FBFK ATTORNEYS HONORED BY 2022 THE BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA©
The 2022 Best Lawyers in America© report, based solely on peer review and the “gold standard” in the legal industry, announced that four attorneys at DFW-based FBFK law firm were included in this year’s edition. Dan Baucum, Kelly Kubasta, Richard Spencer and Kenn Webb were recognized among their peers worldwide for expertise in their respective practice areas. Additionally, Rachael Smiley and Alexander Parker were recognized as “Ones to Watch.”
Published in more than 70 countries around the world for 40 years, The Best Lawyers in America recognizes top legal talent and only lawyers recognized in the current edition are eligible to vote for the upcoming edition. The report’s “Ones to Watch” recognizes lawyers who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice.
FBFK attorneys selected as Best Lawyers include:
Dan Baucum
Tax Law
A more than 40-year tax and business attorney with extensive private practice and government experience, Baucum represents business owners and investors with tax planning, business issues, and federal tax disputes. He also consults with legal and accounting professionals on federal tax matters and IRS practice. Baucum is the newly elected Chair of the State Bar of Texas Tax Section, a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel, and is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law and at Baylor Law School. He is also a four-time The Best Lawyers in America honoree.
Kelly Kubasta
Commercial Litigation - Intellectual Property
As co-leader of FBFK’s intellectual property practice group, Kubasta focuses on a wide array of intellectual property, with particular emphasis on patent, trademark, and trade dress litigation and licensing. He has extensive litigation experience, advising both plaintiffs and defendants, in Federal Court – both trial and through appeal – as well as in Texas state court. Kubasta is an eight-time The Best Lawyers in America honoree, currently serves as a Board Member of TeXchange DFW, and works with various non-profit organizations.
Richard L. Spencer
Real Estate Law
Recognized for 11 years as a Best Lawyer in America, Spencer is triple-board certified in real estate law. He is a Fellow in the American College of Real Estate Attorneys, is a Director of the Texas Bar College, and was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the State Bar Texas and the Texas College of Real Estate Attorneys. Spencer is also a Fellow in the Texas Bar Foundation and
a well-recognized Course Director, author, and presenter in advanced courses in real estate law. He is the recipient of the Jim Bowmer Professionalism Award, Weatherbie Workhorse Award, and Standing Ovation Award from the State Bar of Texas.
Kenn W. Webb
Corporate Law
with more than 35 years of business law experience, Webb has represented businesses ranging from industry leaders to start-up ventures across many industries. His expertise includes securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, SEC filings, and a wide variety of commercial contracts and other corporate matters, as well as corporate Board governance matters and entrepreneurial entity formation and financings. A four-year The Best Lawyers in America honoree, Webb is also actively involved in the community, serving on the Boards of several nonprofits and having previously served as Chair of the City of Dallas Citizen Homelessness Commission and as President of The Council on Alcohol & Drugs (now Recovery Resource Council). He is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.
FBFK attorneys selected as “Ones to Watch” include:
Alex Parker
Real Estate Law
With nearly 25 years of real estate and transactional law experience, Parker has represented clients in every class of commercial real estate ownership, including multi-family property owners, residential developers, office and industrial landlords, and tenants of every type. As an attorney and shareholder, he has managed a wide variety of transactions, ranging from single property acquisitions to large multi-state portfolio
transactions, and complex financings. Parker earned a J.D. from Duke University where he was a member of the Editorial Board of the Duke Law Journal. He has also been active in public service, having spent six years serving on the City of Frisco’s Social Services and Housing Board.
Rachael Smiley
Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
A two-time “Ones to Watch” honoree and an attorney and shareholder at FBFK, Smiley has more than a decade of bankruptcy and reorganization law experience, with specific expertise in all steps of the Chapter 11 reorganization process, including asset sales, plan confirmation, and post-confirmation plan administration. She also has experience litigating a variety of disputes, including contested matters and adversary proceedings. Smiley is a Member of the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) and the Dallas Bar Association – Bankruptcy and Commercial Law section, a Board Member of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) and has served as Chair of the DFW network of IWIRC (International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation).