Larry J. Simmons, Jr., a principal in the firm, has tried dozens of cases as lead attorney in a variety of commercial, employment, civil rights and personal injury lawsuits. Larry is one of only seven Texas attorneys double Board Certified as a Specialist in Labor & Employment Law (2005) and Personal Injury Trial Law (1999) by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Larry is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He has been recognized as a “Texas Super Lawyer”, a Thompson Reuters publication, in 2007, 2010-2020, and 2022-2025. In 2015, he was recognized in the Top 100 Houston Super Lawyers List, a Thompson Reuters publication. Larry is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and is also listed in the 2010-2022 editions of The Best Lawyers in America, by BL Rankings. Larry represents dozens of public and private sector employers in a variety of matters, ranging from consultation to trial work, including general litigation, discrimination, wrongful termination and wage & hour class action cases. Larry also represents public sector clients in a variety of civil rights matters, including defending excessive force, inmate medical care and jail death cases, many of which have received national media attention. Larry graduated in the top five percent of his Baylor Law School class, receiving his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, cum laude. While in law school he held several positions with the Baylor Law Review including Executive Editor, Research & Topics Editor and Notes & Comments Editor. He was elected to the Baylor Order of Barristers. He was selected as a Top Ten Speaker in Moot Court and was awarded an Academic Merit Scholarship. Prior to law school, Larry obtained a Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, from Lamar University and a Masters degree in Engineering Management from Southern Methodist University. Larry is an active member of the local business community, currently serving on the state and local boards of multiple employer associations. He is also a member of the State Bar of Texas Labor & Employment Section, and Texas Association of Defense Counsel. He is admitted to practice before Texas courts, and the United States District Court for the Eastern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas. Larry has been a principal with Germer since January 1997.

In 1992, Matt Shaffer joined Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., the continuation of a firm that has focused on representing injured men and women since 1964. As a managing partner of the firm, Mr. Shaffer has represented thousands of clients across the United States. Most recently, he successfully settled the largest single victim Jones Act case on record for a client with a brain injury. He has played a significant role in litigation related to several major maritime disasters, including the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Mr. Shaffer takes pride in bringing an experienced and thorough approach to every case. He is dedicated to providing a high level of support for his clients, who are often surprised to get return phone calls and emails from him well after business hours are done. More than 25 years ago, Mr. Shaffer began his career in law by representing large corporate clients. In 1992, he came to SMSH and began using his experience to help working men and women recover damages for on-the-job injuries. Mr. Shaffer is among the small percentage of Texas attorneys who are certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial law. He has previously served as chairman of The Texas State Bar’s Grievance Committee for District 4C. He’s also licensed to practice law in Colorado. Every year since 2006, Mr. Shaffer has been named a Texas Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly Magazine, an honor bestowed on only 5% of the state’s attorneys. He’s also been recognized by H Texas magazine as one of Houston’s Top Lawyers for the People and was selected for inclusion in the 22nd Edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2016) in the practice area of Admiralty and Maritime Law.

Laura De La Cruz first joined Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, LLP in 2010 as a paralegal for managing partner, Matthew D. Shaffer. She continued to work at the firm through law school until she became licensed to practice law in 2015. Laura believes the law is meant to serve those who have been wronged. She has devoted most of her practice to advocating for maritime workers and other individuals injured in serious accidents throughout the country. She understands how a serious injury can transform an individual’s life and fights hard to obtain the best outcome for her clients in every case. She is licensed to practice law in Texas and Louisiana and regularly practices in both federal and state court. Laura was born in Puerto Rico and spent much of her childhood moving across different parts of the United States. She now considers Texas her home. She is a graduate of the University of Houston Law Center and has spent her entire legal career representing claimants. In her spare time, Laura enjoys spending time with her two young daughters and traveling to new places.

Prior to joining Mostyn Law, Greg Cox was an attorney with the Provost & Umphrey Law Firm in Beaumont, Texas. He began his law career as a judicial law clerk to Judge Wendell C. Radford in the Eastern District of Texas. Immediately following his judicial clerkship, he worked as an associate at Baker & McKenzie in Dallas, Texas. Over the course of his legal career, Greg has worked on a wide variety of litigation matters, including wrongful death, product liability, insurance disputes, commercial litigation, and serious personal injury cases. He has also served as class counsel in several nationwide class action lawsuits.

