Luis Gomar counsels clients on international energy
Luis Gomar speaks to upper-level law students at the KU Law 2L/3L Orientation in August 2018. Photo by Ashley Golledge.
International energy attorney Luis Gomar, L’05, is passionate about international work with Latin America because that’s where he is from originally. Gomar was born and raised in Mexico City.
“When Mexico started opening up investment to private parties in energy, it was an opportunity for me to help the country that I was born in,” Gomar said.
Gomar is a partner at Baker McKenzie in the firm’s Houston office. Baker McKenzie has a network of 15 offices in Latin American countries that Gomar travels to extensively.
“Baker McKenzie has global management,” Gomar said. “It truly is an international firm.”
Gomar counsels clients on domestic and international transactions involving divestitures; financing; fund formations; mergers and acquisitions; and joint ventures. He advises energy companies on contracts, formation and structure planning. He is also a frequent speaker on the Mexico Energy Reform.
Luis Gomar, L’05
“My job is very unique because I can truly have a positive impact on communities based on just doing the type of corporate transactions that I do,” Gomar said.
Before joining Baker McKenzie, Gomar was a partner at the law firm of Thompson and Knight in their international energy department. He served as the head of Thompson and Knight’s Mexico City office and advised clients on cross-border transactions in the energy and finance sectors.
Gomar enjoys international energy law because of the opportunity to effect economic and social change.
“You have an opportunity to be at the forefront of policy change,” he said. “Energy companies truly invest in the communities that they end up going into, whether it’s in Africa or Latin America.”
What is Gomar’s key to success as an international lawyer? His ability to develop a quick understanding of business cultures.
“You really have to focus on empathy and really understanding cultures,” Gomar said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to speak their language. It means being able to assess what people are trying to say to you versus what they’re actually saying to you.”
Gomar said that international law courses he took at KU Law were instrumental to his career path in international law.
“I was so positively influenced by practically every professor I had at KU Law that I think holistically KU prepared me for an international career better than I think most law schools could,” he said.
Gomar is proud to be a part of the KU Law alumni community. KU Law’s network of alumni spans the globe and every practice area.
“Law students should know that KU Law truly prepares them for a career in law, whatever it is that they decide they’re going to do,” he said. “There’s also a great network of individuals that are always open to provide guidance and assist. It’s a true community.”
Devin S. Sikes excels at representing clients in complex international trade cases
(From left) Cody Wood, L’17; Devin Sikes, L’08; and KU Law Professor Raj Bhala presented at the Inter-Pacific Bar Association’s annual meeting in Singapore this past April. Photo courtsey of Raj Bhala.
Devin S. Sikes, L’08, is one of the few people in the world who has clerked on both the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC).
He clerked for the Hon. Judith M. Barzilay at the CIT and the Hon. Evan J. Wallach at the CAFC. Out of the five people to clerk for both courts, Sikes is the only one to date who went on to practice international trade law.
Sikes has assisted clients in navigating international trade matters before U.S. agencies, U.S. courts and international tribunals for 12 years.
“I have the privilege of working for some really fascinating clients,” Sikes said. “It’s fun to try to help them solve some of the trade issues that they’re facing.”
Devin S. Sikes, L’08
He serves as counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in Washington, D.C. At his firm, Sikes specializes in international trade litigation. He advises and represents clients in antidumping and countervailing duty investigations, customs matters, and a broad range of trade proceedings. He also counsels clients on administrative law and patent issues. Before joining his current firm, he served in the U.S. government for nearly a decade.
Sikes has handled over 35 cases before the CIT and more than 10 appeals before the CAFC. In trade matters, he has represented clients in dispute settlement cases before the entities under both the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization.
Sikes also makes an effort to give back and assist those who can’t afford legal services.
“I have a pretty robust pro bono practice here at the firm,” Sikes said. “We, as attorneys, are incredibly privileged once we complete our education. I think it’s incumbent upon us to preserve a sense of commitment to our community.”
In April, Sikes had the chance to present at the Inter-Pacific Bar Association’s annual meeting in Singapore. Professor Raj Bhala and Cody Wood, L’17, also presented.
“It was a real privilege to be at a conference with over 1,500 attendees from all over the world to hear about the different issues that they face in their practices,” Sikes said.
Sikes grew up in the small town of Rose Hill, Kansas, which is near Wichita. His interest in international trade law began while he was earning undergraduate degrees in philosophy and Spanish from KU.
