50Becky Diffen
Becky served TJOGEL as Editor-in-Chief of Volume 4, and she is now a partner in the Austin office of McGuireWoods where her practice focuses on energy transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and project development with an emphasis on the power and renewable energy industry. She is a past-President and Founding Fellow of TELA and currently serves as our Endowments Chair. Becky has been recognized by Chambers USA, Legal 500, and Texas Rising Stars, serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law where she teaches a seminar on electric power law, and is a co-author of Texas Wind Law, the first wind law treatise, and Lexis Practice Advisor: Renewable Energy. Becky lives in Austin with her husband Daniel and children Brydon and Darcy Jane.
Matthew Greenberg
Matthew is a Senior Associate in the Houston office of Vinson & Elkins, where his practice focuses on mergers & acquisitions, private equity and general corporate representation in the energy industry. He is a former Editor-in-Chief of TJOGEL and a TELA Founding Fellow. Prior to law school, Matthew was an associate at Charles River Associates in Washington, DC. His work at CRA focused on federal regulation of market power in the electricity industry. Matthew graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 2012 and received a B.A magna cum laude in Economics and International Studies in 2006 from American University.
Olga Kobzar
Olga Kobzar is a partner at Scott, Douglass & McConnico L.L.P., where she represents clients before the Texas Railroad Commission and in federal and state district and appellate courts. Olga advises oil and gas operators, landowners, disposal solution providers, wastewater treatment companies, and other energy clients in regulatory and litigation matters. Prior to joining Scott Douglass, she served as a Briefing Attorney for Justice Debra Lehrmann of the Texas Supreme Court. Olga is a former managing editor of TJOGEL (2009-2010) and a former director of submissions (2008-2009). She holds a J.D., with honors from The University of Texas School of Law, an M.B.A. with honors, and a B.A., summa cum laude, from Texas Tech University.
David Leonard
David is an associate in the litigation section of the Houston office of Gray Reed & McGraw LLP. David graduated with honors from the University of Texas in 2008 with a B.A. in Government and Spanish. David continued his studies at the University of Texas School of Law where he was Volume 6 Managing Editor of The Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, & Energy Law.
Amy Maxwell
Amy is in private practice, providing legal, legislative, and regulatory consulting services for energy companies. She formerly served as Chief of Staff and Legal Counsel to Texas Railroad Commissioner David Porter. Amy graduated with Honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 2007 where she served as a founder and on the editorial board of TJOGEL. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts in Government with Highest Honors. Before her tenure at the Railroad Commission, Amy worked as an associate and lobbyist at Locke Lord LLP in Austin and on the executive staffs of Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn.
Tom Hillebrand
Tom is a former Managing Editor of TJOGEL. He graduated with honors from The University of Texas School of Law in 2014 and is an associate in the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP where he practices oil and gas law including upstream asset acquisitions and divestitures and midstream commercial agreement negotiations. Prior to law school Tom graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Classical Civilizations and Political Science.
Claire Statton
Claire is the former Managing Editor of TJOGEL (2012 – 2013) and former Online Content Editor (2011-2012). She graduated from The University of Texas School of Law in 2013. Prior to law school, Claire graduated with honors from The University of Texas at Austin in 2010 with a B.A. in Economics. Claire is originally from Midland, Texas and is currently an associate at Davis, Gerald and Cremer in Midland where her practice focuses on energy transactions and oil and gas title examination in both Texas and New Mexico.
Alex Robertson
Alex was the 2014-15 Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, and Energy Law and is now an associate in the Dallas office of Vinson & Elkins LLP, where he practices corporate and securities law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and private equity. In his spare time, Alex enjoys playing golf, reading non-fiction literature, traveling, and spending time with his wife, Rachel.
Mike Marek
Mike is a former Editor-in-Chief of TJOGEL. He graduated from The University of Texas School of Law and the McCombs School of Business in 2015 with a JD/MBA. Prior to law school, Mike taught 7th Grade Texas History at YES Prep Gulfton in Houston, Texas. Mike received a BA in International Relations in 2009 from Stanford University. He is originally from Houston and is an associate in the M&A Capital Markets group in the Houston office of Vinson & Elkins LLP.
Jaclyn Joseph Covert
Jaclyn was the 2014-15 Managing Editor of TJOGEL. She graduated with high honors from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.B.A. in Marketing and Order of the Coif from the University of Texas School of Law. After law school, Jaclyn clerked for Justice Green on the Texas Supreme Court and is currently a transactional associate in the Austin office of Jackson Walker.
Jonathan Seliger
Jonathan served TJOGEL as Editor-in-Chief of Volume 11. He is originally from Amarillo, Texas and is now an associate in the Houston office of Bracewell LLP where his practice focuses on upstream and midstream energy transactions and mergers and acquisitions, with an emphasis on upstream acquisitions and divestitures. Prior to joining Bracewell, Jonathan served as Special Assistant to Senator Kay Baily Hutchinson in Washington, D.C., and later served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Patrick Higginbotham of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Jonathan holds a J.D. From The University of Texas School of Law, and a B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin.
Andrew Klein
Andrew is an associate in the M&A and Capital Markets group of the Houston office of Vinson & Elkins LLP where he assists a wide variety of energy clients. Andrew graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama in 2012 with a B.B.A. in Finance and continued his studies at the University of Texas School of Law where he was the 2014-15 Director of Submissions of the Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, and Energy Law.
Wilson Albright
Wilson was the 2016-17 Editor-in-Chief of TJOGEL, and he now practices corporate law as an associate in the Austin office of Jackson Walker LLP. Prior to law school, Wilson served as Special Assistant to the Texas Secretary of State, and afterwards served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Sam Sparks of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Wilson holds a J.D. with honors from The University of Texas School of Law, and a B.A. with special honors from The University of Texas at Austin.
John Bell
John is a former Chief Financial Officer of TJOGEL. He graduated from The University of Texas School of Law and the McCombs School of Business with a JD/MBA and received a BA in History and Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin. He is originally from Houston and was formerly an associate in the Houston office of Vinson & Elkins. John is currently Vice President & General Counsel of Colgate Energy in Midland, Texas.
