Bruce A. Coane received a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honors from Penn State University in 1979. He received his Juris Doctor Degree in Law from the University of Houston in 1981. He is the founder and past president of the National Employment Lawyers Association-Houston Chapter and he is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is the Past-President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association-Texas, New Mexico & Oklahoma Chapter. His memberships have included being a member of the State Bar of Texas Labor and Employment Law section and the State Bar of Texas School Law section.
Mr. Coane is licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas and has been admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United State Court of Appeals in Chicago, New Orleans, Philadelphia and San Francisco, and by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. He has been specially admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts in Dallas, Abilene, Lufkin, Baton Rouge and Chicago. His professional activities and memberships have included the American Bar Association, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Houston Bar Association, Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts, and the Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit.
His trial experience includes jury trials in both state and federal court. He has handled all types of administrative appeals and has also represented clients before the United States Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Texas. Many of his cases have been published in legal reference books and discussed in legal and professional journals.
Mr. Coane is a frequent speaker at continuing education seminars for attorneys, as well as seminars and meetings for business groups, schools and community organizations. He has also appeared on various TV and radio talk shows, and he is the author of many published papers on various legal topics. Mr. Coane has six children and he enjoys spending time with his family, playing basketball, and attending concerts, theater and sporting events.
Mr. Coane is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Mr. Coane is licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas and has been admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United State Court of Appeals in Chicago, New Orleans, Philadelphia and San Francisco, and by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. He has been specially admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts in Dallas, Abilene, Lufkin, Baton Rouge and Chicago. His professional activities and memberships have included the American Bar Association, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Houston Bar Association, Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts, and the Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit.
His trial experience includes jury trials in both state and federal court. He has handled all types of administrative appeals and has also represented clients before the United States Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Texas. Many of his cases have been published in legal reference books and discussed in legal and professional journals.
Mr. Coane is a frequent speaker at continuing education seminars for attorneys, as well as seminars and meetings for business groups, schools and community organizations. He has also appeared on various TV and radio talk shows, and he is the author of many published papers on various legal topics. Mr. Coane has six children and he enjoys spending time with his family, playing basketball, and attending concerts, theater and sporting events.
Mr. Coane is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Ajay Choudhary graduated in three years with a double major from the University of California at Berkeley. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Berkeley in 1994. Mr. Choudhary then attended the Southern Methodist University School of Law on a scholarship. He received his Juris Doctor degree from SMU and is licensed to practice law by the Texas Supreme Court and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and the U.S. Court of Appeals (5th Circuit). Mr. Choudhary is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Choudhary enjoys attending sporting events, playing tennis, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
ATTORNEY'S
Arthur Mandel received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Wagner College in Staten Island, New York. He then worked on Wall Street as an Associate for R.W. Wentworth in their Mergers & Acquisitions Energy Division. Mr. Mandel then received his Juris Doctor Degree from St. Thomas University School of Law in 2005. He is licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Florida and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He is a member of the American Bar Association, American Trial Lawyers Association and the Florida Bar. Mr. Mandel speaks Russian, enjoys boxing, event planning, and traveling.
Anita R. Laven is originally from Johnson City, New York. A child of a career Federal civil servant, much of her early childhood was spent in Oklahoma City and relocating to various cities in New York State until settling in Texas. In 1996, Ms. Laven earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Texas A&M University with a double major in History and German. She then worked as a secondary school mathematics teacher while earning a Master of Education degree in Mathematics Education from The University of Houston. Providing instruction to new immigrant and English as a Second Language (ESL) students was a specialty area in teaching that she found most satisfying. After teaching for seven years, she made a career change to the legal profession and enrolled at South Texas College of Law in Houston, to earn a Juris Doctor degree. She served as an editor on the International Trade Law Journal, and received the Excellence for the Future Award in Corporations and Harry L. Reed Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Award. Ms. Laven is admitted to practice law by the Texas Supreme Court. She has studied abroad on numerous occasions most recently in Germany and Spain while working on her JD degree and is fluent in German and currently is studying Spanish. Ms. Laven helps abused children as a certified advocate for Child Advocates in Houston. In her spare time she works out and practices Ashtanga Yoga. She enjoys traveling and at times just “chilling out” with family and friends.
Astrid Stimac received a Bachelor’s degree in History and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Texas at Austin. She worked in the IT field for nearly a decade before returning to school to receive a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Houston. She served as the chief articles editor for the Journal of Consumer and Commercial Law and became a certified mediator while in law school. She is licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Texas. She is a member of the Texas Young Lawyers Association and the Houston Young Lawyers Association. Ms. Stimac enjoys traveling, scuba diving, running and cycling in charity events, hiking and reading.
