Posts By: Chris Wielinski

Cokinos | Young is pleased to announce that the firm has been ranked in the 2023 U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers^®, “Best Law Firms” for the 13th consecutive year. Cokinos is listed nationally in 3 practice areas and regionally in 8 practice areas.

Firms included in the 2023 U.S. News – Best Lawyers^® “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.

To be eligible for a ranking, a firm must have one lawyer listed in The Best Lawyers in America, which recognizes the top four percent of practicing attorneys in the United States. Cokinos | Young has twenty lawyers listed in The Best Lawyers in America – Travis M. Brown, Gregory M. Cokinos, Stephanie H. Cook, J. Parker Fauntleroy, W. Patrick Garner, Charles Getman , John L. Grayson, Philip Kinkaid, Beau E. LeBlanc, Dana Livingston, Robert J. MacPherson, Shelly D. Masters, Stephanie L. O’Rourke, Darrell W. Taylor, Roger D. Townsend, John C. Warren, Peter Boyd Wells IV, Patrick J. Wielinski. 

Ranked firms, presented in tiers, are listed on a national and/or metropolitan scale. Receiving a tier designation reflects the high level of respect a firm has earned among other leading lawyers and clients in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism and their integrity.

Cokinos Young, P.C. received the following rankings in the 2023 U.S. News – Best Lawyers^® “Best Law Firms”:

• National Tier 1
  • Litigation – Construction
• National Tier 2
  • Appellate Practice
  • Construction Law
• Regional Tier 1
  • Austin
    • Construction Law
  • Dallas/Fort Worth
    • Construction Law
    • Insurance Law
    • Litigation – Construction
  • Houston
    • Appellate Practice
    • Construction Law
    • Litigation – Construction
    • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
  • New Jersey
    • Litigation – Construction
  • San Antonio
    • Commercial Litigation
    • Construction Law
    • Litigation – Construction
• Regional Tier 2
  • Austin
    • Appellate Practice
    • Litigation – Construction
  • Houston
    • Commercial Litigation
  • New Jersey
    • Construction Law
• Regional Tier 3
  • Houston
    • Admiralty & Maritime Law
    • Corporate Law

ABOUT COKINOS | YOUNG

Cokinos | Young has led Texas construction and real estate law for over three decades. And today, our 100+ dedicated professionals operate coast to coast and proudly handle all aspects of construction law for owner/developers, project managers, general contractors, design professionals, subcontractors, sureties, and lenders. We provide both dispute resolution and transactional services to clients through all phases of commercial, industrial, pipeline, offshore, civil, and residential construction. Our reputation was built on relentless commitment to client service and the industries we serve, and that remains our primary driver. Dedicated. Resilient. Expertise. That’s Cokinos | Young. Learn more at cokinoslaw.com.

ABOUT “BEST LAW FIRMS”

The U.S. News – Best Lawyers^® “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in the field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. To be eligible for a 2023 ranking, a law firm must have at least one lawyer recognized in the 13th edition of The Best Lawyers in America^® list for that particular location and specialty.

ABOUT U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. A digital news and information company focused on Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars and News, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

ABOUT BEST LAWYERS

Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected lawyer ranking service in the world. For 40 years, Best Lawyers has assisted those in need of legal services to identify the lawyers best qualified to represent them in distant jurisdictions or unfamiliar specialties. Best Lawyers awards are published in leading local, regional and national publications across the globe.

Lawyers who are nominated for consideration are voted on by currently recognized Best Lawyers working in the same practice area and located in the same geographic region. Our awards and recognitions are based purely on the feedback we receive from these top lawyers. Those who receive high peer reviews undergo a thorough verification process to make sure they are currently still in private practice. Only then can these top lawyers be recognized by Best Lawyers.

We are excited to announce that fifteen Cokinos | Young attorneys are recognized as 2022 Super Lawyers® and Gregory Cokinos is named on the Top 100 Super Lawyers® list for both Texas and Houston. This distinction is held by less than five percent of Texas lawyers and selections are made on a state-by-state basis.  Independent research consisting of an evaluation of 12 varying indicators of professional achievement combined with peer nominations and evaluations are employed to determine this accolade.

