Our Team
In delivering high quality legal services across a broad spectrum of practice areas, the individuals on our legal team combine experience and dedication in each of their areas of concentration:
Of Counsel |
Randolph Ewing
Randolph Ewing began practicing law in 1978. He previously practiced as a partner at several law firms, including Reynolds Allen & Cook; Looper, Reed, Ewing & McGraw; and Boyer, Ewing & Harris. Randolph has over thirty-three years of broad and diverse experience providing legal advice on all types of business transactions, including acquisitions, financings and general contracts. His primary expertise is in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, international, finance, sports and general business. Randolph’s clients include private equity firms, large privately-owned middle market companies, small private companies and individual entrepreneurs and investors.
Randolph’s creative strategies and legal expertise enable him to offer a full range of practical business and legal advice to achieve successful results in the structuring, negotiation and consummation of business transactions. His past experiences as an owner and director of various businesses, coupled with his legal background, provide expertise to his clients in order to assist them in closing their transactions on mutually acceptable terms and conditions.
Randolph received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1975; his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas at Austin in 1977; and his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1978. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas; is a member of the State Bar of Texas and its International Law Section; and is a member of the Houston Bar Association, and its Mergers and Acquisitions section. Mr. Ewing is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Memorial Hermann Hospital System and the Immediate Past President of the Houston Chapter of the Association of Corporate Growth.
Direct 713.590.9610 | Fax: 713.590.9601 | rewing@ewingjones.com
David A. Jones, Jr.
Dave’s practice is focused primarily on representing banks and other parties in structuring, negotiating and documenting commercial lending transactions. His representation of banks typically includes the establishment of working capital lines of credit; inventory, equipment and accounts receivable financing facilities; letter of credit facilities; and real estate loans. In addition to the typical line of credit and asset-based lending transactions, recent banking transactions include representation of both borrowers and lenders with respect to loans for: acquisitions of raw land and various types of income producing properties, including strip shopping centers; construction or renovation of commercial properties; asset acquisitions, often including the associated real estate assets; and the establishment of revolving lines of credit either secured by, or for the acquisition of, income producing properties.
Dave also spends a substantial amount of time negotiating and documenting various real estate and general corporate transactions. Recent transactions include the representation of clients with respect to sales of their businesses, or their equity interests in other ongoing businesses; negotiation of employment and consulting agreements and covenants not to compete; negotiation of commercial leases on behalf of landlords and tenants; and sales and acquisitions of commercial real estate.
Dave is a 1982 graduate of Stanford University and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the Hastings College of Law, University of California, San Francisco in 1985. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and participates in its Business Law Section, and Real Estate, Probate and Trust Section. He is also a member of the Houston Bar Association and its Real Estate Law Section.
Direct 713.590.9660 | Fax: 713.590.9601 | djones@ewingjones.com
James A. Byerly
Jim has been practicing law since 1978. He began his legal career at Urban & Coolidge, where he became partner in 1984. In 1995, Jim was a founding partner of Page, Murphree, Byerly & Hansen; and in 2011, he joined Ewing & Jones. His estate planning/probate expertise and corporate transaction experience offer a unique and valuable resource to his clients.
Jim is board certified in Estate Planning and Probate by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and prepares numerous Wills and Trusts every year, ranging from the simplest to the very complex. He participates on the Speakers Bureau of the Houston Bar Association and has made over 100 speeches on various estate planning and probate topics to civic organizations, churches, and businesses. Jim also assists clients in business matters, including acquisitions and sales of businesses, business formations, and buy-sell agreements.
Jim graduated from Duke University in 1974 and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1978 from the University of Houston, where he was a member of the Law Review. He became a member of the State Bar of Texas in 1978 and became board certified in estate planning and probate in 1991. Jim is also a member of the Business Law Section and the Real Estate, Probate, and Trust Section of the State Bar of Texas.
Direct 713.590.9655 | Fax: 713.590.9601 | jbyerly@ewingjones.com
John Ely
John Ely has been practicing law since 1997 with a general litigation practice. Prior to starting his law practice, he worked in the banking industry from 1984 to 1994. That business experience has been valuable in helping him to understand his clients’ real-world situations. He began his legal career at Liddell, Sapp, Zively, Hill, and LaBoon, L.P. where he practiced until forming Carnes Ely LLP in 2004. He came to Ewing & Jones in 2008. John has litigated a variety of commercial cases; including cases involving construction, competitive hiring, products liability, trade secret, and proprietary information disputes. He has experience in defending personal injury claims, including maritime personal injury (Jones Act) defense. He also has experience in mortgage lending litigation. His clients have ranged from the large national companies in the banking and energy business to small family-owned and entrepreneurial businesses.
