Munck Wilson Mandala has added litigation partner Gabriela (Gaby) Monahan to the firm’s complex litigation/dispute resolution group. Monahan has an impressive legal career, practicing for over 20 years in Chicago, the first 12 for one of the largest law firms in the US before transitioning to a global accounting firm as managing director and special counsel on risk and public policy.
In 2015, Monahan took a hiatus to spend more time with her sons. Living in Austin, she earned various teaching certificates and worked as a teacher. Monahan remained connected to the legal community, and in 2018, Lake Travis ISD hired her to build from the ground up the Lake Travis High School Law and Public Service programs of study.
At Lake Travis ISD, she served as the chair of the Career & Technology Education Department and oversaw a team of 49 CTE teachers in high school and middle school. She also served on the CTE Advisory Committee and chaired the Texas Education Agency Statewide Committee that developed the Advanced Legal Skills & Professions course for the state of Texas. Monahan has numerous Austin contacts and connections and will focus on litigation and increasing the MWM presence in the Austin legal community.
“Gaby has a very impressive background with dynamic experience in litigation and corporate law. She is well established in Austin and we are looking forward to having her on our team,” said managing partner William A. Munck.
“We were very impressed with Gaby’s credentials and her ability to adapt to a new career that gave her the flexibility to be involved with her sons as they grew,” said co-chair of MWM’s complex litigation/dispute resolution practice Jenny Martinez. “She is a great addition to the Austin office.”
Monahan graduated as the salutatorian from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and clerked for the Honorable James Zagel at the U.S. District Court, N.D. of Illinois. She was a partner at the Chicago office of Kirkland and Ellis, where she focused on complex commercial litigation, international arbitrations, and class actions. She then joined Grant Thornton in Chicago as managing director and special counsel on risk and public policy, where she advised on a wide range of issues impacting US and international operations including litigation, political compliance, marketing, master services agreements and state and local government contracts.
Born in Argentina, Monahan is a native Spanish speaker and has given numerous presentations in both Spanish and English. During her tenure at Kirkland, she worked in-house with the Latin American legal director at the Colgate-Palmolive Company in New York, developing and presenting global strategies to the US general counsel and Latin American legal directors. She also worked in-house at Accenture, where she was responsible for global litigation matters. Monahan was lead liaison for Latin American matters and the government operating group.
“Gaby’s international litigation experience and her combination of in-house and private practice law make her an outstanding addition to our litigation team,” said co-chair of MWM’s complex litigation/dispute resolution practice Michael McCabe. “We are excited to have her on our team as we continue to grow in the Austin market.”
Monahan is a member of the Illinois State Bar. She received her J.D., graduating magna cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago Law School where she was an editor of the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal. She holds a B.A. in business administration from Baylor University.
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.