Administrative Law

Dustin is an experienced IP practitioner with a vast array of technical experience. Dustin Zak is a registered patent attorney who focuses his practice on patent litigation and prosecution. Dustin possesses a vast range of technical experience ranging from chemical and material arts to software applications and artificial intelligence. Dustin has technical knowledge related to cyber security and computer technologies. During his studies, he has immersed himself in many technical topics including C++, Java, and visual basic programming, networking, open source networking, end-user computing, ethical hacking and offensive security, cyber intelligence, Linux security administration, information security, risk-vulnerability analysis, and digital forensics. Prior to joining Brooks Kushman, Dustin spent more than 5 years gaining technical experience as a Research and Development Chemist at an automotive OEM supplier and in the automotive after-market refinish industry. In these roles he formulated, developed, and launched various products globally. He also participated in the creation and development of technology for measuring visual emissions for compliance with EPA method 9, and validated and generated performance criteria for raw materials including solvents, polymers, resins, pigments, additives, and final products. Dustin holds a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University graduating at the top of his class where he received the Governor’s Scholarship. He was also the Senior Articles Editor for the Wayne Law Review and a Mock Trial member. Dustin also participated in the patent procurement clinic preparing patent applications for Detroit entrepreneurs and inventors. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Polymers and Coatings Technology from Eastern Michigan University, where he received the Recognition of Excellence Scholarship, the College of technology Coating Scholarship, and the Charles Parker Scholarship.

John Rondini is a multi-faceted attorney with extensive knowledge in litigation, negotiating settlements, and licensing agreements. John’s practice includes representing clients in patent prosecution, litigation, and cyber security and data privacy matters. In recognizing the pending threat of cyber-incidents his clients may face, John has worked to help develop Brook Kushman’s Cybersecurity and Data Privacy group. John’s experience includes assessing a client’s current cybersecurity and data privacy protocols and developing a comprehensive incident response plan to ensure compliance with applicable laws. John also assists his client’s in determining the potential root cause of a breach and what type of notification may be necessary. John also has experience in addressing information and data security requirements for his clients during both vendor contractual or M&A transactions. John has also represented client’s litigation matters at the district court and appellate level, as well as, before the International Trade Commission. John has actively managed each stage of litigation from pre-suit pleadings through trial, and through appeal. John has also represented his client’s needs in negotiating settlements and licensing agreements. While representing one client’s litigation needs, John became involved in developing and growing Brooks Kushman’s Post-Grant Proceedings team. As a result, John was part of a team that handled 25 inter partes review proceedings that invalidated hundreds of patent claims being asserted against that client. John has also managed the patent prosecution docket for clients that range from Fortune 500 companies to individual inventors. John’s prosecution experience includes handling a patent application from an initial draft through allowance. Relying on his litigation and prosecution experience, John’s has also handled numerous patentability and clearance opinions on behalf of his clients. Prior to joining Brooks Kushman, John worked for nearly ten years as a hardware design and software engineer in the automotive and semi-conductor industries. This work provided John with invaluable experience that helps him further counsel his client’s intellectual property needs.

Guy Neil Goodson graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1973, and then attended law school at Southern Methodist University, graduating in 1976. Guy began his legal career at the law firm of Shannon, Gracey, Ratliff & Miller in Fort Worth, Texas specializing in tax practice, and moved to Beaumont in 1978 as regulatory counsel for Gulf States Utilities Co. Guy is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Texas, Texas courts, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Guy is active in the legal community having been President of the Jefferson County Bar Association in 1991-1992, and President of the Young Lawyers Association in 1984. He represented Ward II on the Beaumont City Council from 1990 – 2003, and served as Mayor for the City of Beaumont, Texas, 2005 – 2007. Guy is also active in state municipal affairs and served as President of the Texas Municipal League in 2001 – 2002. Guy is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Texas Bar Foundation, and a member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. Guy N. Goodson concentrates and has extensive experience in public entity and administrative law with a strong emphasis on municipal bond and special project financing while representing local government units including cities, counties, port and navigation districts, river and water authorities, special districts, economic development corporations, and emergency service districts.