John also has a family law practice assisting clients in divorce, property division, child custody, and adoption matters. His family law practice has been focused on contested and higher conflict matters. While he can, of course, help guide clients through uncontested or less highly contested matters, he also has experience in the sort of matters that require more attention and which can cause families a great deal of stress and disruption if not handled with care. John brings his experience in handling the most sensitive and delicate of these matters to his entire family law practice.
John earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, Managerial Studies, and Art and Art History from Rice University in 1984. After working in banking for almost ten years, he began his studies at the University of Houston Law Center from which he obtained his Doctorate of Jurisprudence in 1997. He is admitted to practice in Texas, and is a member of the State Bar of Texas, and a member of its Family Law Section. He is admitted to practice in federal court in the Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas, and in the Fifth Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.
Direct 713.590.9630 | Fax: 713.590.9601 | jely@ewingjones.com
G. Riley Hetherington
Riley began practicing law in 1974. He has previously practiced at the law firms of Shults, Hetherington and Tarics and The Hetherington Law Firm and was an owner and principal at each firm. Riley has over three decades of experience in providing legal advice to substantial business and individual clients. His primary expertise is in the areas of Litigation and Real Estate and he also advises clients on General Business matters. Riley’s clients include real estate developers, private companies and individual business entrepreneurs.
Riley is board certified in Commercial Real Estate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. As an attorney who is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Commercial Real Estate Law, Riley has experience in law covering land and improvements and their use, acquisition, transfer, development and financing and is knowledgeable in statutory and case law and governmental regulations concerning real estate and its use. Riley has met all of the requirements for board certification, including handling a wide variety of Real Estate Law matters, devoting a substantial percentage of his practice to Real Estate Law, being evaluated by fellow lawyers and judges, and passing a written examination administered by the State Bar of Texas. For more information please visit www.tbls.org.
Riley received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1970 and his Doctor of Jurisprudence from The Bates College of Law at the University of Houston in 1974. He is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas; is a member of the State Bar of Texas and its Commercial Litigation and Real Estate sections; and a member of the Houston Bar Association. His practice includes certifications to appear before the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as the U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of Texas and all State courts in the State of Texas.
Direct 713.590.9620 | Fax: 713.590.9602 | rhetherington@ewingjones.com
Carly Maderer
Carly Maderer’s experience includes working on mergers and acquisitions, drafting general contracts, assisting with complex corporate organizations and representing clients involved in start-up ventures. Carly also assists with various litigation matters involving commercial disputes.
Prior to joining Ewing & Jones, Carly practiced law with Gordon & Rees in Houston, Texas.
Carly received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Oklahoma State University; her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Oklahoma City University School of Law; and her Masters of Business Administration from Oklahoma City University. She is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas and is a member of the Houston Bar Association and the Houston Young Lawyers Association.
Direct 713.590.9696 | Fax 713.590.9601 | cmaderer@ewingjones.com
Gary L. Murphree
Gary has been practicing law since 1975. He began his legal career at Urban & Coolidge, where he became a partner in 1980. In 1995, Gary joined Page, Murphree, Byerly & Hansen as a founding member; and in 2011, he joined Ewing & Jones. Gary has over three decades of broad and diverse experience providing legal services and advice to business and individual clients. Gary’s clients include a large public utility, real estate developers and investors, private companies and individual business entrepreneurs.
Gary’s practice is a combination of litigation and real estate transactions. He handles a broad range of civil litigation in state and federal courts, and has litigated a variety of cases, including commercial cases, land use restrictions, competitive hiring, business torts, employment restrictions, real estate contracts and property damage. He has handled a number of appeals as well. Gary also negotiates and documents real estate leases and other transactions, and provides legal advice to a number of commercial landlords.
Gary earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Centenary College of Louisiana in 1972, and his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree (summa cum laude) from South Texas College of Law in 1975, where he was a member of the Law Review. He is admitted to practice in Texas, and is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Houston Bar Association. Gary is also admitted to practice in the United States District Courts in the Southern, Northern and Western Districts of Texas, and in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Direct 713.590.9645 | Fax: 713.590.9601 | gmurphree@ewingjones.com
James Spaur
James Spaur maintains a sophisticated business transactional practice, focused on business organization, mergers and acquisitions, and complex corporate transactions. He serves as both outside general counsel and transactional counsel to a broad and diverse group of entrepreneurs, start-up and emerging ventures, and middle-market companies, providing them with business-driven solutions and cost-effective legal expertise.
