|
|
[ Donald Ross Patterson ]
|
[ Virginia Durham Young ]
|
[ Karen Speegle Badgley ]
Donald Ross Patterson
After retiring from the Navy, Mr. Patterson returned to his East Texas roots, near his hometown of Overton, Texas. His experiences with people from diverse parts of the world naturally drew him into the area of immigration law. Mr. Patterson is board certified in Immigration and Nationality Law.
The highlight of Mr. Patterson’s career was the opportunity to argue a citizenship case before the United States Supreme Court in 1997 - to the best of our knowledge he is one of three from Tyler who had such an opportunity. With over 40 years of experience, Mr. Patterson is very capable to provide assistance with your legal needs in immigration matters – an area he has focused on for over two decades since entering private practice following his service to our country in the US Navy. His living and traveling overseas allowed him to build a unique perspective and understanding of diverse cultures and backgrounds and a real passion for helping others recognize their objectives to live, work, and study in the United States of America. Mr. Patterson is profiled in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Law, Who’s Who in American Educators, and Who’s Who in the World.
Professional Experience: June 2009: Flowers Davis, P.L.L.C.
1982 - May 2009: Private practice
1964 - 1982: Judge Advocate General’s Corp, U.S. Navy, Stationed in Morocco and the Philippines
Education: Master of Laws, 1972 - Southern Methodist University
Doctor of Jurisprudence, 1964 University of Texas
Bachelor of Science - Mathematics, 1961 Texas Technological College
Teaching Experience Instructor in Business Law, Criminal Justice, and Government:
University of Maryland, Chapman College
University of LaVerne, Jarvis Christian College
Tyler Junior College, University of Texas at Tyler
Professional and Civic Activities:Mr. Patterson is a member of several professional and civic organizations, including: Smith County Bar Association; State Bar of Texas, State Bar College, American Immigration Lawyers Association, East Texas Planning Council, Rotary Club, International Friendship, and is also a member of the First Baptist Church.
[ Top ]
Virginia Durham Young
Virginia Durham "Ginger" Young was born in Fort Worth, Texas on November 22, 1964, and is a fifth generation Texan. She is married to Bob, and they have one child, Olivia. Ms. Young has lived in Tyler since joining the firm in 2000. She is active in the community, including serving on the board of the Women’s Symphony League and serving on various Rose Festival committees for many years and serving as the Wardrobe Chairman in 2009. She is also active with All Saints Episcopal School, where her daughter Olivia attends. She and her family are members of Marvin Methodist Church.
Professional ExperienceDuring law school, Ms. Young interned for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and later with the firm of Fanning, Harper & Martinson. After graduating from law school in 1 996, Ms. Young continued with the firm of Fanning, Harper & Martinson primarily representing governmental entities and school districts in employment and civil rights litigation. Ms. Young continued her labor and employment defense practice at Thompson & Knight prior to joining our firm. In 2008, Ms. Young has expanded her practice area to include immigration law. She was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in November, 1996 and is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
Educational BackgroundMs. Young graduated from Newcomb College of Tulane University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish. She received her J.D. degree from South Texas College of Law in 1996, magna cum laude. While in law school, Ms. Young made the Dean’s List (all semesters), was named Outstanding Female Graduate and was selected by the Dean and faculty to make the most outstanding attorney from the graduating class. Ms. Young was a member of the Order of Lytae Honor Society, Who’s Who: American Law Students (1995, 1996), and South Texas Law Review Chief Articles Editor (Spring 1996) and Articles Editor (1995-96). Ms. Young received the Highest Grade Award in Agency & Partnership, Americans with Disabilities Act, Employment Discrimination, Insurance Law and Texas Pre-trial Procedure, scholarships from South Texas Law Review and the Houston Business Forum, and was a semi-finalist in the Spurgeon Bell Moot Court Competition and received a Best Brief Award.
Professional Development Ms. Young is a member of the State Bar of Texas, American Immigration Lawyer, and the Smith County Bar Association. Ms. Young has made several presentations and is the author or co-author of several publications and papers including: Potholes Along the Telecommuting Highway: Legal Issues to Consider, February 2000, article written for Thompson & Knight Labor Law Seminar; "Employee Illnesses: FMLA, ADA and other Applicable Laws," presented to the Fort Worth Claims Association, June, 1998; "Sexual Harassment Mock Trial," presented to the Texas Association of Counties Annual Convention, March, 1998; Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace," presented to the Dallas Subrogation Association, January, 1998; "Overview of The Americans with Disabilities Act," presented to the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) (Austin, Texas), November, 1997; "Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace," presented to the Texas Association of School Boards (Austin, Texas), November, 1997; "Handling Employment Discrimination Investigations and EEOC charges," presented to the Texas Association of School Boards (Austin, Texas), November, 1997; "Overview of Employment Law," presented to the Texas Association of School Boards (Austin, Texas), November, 1997; "Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace," presented to the Dallas Claims Association, September, 1997, and "Federal Law Update", co-author, State Bar of Texas - Suing and Defending Governmental Entities, 2007.
[ Top ]
Karen Speegle Badgley
Karen Speegle Badgley was born on November 26, 1963 in Decatur, Alabama and grew up in both the United States and Liberia, West Africa. She lives in Tyler with her son, Jackson.
Professional ExperienceMs. Badgley was admitted to the Texas Bar in March of 2003. Her practice in Texas has consisted primarily of toxic mold litigation, insurance defense, and constitutional law. Ms. Badgley was also admitted to the Oklahoma bar in 1995. She has a broad based background with experience in labor and employment law, insurance coverage litigation, and civil litigation. Prior to attending law school, Ms. Badgley was a computer programmer/systems engineer for several major corporations. In 2008, Ms. Badgley joined the law firm of Flowers Davis where her practice consists primarily of the representation of clients in the areas of constitutional/civil rights law, insurance defense and immigration law.
Educational BackgroundMs. Badgley attended the University of Kentucky and graduated with a Bachelors of Business administration in Finance/Economics in 1985. She continued her studies at the Oklahoma City University School of Law and received her J.D. in 1995. While at Oklahoma City University, Ms. Badgley was involved in Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity and Moot Court Board.
Professional DevelopmentMs. Badgley is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the State Bar of Oklahoma and the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
[ Top ]
|