Mr. Banker is a board certified specialist in criminal law with 30 years experience. He is dedicated to the best interest and well-being of those he represents, and with whom he is a true “brother in arms”. As such, he advocates for the success of his clients in courts of law all over Texas and the United States. A native Texan, Mr. Banker was born and raised in the Houston area. He graduated with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin and received his Law degree (J.D.) from the University of Houston Law Center. In between these degrees, Mr. Banker achieved a Master’s degree in Theology from Regent College, and a Master’s in Legal and Constitutional History from Rice University. Additionally, Mr. Banker has travelled extensively throughout Latin America and is fluent in the Spanish language. All this training and education has prepared Mr. Banker for what he believes is his vocational “calling” in life: To stand with and defend those who have found themselves in the very difficult circumstance of facing judgment in a court of law. As a Christian lawyer, he believes that helping people through difficult times is a natural outworking of this faith. Additionally, he counsels his clients to ultimately look to God as their helper, and see that adversity often produces more strength of character and greater faith in Him. Over the years, Mr. Banker has been involved in several “high profile” cases. One of which involved his representation of a high ranking member of the separatist group, the Republic of Texas. Several members had been charged in Federal Court in Dallas with bank fraud. After a month long trial, Mr. Banker’s client was the only one of the nine defendants found "not guilty". Another case involved the owner of a bus company, whose bus caught on fire when evacuating the Houston area because if Hurricane Rita. More than a dozen elderly people were killed in the accident. Mr. Banker’s client was charged in Federal Court in McAllen with several counts involving the operation of his buses. He was found “not guilty” of the felony charges that could have put him in prison for up to ten years, and given probation for two minor misdemeanors. On a personal note, Mr. Banker has been happily married to his wife Rose for over 20 years, and he has been actively involved in the lives of their children, Stevan, Faith and Joshua. They are members of Christ Family Church, where Mr. Banker teaches Sunday school and has been active in leadership for many years.

Focused on criminal defense, family law and personal injury, I can help with a range of legal needs.

Kirk G. Smith is a managing partner at Shepherd, Smith, Edwards & Kantas, LLP, a nationally recognized plaintiffs securities litigation law firm. Mr. Smith’s practice is focused exclusively on representing individual and institutional investors against financial institutions such as brokerage firms, banks, and trust companies. Mr. Smith handles cases across the U.S., typically involving issues such as retirement losses, broker and financial advisor misconduct, brokerage firm misconduct, fraud, and financial product failures, Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Smith worked within the financial services industry as an investment advisor for a large brokerage firm as well as a boutique Wall Street firm, gaining invaluable knowledge of the investment processes, strategies, and marketing practices from both ends of the spectrum of firms in this industry. His diverse brokerage background, coupled with over 20 years of legal experience representing investors, enables Mr. Smith to deliver successful outcomes for his clients. Mr. Smith is dedicated to providing personalized counsel and unrelenting advocacy for his clients, working to hold financial institutions accountable for their negligence and misconduct. He believes investors deserve to understand their rights and options when they suspect their lost savings and diminished retirement resources are the result of mismanagement by the brokers, investment advisors, and advisory firms that were trusted. Unflinching and undaunted in the face of financial institutions of any size or reputation, Mr. Smith works tirelessly to help his clients successfully navigate the legal process and recover their investment losses.

Brant Stogner grew up in El Campo, Texas – a small town about an hour southwest of Houston. In high school, Brant excelled at both athletics and academics. Brant graduated in the top ten percent of his high school class; in sports, Brant and the Ricebirds won six district championships in football and baseball during his three years starting on varsity. Brant earned all-district honors all three years in both sports while also participating in theater and the National Honor Society. Despite a knee injury and subsequent knee surgery in his senior year of high school, Brant accepted a full scholarship to the University of Houston to play linebacker for the Cougars under former head coach Kim Helton. In college, Brant’s academic success continued. In his freshman year at the University of Houston, Brant earned the 1997 Conference USA Academic Excellence Award, earning the highest grade point average (GPA) of all football players in the conference. After playing two seasons, and having three surgeries in as many years, Brant decided to hang up his football cleats and transfer to Texas A&M University to complete his business degree. In College Station, Brant’s scholastic accolades continued to mount. Brant was a member of numerous honor societies and graduated in the top ten percent of his class with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. After graduation from Texas A&M University, Brant moved back to Houston to attend law school at South Texas College of Law Houston. In law school, Brant quickly became a member of the law school’s nationally ranked mock trial and moot court program under Dean T. Gerald Treece. Following just his third semester in law school, Brant won the Intramural Summer Academy Mock Trial Competition and received the Best Speaker Award. Ultimately, Brant competed as a varsity advocate in 15 mock trial and moot court competitions across the country. In addition to numerous individual speaker awards, Brant won a state tournament championship, a regional moot court tournament championship, two regional mock trial tournament championships, and, ultimately, a National Championship in mock trial at the ATLA National Trial Competition in his final semester of law school. Brant graduated law school in May of 2006 in the top fifteen percent of his law school class, was admitted into the Order of Barristers, and received the 2006 Dean’s Outstanding Student Advocate Award. Following graduation from law school and after taking the bar exam, Brant accepted an associate position at Houston law firm, Hays, McConn, Rice & Pickering (now named LeClair Ryan) while waiting for bar results. In November of 2006, Brant received his license to practice law from the State Bar of Texas while working at Hays McConn. As a licensed attorney, Brant continued to work with multiple partners on a wide range of cases in civil litigation, representing primarily defendants in personal injury and business disputes. Brant worked as a lawyer during the day and as a law professor at night while he coached South Texas College of Law Houston mock trial teams for his alma mater. After learning the ropes at Hays McConn for nearly two years, Brant accepted an associate position with Abraham Watkins in August of 2008. Brant has been with Abraham Watkins ever since and is now a firm partner with his name in the firm’s name. At Abraham Watkins, Brant has continued to consistently try cases to verdict. Brant tried twelve cases to verdict in his first three years at the firm. Today, he exclusively represents plaintiffs. Brant’s practice focuses on catastrophic personal injury matters, including gas explosions, commercial auto and 18 wheeler cases, refinery and petrochemical explosions, product defect cases, commercial business disputes. Since joining the firm, Brant has helped hundreds of his clients obtain compensation for their injuries and damages caused by others. Brant is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law. He received this certification within his first five years of legal practice, which is the soonest an attorney can become board certified in Texas. In 2009, Brant received the largest verdict (over $20 million) in Texas for workplace safety and injuries and was listed in Verdict Search’s Top Texas Verdicts of 2009. Brant is a board member of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association and is a founding member of the South Texas College of Law Houston Young Alumni Council. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the South Texas College of Law Houston Alumni Association and served as President in 2019. Brant was named to the Texas Super Lawyers Rising Star list from 2011 to 2013. He was named to H Texas Magazine’s “Houston’s Top Lawyers 2013” list and has been named to Houstonia Magazine’s “Top Lawyers” list since 2013. Despite being only thirty-four years old, Brant was selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list in 2013. He has been named to the Texas Super Lawyers list every year since 2013 and the Top 100: Texas Super Lawyers and Top 100: Houston Super Lawyers lists since 2019. In 2014, Brant was also added to the Top 40 Texas Attorneys Under 40 list by the National Trial Lawyers Association and received the award each year until he turned 40 years old. Brant has also been named to the Nation’s Top One Percent list by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel since 2015. Brant was also nominated for and inducted into the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) as a member in 2015 and was the youngest inductee in the 2015 class. In 2016, South Texas College of Law Houston honored Brant with the inaugural Young Alumni Award. He was the first recipient to receive this award from South Texas College of Law Houston. Brant met his wife, Jennifer O’Brien Stogner, in law school and she was one of his mock trial partners when they won the ATLA Regional Championship in Dallas, Texas and the National Championship in Miami, Florida. Brant and Jennifer have two boys, Ryker and Beckett Stogner, and one girl, Holland Stogner. Brant and Jennifer’s partnership continues as Jennifer joined the firm in 2018 as Of Counsel.

Kietha "Kay" J. Hamilton is a practicing lawyer in the state of Texas. Attorney Hamilton received her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 2012.

I am a highly motivated lawyer who fights the government every day. I believe the American Justice system is the greatest in the world. Justice is possible with hard work and focus. I offer absolute loyalty and hard work to my clients. Once you hire me you have an advocate who treats you like family.

Robert R. Jones, III earned his J.D. from South Texas College of Law Houston in 2011. He graduated in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire and in 1994 with a masters degree in English from the University of Houston. During his years of practice, Robert has represented private individuals, small businesses and corporations. His current areas of practice include criminal law, probate law, civil litigation, and family law. While in law school, Robert was a member of the Black Law Students Association mock trial team and participated every summer in the Gerald Treece Summer Mock Trial Academy as an advocate. Robert is a Houston native, a former college English instructor, and a dedicated community servant. Robert currently serves on the Executive Board of the Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association. Robert serves as class representative and class agent for the St. John’s School Class of 1985. Robert 's law firm also operates the Texas Freedom Project Homeless Outreach that seeks to help homeless in Texas and put an end to poverty. As such, Robert always offers reasonable rates and payment plans to clients, and from time to time will provide pro bono services to persons in need to legal help.

Micheal Busby is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Houston Bar Association, the Houston Association of Debtor’s Attorneys and is admitted to practice in the Federal Courts in the Southern District of Texas. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served as a Field Artillery Cannoner from 1989 to 1993. Mike also served in the National Guard from 1993 to 1997 in the states of Arkansas, Oklahoma and North Carolina. Mr. Busby received his Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1996. He graduated from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas in 2002. Mr. Busby is a member of the Phi Delta Phi International Law fraternity and authored an international law legal article in a law journal published by South Texas College of Law. Mr. Busby has been faithfully married for 20 years and is the proud father of two daughters, Viktoria and Hannah Busby and father of Willam Maximus “Billy Max” Busby.

Specializing in navigating the complex legal issues present in consumer and corporate asset & debt cases. Our firm assists clients both statewide and nationally. My team is experienced and committed to your case. We work with all incomes and offer payment plans that can fit your budget. I graduated law school with Cum Laude Honors and was ranked in the Top 10 and Top 10% of my class. I achieved top marks in Real Estate, Bankruptcy, and Estates. I am experienced in the courtroom, in mediation, and in government. My specialty is finding creative solutions that help you get from where you are to where you want to be! I became a lawyer to help people solve complicated problems, and I appreciate the opportunity to assist you with your legal needs.