Prior to joining Ewing & Jones in 2011, James practiced with Burns & Levinson in Boston, Massachusetts, and Devine, Millimet & Branch in Manchester, New Hampshire.
James received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Iowa State University in 1995; his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Valparaiso University School of Law in 1999; and his Master of Tax Laws from Georgetown University Law Center in 2000. He is admitted to practice law in Texas, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. James is a member of the Houston Bar Association, and its Mergers and Acquisitions section.
Direct 713.590.1165 | Fax: 713.590.9601 | jspaur@ewingjones.com
B. John Lange, III
OF COUNSEL
John Lange began his practice of law in 1976 at Andrews & Kurth in Houston, where he became a partner in 1984. He then practiced at Broocks, Baker & Lange, where he was the managing partner. In 2000, John joined Jackson Walker, where he was an equity partner until 2004 when he left to co-found a hospital development management company. John has over thirty years of broad commercial and corporate experience in providing legal advice regarding all types of business transactions, including partnership and project joint ventures, venture capital, securities offerings, acquisitions, financings, financial restructurings and workouts, and general contracts. John’s clients have included private equity and venture capital firms, small business investment companies, large privately-owned middle market companies, small private companies, and individual entrepreneurs and businessmen. He also represents healthcare providers such as hospitals and surgery centers.
John’s broad range of corporate and finance legal experience enable him to bring creative and effective solutions to many legal problems and business transactions. John’s business management experience provides him with a unique insight that enables him to understand the businessman’s perspective and need for practical workable solutions.
John received his Bachelor of Science degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1973, and his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1976. In 1994, he also completed a one year program sponsored by St. Mary’s University School of Law and the Universidad de Monterrey for a select group of U.S. and Mexican lawyers providing training in the legal systems and business cultures of both countries. John is admitted to practice in the State of Texas; is a member of the State Bar of Texas and its Corporate Law Section; and is a member of the Houston Bar Association and its Healthcare Section.
Direct 713.590.9698 | Fax: 713.590.9601 | jlange@ewingjones.com
Frank McQuilkin
OF COUNSEL
Frank began his career with the National Office of the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining Ewing & Jones, he focused on corporate transaction taxation with Ernst & Young and KPMG for over 25 years, the last 20 years of which have been in Houston.
Frank is highly experienced in federal taxation of domestic and cross-border transactions providing buy-side and sell-side tax planning and tax due consolidated diligence advice to corporate and private equity clients. He also provides tax advice to partnerships, limited liability companies and S corporations filing consolidated federal tax returns. His services include structuring advice for acquisitions, dispositions, restructurings and refinancings. He also drafts tax opinions, IRS ruling requests for corporate transactions and analysis regarding corporate tax attributes, including net operating loss carryforwards. Frank also helps clients choose the most favorable form of new business organizations based on tax considerations.
Frank graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering. He received his law degree from the Catholic University School of Law and earned an L.L.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center. Frank is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and the U.S. Tax Court; he is not admitted to practice law in the State of Texas. Frank is also a C.P.A. in Texas and a member of the AICPA and Texas Society of CPA’s.
Direct 713.590.9640 | Fax: 713.590.9601 | fmcquilkin@ewingjones.com
Carlos Ryerson
OF COUNSEL
Carlos is of counsel to Ewing & Jones, PLLC. He has over 34 years of diverse experience in legal counseling and structuring of ventures, projects, trade and investments in the United States and abroad with a particular emphasis on Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean Basin. Recently, Carlos has expanded his practice to China and Singapore where he has developed strong business and professional associations. He is Director and President of Ryerson & Associates, P.C.
In Mexico, Carlos has developed close personal relationships with top lawyers and business leaders, as well as close ties to government leaders in the Energy sector, government ministries and agencies, such as Luz y Fuerza del Centro, CRE, CFE, Pemex, INAOE and others. His experience in both Energy and International matters is broad based and includes foreign and domestic joint ventures, foreign investments in the United States, negotiation with foreign governments in connection with various business agreements, and representation of companies in significant and complex commercial and international transactions.
Carlos began his professional career at Baker & Botts in 1974. Since 2002, he has headed Ryerson & Associates, P.C.
Carlos is licensed to practice in Texas, Colorado and New York and before 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. Court of International Trade. He earned his A.B. degree in Political Science from Stanford University in 1970 and his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Southern Methodist University in 1974. He is a member of the Houston Bar Association and the State Bars of Texas, New York and Colorado. Carlos is fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French and is conversant in German.
Direct 713.590.9686 | Fax: 713.590.9601 | cryerson@ewingjones.com