Biography

Marisol L. Pérez (J.D. ’00) began practicing law in 2001 as an associate for De Mott, McChesney, Curtright & Armendáriz, L.L.P., where her primary concentration was deportation defense, Violence Against Women’s Act cases and general family immigration.

In 2004, she took a staff attorney position in the Southwest Regional Office of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF). She served as an immigrants’ rights attorney handling litigation and legislative matters for nine states.

While at MALDEF, Pérez participated in several lawsuits defending immigrant rights around the country.

Notably, she represented plaintiffs in the lawsuit Vicente v. Barnett, an action on behalf of 16 individuals to recover damages for injuries inflicted upon them by vigilante ranchers along the Arizona-Mexico Border. In February 2009, a civil jury found in favor of the women plaintiffs and awarded damages on their claims of assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Pérez also represented plaintiffs in a series of successful lawsuits brought forth to challenge actions of the City of Farmers Branch, the first Texas town to adopt an anti-immigrant law.

In 2010, Pérez returned to De Mott, McChesney, Curtright & Armendáriz, L.L.P. where she is a partner and handles a wide range of immigration cases for the firm. Pérez is Board Certified in immigration and nationality law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS).

• LULAC National President’s Community Leadership Award in 2009

Biography

Xavier Rodriguez is a former Texas Supreme Court Justice and currently sits on the bench as a United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas. He was a partner in the international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski (now known as Norton Rose Fulbright). He was board certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corps and has served on the board of directors of several charitable organizations across Texas. Judge Rodriguez is a frequent speaker on continuing legal education seminars and has authored numerous articles regarding employment law, discovery, and arbitration issues. He is the editor of Essentials of E-Discovery (TexasBarBooks 2d ed. 2021). He is a member of The Sedona Conference Judicial Advisory Board, the Georgetown Advanced E-Discovery Institute Advisory Board, the EDRM Global Advisory Council, and serves as the Distinguished Visiting Jurist-in-Residence and adjunct professor of law at the St. Mary’s University School of Law. He is a Past Chair of the State Bar of Texas Litigation Section, Past Chair of the State Bar of Texas Labor and Employment Law Section and Past Chair of the State Bar of Texas Continuing Legal Education Committee.

• Member, American Law Institute
• Fellow, American Bar Foundation
• Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
• State Bar of Texas Litigation Section, Past Chair
• State Bar of Texas Labor and Employment Law Section, Past Chair
• State Bar of Texas Continuing Legal Education Committee, Past Chair
• Texas Bar Foundation’s Samuel Pessarra Outstanding Jurist Award, 2021
• TexasBarCLE’s Pat Nester Innovation in Professional Development Award, 2021
• State Bar of Texas Gene Cavin Award for Excellence in CLE, 2017
• Rosewood Gavel Award for Outstanding Judicial Service, 2011

Books

• Essentials of E-Discovery, Xavier Rodriguez ed. (2d Ed. TexasBarBooks 2021)
• Essentials of E-Discovery, Xavier Rodriguez ed. (TexasBarBooks 2014)
• Written Employment Contracts, Texas Employment Law (co-author) (James Publishing, Inc.) (various editions all prior to 2001)
• Independent Contractors, Defense Research Institute Employment Law Basics (author) (various editions all prior to 2001)
• Texas Legal Assistant Handbook, member, Editorial Advisory Board (James Publishing, Inc.) (Various editions all prior to 2001)
• The Employment At-Will Doctrine, TAB Employment Law Handbook (author) (various editions all prior to 2001)

Shorter Works

• The Sedona Conference Cooperation Proclamation: Resources for the Judiciary, Third Edition (June 2020). Judicial Reviewer and author of various portions of this publication.
• Fifth Circuit Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions (Thompson Reuters 2015) (Chair of the Committee on Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions and co-author of various instructions)
• Fifth Circuit Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions (Thompson Reuters 2012) (Member of the Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions and co-author of various instructions)
• Employment Discrimination Law, EEOC Administrative Process, 2000 Cumulative Supplement (contributor) (Bureau of National Affairs)

