• Candidate for LL.M. in Agriculture and Food Law, University of Arkansas School of Law (2024-Present) 

• J.D., Kansas University School of Law (1980)

• Kansas Law Review, Board of Editors (1979-80)

• Order of the Coif Honor Society (1980) 

• Southern Methodist University (Graduate Work, History) 

• B.S., with honors, Oklahoma Christian University (1977) 

• Admitted to Practice – Texas (1980)

• Admitted to Practice – United States Supreme Court (1989)

• Fellow: American College of Real Estate Lawyers (2017-Present)

• Board Certified – Commercial Real Estate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization

• Board Certified – Farm/Ranch Real Estate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization

• AV® Rated “Preeminent” – Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell

• Selected to the list of “Texas Super Lawyers” in Commercial Real Estate (2012-Present)

• Governing Council, State Bar of Texas Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section (2018-2022)

• Board Member – Real Estate Legislative Affairs Council, State Bar of Texas (2007-2015)

• Exam Coordinator – Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Real Estate Examination (2008-2015)

• State Bar of Texas Real Estate Forms Committee (2017-2020)

• Member – College of the State Bar of Texas (2006-Present)

• Member – Texas Bar Foundation (2007-Present) 

• Member – Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section, State Bar of Texas

• Appointed by Governor Abbott to Texas Animal Health Commission ( 2016-2021)

• Appointed to Texas Animal Health Commission Audit Subcommittee (2016-2021)

• Founding Chair of the Board, Economic Development Council of Parker County (2017-2019)

Speaker:

• Presenting at 2025 American Agriculture Law Association Annual Educational Symposium (Memphis, TN, November, 2024): Solutions to the “2050 Challenges” Looming for Agriculture and Food Production.

• With Progress Comes Pain: The Winners, Losers, and Challenges in Developing Rural Property to Meet the Needs of Urban Growth, State Bar of Texas Adv. Real Estate Course (July 2024)

• Drafting Surface Use Agreements, State Bar of Texas Advanced Real Estate Drafting Course (2024)

•  Strategies for Rural Real Estate Acquisitions, State Bar of Texas Adv. Real Estate Strategies (2023) (with Roland Love, John Absher, and Paul Pruitt)

•   Acquiring Rural Real Estate for Urban Development, Due Diligence, Oil and Gas Issues, Easements and Surface Use Agreements, Texas Alliance of Land Brokers, June Conferences (2) (2024)

• Rural Subdivisions: Preparing Deed Restrictions without HOA’s and Creating Private Access Agreements,  State Bar of Texas Adv. Real Estate Drafting Course (2023) (with Emma C. Grotting)

• An Owners Legacy: Handling Reverters, Restrictions, Covenants, and Conditions (Panel Moderator),  State Bar of Texas Adv. Real Estate Strategies Course (2022) (with David Z. Conoly, Michael H. Gentry, and Marc D. Markel)

• When Urban Growth and ‘Farm Livin’ Collide, 30th Annual Texas Land Title Institute (2020)

• Mineral Estate Issues for Commercial Real Estate Transactions , State Bar of Texas Adv. Real Estate Course (2020)

• From Cradle to Grave: The Life Cycles of Farm and Ranch Ownership, From Acquisition through Operation to Disposition,  American Agricultural Law Association’s Annual Educational Symposium (2019)

• Creation, Enforcement, Avoidance and Termination of Deed Restrictions and Restrictive Covenants,  State Bar of Texas Adv. Real Estate Drafting Course (2019) (with Michael H. Gentry and Patrick W. Fogarty) 

• Do I Really Have an “Ag Exemption” and How do I Maintain It?  Tarrant Cty. Bar Assoc. Real Estate Section (May 2019)

• Do I Really Have an “Ag Exemption” and How do I Maintain It?  State Bar of Texas Adv. Real Estate Course (2018)

• Updated Farm and Ranch Tools and Contracts, State Bar of Texas Adv. Paralegal Seminar (2017)

• Maintaining Agriculture Use and Open-Space “Exemptions,”  Dallas Bar Assoc. Real Estate Discussion Group (2016)

• Updated Farm and Ranch Transaction, Tools and Contracts,  State Bar of Texas Adv. Real Estate Law Course (2016)

• Legal Trends, Tips and Tools for Farms and Ranchers,  Texas Southwest Cattle Raisers Assoc. Annual Conv. (2016)

• Maintaining Agricultural and Open-Space Exemptions,  State Bar of Texas Adv. Real Estate Drafting Course (2016)

• Farm and Ranch Leases: Legal Issues and Negotiating Strategies,  Lorman Live Webinar (2016)

• Farm and Ranch Transactions, Tools, and Trends, Denton County Bar Assoc. Real Estate Section (Feb. 2016)

• Farm and Ranch Acquisitions: Trends, Tips and Tools, State Bar of Texas Adv. Real Estate Law Course (2015)

• Drafting Effective Agreements for Farm and Ranch Acquisitions and Operations,  State Bar of Texas Adv. Real Estate Drafting Course (2015)

• Trends in Farm and Ranch Acquisitions, Tarrant County Bar Assoc. Real Estate Section (March 2015)

• Land, Crops, Cows: Farm and Ranch Acquisition and Financing Issues , Univ. of Tex. Mortgage Lending Inst. (2014)

• Bi-Annual Real Estate Legislative Update, Austin Bar Assoc. – Real Estate Section (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)

• Planning Committee: State Bar of Texas Advanced Real Estate Drafting Course (2015)

Author:

• An Owner’s Legacy: Handling Reverters, Restrictions, Covenants, and Conditions (Panel Moderator),  State Bar of Texas Adv. Real Estate Strategies Course (2022) (with David Z. Conoly, Michael H. Gentry and Marc D. Markel)

• Ad Valorem Tax Exemptions and Special Appraisals, 60:3 Real Est., Prob., & Tr. L. Rep. 46 (August 2022)

• Updated Farm and Ranch Transaction Tools and Contracts,  26th Tex. Land Title Inst. (2016)

• Drafting Fair Default Remedies in Real Estate Contracts, 53:3 Real Est., Prob., & Tr. L. Rep. 40 (July 2015)

• Checklists for Farm/ Ranch Acquisitions, 53:2 Real Est., Prob., & Tr. L. Rep. 30 (Feb. 2015)

• Farmers/Ranchers Rights to Use, Sell and Restrict “Their” Water?  Tex. Longhorn Jrnl. 18 (Dec. 2014)

• An Overview of Statutes Affecting Texas Agriculture,  53:1 Real Est., Prob., & Tr. L. Rep. 75 (Oct. 2014)

• Ranchers’ Rights to Use, Sell and Restrict “Their” Water , 52:4 Real Est., Prob., & Tr. L. Rep. 26 (July 2014)

• Auctions 101: Important Legal Principles, 52:3 Real Est., Prob., & Tr. L. Rep. 45 (May 2014)

• Top Ten Issues Regarding Rural Oil and Gas Leases, 52:3 Real Est., Prob., & Tr. L. Rep. 38 (May 2014)

• LexisNexis® Practice Advisor: Texas Farm and Ranch Law including annotated forms  (2014)