Board Certified in Administrative Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Franklin represents an array of professional licensees, including physicians before the Texas Medical Board, where he previously worked as a Staff Attorney. That experience gives Franklin insight into the way the Board views its responsibilities and the posture they take in various enforcement actions. This allows Franklin as a Medical Board Attorney to provide highly individualized advice to his physician clients. As a primarily administrative law practitioner, Franklin defends numerous types of professional licensees before their respective licensing agency. Franklin is experienced in agency/board/commission/department informal settlement conferences (“ISC”), defending temporary suspension and revocation hearings, along with mediations and contested case hearings at the State Office of Administrative Hearings (“SOAH”), including appealing final agency orders to district court. Before joining the private sector, Franklin worked as a Staff Attorney at the Texas Medical Board, where he maintained a heavy docket of ISC’s and SOAH cases. Franklin also worked at the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (“TLDR”) where he prosecuted licensees for numerous occupations, including electrical and air conditioning contractors. Prior to practicing law in Austin, Franklin served his country in the United States Army JAG Corps. Stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, Baghdad, Iraq, and Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Franklin prosecuted numerous felony cases as a Trial Counsel, Senior Prosecutor, and Chief of Military Justice. Franklin was Awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for trying the most cases in Iraq in 2010, and prior to that was Awarded the Army Commendation Medal for being recognized as the top prosecutor at Fort Hood, Texas, which is the busiest criminal law jurisdiction in the United States Army. Today, when not representing Texas Physicians, Franklin continues to serve by defending those who defend America. As a Major and Defense Attorney in the Texas Army National Guard, Franklin proudly defends Texas Veterans before administrative separations boards and non-judicial punishments.

Ms. Watkins’ federal practice focuses on cases before various administrative agencies — including the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) – as well as security clearance cases before the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA), the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency Consolidated Adjudication Services (DCSA CAS), numerous cases before the Intelligence Community and before other federal agencies. In 2022, Ms. Watkins was selected for membership in the Security Clearance Lawyers Association by her peers. Ms. Watkins also advises private sector and municipal employees in the District of Columbia in various types of investigations, grievance procedures, disciplinary actions, whistleblower issues, and equal employment opportunity (EEO) matters. Ms. Watkins also focuses on various administrative matters involving federal law enforcement officers. Ms. Watkins has several years of litigation background and has guided countless clients through depositions and trial proceedings. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Watkins worked as an attorney advisor for the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, the appellate division of the Department of Veterans Affairs, authoring appeals decisions to resolve cases arising from Veterans benefits disputes. During law school, Ms. Watkins worked as a legal intern with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Prisons, providing legal support to DOJ attorneys on a variety of cases involving matters such as correctional law and litigation, civil rights disputes, mental health hearings, and FTCA claims. Prior to her legal training, Ms. Watkins obtained her undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University where she double majored in History and Political Science. While attending Wake Forest, Ms. Watkins also participated as a member of the University’s Equestrian Team. Ms. Watkins is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and before federal agencies nationwide.

