The attorneys at the Law Office of Derek R. Van Gilder bring decades of experience and success to the table representing individuals and businesses in all aspects of civil law. Mr. Van Gilder has achieved the highest possible rating from Martindale-Hubbel and AVVO that a Texas lawyer can earn during his more than 30 years of practicing law. We represent clients in lawsuits and other legal matters throughout Texas. Nothing is a substitute for actual legal experience when you need an experienced Texas attorney. When the time comes for you to find a Texas lawyer you can rely on, the Texas attorneys at the Law Office of Derek R. Van Gilder will be there with you every step of the way. We are your "home town" Bastrop, Texas lawyers--providing "big city" experience with "small town" service. When you need a responsive and attentive Texas lawyer to take on your legal problems, the Law Office of Derek R. Van Gilder is here for you. Located just minutes from the State Capital of Austin, our Texas lawyers regularly represent individuals and businesses in Bastrop County, Travis County, Williamson County, Lee County, Caldwell County, Burleson County and across the great State of Texas in all types of civil legal matters. When you need an Austin, Texas lawyer, the Law Office of Derek R. Van Gilder is located right outside of Austin. We routinely and regularly accept cases in Austin.

A native of Angleton, Texas in Brazoria County, Jeff Gilbert is a 6th generation Texan with deep roots to his community. Graduating from Angleton High School in 1978, Mr. Gilbert attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas where he was involved in the leadership of many campus service and social organizations. Upon completion of his business degree (BBA) in 1982, Mr. Gilbert returned to Brazoria County going to work for the First Freeport National Bank in Freeport, Texas. Mr. Gilbert later returned to Baylor where he enrolled in the graduate school of business obtaining his degree (MBA) while working as the night manager of the Baylor Student Union. Upon graduation, Mr. Gilbert began a career in banking and corporate investments before entering South Texas College of Law at the age of 27. While in law school, Jeff participated in many intramural moot court and mock trial competitions. Interestingly and of note, Jeff tried and won his first jury trial while in law school serving as an intern with the Harris County District Attorney's office before receiving his J.D. from South Texas College of Law in December 1989. Mr. Gilbert then accepted a position in the Trial Bureau of the Harris County District Attorney's office in Houston, Texas where he tried multiple jury and non-jury cases as a juvenile, misdemeanor and then felony prosecutor. In 1993, Mr. Gilbert left the District Attorney's office to join a prestigious Houston based civil litigation firm. Since that time, his practice has concentrated on litigation, including medical malpractice, pharmaceutical and toxic tort litigation with firms in Houston, Angleton and Dallas, Texas. In January 2006, Mr. Gilbert began a Brazoria County based practice and formed Jeffrey R. Gilbert, P.C. Mr. Gilbert is a member of The State Bar of Texas (Section Memberships include: Criminal Law, Family Law, Juvenile Law), The Brazoria County Bar Association (Past President 2008-2009), The Houston Bar Association, and is a Fellow of the Houston Bar Foundation. He is also a member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, The College of the State Bar of Texas and is a Fellow of the Trial Advocacy Institute of the Fireman's Fund Insurance Company. He is admitted to practice before all courts of the State of Texas and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Mr. Gilbert remains a Trial Attorney. His practice focuses on criminal, family and general litigation. Mr. Gilbert was honored to serve two terms (1996 through 1998) as a special judge of the Harris County Criminal Courts at Law. This appointment was made by the 15 county criminal court at law judges of Harris County. Mr. Gilbert presided over hundreds of case dispositions and numerous trials in this position. Active in his community, Mr. Gilbert currently serves on the City of Lake Jackson Planning Commission, as a Board Member and Preseident-elect of the Brazosport Symphony Orchestra Council, as a three-term President of the Brazoswood Buccaneer Band Booster Club (2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011), he is a past president and former board member of the Downtown Houston Pachyderm Club, and has been a delegate to every Senate District (1996 and 1998, SD #7; 2000, SD #8; and 2002, 2004 , 2006 and 2008, and 2010, SD #17) and State Republican convention since 1996. Mr. Gilbert and his family are proud to trace their Texas roots to John Bradbury Follett who settled in Texas on Follett Island near San Luis Pass in Brazoria County. Accordingly, Mr. Gilbert is a proud member of the Stephen F. Austin Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas. Mr. Gilbert attends BrazosPointe Fellowship in Lake Jackson, where he serves as an usher, greeter, has previously led an adult "Home Team" and has been active in its children's ministries. Mr. Gilbert is the father of two children: Will, a student at Texas A&M University and Morgan, a student at Brazoswood High School. Mr. Gilbert is the son of the late Ralph W. Gilbert, a long-time Angleton attorney, and Fannie Mae Follett Gilbert a life-long resident of Brazoria County. Special Training and experience - Trained Mediator - AA White Dispute Resolution Institute; University of Houston Law Center; Certified for Approval of Court-Ordered Mediations; Trained Family Law Mediator Travis County Dispute Resolution Center; Credentialed and Qualified Family Law Mediator; Trained Ad Litem - Harris County Civil Court Ad Litem Training Course, 1998, 2005; Trained Guardianship Attorney Ad Litem - Completed Training Required by Texas Probate Code for service as Attorney Ad Litem in State Courts Areas of Practice Mediation Business & Commercial Law Contracts Business Organizations Sexual Harassment Construction Law Criminal Law DUI/DWI Guardianships & Conservatorships Wills Family Law Adoption Custody & Visitation Divorce Litigation & Appeals Personal Injury -- Plaintiff Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff Probate & Estate Administration Products Liability Law Medical Malpractice Real Estate Law

