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.

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.

Michael Downey joined Mostyn Law in 2013. Michael works primarily on Personal Injury and Insurance litigation. He also has experience handling probate and estate cases, professional license defense cases, and complex commercial matters. Michael enjoys being a part of Mostyn Law’s trial team. His excellent advocacy skills and trial work have earned him recognition by the National Academy of Personal Injury “Top 10 Under 40” as well as the The National Trial Lawyers “Top 40 under 40” list.

Serena D. Harmon is a trial attorney with experience litigating in both state and federal courts. In 1992, Serena earned her law school degree from South Texas College of Law. Prior to attending law school, Serena worked several years working in city government and earned a Master in Science from Carnegie Mellon University. Since law school, Serena has practiced several years as in-house counsel for an insurance company and as a personal injury insurance defense trial attorney. During the course of her career, her practice has focused on family law, small business owners and personal injury litigation. She has extensive experience in representing a variety of clients as a civil and as an insurance defense attorney, Serena is experienced in handling a variety of cases, including personal injury defense, insurance defense, premises liability involving slip and falls, negligent security cases, commercial litigation, and UM/UIM and trucking litigation.

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.

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.

Ruth M. Willars is a Partner in the Labor & Employment practice group at Monty & Ramirez LLP, where she represents employers and businesses in employment law, business law, regulatory compliance, workplace investigations, and commercial litigation. Ruth advises companies across a variety of industries on complex workplace and operational matters, delivering practical legal strategies designed to reduce risk, resolve disputes, and protect business interests. Ruth has extensive experience defending employers in litigation, administrative proceedings, and government investigations involving workplace and business-related disputes. She has successfully represented clients in matters involving discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour claims, breach of contract disputes, workplace safety issues, and other complex employment-related litigation. Ruth also has strong trial experience and is recognized for effectively advocating for clients in high-stakes disputes and achieving favorable outcomes. In 2025, she represented a plaintiff in a jury trial that resulted in a judgment entered in the plaintiff’s favor following the jury’s verdict, and subsequently handled post‑trial and enforcement proceedings arising from that judgment. Her practice includes conducting internal investigations and advising employers responding to investigations by government and regulatory agencies, including OSHA, the U.S. Department of Labor, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). She regularly counsels employers on OSHA compliance, workplace safety investigations, employee discipline, harassment and discrimination investigations, retaliation claims, wage and hour compliance, and employment policy enforcement. In addition to her employment law practice, Ruth advises businesses on commercial contracts, business disputes, and day-to-day operational matters. She regularly assists clients with contract drafting and negotiation, breach of contract claims, regulatory compliance issues, and business risk management strategies. Her combined experience in employment and business law allows her to provide comprehensive counsel to employers navigating legal challenges affecting both their workforce and overall business operations.

Carl Ritter is a senior attorney at Bryan Fagan, PLLC, representing clients in family law and estate planning matters. HIs focus areas are contested divorces, child custody disputes, guardianships, and contested wills. Carl doesn’t shy away from the cases involving parties with difficult pasts, or cases involving Child Protective Services (CPS). He is a fierce advocate for clients that are attempting to keep or regain custody of their children, and he also provides assistance to grandparents who are fighting for their grandchildren. He understands that the best interest of the child is always the most important factor in any case. Carl’s representation extends to clients that are interested in estate planning as well as clients that need help with issues of guardianship. Carl has substantial experience in contested probate cases that must proceed through litigation. Litigation and the courtroom have always been Carl’s favorite part of being an attorney. With over 35 years as a practicing attorney, Carl has an extensive background, including serving as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer in the United States Air Force. His understanding of the nuances of military law, as well as the intricacies involved in military life, combine to make Carl an astute choice for military personnel and their families. He has also spent 10 years as an attorney with the Office of the Attorney General in Texas. Carl and his wife of 25 years recently relocated to Houston to be near their two children who attend school at Texas A&M and Houston Baptist University. Carl enjoys time spent with his family at the beach and in the mountains, where you can find him golfing, swimming, relaxing in lazy rivers, eating fantastic foods, and enjoying the great outdoors.