“I developed a strong interest in the synergy of trade and people,” Sikes said. “Trade law is what interested me. That was my calling.”
He decided to pursue a legal education at KU Law, in substantial part, because of Bhala and his expertise in international trade.
“I knew that I wanted to do international trade law. It just so happened that I had the world’s leading international trade scholar right there in my backyard,” Sikes said.
Sikes said international trade law courses at KU Law were critical to launching his career. He advises law students to form relationships with classmates, build up a professional network, try to understand different perspectives and to aim high with their goals.
“Take my case as a prime example. I was a kid growing up in a very rural town of 2,500 people in Kansas. Don’t let any preconceived geographic limitations hold you back. There’s a world of opportunity out there,” he said.
I got engaged during the summer before my 3L year. Since
then, I have been planning my upcoming wedding between classes. Since my mind
has been constantly switching from thoughts about the assigned Jurisdiction
reading to thinking about marrying my fiancé, you can understand why I recently
made an interesting connection. Law school is a lot like a relationship. I know
it sounds weird, but hear me out:
You think about it all the time
Just like someone in a brand new relationship, law school
is constantly on your mind. You see potential tort claims at the grocery store.
You actually read your apartment lease contract. You bore your non-law school
friends by talking about how Conflict of Laws is “actually really cool.” Like
it or not, law school takes over your brain!
Emily Leiker and her fiancé, Nick Schmidt, got engaged the summer before Leiker’s third year of law school. Photo courtesy of Emily Leiker.
It takes communication
Law school success means making meaningful connections.
Whether you make an effort to visit your professor’s office to ask them about
today’s lecture, meet with fellow students for a group project, or catch up
with a local law firm at the Oread for a networking event, a good law student
knows communication is key.
It takes compromise
Every law student has thought about how it would be easier to just ignore law school obligations and binge-watch Netflix instead. Other times, law students study too hard and forget to take care of themselves. A successful law student, however, knows how to compromise. Sure, you must study hard and put in the time and work. But you can’t forget to take some time to relax and treat yourself. Balance is important: in relationships and in law school.
It’s completely worth it
Just like with a partner, if you don’t put in the time, you won’t get anywhere. With assignments, networking events, Law Review obligations, and upcoming oral arguments, there’s a lot of work law students need to do. Once you put in the work though, you get to see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve learned! As a 3L, it’s very exciting to see all of the great things ahead of me. And my exciting future wouldn’t look the same without law school.
Muhammad Ali said, “the person who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” I believe the same should be said about the three years of law school. Half way through my third year, this experience has been much more than purely educational; it’s been life changing. I’d say my growth as a person has exceeded my growth as a legal scholar, and the growing pains have probably been worse too. While only on the verge of graduating, I know I am not even close to being done growing.
To give that growth some context, the
law school experience is made up of the same few obvious stresses in various
forms; grades, readings, jobs, internships, research, publications and
competitions, student organizations, papers, the ever-looming bar exam, and
more readings. This is all in addition to what you have going on at home. Conveniently,
those stresses only grow from year to year and often stack on top of one another.
So, while you’re underneath trying to carry all that weight, more and more is
heaped on top each year. Only now does it make sense why they call it “3L year,”
because you have taken an “L” or loss each year.
After 3“Ls,” it feels like you’ve had the weight of the world on your shoulders – pressing you down – for so long. It can be difficult to cope with this pressure, but I’ve learned to expand my perspective from focusing on just the losses to also appreciating the wins. We are so outcome driven that it is often easy for us forget that we are still standing when we have been carrying a heavy weight after all this time. Feeling the burden of the weight, it is easy to overlook how much strength you truly have. As it usually turns out, you are stronger than you think you are.
I have realized that maybe, it is because
of this pressure that I have been forced to focus on my path and purpose the
way I have. That maybe, this is the point of the law school process. That maybe
I haven’t taken 3 losses, rather, I’ve gone up 3 levels. After all, diamonds
(even very rough ones) only form under immense pressure.
Everyone has their own unique path. I know I have much to learn, and more growing to do on my path. I believe that through this experience, I have developed the mindset and the skills to keep progressing on my path and fulfilling my purpose.
Grow through your losses. Don’t belittle your successes. And NEVER, EVER get complacent. The marathon continues, and the real work is just beginning.
Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss listens to oral arguments in a special session held at the University of Kansas on April 1, 2019. This was the court’s first visit to Lawrence in its 158-year history. Photo by Andy White/KU Marketing Communications.
Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, L’82, has
dedicated his career to providing justice for Kansans. After serving on the Kansas
Supreme Court for 17 years, he is retiring on Dec. 17.
Nuss was sworn in as a Kansas Supreme Court Justice on Oct. 17, 2002. He began performing chief justice duties on Jan. 29, 2010, when former Chief Justice Robert Davis entered long-term medical leave. Upon Davis’ retirement, Nuss officially assumed the title on Aug. 1 of that year.
“The greatest honor of my life has been to serve as chief
justice these last 10 years,” Nuss said.
Nuss presides over the Kansas Supreme Court, which exercises
authority over all courts in the state. He operates as chairman of the board of
the seven justices, establishes and shapes policies, makes important administrative
decisions, upholds the federal and state constitutions, and serves as the official
spokesperson for the judicial branch. He also hears, discusses and makes
decisions regarding cases.
As the leader of Kansas’ judicial branch, he manages 1,600
employees, 280 judges and an annual budget of more than $140 million.
“I’ve been blessed with excellent colleagues and staff within my chambers.” Nuss said. “Our nearly 2,000 dedicated judges and employees are not highly appreciated by people outside the judicial branch, and they’re all underpaid. They do a great job for the people of Kansas.”
Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss is pictured during his time in the United States Marine Corps. Photo courtesy of Chief Justice Lawton Nuss.
A brief history
A fourth-generation Kansan, Nuss graduated from the
University of Kansas in 1975 with degrees in English and history.
After his undergraduate studies, he was commissioned as a
second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Nuss served as a combat engineering
officer with the Fleet Marine Force Pacific for four years. During his time in
the Marine Corps, he had the opportunity to do some legal work while he was
overseas. His experience with legal work cemented his decision to attend law
school.
“I decided when I got out of the Marine Corps, I would go to
law school,” Nuss said. “I started in the fall of 1979.”
Nuss elected to pursue his legal education at KU Law in
order to remain close to his hometown of Salina.
“I thought I got an excellent education at KU,” Nuss said.
After law school, Nuss practiced law for 20 years at the
Salina-based firm of Clark Mize & Linville, Chartered. He was involved in a
wide range of legal issues and proceedings. He represented corporations and
individuals in civil cases and the government in criminal cases.
While he was a lawyer, Nuss had a variety of professional responsibilities
outside of his practice including: chairman of the Board of Editors for the
Journal of the Kansas Bar Association; president of the Kansas Association of
Defense Counsel; president of the Saline-Ottawa County Bar Association; and
mediator for the United States District Court for the District of Kansas.
In 2002, Nuss applied and was appointed to the Kansas Supreme
Court by Gov. Bill Graves. Nuss was the first justice in over 20 years to move
directly from practice to the Kansas Supreme Court.
Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss speaks to first-year law students this past August. Nuss delivered an oath of professionalism to the law students. Photo by Ashley Golledge.
“I think it’s
important to remain involved in the law school, so I can perhaps be an example
to others who are still in law school or recently graduated,” Nuss said. “I’m
not as active as I would have liked to have been because I have commitments
here as chief justice. I owe a lot to the law school, and I want to demonstrate
that to people.”
(From left) Cody Wright, L’19; Jamie Winningham, L’19; Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, L’82; 3L Diana Stanley; 3L Kyle Christie; and 3L Andi Leuszler participate in the KU Court of Parking Appeals awards ceremony in April 2018.
“I was very flattered to learn that some of the students
involved in the Traffic Court got together and they named an award after me,”
Nuss said. “I’ve gone to the awards ceremony and presented the plaque for the
last couple of years. This last time, I gave the winner a $100 bill so he could
take some friends out to dinner.”
Third-year law student Diana Stanley received Nuss’ namesake
award in 2018, and second-year law student Robert Curtis received the award in
2019.
Chief Justice Lawton Nuss, L’82, and Kelci Weber, L’19, are pictured at the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka in September 2019. Photo by Stacey Blakeman, L’09.
Plans for the future
When asked to summarize his attitude about retirement, Nuss recalled
a quote by Thomas Jefferson: “The most sacred of the duties of a government is
to do equal and impartial justice to all its citizens.”
