Mr. Ellis has been practicing water law and been involved in water issues for over three decades. As a law student, he helped clerk the House Natural Resources Committee working on a variety of water legislation. After receiving his J.D. degree from the University of Texas School of Law, He worked as legislative liaison for the Texas Water Commission and later served as general counsel to the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District. The Edwards Aquifer Authority hired Mr. Ellis as their first general manager in 1997, a position he held until October 2004 when he left to start his solo law practice. In addition to representing subsidence districts and groundwater conservation districts, he serves as board secretary of the Texas Water Foundation, a nonprofit corporation that provides water conservation education throughout the State.

Justin Hodge – Marrs Ellis & Hodge LLP
Mr. Hodge is a trial lawyer who represents Texas landowners in condemnation, eminent-domain, and real-estate lawsuits.  He has handled complex condemnation and eminent-domain cases throughout the State of Texas.  Mr. Hodge has appeared in condemnation and eminent-domain lawsuits and he has defended landowners against the Texas Attorney General’s office, pipeline companies, electric transmission line companies, school districts, cities, and counties.  He is passionate about Texas property rights.  Mr. Hodge has testified on Texas condemnation and eminent domain reform on behalf of Texas landowners in front of both the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate.  He also writes a weekly blog at TexasCondemnation.com.  Mr. Hodge is currently an adjunct professor at University of Houston School of Law where he teaches a course on eminent domain. 

Andrews Myers P.C., Houston
Ms. Howard is a trial attorney focusing on commercial litigation, real estate disputes and employment law. She has handled evictions, lockouts, title and lien priority disputes, foreclosure on real and personal property, Fair Housing Act violations, enforcement of deed restrictions, ad valorem taxes, easements, adverse possession, boundary disputes, and disputes arising out of the acquisition of real property. Ms. Howard has handled hundreds of landlord/tenant disputes primarily but not exclusively on the landlord’s side. She has represented lenders and loan servicers in matters involving foreclosures and lending practices. Ms. Howard advises individuals seeking to acquire property about their possible liabilities and consults on the closing documents and indemnification agreements. She received her B.A. degree in Economics, Political Science and Managerial Studies from Rice University (TX) and her J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Houston Law Center.

Jackson Sjoberg McCarthy & Townsend, L.L.P., AustinMr. McCarthy is a partner in the firm who practices primarily in water and natural resources law. His background is rooted in property rights and land titles, and the development of subsurface property rights, including mineral and groundwater rights. Mr. McCarthy represents clients in water projects before the Texas Legislature, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Water Development Board and groundwater districts across the State. He was lead counsel on the first ASR project permitted in Texas to use state water rights, and subsequently worked on the development of legislation to codify the use of ASR as a water development resource. Mr. McCarthy co-authored TWDB Report No. 0904830940 entitled An Assessment of Aquifer Storage and Recovery in Texas (February 2011). He earned his J.D. degree in 1981 from St. Mary’s University School of Law.

Andrew Lonnie Sikes, Inc., HoustonMr. Sikes founded Andrew Lonnie Sikes, Inc., in 1977, offering a broad range of surveying and engineering services, with a special emphasis on land and boundary surveying, as well as aerial mapping.  He received his Bachelor of Science and Masters of Engineering degrees in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University, College Station.  Mr. Sikes served on the Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying under three governors and was elected to the board of directors of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).  In addition to running a regional engineering and surveying firm, he serves the University of Houston as an adjunct instructor of surveying from time to time.  Mr. Sikes provides consultation and testimony to clients and their attorneys when there are surveying issues being litigated.  He has received numerous awards from ASCE and TSPS for service to the profession of surveying.

Mr. Stuckey practices primarily in corporate, real estate, and environmental law, including transactional work and litigation. He has a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and J.D. and L.L.M. degrees from the University of Houston Law Center. Mr. Stuckey is admitted to the practice of law in all Texas courts, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. Claims Court. He is also licensed in Texas as a professional engineer and a registered public land surveyor.