EMILY ROHLES

Emily is a litigation associate at Baker Botts where she represents clients in a variety of complex civil litigation matters in state and federal court. When not busy advocating for her clients, Emily takes pride in giving back through service to the community. Emily has served on the HYLA Board for three terms, holding positions as Secretary and Director, while co-chairing several committees. In her free time, Emily enjoys exploring all the restaurants, theater, and live music Houston has to offer. Emily looks forward to advancing HYLA’s mission of creating opportunities for young lawyers to Learn, Lead, Network, and Serve.

SECRETARY

ALLY ARIAS

Ally is a San Antonio native who now calls Houston home. While studying philosophy at Rice University, she fell in love with Houston’s food and arts scenes. During law school, Ally served on the board of First Generation Professionals as the Academic and Professional Development Chair. Ally is a member of the HYLA Leadership Academy Class of 2020-2021 and has enjoyed her service on the HYLA Board as a Director these past two years. She is also a member of the Hispanic Bar Association, Houston Bar Association, Houston Arboretum, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, and Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

TREVOR DEASON

Trevor, a litigation associate at Jones Day, is deeply involved in Houston’s legal community. He serves on several boards, including the Federal Bar Association (SDTX) and the Houston Young Lawyers Association/Foundation. As a HYLA Board Director, he co-chairs the Signature Events Committee and participates in key committees. Now running for HYLA Secretary, he is committed to supporting its growth and success.

Outside of work, Trevor enjoys great company, warm conversations, and exploring Houston’s restaurants. He looks forward to continuing his service and contributing to HYLA’s future.

TREASURER

SHERLES DURHAM

Sherles Durham is a first-generation attorney and attended Samford University, Cumberland School of Law. She began her career in banking immediately after law school and is Associate General Counsel at Stellar Bank. She has served on the Board of Directors for HYLA for the past two years. In addition to HYLA, she serves on the Camp For All Emerging Leaders Board, is a member of the Junior League of Houston and Vice- Chair of the ABA YLD Ethics and Professionalism Committee. In her free time, she can be found reading a thriller or binge-watching Bravo shows.

HARRIET WESSEL

Harriet Amelia Wessel is a senior associate with Norton Rose Fulbright's Houston office in the Project Finance group. Harriet specializes in energy and transactional tax, and tax controversies and litigation. Harriet joined the HYLA Board of Directors for the first time in 2024 and has chaired the CLE committee for the past three years. Originally from the UK, Harriet is keen to help further HYLA’s international outreach and to expand opportunities for all HYLA members past, present and future. In her spare time, Harriet can be found at the barn with her two horses, closely observed by her rescue dogs.

DIRECTORS

LUIS EDUARDO ALVAREZ

I’m running for a director position with HYLA because I’m passionate about supporting and empowering young lawyers. As a first-generation attorney licensed in Texas and Mexico, I know the value of mentorship and opportunity. In my role as Head of Legal and Compliance at Access World USA, I tackle complex legal challenges on a global scale. Fluent in Spanish and eager to serve, I bring the energy, experience, and dedication to make an impact. I’d love your support—let’s build a stronger legal community together!

CALLIE COPELAND

Callie Copeland is a commercial litigation attorney at Germer PLLC, based in Houston, Texas. A proud Houston native, Callie earned her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University and her law degree from South Texas College of Law Houston. She became involved with the Houston Young Lawyers Association (HYLA) in 2023 and participated in the 2023-2024 HYLA Leadership Academy. Currently, Callie serves as the Co-Chair of the HYLA Leadership Academy and serves as a Committee Leader on both the Signature Events Committee and the Women’s Committee. 

BARNEY DILL

Barney Dill is an associate attorney at Abraham, Watkins practicing personal injury law. Mr. Dill was raised in La Porte, Texas, the son of a union laborer. He is a first-generation lawyer. Currently, he serves as co-chair of the HBA Veterans Committee and is a former attack helicopter pilot with years of leadership experience within the military. He enjoys being a zealous advocate for the working class against corporations that ignore safety. Mr. Dill is also the father of two daughters. He looks forward to using his education and training to contribute to HYLA as a Director if elected.

