Michael W Hanten
Michael W. Hanten is native Texan and has been practicing law in both Texas and the federal courts for over 10 years. Mr. Hanten's legal career began while interning at the United States Customs Service, where he worked on numerous issues involving fraudulent importers of record and decisions from the Court of International Trade. Upon graduating from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 2000, Mr. Hanten studied international law in Sweden where he received his LLM in Comparative and International Law from the University of Stockholm in 2001, cum laude. Mr. Hanten then worked at a boutique law firm in Stockholm where he gained experience in the areas of admiralty, maritime and commercial litigation.
In 2003, Mr. Hanten returned to Texas where he established Hanten & Associates, PLLC. Mr. Hanten's primary areas of practice are civil, commercial and criminal litigation. Mr. Hanten has successfully tried or settled a wide variety of cases over the years involving complex commercial disputes, insurance of cargo, trade and customs issues, wrongful death, construction law, tort liability and criminal litigation in state and federal courts. Mr. Hanten is also a certified mediator and has been involved with numerous mediations, including mediations at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Stockholm, Sweden.
In 2006, Mr. Hanten left his law practice and volunteered to go back to active service in the United States Marine Corps. During this time Mr. Hanten served his country while deployed to Iraq and the Horn of Africa in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism. After three years of proud service Mr. Hanten was honorably discharged in 2009.
Today Mr. Hanten enjoys working with clients in resolving their legal issues in ways that make good business and legal sense. Mr. Hanten believes that effective legal representation is representation which is aggressive and resolute, but that is methodical and legally prudent as well.
Mr. Hanten is a member of numerous veterans' organizations and provides pro bono legal services to his fellow veterans in the Houston area and the surrounding VA Hospitals.
Alfred R Valdez
Mr. Alfred Roland Valdez has been practicing law in both Texas and U.S. federal courts since 1984. In addition to serving as "Of Counsel" with Hanten and Associates, PLLC., Mr. Valdez is a partner with Lin & Valdez, L.L.P. His law practice is primarily in the areas of civil and criminal litigation. Civil cases he tried or settled include matters such as medical malpractice, wrongful death, defective products, premises liability, toxic tort, workers' compensation, family law, construction cases, and commercial disputes. Most of the cases have been settled through negotiated settlements or mediation procedures; many others have been tried in State and Federal District Courts. Additionally, Mr. Valdez has been certified as a mediator for over 10 years. As a mediator, Mr. Valdez has been exposed to numerous disputes in which he is asked to assist the parties in resolving their problems; he has been involved in over 300 mediations. Eighty percent of his law practice involves civil litigation. Alfred Valdez has worked on both the plaintiff and insurance defense side of the bar, and his experience as a litigator for over 17 years and a mediator for over 10 years can offer clients insight and assistance in resolving their legal issues.
Mr. Valdez is a graduate of Texas A&M University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Economics. In 1984, Mr. Valdez obtained his Doctor of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law; South Texas College of Law is a private law school which is well known for graduating skillful trial lawyers.
William Bradley McConnell
William Bradley McConnell hails from Vinton, Virginia. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and later a Master of Science in Developmental Genetics. During this time Mr. McConnel received a commission as an officer in the United States Army and was actively deployed in support of and during combat operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism. After many years proud service, he was honorably discharged from active duty as a Captain and currently serves in the Inactive Readiness Reserves.
Mr. McConnell attended law school at Seaton Hall Law School in Virginia, known for its exemplary Intellectual Property and Health Law programs. While attending law school Mr. McConnel distinguished himself as a candidate and winner of the Bob & Margot Meyer God Bless America scholarship and was elected by his peers as a Student Bar Association senator and later served on the SBA Executive Board. Mr. McConnell was the founder and first president of Brothers in Arms, the law schools first veterans organization which in addition to providing camaraderie and support to fellow student veterans, the organization also raised money to support outside veteran- affiliated charities.
In 2011, Mr. McConnell clerked for the Honorable Edward T. OConnor, Jr. In 2012, he was the head law clerk to the Honorable Peter J. Velasquez, the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of the Criminal Division in Essex County, the largest and busiest county in the Sate of New Jersey. Mr. McConnel moved to Houston, Texas in 2014 serving as the Chief Legal Officer for both Whitestone Health Group and Cavalier Health Services. Today Mr. McConnell is a senior litigator with Hanten & Associates, PLLC practicing in a diverse variety of areas of law including civil litigation, contracts and criminal law. Mr. McConnell has successfully settled or tried numerous cases in the civil and criminal county and district courts in Harris and surrounding counties. His superior trial advocacy skills are highly regarded in the legal community by his peers and his clients alike. Mr. McConnell believes that in addition to zealous legal representation and a willingness to try cases to verdict for his clients, it is equally imperative to educate his clients as to legal process so that the client can make an informed decision as to the direction of his case.
Mr. McConnell donates much of his free time serving the veteran community as a fellow veteran mentor and with pro bono legal services. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas criminal law, civil litigation, and military law sections. He is additionally a member of the Fort Bend County Criminal Defense Bar. Mr. McConnell is licensed to practice law in the states of New York, New Jersey and Texas.