Collin D. Shellenberger was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas. He has spent his entire legal career with Germer, PLLC in its Beaumont office defending businesses and individuals in civil litigation matters.

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.

Kimberlee Markle is an attorney practicing in our pre-litigation department at Bailey & Galyen. She grew up in the Red Oak area (close to Dallas) and now resides in Fort Worth with her husband and three children. She holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law in 1997. She was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1998. Kimberlee is experienced in representing clients in the pre-litigation process of personal injury cases with understanding and compassion. She is aware of the serious nature that the clients are experiencing and acts with professionalism in all capacities to represent the client’s best interest. Kimberlee works hard and values the position she holds with in the firm. She offers advice, counsel, and significant knowledge to all her clients so she can provide diligent and qualified.

Ana Lee is a Personal Injury Litigation Attorney at Bailey & Galyen with over 12 years of experience in representing clients who have been seriously injured. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Texas at Arlington and graduated from Tulane University School of Law in 2014. Ana has been licensed to practice law in Texas since 2015 and is also licensed in the Northern District of Texas. Ana is passionate about helping people through challenging times by providing clear communication and personalized support. She is dedicated to understanding each client’s unique needs and guiding them through the legal process with honesty and transparency. If you’ve been seriously injured, Ana is here to help.

When you’re dealing with a family law issue, the hardest part is often not knowing where to start. At the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, founded by Houston family law attorney Bryan Fagan, Keydra Jones is an experienced divorce lawyer in Richmond and Fort Bend County with a background in litigation and case strategy. She helps clients understand their situation, evaluate their options, and make smart decisions from the very beginning. Serving clients throughout Fort Bend County and the Houston area, she works with individuals who are early in the process, overwhelmed, or trying to make sense of their options before taking action.

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.

For over 20 years, Jonathan Sol Harris has exclusively handled all types of personal injury cases, with an emphasis on auto accidents and 18-wheeler truck accidents. Jonathan began his legal career working on the dark side as the lawyer hired by insurance companies to defend cases. By working for insurance companies, Jonathan gained invaluable knowledge on how insurance companies defend and value personal injury cases. For the last 17 years, Jonathan has exclusively represented the injured person in personal injury cases. Jonathan is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law. To be board certified, a Texas lawyer must pass a six-hour exam, provide references from peers, provide references from judges and have tried at least 10 personal injury cases as lead counsel. Within his first five years of practicing law, Jonathan became board certified in Personal Injury Trial, an honor achieved by less than 2% of attorneys in the State of Texas. Before becoming a lawyer, Jonathan had a long history of being a hard worker. As a teen, he mowed yards, washed windows, bagged groceries, delivered newspapers, flipped burgers at Wendy’s and even worked as a as a magician at children’s birthday parties. During college, he was a hotel bellman and began working as a legal secretary. Jonathan went to college at the University of Texas at Austin where he got a business degree. Jonathan went to law school at South Texas College of Law in Houston. Jonathan believes that hard work gets the best results, and is never going to lose a case because another lawyer worked harder than he did. Jonathan’s became a lawyer to help people. He is passionate about being able to provide legal representation against powerful insurance companies and huge corporations to good people who may not be able to pay up front for the best lawyer. According to Jonathan, “Being able to hire your lawyer and wait to pay him from your recovery really levels the playing field for the average person living from check to check.” Jonathan gets to know his clients. He many times will visit a client’s home to learn how a catastrophic accident has changed their lives. Many of Jonathan’s clients have become life-long friends. Jonathan encourages people looking for the right lawyer to read the lawyer’s reviews and even ask for a reference from former clients. Jonathan says, “who knows better how you will do in court than a client that has been there and experienced you doing the job.” Jonathan is a firm believer in employing cutting edge techniques to gain a strategic advantage. One example of this is the focus groups Jonathan does monthly. The focus groups are presented cases and deliberate just like a real jury. “Why would any lawyer want to learn how average people view a case for the first time at the court house” says Jonathan. In his spare time, Jonathan enjoys any type of fishing, but his passion is saltwater fly fishing. Jonathan also enjoys spending time with his two sons watching and supporting the Astros, Texans and Rockets.

AJ Rosenfeld has been an attorney for Schechter, Shaffer & Harris LLP since 2009. He has helped hundreds of individuals and families involved in personal injury accidents recover millions of dollars in compensation. AJ understands that suffering an injury can be a stressful and frightening situation. He keeps a calm presence with his clients and encourages them to focus on their recovery as he handles the nuances of their claim and/ or lawsuit. AJ pays keen attention to the details of every case he handles. He is a fierce advocate and problem solver who stands behind his clients. AJ is a member of the State Bar of Texas, State Bar of Minnesota, the Houston Trial Lawyers Association and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. AJ has very little spare time, but he loves spending it with his wife and three sons and coaching Little League.

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.

We are excited to welcome Jonathan Bever to our legal team. Jonathan brings with him a strong foundation in federal workers’ compensation law, a tireless work ethic, and a genuine passion for helping injured workers and their families navigate complex claims processes. Jonathan earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston-Downtown in 2018. He went on to attend the University of Houston Law Center, where he graduated cum laude in 2021 with a Doctor of Jurisprudence. During law school, he developed a strong interest in workers’ compensation law and began shaping his legal career around it. Immediately after law school, Jonathan began representing injured workers under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act and the Defense Base Act. Over the years, he has expanded his practice to include claims under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and the Nonappropriated Fund Instrumentalities Act. His commitment to advocating for those injured while serving their country or working in high-risk environments has earned him a reputation for being both compassionate and results-driven. Jonathan is known for his approachable demeanor, attention to detail, and deep understanding of federal compensation systems. Whether he’s advocating for overseas contractors injured in conflict zones or harbor workers injured on the job, he works diligently to ensure each client receives the care, benefits, and justice they deserve. Outside of his legal practice, Jonathan is a devoted husband and proud father to three energetic young boys, ages 4, 2, and 1. He enjoys coaching Little League and finds great joy in watching his sons learn and grow through sports. In his free time, Jonathan also enjoys cooking for his family, golfing with friends, and fishing whenever he gets the chance. Jonathan’s blend of professional experience and personal values makes him a tremendous asset to our firm and a strong advocate for the clients we serve. We are thrilled to have him on board.