Jackson Walker, Brian coaching his kids’ sports teams through the Moody Family YMCA, Upward Athletics, and Dallas Hardball. He’s also active in the Bradfield Dad’s Club, which includes a softball league against dads from the other Highland Park ISD elementary schools.

A native German, Manny works closely with European investors, companies, and their subsidiaries in Texas. His practice focuses on market entry, contract negotiations and drafting, litigation, and dispute resolution. Manny also acts as outside general counsel to his European clients. He is an active member of the American Council on Germany (ACG), the German-American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern U.S. (GACC South), the German-American Lawyers’ Association (DAJV), and the Danish American Chamber of Commerce Southwest (DACCSW). He is also a Board Member of the European American Chamber of Commerce Texas, serves on the Greater Houston Partnership’s Foreign Direct Investment Committee, and is a member of the 2023 Globalaw Leadership Programme. Manny has been recognized as a “Texas Rising Star” by Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers since 2022.

Bethany focuses on complex commercial litigation, government investigations, and white-collar defense. Prior to private practice, she served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Texas, where she represented the United States in criminal prosecutions and civil litigation. Before becoming a prosecutor, Bethany worked at the White House as Deputy Associate Counsel to the President and at the Department of Justice as a Counsel in the Civil Rights Division and Counsel in the Office of Legal Policy. Recently, she was nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as a Republican member on the Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute.

Ashley advises businesses, family offices and high net worth individuals on a variety of federal income tax planning and compliance matters. She enjoys working with businesses to help them think through their organizational structuring and its tax impact today and for anticipated sales, mergers, or acquisitions. Ashley brings innovative solutions for complex tax issues to the table, which has made her a trusted advisor for clients. She also dedicates a portion of her practice to tax controversy, representing taxpayers during audit through U.S. Tax Court appeals. Ashley is well-known for her community involvement. She was recognized as the 2021 Distinguished Alumna by SMU Dedman Women In Law and as the Outstanding Director of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers in 2018. Professionally, Ashley has been recognized as “One to Watch” in the area of Tax Law by Best Lawyers, as a “Texas Rising Star” by Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers, and as one of the “Best Lawyers Under 40” by D Magazine, each in 2023.