Robert Goodin

University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2011

University of Texas School of Law, 2014

Rob is a founding member of TBLS and competed in the Texas Transactional Skills Program (formerly LawMeet) from 2012 - 2014. As Chairman of the Board of Advisors, Rob advises student leadership on a variety of matters, including programming, fundraising and administration. Rob serves as an Adjunct Professor at The University of Texas School of Law where he teaches a transactional skills course entitled “Doing Deals” and has served as a coach to the TTSP competition teams since 2015. Rob Goodin is a partner in the Houston and Austin offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Rob’s practice focuses on complex and strategically important transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, divestitures, joint ventures and corporate governance, with a particular focus on the infrastructure and energy sectors.

Tom Hillebrand

University of Michigan, 2011

University of Texas School of Law, 2014

Tom Hillebrand is a member of the Board of Advisors and focuses on advising students in a variety of matters including fundraising, professional development, programming, and administration. Tom serves as an Adjunct Professor at The University of Texas School of Law where he teaches a transactional skills course entitled “Doing Deals” and has served as a coach to the TTSP competition teams since 2015. Tom is of Counsel in the Houston office of Akin Gump. His experience encompasses the full oil & gas value chain, including the upstream, midstream, downstream, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and oilfield services sectors. Tom also represents investors, strategics and start-ups in cutting-edge energy transition projects, including carbon capture, utilization and sequestration (CCUS), hydrogen and other green technology fields.

Leslie Vaughn Mahre

University of Notre Dame, 2010

University of Texas School of Law, 2015

Leslie is a founding member of TBLS, served as President and competed in the Texas Transactional Skills Program (formerly LawMeet) from 2012-2015. As a member of the Board of Advisors, Leslie assists student leadership in a variety of matters including the Texas Transactional Skills Program, professional development, and administration and has served as a coach to the TTSP competition teams since 2015. Leslie is a Parter in the Houston and Nashville office for Holland & Knight. She advises private equity funds, independent sponsors, family offices, private credit funds, and other financial sponsors and private company clients in complex business transactions and joint ventures, including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), divestitures, equity financing transactions, bankruptcy and distressed transactions, and related general corporate counseling. Leslie currently serves on the Houston Young Alumni Steering Committee for UT Law.

Daniel Cadis

Houston Baptist University, 2012

University of Texas School of Law, 2017

Daniel is a former member of TBLS and served as Director of LawMeet from 2016-2017. As a member of the Board of Advisors, Daniel advises student leadership on a variety of matters, including the Intramural Transactional Competition, programming and administration. Daniel Cadis is a corporate partner in the Austin and Houston offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Daniel’s practice focuses on complex and strategically important transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, joint ventures, preferred equity investments, divestitures and carve-out transactions. Daniel’s experience covers a broad spectrum of matters, including renewables and clean energy, energy transition, conventional energy and oilfield services, power generation, infrastructure, technology and manufacturing. Daniel currently serves on the Houston Young Alumni Steering Committee for UT Law.

Cesar Leyva

University of Texas, 2012

University of Texas School of Law, 2015

Cesar is a former member of TBLS and served as Director of Finance from 2014-2015. As a member of the Board of Advisors, Cesar advises student leadership on a variety of matters including alumni relations, programming and administration and has served as a coach to the TTSP competition teams since 2016. Cesar is an associate in Houston at Latham & Watkins and is a member of the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practices. He advises participants across all sectors of the energy industry in connection with corporate and transactional matters, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, growth equity and private financing transactions, joint ventures, and corporate reorganizations. He has extensive experience with domestic energy transactions, including acquisitions and divestitures of oil and gas properties, carbon capture and sequestration projects, and complex commercial contracts.

Samuel A. Spiers

Louisiana State University, 2014

University of Texas School of Law, 2016

Sam is a former member of TBLS, co-founder of the TTSP Intramural Competition and served as Director of Finance from 2015-2016. As a member of the Board of Advisors, Sam assists student leadership in a variety of matters including coordinating the Texas Transactional Skills Program, programming and administration and has served as a coach to the TTSP competition teams since 2017. Samuel is an associate in Houston office for White and Case and is a member of the firm’s the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group. His practice concentrates on complex business transactions for both public and private companies, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, private equity investments, joint ventures, reverse listings through special purpose acquisition vehicles (SPACs), cross-border transactions and general corporate matters.

Erin Johnson

Texas State University, 2017

University of Texas School of Law, 2024

As a member of the Board of Advisors, Erin assists student leadership in a variety of matters including the Texas Transactional Skills Program, professional development, and administration and has served as a coach to the TTSP competition teams since 2025. Erin is an Associate in the Austin office for DuBois Bryant & Campbell. She focuses her practice on a variety of corporate and transactional matters including entity formation, corporate governance, commercial leasing, mergers and acquisitions, key agreements with customers and vendors, employment matters, and corporate restructuring.