Paul has a trial practice focused on personal injury cases. He has earned experience in all facets of trial from preliminary hearings through trial and appeal. He has tried cases to verdict in the state and federal courts of Texas and has argued appeals before Texas and federal courts of appeal. Paul started his legal career with the law firm of Worsham, Forsysthe, Sampels & Wooldridge, L.L.P., a venerable Dallas firm started in the 1930s that focused on representation of railroads, utilities, and industrial clients. When Worsham Forsythe merged with Hunton & Williams, L.L.P. in 2002, a 100-year old Virginia-based firm, Paul joined as a litigation partner. Over the next seven years, Hunton & Williams grew to a firm with 1000 lawyers, 150 of which practiced in Dallas. In 2009, Paul left the international firm of Hunton & Williams to start his own firm, Wickes Law, PLLC. He now has the flexibility to represent individual clients and bring his years of experience to help injured victims.

Mr. Hurlbut has over thirty years of experience in representing clients in both Federal and Texas state courts, from commencement of a suit through trial and appeals. He is as comfortable prosecuting a lawsuit as he is in defending a lawsuit. He has handled a large variety of legal disputes and lawsuits, from fraud, business disputes, partnership disputes, deceptive trade practices, construction defects, breach of contract, discrimination claims, and wrongful termination. Mr. Hurlbut has extensive experience in advising and representing small and medium size businesses as well as professionals in their employment, business and real estate matters. He advises business owners and HR on handling problem employees, company policies, discipline, termination and law-offs as well as defends businesses against employment-related claims. For years, he has also represented and counseled individuals and employees in discrimination claims, retaliation claims, wrongful terminations, workplace tort claims, contract and wage disputes, and lawsuits Prior to founding the Hurlbut Law Firm, Mr. Hurlbut was a shareholder in Bush, Hurlbut & Morrison, after previously a senior associate in Rohne, Hoodenpyle, Lobert & Myers. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Southern Methodist University and Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. He has been active and has assumed leadership positions in numerous bar, pro bono, civic and charitable activities, organizations and boards. Mr. Hurlbut was President of the Arlington Bar Association in 1992-1993 and was named in Tarrant County’s Top Attorneys, in the Fort Worth, Texas, the City’s Magazine in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. He was Chair of the Pro Bono Advisory Board for West Texas Legal Services and then Legal Aid of Northwest Texas between 1993 – 2012. In 2005 he was honored with the Equal Justice Award, Legal Aid of Northwest Texas.

When you’re facing a legal challenge, there’s no substitute for the guidance of an experienced, skilled lawyer who has had success in cases just like yours. Since 1998, The Law Office of Jeff Adams, PLLC in Center, has been representing Texans throughout Shelby County and the surrounding areas in criminal defense, family law and personal injury cases. As an established litigator, I draw on my extensive trial and negotiation experience to aggressively fight for the most favorable outcome possible in every case. Whether you’ve been charged with a crime, are facing a divorce, were recently in a car accident or you are dealing with some other legal matter, my law firm offers trustworthy and comprehensive counsel tailored to meet your needs.

