Mr. Banks is the principal attorney at Banks & Associates, PLLC, a Houston-based law firm focused on meeting the needs of government and construction contractors throughout Texas. He is a trusted advisor for licensed professionals, CEOs and managers in construction firms, and government contractors. Mr. Banks was licensed as a CPA in 2003 and has more than 20 years of experience as a lead accountant and CFO for successful government contractors. He earned his B.B.A. degree with a double major in Accounting and Finance from the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston, and secured his J.D. degree from South Texas College of Law. Mr. Banks is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Association of Corporate Counsel and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Mr. Banks is a member of the Construction Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.

Samuel J. King is a partner at McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans. Mr. King is an experienced civil litigator and trial lawyer. Based in the firm’s Frisco office, Mr. King represents businesses, insurers, and individuals in complex civil litigation across Texas. His practice focuses on high-exposure personal injury, wrongful death, premises liability, and property loss disputes. He represents clients through every stage of litigation, from pre-suit investigation and discovery through mediation and trial.

Mr. King was born and raised in Dallas County. He graduated from Irving’s MacArthur High School in 1991. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Texas Tech University in 1997 and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston Law Center in 2000. Mr. King has been licensed by the State Bar of Texas since 2000 and is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas. He is a member of the Texas Bar College, an honorary society recognizing commitment to continuing legal education and professional excellence.

Mr. Mazzola graduated from the University of Houston in 2006 with a B.S. in Kinesiology with a focus in Sport Administration. While at the University of Houston, He was accepted into the Sales Excellence Institute at the Bauer College of Business and obtained an advanced certificate in Professional Selling. After graduation, he went to work for a major insurance carrier for three years before embarking on law school. In 2012, he obtained a law degree from St. Mary’s School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. During law school, Mr. Mazzola served as a senator for the Student Bar Association, chair of the Young Alumni-Law Student Chapter, participated in numerous mock trial competitions, and was a member of the External Advocacy Program’s Competition Negotiations team. In addition, Mr. Mazzola was a staff writer on The Scholar: St. Mary’s Law Review on Race on Social Justice where his article on how the law often criminalized victims of human trafficking received Credit with Honors. Because of his experience as a staff writer, he worked as a TA in the Legal Research and Writing program.

Brian C. Steward is a civil trial attorney with the Law Firm of Brian C. Steward, P.L.L.C. Mr. Steward is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Steward is also a Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. These are honors reflective of over three decades of complex civil litigation in Texas, Louisiana, New Jersey and New Mexico.

Mr. Steward was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1990, as well as the Western, Southern, Northern and Eastern Districts of the Federal Court system in 1992. Mr. Steward was admitted to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1994. Although a civil trial lawyer, he has argued numerous cases to the Fourth Court of Appeals.

Over the years, Mr. Steward has handled products liability, medical malpractice and business litigation matters through trial. In addition to his trial practice, Mr. Steward serves as a certified mediator who has assisted litigants since the inception of the Bexar County mediation system in 1992. Unlike many mediators, he remains actively engaged in complex litigation, regularly evaluating cases, preparing for trial, and advising clients on risk and resolution. This ongoing, hands-on experience allows him to approach mediation with practical insight into the challenges faced by both counsel and their clients.

Mr. Steward has also been involved with the San Antonio and Texas legal communities. He has presided over the Medical Legal Liaison Committee of the San Antonio Bar Association on three separate occasions. In 2021, the San Antonio Bar Association recognized Mr. Steward with the Distinguished Service Award due to his work with various organizations in Texas, North Carolina and Massachusetts. He was also elected to chair the State Bar of Texas Grievance Committee District 10. He currently serves as a Director of the San Antonio Trial Lawyers Association and is a former Director of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association.

His dedication and hard work have been recognized by his peers as evidenced by his selection as a Texas Super Lawyer (2016 to present) and Scene in San Antonio’s Best Lawyers since 2006.

Mr. Steward is an active supporter of the continuing legal education efforts. He has been a frequent contributor and presenter to these efforts since 1999. In 2015, he was tapped to serve as the Course Director of the Advanced Personal Injury Trial Seminar in 2017. He has also presented at the Texas Trial Lawyers, San Antonio Trial Lawyers, Corpus Christi Bar Association and other legal groups since 2015. He is an active member of the William S. Session’s Chapter of the American Inns of Court as well as mentor programs with St. Mary’s School of Law.