Firm Adds Five Attorneys to Its Houston Office

Litigation, corporate services, and tax teams expand

HOUSTON – Steptoe & Johnson PLLC is pleased to announce the addition of five attorneys to its Houston area office located in The Woodlands. The new attorneys include William C. Ferebee, Catherine V. Funkhouser, Michael P. Jensen, J. Michael O’Donnell, and Kirk R. Wilson. Two of the attorneys add to the firm’s expanding litigation practice while the others bolster its well-established corporate services and tax team. All five attorneys join the firm from CKR Law LLP.

“One of our strategic goals is to grow our presence in, and commitment to, the Houston area by expanding the services we offer to businesses and individuals,” said firm CEO Susan S. Brewer. “The addition of these five attorneys is a big step toward meeting that goal and affords us new and better ways to serve our clients.”

William Ferebee handles business litigation. He has decades of diverse litigation experience, including commercial and residential construction, manufacturing, and intellectual property. Ferebee is also the city attorney for the city of Shenandoah, Texas. He provides guidance on all manner of issues including human resources, ordinances, planning, zoning, and permitting. Ferebee earned his law degree from Bates College of Law and his bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University.

Catherine Funkhouser also focuses on business litigation. She represents clients in state and federal courts, as well as in arbitration and mediation. Her goal, however, is to work with clients to help them avoid litigation altogether. Funkhouser provides her business clients with guidance on general legal matters, contract review, and labor and employment. Funkhouser earned her law degree from Southern Methodist University and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas.

Michael Jensen is part of the firm’s corporate services and tax team. He has broad experience in the areas of real estate, estate planning, probate, and business transactions. Jensen advises couples and individuals on wills as well as trusts, directives, and powers of attorney. He also guides clients through complex real estate and business transactions including formation of businesses, deeds, and purchase agreements. Jensen earned his law degree and bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University.

Michael O’Donnell is also a member of the corporate services and tax team. He has many years of experience in the areas of real estate, banking, business organizations, and health care, with an emphasis on representing physicians. In 1982, he co-founded O’Donnell, Ferebee & Frazer, P.C., in Houston, which was acquired by CKR Law last year. He earned his law degree from St. Mary’s University of San Antonio, his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Iowa, and his bachelor’s degree from Loras College.

Kirk Wilson also practices in the corporate services and tax group. He has more than 40 years of experience in law firm and private practice assisting clients with estate planning and administration, trust and estate litigation, business and real estate transactions, and related tax matters. Wilson is a Texas and California board-certified specialist in estate planning, probate, and trust law. He earned his law degree and bachelor’s degree from the University of California and his Master of Laws in Taxation from Golden Gate University School of Law.

About Steptoe & Johnson

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC is a law firm nationally recognized for its strengths in energy law with more than a century of know-how in the areas of business, employment, and litigation. Steptoe & Johnson has nearly 300 attorneys practicing in 14 offices in Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia. Visit http://www.steptoe-johnson.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.