Articles

• Xavier Rodriguez, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Practice of Law in Texas, Vol. 63 S. Tex. L. Rev. (Fall 2023)
• Xavier Rodriguez, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Practice of Law, 24 Sedona Conf. J. 783 (2023)
• Anthony P. Ng and Xavier Rodriguez, Basic Electronic Discovery (Practicum Press 2023)
• Xavier Rodriguez, Discovery in Criminal Cases: New Fed. Crim. P. 16.1 is insufficient to address the amount of data collected and should be produced – A Proposal for a Rule 16.2 (Duke Univ., Bolch Judicial Institute 2023)
• Xavier Rodriguez, Examining Heslin and Lewis v. Infowars and Alex Jones, Circuits, State Bar of Texas Computer & Technology Section (Jan. 2023)
• Xavier Rodriguez, My Responses to these Discovery Requests were Reasonable, Right? Navigating Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(g)(1), Vol. 101 (Winter 2022), The Advocate, State Bar of Texas Litigation Section
• Xavier Rodriguez & Anthony Ng, Sanctions under the Civil Rules of Procedure (2022), News for the Bar, State Bar of Texas Litigation Section
• Xavier Rodriguez, Ensuring a Fair Cross-Section of the Community in the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Lawyer (November/December 2021)
• Xavier Rodriguez, When Machines Can be a Judge, Law360’s Expert Analysis Series. A review of Katherine Bolan Forrest’s “When Machines Can Be Judge, Jury, and Executioner: Justice in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” (Law360, May 19, 2021 at https://www.law360.com/cybersecurity-privacy/articles/1385565
• Essentials of E-Discovery, Xavier Rodriguez ed. (2d Ed. TexasBarBooks 2021)
• Xavier Rodriguez, A Profile of Roy R. Barrera, Sr, Journal of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society (Vol. 10, No. 2 Winter 2021)
• Xavier Rodriguez, The Attempted Integration of Mansfield, Texas, Nathaniel Jackson, et al v. O.C. Rawdon, a Necessary Precursor to Little Rock, Journal of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society (Vol. 10, No. 1 Fall 2020)
• Xavier Rodriguez & Anthony Ng, Sanctions under the Civil Rules of Procedure (2022), News for the Bar, State Bar of Texas Litigation Section
• Xavier Rodriguez, Ensuring a Fair Cross-Section of the Community in the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Lawyer (November/December 2021)
• Xavier Rodriguez & Stephen Malouf: Technology in the Courtroom: Demonstratives. The Advocate, Vol. 90, Spring 2020
• Xavier Rodriguez & James Wes Christian, Making a Plan: Select discovery issues. 82 Tex. Bar J. 174, March 2019
• Xavier Rodriguez & David L. Horan, Meta-Discovery: Allegations of an Incomplete Document Production, 19 Sedona Conf. J. 745 (2018)
• Steven S. Gensler & Xavier Rodriguez, Discovery: Form Fights: Battles over Content and Proportionality, ABA Pretrial Practice & Discovery, Spring 2018
• Steven S. Gensler & Xavier Rodriguez, Discovery: What the form are we fighting for? 80 Tex. Bar J. 774, December 2017
• Xavier Rodriguez, Brookshire Brothers: Cleanup on Aisle 9. The Current Messy State of Spoliation Law. 46 St. Mary’s Law Journal 447 (2015)
• Xavier Rodriguez, New Federal Court Rules: Listen, Be Prompt, Be Prepared, No Throwing a Fit. San Antonio Lawyer (May-June 2015)
• Essentials of E-Discovery, Xavier Rodriguez ed. (TexasBarBooks 2014)
• Xavier Rodriguez, The Decline of Civil Jury Trials: A Positive Development, Myth, or the End of Justice as We Now Know It? 45 St. Mary’s Law Journal 333 (2014)
• Paralegal Overtime: Yes, No or Maybe? American Bar Association GP Solo, Vol. 19, No.1, January/February 2002
• Supreme Court Issues New Guidelines, American Lawyer Media, October 2, 2000
• Have Discrimination Cases Gotten More Difficult? Texas Lawyer, September 27, 2000
• Paralegal Overtime: Yes, No or Maybe? 63 Tex. Bar J. 266, March 2000
• Developments in the Substantive Law: Employment Law, Texas Lawyer, December 20, 1999

Presentations

• Frequent speaker at Continuing Legal Education presentations throughout the United States and overseas. In this capacity he has written numerous CLE articles discussing discovery, civil procedure, employment law, and the U.S. federal courts.
• Delivered presentations and presented articles on more than 450 occasions throughout Texas, United States and Europe. 

Biography

Roberto “R.C.” Rondero de Mosier provides expert counsel to emerging high-growth businesses and their entrepreneurs and investors. R.C. also serves as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of The Gober Group, where he manages firm operations and client services.

Prior to entering the legal profession, R.C. graduated from Stanford University in Palo Alto and entered the booming start-up sector. R.C.’s knowledge of business management, along with his sales background, has provided him the needed experience to help clients address both their individual and business growth needs.