Lisa M VanAuken is a Houston Family Law Attorney. While she grew up in Northern New York, she has lived in Houston, Texas area since 1995 and has made the Houston area her home. Lisa VanAuken graduated Magna Cum Laude from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1995 with a B.A. in Political Science. Lisa went on to graduate from the University of Houston Law Center, where she was a member of Phi Delta Phi, a national legal honor society. While in law school Lisa M VanAuken gained her first exposure to the family law court system when she did her legal internship with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office Family Criminal Law Division, where she advocated on behalf of victims of domestic violence to obtain protective orders. Since being licensed in November 1998 Lisa has practiced exclusively in the area of family law. Over the last 19 years she has gained valuable experience handling uncontested divorces, contested divorces, high asset property divisions, paternity suits, step-parent adoptions, infant adoptions, interstate adoptions, contested child custody suits, child custody modifications, child support cases, child support modification cases, protective orders, and Attorney General Office cases. While she practices primarily in Harris County, she has also represented clients in Fort Bend, Brazoria, and Galveston Counties.

Charlie Henke is the founding partner of Henke Law Firm, LLP, the predecessor to Henke, Williams & Boll, LLP. The firm was founded in 1992. His practice focuses on the prosecution and defense of commercial and contract disputes, breach of fiduciary duty claims, business tort claims, and probate litigation. He has first-chaired jury trials to verdict in state and federal courts and has handled the arbitration of securities disputes, law firm partnership disputes, and construction claims. Charlie is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Of the more than one hundred thousand attorneys licensed to practice law in Texas, less than one percent hold this distinction. Charlie is a member of various sections of the State Bar of Texas including the Litigation, the Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law, and the Antitrust and Business Litigation sections. He belongs to the Houston Bar Association, and is active in the Litigation (former Chair) and the Probate, Trusts, and Estates sections of the HBA. Charlie was appointed to serve on the HBA Fee Dispute Committee for over a dozen years where he served as an arbitrator of fee disputes between attorneys and their clients. He is a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas and a Life Fellow of both the Texas and Houston Bar Foundations. Charlie has been a member of the Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas since 1994. He is a member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates and currently serves as Treasurer of TEX-ABOTA. Charlie was appointed by several Presidents of the State Bar of Texas to serve three terms on the State Bar Standing Committee on Pattern Jury Charges for Business, Consumer, and Employment cases. As a member of this prestigious committee, over 6 years he helped draft the written instructions and questions given to all juries throughout Texas. Charlie was named a "Lawyer on the Fast Track" in business litigation by H Texas Magazine in 2004, has been recognized as one of "Houston’s Top Lawyers" for business litigation since 2005 by the same publication. He has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly Magazine since 2007. Charlie earned an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Texas at Austin and a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center where he was active in student governance and alumni relations. Charlie received his license to practice law by the State of Texas in 1992. He is licensed to practice law in the United States Supreme Court, United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fifth, Seventh and Tenth Circuits, and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, the Northern District of Indiana and Colorado. An active contributor to his community, Charlie has served on the Board of Directors of several charitable organizations and served as a Director and past President of The Houston Club. Charlie Henke is an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Houston.

My name is Charles A. Crocker. As an attorney, I have provided legal services to the greater Houston area since 1965. My law firm is a specialized civil practice, concentrating in estate planning, wills, trusts, and probate (estate administration). My firm also handles state and federal tax matters for individuals and corporations. I represent clients in every level of the Texas state court system. The cornerstone of my success is the quality relationship which I maintain with clients. Clients are treated with integrity and respect for their needs, goals, and objectives. I focus on intelligent legal representation and pledge to listen to and communicate with clients. I use the latest technology and cost-effective methods to provide legal services in a professional and friendly atmosphere. Thank you for visiting this site. If you have a legal problem or concern please do not hesitate to contact us.

Attorney Les Romo graduated from Southwestern University here in Georgetown and went on to earn his Doctorate of Jurisprudence at St. Mary’s University Law School of San Antonio in 1979. Since then, he has successfully solved many legal problems for his clients. Georgetown Attorney Les Romo helps people from every background and profession. In the 37 years he has been practicing, he has treated every case and client with the importance they deserve. Preparing your estate as early as possible provides peace of mind for you. You can relax and enjoy your daily life more knowing that if you die, you have made provisions to care for your loved ones. For over 20 years, Probate Attorney has assisted clients with preparing wills and with probate issues, including litigation. He can advise you on whether to establish trusts and other matters relating to your estate.

Stephen Colbert is a founding partner at Colbert Law Group PLLC in Flower Mound, TX. His practice areas include estate planning, elder law, business litigation, and being a Native American Attorney. He is a member of the Texas Bar Association and the Oklahoma Bar Association. Stephen earned his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1974 and his B.S. from the University of Oklahoma in 1971. To schedule your initial consultation with the Flower Mound Estate Planning Attorney, visit online or call 972-724-3338.