Becky Diffen
Becky is an attorney in the Austin office of Vinson & Elkins where her practice focuses on energy transactions and energy regulatory law with an emphasis on renewable energy. Prior to law school, she served as Development Manager for a wind power development company. Becky graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota in 2004 with a B.A. magna cum laude in Computer Science and concentrations in Political Economy and Latin American Studies. She graduated from the University of Texas School of Law with honors in 2009 where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, & Energy Law and Magister of Phi Delta Phi, as well as interning with Justice Paul Green at the Supreme Court of Texas. Becky is a co-chair of the Central Texas chapter of Women of Wind Energy, and she has presented and published a variety of legal articles on wind power and renewable energy. Becky lives in Austin with her husband Daniel and new son, Brydon. She enjoys cheering on the Longhorns, playing sports, knitting, and volunteering with the Austin Cosmopolitan Rotary Club.
Matthew Greenberg
Matthew is the incoming Editor-in-Chief of TJOGEL and is currently in his second year of law school. He has been involved with the Journal since starting at UT Law, serving this year as the Assistant Managing Editor. 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 completed his undergraduate degree in Economics and International Studies at American University. He is originally from Houston and will be working there as a summer associate at Vinson & Elkins and King & Spalding.
Olga Kobzar
Olga is a former managing editor of TJOGEL (2009-2010) and a former director of submissions (2008-2009). She developed an interest in oil and gas growing up in the hydrocarbon-rich Caspian sea basin of Russia and continued to pursue that interest in law school. She joined TELA as a Founding Fellow after graduation to stay in touch with the TJOGEL alumni and continue to develop the awareness of UT’s energy law initiatives. Following a clerkship with Justice Lehrmann on the Texas Supreme Court, Olga will be joining Scott Douglass & McConnico this fall.
David Leonard
David Leonard graduated with honors from the University of Texas in 2008 majoring in Government and Spanish. As an undergraduate, David was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Beta Kappa. 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. Beginning in September 2011, David will be an associate in the litigation section of Looper, Reed & McGraw’s Houston office.
Danielle Mangrum
Danielle is an associate in the Houston office of Vinson & Elkins LLP. Her practice focuses on domestic and international business transactions, with a primary emphasis on energy projects and mergers and acquisitions. Danielle served the journal as Volume 5 Editor-in-Chief (2009-2010), as Assistant Managing Editor (2008-2009), and as a Staff Editor (Spring 2008). Before attending law school, Danielle graduated from St. Edward’s University with a B.B.A. in Economics and minor in English Writing and Rhetoric.
Billie Ann Maxwell
Billie Ann is an attorney at Martin Resource Management Corporation and Martin Midstream Partners L.P. in Kilgore, Texas. Prior to joining Martin, Billie Ann worked as an attorney at K&L Gates LLP in Dallas, Texas. Billie Ann graduated in 2006 with a B.A. in Government from the University of Texas at Austin with highest honors. In 2009, she graduated with a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law with honors. During law school, Billie Ann served as Managing Editor of the Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, & Energy Law.
Amy Maxwell
Amy is Chief of Staff and Legal Counsel to Railroad Commissioner David Porter at the Texas Railroad Commission, which has primary regulatory jurisdiction over oil and natural gas industry, pipeline transporters, natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline industry, natural gas utilities, the LP-gas industry, and coal and uranium surface mining operations. Amy graduated with Honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 2007 where she served as one of the founders of the Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, & Energy Law. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts in Government with Highest Honors. Previous to working at the Railroad Commission, Amy was as an associate and lobbyist at Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP in Austin, practicing real estate and energy law. She also previously worked on the executive staff of Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and former Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn.
Cynthia Redwine
Cynthia joined Meridian Solar as General Counsel in April 2011. Meridian Solar is an Austin, TX based engineering, procurement and construction firm dedicated to large-scale solar energy projects. Prior to joining Meridian, Cynthia served as General Counsel to RRE Austin Solar, a developer of utility-scale solar generation. Cynthia also practiced as an associate in the Houston office of Vinson & Elkins, LLP. At V&E, Cynthia’s practice focused on domestic and international business transactions, including financings (both corporate finance and public finance), private equity investments, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, project developments and other corporate transactions, particularly in the energy industry. Cynthia earned her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, with Honors, and her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, cum laude. Cynthia is a former Managing Editor (2005-2006) and Executive Editor (2006-2007) of TJOGEL.
Chad Smith
Chad is the 2010-2011 Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, and Energy Law and a recent graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. He will begin working as an associate in the Fort Worth office of Kelly Hart & Hallman this September, and is currently working in their Austin office. Chad completed his undergraduate education at the University of Texas where he was a member of the Silver Spurs. He has a strong interest in energy related matters and enjoys playing football, basketball, and competing in triathlons in his spare time.