MIGUEL ESCOBAR

Miguel Escobar is a proud Houston native and member of the 2024–25 HYLA Leadership Academy. In law school, Miguel served as Director of Negotiations for the Texas Tech Board of Barristers and was awarded Outstanding Comment Editor for his efforts on his law journal.

Miguel is currently a litigation attorney for Holland & Knight. He is active in his community, providing pro-bono legal services through his firm. When not practicing, Miguel is an avid practitioner of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, receiving his blue belt in March 2023.

MAHA GHYAS

Maha currently serves as a law clerk to the Honorable April Farris on Texas’s Fifteenth Court of Appeals during its inaugural term. Prior to that, Maha’s practice focused on restructuring and litigation.

Maha graduated from South Texas College of Law Houston, where she was on the board of the Law Review and an advocate with the Advocacy Program. Maha is on the board of the South Asian Bar Association of Houston and continues to coach teams in the advocacy program at South Texas.

David Gutierrez is an associate at Yetter Coleman LLP. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation with experience in finance, banking, bankruptcy, trade secrets, and intellectual property litigation. Received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and B.A. in History at the University of California, Los Angeles.

He is currently the chair of the HYLA Nights Out Committee and Co-Chair of the HYLA Leadership Academy Committee. He enjoys creating events that engage HYLA members. David has been a HYLA member since moving to Houston in 2022 and participated in HYLA’s 2023-2024 Leadership Academy.

BAKER HOWRY

Baker Howry is a litigation and healthcare attorney at Jackson Walker. After graduating from the University of Georgia, she worked in government and regulatory affairs in Washington, D.C. Missing her home state, she moved back to Texas to attend South Texas College of Law Houston where she served as Student Bar Association Secretary and Executive Editor of the South Texas Law Review. Baker became involved in HYLA in 2022 as a member of the 2022-2023 HYLA Leadership Academy class. She now serves as a Co-Chair for the Leadership Academy and as a Committee Leader on the HYLA Women's Committee.

SHAHNOOR KHUWAJA

Shahnoor is an associate at Jordan, Lynch & Cancienne. He currently serves as a HYLA Director and spearheads the Pre-Law Subcommittee, which provides pre-law students, traditional and nontraditional, with the education and resources to succeed as they navigate law school admissions, law school, and, subsequently, a career in law.

In his free time, Shahnoor likes to travel and spend time with family and friends. Shahnoor maintains an active role in community service projects throughout Greater Houston.

Also a previous Co-Chair of the Leadership Academy, Shahnoor hopes to continue his involvement in HYLA and further the organization’s impact.

AMBER MORRISON

Amber Morrison is a first-generation college graduate and attorney with Mize Meltser PLLC, a labor and employment litigation firm. Her practice is focused on discrimination and retaliation cases which she handles pre-litigation, through the administrative process, and in state and federal courts. Amber joined HYLA in 2018 and has been involved in various roles, most recently as a Director for the 2024-2025 bar year. She wants to continue giving back to HYLA and is running for Director, again. When not working or volunteering, you’ll usually find Amber and her husband at a concert, traveling somewhere, or hanging out with their dogs.

JOHN NGUNJIRI

John is an attorney at Norton Rose Fulbright and a current HYLA Director. Previously, he worked as an engineer in project management for a major energy corporation. A natural leader, John brings energy, creativity and resilience to the Board. He graduated from the 2022/23 HYLA Leadership Academy, and elected to the HYLA Board soon after. John’s community service goes back to his days with the Big Brother-Big Sister Organization, Eagle Scout, and currently serves on the UH Law Center Alumni Board, Co-chair of the HBA Charity Golf Committee, Garland Walker Inn of Court member, and as NRF’s HYLA representative.

JANET OYETEJU

Janet, a Houston native, serves as Legal Counsel at CEVA Logistics. She earned her undergraduate degree from UTSA before obtaining her J.D. from STMU School of Law and later earning her MBA from PVAMU.

Since returning to Houston in 2019, Janet has been an active member of HYLA. She is a former Leadership Academy participant and has served in leadership roles, including HYLA Liaison for HBAA and Co-Chair of the Community Engagement Committee. With a strong commitment to service and leadership, Janet seeks to further HYLA’s mission as a Director by helping young lawyers connect, learn, and lead.