Utopia Employment Lawyers

Former Fortune 100 corporate lawyer provides cost-effective legal services to entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses.

Walt D. Roper graduated from Baylor University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. He attended the Tulane University School of Law, from which he obtained his Juris Doctor degree in 1992. Mr. Roper is admitted to practice before the Texas Supreme Court, and all state district and appellate courts. He is also admitted to practice before the Louisiana Supreme Court, and all state district and appellate courts. Mr. Roper has also been admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Western and Middle Districts of Louisiana, Eastern District of...

As a shareholder at Cowles & Thompson, P.C., I provide high-quality legal representation to businesses and employees in various civil and employment litigation matters. I have over 20 years of experience in handling complex cases involving breach of contract, wage and hour disputes, defamation, wrongful termination, retaliation, discrimination, harassment, and COVID-19 issues. My industry expertise includes staffing, digital technology, and healthcare, where I have successfully resolved numerous disputes and achieved favorable outcomes for my clients. I also advise clients on employment policies and practices, compliance, and risk management. I am passionate about protecting the rights and interests of my clients...

Jennifer Ward is Principal Attorney at Law Office of Jennifer D. Ward in Austin, Texas. Her practice focuses on employment law and general counsel services for individuals, small businesses, and non-profits. She handles a range of legal issues from business formation to workplace disputes. She is licensed to practice in the State of Texas, the State of California, the U.S. Western District of Texas, the U.S. Southern District of Texas, the U.S. Eastern District of California, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. She also represents clients in administrative proceedings. She enjoys giving presentations, and her most recent speaking engagement...

Jonathan J. Sandstrom Hill joined the Ross Law Group in February 2011 after practicing as a plaintiff-side employment lawyer in Washington, D.C. Mr. Sandstrom Hill was born on February 11, 1984 in Northampton, Massachusetts. He attended Boston College where he graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He received his Juris Doctorate from the Georgetown University Law Center where he was an Article and Notes Editor of the American Criminal Law Review. Mr. Sandstrom Hill has represented employees in a wide range of employment matters including wage and hour; sexual...

My clients are business owners who are concerned that they are not complying with employment laws. I work with them to create policies, procedures, and manuals and provide training, investigations, and counseling regarding hiring, firing, and compliance with employment laws. I also work with business owners who want to start, buy, operate, or sell a business or a commercial real estate property.

Ms. Cordova has been a licensed attorney for over 15 years. She is licensed in Texas, Nevada and North Carolina (currently inactive in Nevada and North Carolina). She has held positions as General Counsel and Corporate Counsel for a real estate services company and a restaurant chain. She has also worked as an associate for two established law firms and is a former State Bar Counsel for the State Bar of Texas. Her experience includes successfully representing businesses and individuals in both federal and state civil courts as well as providing legal counsel to business owners,...

Colby is a seventh generation Texas native who specializes in civil litigation and trial advocacy. A graduate of UT-Austin and the University of Houston Law Center, Colby began his career working on a team that obtained billions of dollars for stockholders who lost money to securities fraud committed by firms all over the United States – including an energy company called Enron.

Rivaling Colby’s passion for justice is his in-depth and intimate knowledge of the strategies and tactics of those attorneys he faces. He has spent many years in the trenches defending clients against wrongful injury lawsuits. He successfully defended his...

A graduate of University of Texas School of Law, I have practiced in Tarrant and surrounding counties for years. Family and friends here. As a very young lawyer, I tried the first sexual harassment case Tarrant County had ever seen and much to the surprise of my older, mainly male colleagues, a Tarrant County jury awarded my client twice what we asked for! I've been on the forefront of a few other issues over the years and do not avoid controversy. Practicing on my own gives me the freedom to take cases that interest me. ...

General Counsel

Cynthia Hardy Smith comes to Alford, Sinkule & Lazarz LLP from the Office of the Attorney General. As a Deputy Attorney General (D.A.G.), Cynthia spent ten years vigorously defending the interests of the people of the State of Texas in a variety of personal injury actions including automobile accidents, train accidents and slip and falls. She also defended railroad claims brought pursuant to the Federal Employers Liability Act.

Having been a litigator for the Office of the Attorney General, Cynthia joins the Alford, Sinkule & Lazarz L.L.P firm bringing with her insight into litigation from a defense perspective. While serving as...