Charles W. Goehringer, Jr. joined Germer in 2001. Charlie graduated from Lamar University in Beaumont with a Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering degree in 1980. He received a Masters of Business Administration from Colorado University in Boulder in 1983 and his J.D. from South Texas College of Law in 1995. Charlie began his career with Gulf States Utilities Co. as an engineer in 1981 and became a Unit Superintendent responsible for the operation and maintenance of a 488 MW oil and gas fired electrical generating unit at Sabine Station. In 1988, he was hired by Quantum Chemical Company as a project engineer and became a Maintenance Superintendent in 1991. Charlie began his legal career at the law firm of MehaffyWeber, P.C. in 1995. He is general counsel for a publicly traded company on the NYSE responsible for litigation matters, contract negotiations and SEC compliance. He has extensive experience in business law, construction litigation and patent infringement litigation. He routinely represents employers in OSHA investigations and gross negligence claims. Charlie also represents governmental entities in a variety of matters including business transactions and litigation. He is a member of the Business Law and Construction Law sections of the State Bar of Texas, and Jefferson County Bar Association. He is licensed to practice in all courts in the State of Texas and the United States District Court for the Eastern and Southern Districts of Texas. Charlie has been a registered professional engineer in the State of Texas since 1986. He serves as an arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau and is a member of the Texas Water Conservation Association. Charlie practices in the areas of patent litigation, corporate/SEC, business disputes, commercial litigation, environmental litigation, OSHA defense, real estate transactions and litigation, sale/acquisition transactions, and landlord/tenant disputes.

Britt Strottman is a partner in the Sacramento office of Singleton Schreiber and leads the firm’s Public Entity Practice Group, specializing in litigation against corporations for wrongdoing. A seasoned litigator with over 25 years representing state and local governments, as both in-house and outside counsel, and 30 jury trials. After working on the tobacco litigation and subprime mortgage issues as a senior assistant attorney general in Ohio, Britt then represented over 40 California cities and counties in opioid and fire litigation, culminating in a $1 billion settlement with PG&E for the North Bay and Camp Fires. Her knowledge of complex litigation, as well as her ability to resolve eight-, nine-, and ten-figure lawsuits, puts her in a unique class of attorneys. She was recognized by the Daily Journal as one of the "Top 100 Lawyers in California," a “Top 20 Under 40” Lawyer, and one of the “Top 100 Women Lawyers”; by The Recorder as a “Giant Slayer”; and by The Best Lawyers in America as one of “Northern California’s Best Lawyers” for successfully representing the city of San Bruno in the high profile gas line explosion and North Bay wildfire cities and counties against Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E). Since 2023, Ms. Strottman has provided counsel to the County of Mora, Mora Independent School District, Las Vegas City Schools, and Mora-San Miguel Electric Cooperative, aiding their efforts to recover losses from the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire. Leading a team of experts, she developed a damages model to prove over hundreds of millions of dollars in reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), covering various damages such as road and structural damage, operational setbacks, and increased administrative costs. Through strategic advocacy, Ms. Strottman has ensured these public entities receive the necessary support to rebuild and thrive after the tragedy. Ms. Strottman represented the counties of Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lake, Yuba, Butte, and Nevada, as well as the cities of Napa, Santa Rosa, Clearlake, and the Town of Paradise, in the deadly 2017 and 2018 wildfires, work that helped secure a $1 billion recovery from PG&E for local governments. She also represented Calaveras County in litigation over a destructive PG&E-caused wildfire, obtaining a $25.4 million recovery for the county. Her work on the San Bruno pipeline explosion, one of the most catastrophic gas line failures in U.S. history, led to a $120 million recovery for the City of San Bruno. The case stemmed from PG&E’s 2010 pipeline rupture that killed eight people, leveled an entire neighborhood, and exposed years of safety failures. Her role helped force accountability and deliver meaningful resources for the community’s long-term rebuilding. Ms. Strottman’s in-house counsel experience includes serving as a Deputy City Attorney at the San Francisco City Attorney's Office, Senior Assistant Attorney General at the Ohio Attorney General's Office, and a Deputy District Attorney at the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office. Ms. Strottman represented the counties of Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lake, Yuba, Butte and Nevada as well as the cities/town of Napa, Santa Rosa, Clearlake and the Town of Paradise in the deadly and devastating wildfires in 2017 and 2018. Instrumental in recovering $1 Billion from PG&E for the counties and cities. She represented Calaveras County in a destructive fire against PG&E which resulted in a $25.4 million recovery for the County. She has recovered $120 million for San Bruno from PG&E in the gas line explosion. Ms. Strottman’s in-house counsel experience includes serving as a Deputy City Attorney at the San Francisco City Attorney's Office; Senior Assistant Attorney General at the Ohio Attorney General's Office; and as a Deputy District Attorney at the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office. Ms. Strottman graduated in 2000 from the University of San Francisco School of Law and received her B.A in English from Vanderbilt University in 1997. She has always been passionate about protecting the elderly and proudly served as a board member for Meals on Wheels Diablo Region for six years. Ms. Strottman currently serves on the University of San Francisco School of Law’s Board of Counselors. Britt enjoys spending time with her husband, three active kids, and energetic Border Collie and lives in Walnut Creek, CA. Ms. Strottman enjoys reading and has been in the same book club for 25 years.