The full list of Super Lawyers will be published in:
– Texas Super Lawyers Magazine, in October 2022
– Texas Monthly, in October 2022
– Gregory Cokinos will be featured in The Top 100 Texas and Top 100 Houston lists

Our Super Lawyers include:

Austin:
Dana Livingston – Appellate; Featured in Super Lawyers Women’s Edition
M. Wilson Stoker – Employment & Labor
Marc A. Young – Construction Litigation

Dallas:
Travis M. Brown – Insurance Coverage
Patrick J. Wielinski – Insurance Coverage

Houston:
Gregory M. Cokinos – Construction Litigation; Top 100 List for Texas (13th Year) and Houston (16th Year)
J. Parker Fauntleroy – PI General: Defense
John L. Grayson – Construction Litigation
Robert J. Naudin, Jr. – Construction Litigation
Craig E. Power – Bankruptcy: Business
Russell W. Smith – Construction Litigation
Roger D. Townsend – Appellate
John C. Warren – Construction Litigation

San Antonio:
Gabriel S. Head – Construction Litigation
Stephanie L. O’Rourke – Construction Litigation; Featured in Super Lawyers Women’s Edition

20 Named Best Lawyers in America; 13 Named Ones to Watch

Cokinos | Young is pleased to announce that 33 lawyers are included in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America^®. This year’s list recognizes 20 Cokinos | Young attorneys as Best Lawyers in America and 13 attorneys as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.

Best Lawyers has earned the respect of the profession, the media and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals. Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then has grown to provide lists in over 75 countries. For the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, more than 12.2 million votes were analyzed to identify the top legal talent, as identified by their peers.

Cokinos | Young would like to congratulate the following lawyers named to 2023 The Best Lawyers in America list:

• Travis M. Brown – Insurance Law
• Gregory M. Cokinos – Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, and Litigation – Construction
• Stephanie H. Cook – Construction Law and Litigation – Construction
• Stanley W. Curry – Construction Law
• Jay K. Farwell – Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, and Litigation – Construction
• J. Parker Fauntleroy – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
• W. Patrick Garner – Litigation – Construction
• Charles Getman – Construction Law and Litigation – Construction
• John L. Grayson – Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
• Philip Kinkaid – Real Estate Law
• Beau E. LeBlanc – Admiralty and Maritime Law
• Dana Livingston – Appellate Practice
• Robert J. MacPherson – Construction Law and Litigation – Construction
• Shelly D. Masters – Construction Law
• Stephanie L. O’Rourke – Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, and Litigation – Construction
• Darrell W. Taylor – Corporate Law and Real Estate Law
• Roger D. Townsend – Appellate Practice
• John C. Warren – Construction Law and Litigation – Construction
• Peter Boyd Wells IV – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
• Patrick J. Wielinski – Construction Law, Insurance Law, and Litigation – Construction

Cokinos | Young like to congratulate the following lawyers recognized in the 2023 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America:

• Lauren S. Aldredge – Intellectual Property Law and Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Rebekah F. Breque – Administrative / Regulatory Law
• Ryan Cunningham – Construction Law and Litigation – Construction
• Alec Dudley – Litigation – Construction
• J. Shannon Gatlin – Labor and Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Cody R. Graham – Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Construction
• Derek Kammerlocher – Corporate Law
• Allegra Lezak – Litigation – Construction
• Alfredo Montelongo – Litigation – Construction
• Mitchell R. Powell – Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
• Joseph D. Walker – Construction Law
• Josh J. Woods – Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Construction
• Whitley B. Zachary – Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs

2023 Best Lawyers in America

2023 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America

About Cokinos | Young

Cokinos | Young has led Texas construction and real estate law for over three decades. And today, our 100+ dedicated professionals operate coast to coast and proudly handle all aspects of construction law for owner/developers, project managers, general contractors, design professionals, subcontractors, sureties, and lenders. We provide both dispute resolution and transactional services to clients through all phases of commercial, industrial, pipeline, offshore, civil, and residential construction. Our reputation was built on relentless commitment to client service and the industries we serve, and that remains our primary driver. Dedicated. Resilient. Expertise. That’s Cokinos | Young. Learn more at cokinoslaw.com.

It is with great pleasure we announce our President and CEO, Gregory Cokinos, has been awarded the Texas A&M University Distinguished Alumnus Award 2022. The Distinguished Alumnus Award is the highest honor bestowed upon a former student of Texas A&M University. This honor has been awarded since 1962 to only 318 of Texas A&M’s more than 555,000 former students.

Presented jointly by the university and The Association of Former Students, this award recognizes Aggies who have achieved excellence in their chosen professions and made meaningful contributions to Texas A&M University and their local communities. The Distinguished Alumnus Award is reflective of Texas A&M University’s core values – Excellence, Integrity, Leadership, Loyalty, Respect and Selfless Service.

