DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - February 28, 2017) - Thompson & Knight LLP is pleased to announce Andrew C. Cookingham, Melissa M. Davis, Robert P. Dougherty III, Adam B. Hill, Wade A. Johnson, Vishal H. Patel, and Ashley T. K. Phillips have been elected Partner.

"Each of these talented individuals is committed to working together -- with their fellow attorneys and staff -- to make our clients successful, which ultimately translates into success for the Firm as a whole," said Mark M. Sloan, the Firm's Managing Partner. "They've demonstrated a high level of legal expertise, integrity, professionalism, and dedication to delivering top-notch client service. We are pleased to welcome them to the partnership."

/EINPresswire.com/ -- The seven lawyers newly elected to partnership in the Firm are:

Andrew C. Cookingham, Trial, Dallas:
Andrew focuses his practice on litigation and dispute resolution. He has represented hospitals, physician groups, other healthcare providers, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, and other clients in state and federal court, as well as in appellate courts and in arbitration proceedings. Andrew has significant experience in healthcare reimbursement and coverage litigation, both in ERISA and non-ERISA contexts. He has been selected for inclusion in Texas Rising Stars^® by Thomson Reuters (2015-2016).

Melissa M. Davis, Trial, Austin:
Melissa focuses her practice on appellate law and litigation, including oral argument and briefing in the appellate courts; strategic dispositive motions, preservation of error, jury charges, and judgments in the trial courts; and mandamus proceedings. She has participated in appeals in the United States Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Texas, the federal circuit courts of appeals, and the Texas courts of appeals. She has also represented clients in trial courts across Texas. Melissa is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Robert P. Dougherty III, Oil and Gas, Dallas:
Robert focuses his practice on oil and gas matters, including acquisitions, dispositions, and joint ventures relating to oil and gas properties and exploration and production companies. His energy experience includes transactions involving assets located in the Permian, Eagle Ford, Marcellus, Utica, Bakken, Niobrara, Barnett, Haynesville, and other shale formations as well as in other domestic and international onshore and offshore exploration areas. His experience extends to advising on and preparing agreements related to all facets of the energy industry. Robert also assists clients in oil and gas title due diligence, including with regard to acquisitions and secured lending transactions.

Adam B. Hill, Real Estate and Banking, Dallas:
Adam focuses his practice on commercial real estate and banking, which includes interim, permanent, and construction financing related to loans secured by commercial real estate. His experience also includes representation of lenders in connection with loan assumptions, workouts, and modifications, foreclosure proceedings, and REO sales. He has represented clients in connection with the acquisition of distressed debt, the subsequent acquisition of the collateral through foreclosure, and the eventual disposition of the property. Adam's practice also involves the representation of real estate developers and landowners in connection with the acquisition, sale, development, and leasing of commercial real estate projects. He focuses primarily on retail shopping centers, multi-family developments, mixed use centers, and medical office buildings.

Wade A. Johnson, Trial, Houston:
Wade has a broad litigation practice with experience handling a wide variety of matters, involving energy, oil and gas, intellectual property, antitrust, product liability, environmental, securities, and general commercial litigation. He also counsels clients on intellectual property issues. He has been selected for inclusion in Texas Rising Stars^® by Thomson Reuters (2014-2016).

Vishal H. Patel, Intellectual Property, Dallas:
Vishal focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation, primarily in the areas of software, electrical, mechanical, and semiconductor technologies. He has represented clients in a variety of federal district courts, as well as before the International Trade Commission. Additionally, Vishal also counsels start-up clients on a variety issues to protect and maximize the value of their IP. He has been selected for inclusion in Texas Rising Stars^® by Thomson Reuters (2013-2016) and Lawyers Of Color Southwest Region Hot List (2014).

Ashley T. K. Phillips, Government and Regulatory, Austin:
Ashley focuses her practice on environmental regulatory matters. Her experience includes compliance counseling; environmental management system development; environmental, health, and safety auditing; environmental risk assessment; environmental due diligence; handling administrative enforcement actions; and working with private and governmental entities to develop and implement collaborative environmental solutions. She has advised clients on matters related to federal, state, and local regulatory requirements associated with air emissions, industrial and hazardous waste, water quality, underground storage tanks, endangered species, contaminated properties, and release reporting obligations. Ashley has been named a "Recommended Attorney," The Legal 500 US by Legalease (2015-2016) and selected for inclusion in Texas Rising Stars^® by Thomson Reuters (2016).

About Thompson & Knight
Established in 1887, Thompson & Knight is a full-service law firm with more than 300 attorneys. The Firm provides legal solutions to clients and communities around the world and is particularly recognized for its depth of experience and capabilities on behalf of the energy industry. Thompson & Knight has been named "Law Firm of the Year" in Oil & Gas Law in U.S. News-Best Lawyers^® "Best Law Firms" for 2011-2013, 2015, and 2017. This year, Thompson & Knight proudly celebrates 130 years of service. For more information, visit www.tklaw.com.