Amber is an attorney at Nishad Khan P.L. who focuses on civil litigation and probate administration. Amber attended the University of Central Florida where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Economics. She then attended law school at Stetson University College of Law receiving a Juris Doctor, Cum Laude. She also received an M.B.A. from Stetson University in 2011. Since becoming an attorney, Amber has worked in the Orlando area focusing on estate planning, probate and trust administration and litigation, civil litigation, and family law. Since 2016, she has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyer for her practice in Estate and Trust Litigation. Amber is licensed to practice law in Florida, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the District of Columbia. In addition to her law practice, Amber has been providing pro bono services to the community through the Orange County Bar Association, while serving as a Committee Member and Chair of numerous Orange County Bar Association committees since 2014. In her role as Committee Chair of the Community Service Committee, she was a founding member of the Wills for Heroes Estate Planning Clinic in Orlando. In 2019, that program received the Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Voluntary Bar Association Pro Bono Service Award. She was selected to receive the award on behalf of the OCBA Young Lawyers Section. When Amber is not working, you will find her spending time with her family and her two little boys. On Saturdays in the Fall, she will be sporting her black and gold while tailgating and attending UCF Football Games in Orlando. Go Knights!

Kate K. Leverett concentrates in public entity and administrative law and represents local government units including cities, counties, port and navigation districts, river and water authorities, special districts, economic development corporations and emergency services districts. Kate has advised her clients on a wide range of matters, including, but not limited to, economic incentives, zoning and land use, open meetings, public information, transportation reinvestment zones, city charter adoption and amendment, easement and right-of-way acquisition, annexation and boundary disputes, employment issues and civil service, procurement, conflicts of interest and nepotism, elections, municipal court prosecution, development agreements, ordinance and contract drafting, code enforcement, agenda review and attendance at meetings, and administrative proceedings with the Public Utility Commission. Additionally, Kate serves as bond counsel and issuer’s counsel for her clients.

Adrian Senyszyn is a principal at Germer PLLC, and he practices in the areas of construction, cybersecurity, health care law, HIPAA, employment law, administrative law, and personal injury. Mr. Senyszyn represents clients throughout Texas. Much of his construction practice involves large, multiparty construction defect litigation. Mr. Senyszyn represents both general contractors and subcontractors, and he has represented many scopes of work to include HVAC, swimming pools, electrical, roofing, waterproofing, masonry, framing, window manufacturers, concrete, and ornamental steel. He also advises about mechanic’s and materialman’s liens and other issues that affect the general business of contractors. Mr. Senyszyn’s cyber security practice includes the health care sector where he routinely advises health care practices about privacy and security rules. Mr. Senyszyn has extensive experience managing claims through the breach notification process, and he has advised many practices suffering catastrophic breaches. Mr. Senyszyn also defends clients before courts and administrative agencies such as the Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Texas Medical Board. Mr. Senyszyn has experience defending class action claims related to cybersecurity breaches. Mr. Senyszyn often speaks about health care issues, cybersecurity and HIPAA rules. Mr. Senyszyn has been recognized as a “Texas Superlawyer” by Thompson Reuters from 2021-2025, “Best Lawyers®” since 2022, and a “Top Attorney” according to Texas Monthly since 2023.