Munck Wilson Mandala unanimously elected three new partners, effective Jan. 1, 2021. Alison Battiste, Sarah Lopano, and Jordan Strauss work in MWM’s Dallas office in the complex litigation/dispute resolution section. As part of the MWM team that earned the title of Litigation Department of the Year in 2020, these three attorneys demonstrated excellence in their legal practice and significantly contributed to the firm’s successful year.
“This is a defining moment in the legal careers of Alison, Sarah, and Jordan, and we are proud to call them MWM partners,” said Jenny Martinez, co-chair of the complex litigation/dispute resolution section. “They excel as litigators and have impressed all of us this past year with their ability to adapt and bring value to our work.”
Battiste has more than 13 years of experience working in commercial and high-stakes litigation. She represents both plaintiffs and defendants in business, intellectual property, and technology-related disputes. Battiste has been honored as a Texas Rising Star and a Texas Super Lawyer. In 2020, she was elected to the board of Family Gateway, and she is a member of Leadership Dallas Class of 2021, the Dallas Regional Chamber’s flagship leadership program. Battiste also completed the Leadership Arts Institute, the Business Council for the Arts’ program, in 2018.
Battiste earned her BS in chemistry and MBA from the George Washington University and her J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center. While in law school, Battiste participated in the International Law Study summer program at University College London in the United Kingdom and clerked for a prominent law firm in São Paulo, Brazil. After law school, she worked at Merrill Lynch International in London, England. She is a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, Dallas Bar Foundation, and Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation and a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Dallas Bar Association.
Lopano has more than eight years of legal experience representing clients in complex commercial litigation and intellectual property disputes. She is a graduate of the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Lead YP program and stays active in firm events focused on diversity and inclusion and business development. Lopano is recognized annually as a Texas Rising Star and a Best Lawyers Ones to Watch.
Lopano graduated magna cum laude with a B.B.A. in marketing from the University of Texas at Austin, and she received her J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, graduating cum laude. While in law school, Lopano was the managing editor of the Journal of Air Law & Commerce, and she worked with the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Child Advocacy Clinic. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
Strauss has over seven years of legal experience representing clients in commercial litigation and intellectual property disputes, including complex patent disputes. She has been involved in all phases of numerous patent infringement cases, including her role as the lead associate in a $10.1 million dollar infringement lawsuit. Strauss is recognized annually as a Texas Rising Star and a Best Lawyers Ones to Watch. She also serves as a member of the Genesis Alliance Board.
Strauss graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in political science from Southern Methodist University, receiving the Ora Nixon Arnold Award in Outstanding Academic Achievement as the highest-ranking political science graduate. She received her J.D., graduating magna cum laude, from the SMU Dedman School of Law where she was inducted into the Order of the Coif. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas.
This year marks a significant milestone for MWM, having three female attorneys elected to partner. The firm has focused on hiring and developing strong female attorneys and with the addition of Martinez in 2018, a collaborative effort among firm leadership and its recruiting team has led to the successful hiring of several strong female laterals who now serve as key mentors in developing the firm’s younger attorneys.
“Alison, Sarah and Jordan play major roles in the success of our law firm. This past year, they each demonstrated their ability to acclimate when the pandemic forced us to operate a large portion of casework virtually,” said managing partner William A. Munck. “I could not be prouder of the firm, Jenny’s leadership, and our three new partners.”
“Alison, Sarah, and Jordan continue to impress us with their hard work and excellent litigation skills,” said Michael McCabe, co-chair of the MWM’s commercial litigation/dispute resolution practice. “Their partnerships are well deserved.”
Munck Wilson Mandala is a technology-focused law firm with offices in Dallas, Austin and Marshall, Texas, and Los Angeles, California. The firm offers full-service counsel in the areas of intellectual property litigation, complex commercial litigation, intellectual property portfolio development, corporate transactions and securities, and employment law. Munck Wilson Mandala represents clients from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies. Learn more about the firm at http://www.munckwilson.com.
