Spencer Fane LLP is pleased to announce Jason Medley, Jacob Esparza, M. Edward Burdzinski, Trevor Hall, Tiffany Santhavi, and Anne Marie Laney Hill have joined the firm’s Houston office. Esparza (Litigation and Dispute Resolution) and Medley (Banking and Financial Services) come on as partners; Burdzinski and Hall (Banking and Financial Services) will be of counsel attorneys; Santhavi is a Labor and Employment associate; and Hill will be a staff attorney in Banking and Financial Services.
“Spencer Fane remains steadfastly committed to measured growth that aligns with the needs of our expanding client base,” said Brian Zimmerman, Office Managing Partner for Spencer Fane in Houston. “We are thrilled to have this group of talented attorneys on board. All six share our dedication to efficient, collaborative client service, and they will be valuable resources to support the work we are doing in these highly important practice areas.”
Since opening in 2019, the Spencer Fane office in Houston has grown to nearly 40 attorneys supporting the full range of corporate legal services in the market. The firm has Texas offices in Houston, Austin, Dallas, and Plano.
ABOUT THE ATTORNEYS
Jason Medley, Partner — Medley focuses his commercial financial services practice on all aspects of deals, including due diligence, contract negotiations, workouts, bankruptcy matters, intercreditor relations, DIP financing, and secured party collections. With more than 20 years of experience in asset-based loan financing and factoring, he represents banks, factoring companies (purchase and sale of accounts receivable), and real estate entities in a wide variety of matters. Medley completed his undergraduate studies in political science at the University of Houston and later earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center.
Jacob Esparza, Partner — Esparza’s private practice focuses on complex litigation involving the construction, energy and transportation industries, and uniquely, he brings significant experience in maritime, oil and gas, trucking, and aviation matters. His insurance work includes advising and representing U.S. and London-based insurers and reinsurers in coverage and extra-contractual litigation relating to policy wording disagreements involving property, hull, warehousemen, cargo, and casualty risks. A Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, Esparza completed his undergraduate studies in management at Texas A&M University. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center.
Edward Burdzinski, Of Counsel — Burdzinski brings a diverse background to his financial services practice, providing informed legal counsel on commercial real estate lending, entity formation, commercial contracts, and estate planning matters. His legal career spans more than three decades and includes 12 years as general counsel of a community bank, providing him with practical industry experience that informs his approach to client service. Additionally, he works with clients in the areas of banking operations and credit facility enforcement, and he trains teams at financial institutions on the commercial loan formation process and collections. Burdzinski completed his undergraduate studies in accounting at Michigan State University and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center.
Trevor Hall, Of Counsel — Hall helps banks, factoring companies, and other financial institutions, find dynamic paths to maximize their rights to recovery, as well as protect their interests against other parties. In doing so, he uses his experience handling multiple trials and numerous cases, to efficiently and effectively achieve his client’s goals, often navigating multiple competing interests. Hall understands the nuances of lending and factoring relationships, providing early and frank case evaluation, and exploring potential contingencies, empowering his clients to make a cost-benefit analysis before moving forward. Additionally, in every case, he brings to bear a significant background as a federal judicial clerk, at both the district and appellate levels—first for the Hon. Micaela Alvarez in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and then for the Hon. Fortunato P. Benavides in the U.S. Court of Appeals of the Fifth Circuit. Hall’s years of working directly with judges gives him critical insight into every stage of civil litigation and the legal issues in any dispute. He completed his undergraduate studies at Wabash College and earned his Juris Doctor from St. Mary’s University School of Law.
Tiffany Santhavi, Associate — Santhavi is an experienced labor and employment attorney with a track record of successfully handling discrimination, harassment, hostile work environment, retaliation, disability accommodation, workers’ compensation retaliation, on-the-job injuries, and wage and hour issues for clients across a wide range of industries. She has also represented employers of all sizes during Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor audits and investigations. Prior to entering private practice, she spent seven years as in-house counsel for a major oil and gas corporation. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Houston and earned her Juris Doctor from the South Texas College of Law.
Anne Marie Laney Hill, Staff Attorney — Hill brings a strong background in civil litigation, commercial litigation, bankruptcy, and legal research to the financial services practice. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Alabama and earned her Juris Doctor at the SMU Dedman School of Law.