We are honored to call Gregory one of the founders of our Cokinos | Young Family and believe no one is more deserving of this award. Because of his leadership and dedication, these core values are reflected throughout the firm.

“The Cokinos family, starting with his Dad, General Mike Cokinos, started a family tradition of attendance at A&M that has become more than just a tradition, it is now a lifestyle…There is not a person you will ever meet that knows Gregory who is not aware of exactly where Gregory attended college. I can’t think of another person who is more deserving of the Distinguished Alumni Award than my good friend, Gregory Cokinos.”

– Marc Young Founding Principal

“He is remarkable in every sense of the word. A tireless advocate, a fearless leader, a pillar of the Houston community, and very likely the proudest (and loudest) Former Student of Texas A&M University. His pride for the institution is unwavering and contagious. It is central to his being. He loves Texas A&M, and Texas A&M is lucky to have him.”

– Russell Smith Principal

“Spend 5 minutes with Gregory and you quickly know his priorities in life are: 1. His family and his church and, 2. Texas A&M University…EVERYTHING about Texas A&M University; not just athletics, but academics to administration, the Dixie Chicken and everything in between. No detail about our university is too small for him to be interested in and, yes, brag about. The same love, dedication and commitment Gregory demonstrates toward his family and church are daily shown toward Texas A&M University in countless ways.”

– John Grayson Principal

About Cokinos | Young

Cokinos | Young has led Texas construction and real estate law for over three decades. And today, our 100+ dedicated professionals operate coast to coast and proudly handle all aspects of construction law for owner/developers, project managers, general contractors, design professionals, subcontractors, sureties, and lenders. We provide both dispute resolution and transactional services to clients through all phases of commercial, industrial, pipeline, offshore, civil, and residential construction. Our reputation was built on relentless commitment to client service and the industries we serve, and that remains our primary driver. Dedicated. Resilient. Expertise. That’s Cokinos | Young. Learn more at cokinoslaw.com.

Cokinos | Young is pleased to announce that six of its attorneys have been recognized on the 2022 Texas Rising Stars list of exceptional young attorneys. Rising Stars is a ranking service based on a statewide survey, peer nominations, and independent research of Thomson Reuters. Less than 2.5 percent of Texas attorneys are chosen for this prestigious distinction. To be eligible, lawyers must be 40 years old or younger, or in practice for 10 years or less. View the full digital edition here.

For 32 years, Cokinos | Young has led the way in smart, knowledgeable construction & commercial real estate law. Today, our team of over 100 dedicated professionals provides all aspects of construction law to general contractors, project managers, design professionals, subcontractors, material and equipment suppliers, sureties, insurance companies, owner/developers, and lenders. We provide both transactional and litigation services to clients in commercial, industrial, civil, pipeline, offshore, heavy highway, and residential construction. And we’re growing beyond Texas with offices open coast-to-coast. Savvy. Tough. Dedicated. That’s Cokinos.

It is with great pleasure we welcome Chester Washington to the firm. Chester joins the Houston office as the Director of Litigation Support & E-Discovery Services. He will lead Cokinos | Young’s data, analytics, and client services teams and spearhead the creation of comprehensive solutions to address clients’ litigation needs.

“Chester’s experience in litigation support and the E-discovery realm is unparalleled,” says Gregory Cokinos. “We are thrilled to welcome him to our CY Family.”

Chester comes to us with 16+ years of trial experience and experience on the vendor side of e-discovery. Chester’s knowledge spans data forensics, data processing, review management, review analytics, and advanced production.

Chester will deliver cost-effective, creative solutions with current and future E-discovery vendors. In addition, Chester is well-versed in litigation support project management. His comprehensive set of offerings will ensure efficient and consistent data collection, data processing, review management and data production.

We are excited to have Chester join the firm and look forward to working with him.  Welcome to the CY Family, Chester.

About Cokinos | Young

For 32 years, Cokinos Young has led the way in smart, knowledgeable construction & commercial real estate law. Today, our team of over 100 dedicated professionals provides all aspects of construction law to general contractors, project managers, design professionals, subcontractors, material and equipment suppliers, sureties, insurance companies, owner/developers, and lenders. We provide both transactional and litigation services to clients in commercial, industrial, civil, pipeline, offshore, heavy highway, and residential construction. And we’re growing beyond Texas with offices open coast-to-coast. Savvy. Tough. Dedicated. That’s Cokinos. Learn more at cokinoslaw.com.