Upon finishing law school, R.C. worked in the corporate sector for Thomson Reuters and worked in a division later acquired by Leeds Equity. He then founded a corporate transactional law practice, which he grew and sold within three years. As an owner of a few small business ventures and a member of the leadership of justlegal.com, R.C. continues to advise small businesses and startups across the country from multiple perspectives.

R.C. maintains consistent community involvement in Austin, having served on several nonprofit boards from Latinitas, Inc. to the Austin Symphony BATS. He currently serves on the board of The Merivis Foundation and volunteers time to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas and Austin Pets Alive. In 2015, R.C. was honored as an Austin Under 40 Awards finalist, recognizing Austin’s emerging professionals and community leaders.

Biography

Justice Beth Watkins (J.D. ’02) served on the Fourth Court of Appeals from 2019 to 2024. During her time on the bench, she developed critical insight into the judicial decision-making process and the factors that give a jurist confidence in a ruling. She was proud of her ability to work with her colleagues to reach the right result for the right reasons. As a result of Watkins’ persuasive and collaborative leadership style — combined with her keen understanding of public policy and procedural and substantive law — she never had to author a dissenting opinion in her six years on the bench, and her reversal rate was among the lowest on the court.

In 2025, Watkins joined forces with respected colleagues in Houston and Dallas to form Kelly Watkins McPheeters LLP, a statewide appellate firm of former justices, board-certified appellate specialists and experienced litigators. In private practice, she has represented clients in more than 200 appeals to state and federal appellate courts, including the United States Supreme Court, the Texas Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and most intermediate appellate courts in Texas. She has been Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law since 2008.

Watkins is a committed community servant. She is a Past President of the San Antonio Bar Association, San Antonio Bar Foundation, Community Justice Foundation, and the San Antonio Bar Association Appellate Practice Section. She also served on the State Bar of Texas Grievance Committee and the St. Mary’s Law Alumni Association. She currently serves on the State Bar of Texas Pattern Jury Charge Committee for Malpractice, Premises, and Products, the Amicus Committee of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, as an elected Director of the San Antonio Trial Lawyers Association, and as an elected Council Member of the State Bar of Texas Appellate Section. She is a Life Fellow of both the San Antonio Bar Foundation and Texas Bar Foundation.

In addition, Watkins has held several teaching positions at her alma mater, St. Mary’s University School of Law. She currently teaches courses in state pretrial practice and police liability. She has also taught constitutional law and legal research and writing, in addition to holding small administrative roles.

Watkins was born and raised in San Antonio. She enjoys her hometown’s vibrant arts, culture and restaurant scene. In her free time, she loves to visit far-flung locales and experience new and different cultures.

• Super Lawyer-Appellate Law-Texas Monthly, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
• Rising Star-Appellate Law-Texas Monthly, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• Best Lawyers in San Antonio-Appellate Law-Scene in SA Monthly, 2007-2019
• Outstanding Young Lawyer of San Antonio-San Antonio Young Lawyers Association, 2007

Biography

David White, J.D., LL.M., has concurrently held both law and CPA licenses for over 30 years. In addition to being admitted to practice before all Texas courts, White is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Tax Court, and the United States Court of Federal Claims.

White’s law practice helps clients protect, preserve and transfer wealth.  White advises clients on estate planning, asset protection, wealth preservation, probate/estate administration, federal transfer tax planning, trust creation, trust administration, trust taxation, incapacity planning, special needs planning and related topics.

White is a member of the American Bar Association, American Institute of CPAs, Texas Society of CPAs, Texas Bar College, San Antonio Estate Planners Council, San Antonio CPA Society, and the San Antonio Bar Association. He is also accredited by the American Institute of CPAs as a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) and a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).

White is a fifth generation Texan and has lived in San Antonio for over 20 years. He has served as a member of the practicing faculty of St. Mary’s University School of Law for over a decade.

• Texas Comptroller’s Business Tax Advisory Committee (Dec 2006 – Aug 2008)
• Texas Comptroller’s Taxpayer’s Advisory Group (Jan 2007 – Aug 2008)
• Vice Chair, State and Local Tax Committee, State Bar of Texas (May 2004 – Aug 2008)

Books

• Chapter 12: The Bundling of Taxable and Exempt Communications Services, Telecommunications: Taxation of Services, Property and Providers, at 237-58 (CCH 2002 ed.) co-authored with William A. Walsh

Bar Journal Publications

• State & Local Tax: Recent Developments, Texas Tax Lawyer, Feb. 2005, at 13, 13-19 co-authored with Geoffrey Polma and Daniel Timmons
• Implementation of the New Assessment Cap, Michigan Bar Journal, Feb. 1995, at 188, 188-90