Matt McCracken has more than thirty years of trial, appellate and administrative law experience representing medical, legal, insurance and other professionals as well as product manufacturers, energy companies, telecommunications companies and medical institutions. Matt has defended numerous doctors, nurses and insurance professionals at their respective licensing boards. Matt is a well-known figure at the Texas Medical Board where he guides doctors through the professional disciplinary process and licensure issues. Notably, Matt briefed and argued the seminal case of American Transitional Care v. Palacios; 46 S.W.3d 873 (Tex. 2001) at the Texas Supreme Court. This important decision established minimum standards for preliminary expert reports in medical malpractice cases, and set the standard of appellate review in dismissals of medical malpractice cases under Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat. Ann. Article 4590i §13.01, now Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Chapter 74. This case has been cited by appellate courts over 5,000 times and continues to instruct and inform judges and lawyers across the State of Texas.

James A. Tatem is a graduate of the University of Texas where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1989. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from South Texas College of Law in 1992. Tatem James A. is admitted to practice before Texas state courts and the United States District Court for the Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas. Jim has served as a first-chair trial lawyer in a variety of personal injury and property damage cases as well commercial cases. Jim has extensive experience in products liability, premises liability, toxic torts, superfund and environmental litigation, construction litigation, real estate, civil litigation, class and collective actions, commercial litigation, insurance law, mediation/arbitration, and personal injury defense.

William is a seasoned trial attorney with over 30 years of experience litigating claims involving personal injury, medical malpractice, professional negligence, products liability, motor vehicle collisions, deceptive trade practices, premises liability, property/casualty losses and insurance coverage. William has a strong background defending physicians and hospitals, as well as companies involved with pharmaceuticals and medical devices. He has been involved with various mass tort dockets. In connection therewith, he has specific expertise managing large caseloads and providing liability/damage assessments, budgeting projections and resolution strategies. He has substantial experience with jurisdictional challenges, venue disputes, preemption, large document productions, privilege and confidentiality issues, corporate witness and expert depositions, expert challenges, discovery/summary judgment motions and trial. William has tried cases in Texas and New Mexico, and been involved with various national trial teams and formulation of national litigation strategies.

Amber Mostyn leads a team of of battle-hardened, smart, tenacious lawyers who fight for people’s rights. Mostyn Law is a truly unique law firm, sharply focused on obtaining justice for victims of corporate greed and wrongdoing. Every single person at Mostyn Law, from the attorneys to the support staff, is committed to working harder and being smarter than our opponents. Before becoming the people’s rights advocate she is today, Amber Anderson Mostyn was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas where she attended and graduated from Trinity Valley School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee with degrees in Anthropology and Spanish. After taking a year off to work in Washington D.C. and travel to El Salvador, Amber attended the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. There she excelled in trial advocacy, received multiple awards and honors, including induction into the nationally recognized Order of the Barristers and graduated in 1997. Her talents have taken her around the world, and her legal victories in hurricane, injury, and medical device cases have placed Amber in high demand as Liaison Counsel. In the last five years, Amber and Mostyn Law have held a leadership role in 19 multi-district litigation and consolidated courts. She has helped thousands of people across the United States and in Puerto Rico recover from natural disasters and sought justice for thousands more who have been injured by defective products. In the past, Amber has also served on the adjunct faculty of several Texas law schools. Amber’s burning desire to help those not able to defend themselves is reflected in her work and philanthropy. She and her late husband founded the Glenda Jean Mostyn and Joe E. Moreno Educational Foundation whose primary mission is to move mountains for special needs children and their families. In addition, Amber supports numerous charitable causes, including the Hughen Center, Galveston Historical Foundation, No More Voices, National Multiple Sclerosis Society MS 150, Special Olympics Texas, The River and the Houston Children’s Charity. In additional to her philanthropic work, Amber dedicates vast resources and time to political candidates and progressive causes to make sure that every Texan has a voice in Austin and Washington, DC. Amber has held leadership positions in numerous organizations, including the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Texas Democratic Party, Battleground Texas and most recently as the Chair of Annie’s List, an organization dedicated to changing the face of power in Texas politics by recruiting, training and supporting women candidates.

Mr. Kinard was born and raised in Southeast Texas. After graduating from Lamar University, he attended Baylor University School of Law where he founded and served as president of the Baylor Public Interest Legal Society, an organization dedicated to public service in the legal profession. Prior to co-founding KGS Law, Mr. Kinard worked as a litigation attorney in Houston representing plaintiffs in personal injury and first party insurance cases. Mr. Kinard has handled hundreds of cases on behalf of injured victims against insurance companies and has extensive trial and appellate experience.

Carlos A. Saldaña was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas. After graduating from Texas Tech University, Mr. Saldana moved to Houston, Texas. Mr. Saldana attended South Texas College of Law where he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 2014. Mr. Saldaña began his legal career as a defense lawyer for several large insurance companies. After trying multiple jury trials to verdict for the insurance companies, Mr. Saldaña shifted his practice to work for victims of negligence. Mr. Saldaña is passionate about helping victims bring accountability to others through ethical, legal means.