“I would emphasize, all
its citizens. The law is not here just to help the wealthy or the advantaged
people. It’s for everybody,” Nuss said. “Regardless of what you look like, or
where you come from, or how much money you have, you’re entitled to the
protection of the law.”
Upon his retirement, Nuss aims to spend his time
philanthropically. Nuss and his wife, Barbara, plan to work in the sphere of
veteran’s affairs together. Nuss has been involved nationally on veteran’s
treatment courts.
“My wife and I want to do something together. She hasn’t
seen much of me in the last 10 years,” Nuss joked.
A few of the Nuss’ initial outreach plans include: going to local
VA hospitals to visit with patients who haven’t had visitors in a long time and
inviting veterans over to their house for dinner.
“It’s important to let them know that people care about them,” Nuss said.
3L Courtney Hurtig did a summer internship in the Office of Legal Services at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Photo by Ashley Golledge.
This past summer, third-year law
student Courtney Hurtig did a summer internship in the Office of Legal Services
at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
in Memphis, Tennessee. St. Jude is a children’s hospital that treats childhood
cancers and pediatric diseases.
“I really loved everything about my
internship. The people were absolutely amazing,” Hurtig said. “I can’t
emphasize enough how amazing of a culture St. Jude has. People there live and
breathe the mission of helping kids and it really does show.”
At her internship, Hurtig worked on both long-term and short-term projects for attorneys in the office. She helped rewrite institutional policies that needed to be updated; did a nationwide policy survey; shadowed attorneys and watched them interact with the rest of the hospital; did rotations through St. Jude’s Office of Technology Licensing and Compliance Office; and attended lectures, events and meetings.
3L Courtney Hurtig and Blake Stokes, L’19, pose in front of a sign in Memphis, Tennessee.Photo courtesy of Courtney Hurtig.
“I loved being able to work on projects that felt like they were really making a difference,” Hurtig said.
Hurtig said that the most challenging
part of her internship was trying to not let her emotions get the best of her
when working around sick children.
“St. Jude treats the very, very
sick kids that conventional approaches aren’t working for,” she said. “Sitting
in a meeting where they are discussing a patient that is at end of life or has
recently passed can be really hard. There were definitely times I had to choke
back tears and pull it together.”
3L Courtney Hurtig enjoys lunch with coworkers from the Office of Legal Services at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Photo courtesy of Courtney Hurtig.
Hurtig – who is from Alma, Kansas
originally – is concurrently pursuing her third and fourth degrees from the
University of Kansas. She earned a B.A. in human biology in 2014 and a B.S. in
behavioral neuroscience in 2016. In December, she will graduate a semester
early from a four-year joint degree program with a J.D. from KU Law and a Master of Health Services Administration from the School of Medicine.
During her time in Green Hall,
Hurtig has been involved in a variety of extracurricular activities. She was
the alumni and outreach coordinator for the KU Health Law Society; treasurer
for the Student Intellectual Property Law Association; staff editor for Kansas
Journal of Law and Public Policy; and a graduate research assistant for Professor Andrew Torrance.
In addition to her busy academic
life, Hurtig is passionate about volunteer work. She has volunteered for the American Cancer Society (ACS) for the past 14
years. She is the ACS’ advocacy lead for the state of Kansas and the Kansas
City area.
3L Courtney Hurtig and Blake Stokes, L’19, wear t-shirts in support of St. Jude’s concert series at a baseball game. Photo courtesy of Courtney Hurtig.
“I started my freshman year of high
school and have been volunteering ever since,” Hurtig said. “My involvement
with American Cancer Society definitely helped me get the internship at St.
Jude.”
After coming to law school, she also became interested in Cancer Action Network – the lobbying branch of the ACS. Last summer, Hurtig went to Washington, D.C. to lobby in the annual One Voice Against Cancer Lobby Day. While in the nation’s capital, she met with legislators to discuss funding for the cancer research through the National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI). Locally, she has discussed important health law issues, such as KanCare Expansion, palliative care and tobacco bills with Kansas legislators.
Hurtig’s internship at St. Jude and volunteer work with the ACS have solidified her intention to pursue a career in transactional health law. Through a legal career, she aspires to help shape the health field in the U.S. She would love to work at a children’s hospital after law school, but plans to keep her mind open to opportunities in the health law field that might come her way.
