A mark of excellence, accomplishment, and integrity, three GoransonBain Ausley attorneys have become Board Certified in Family Law.  Ryan R. Bauerle, Hayley B. Collins and Kathryn F. Samler, are among the fewer than eight percent of Texas lawyers who have met the high standards by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

“As a family law firm, we believe our success is due to the experience and dedication of our attorneys, who represent our firm with distinction and the highest level of professionalism, ” said Curtis W. Harrison II, managing partner.   “We are proud to have Ryan, Hayley and Kathryn join 18 attorneys in our firm who have earned the Board-Certified Family Law Specialist distinction.

The Texas Board of Legal Specialization Certification is a distinguishing accomplishment.  An attorney must demonstrate the highest level of competency and expertise in all matters of family law.  In addition to meeting rigorous ethical and education requirements, attorneys commit to ongoing professional development.

About Ryan R. Bauerle
Bauerle joined GoransonBain Ausley in 2017.  Excelling in contested custody matters, Bauerle finds work with families and children especially meaningful. He brings experience and compassion to situations involving special needs, mental health issues, and substance abuse. He also has a successful record in advocating for co-parenting rights and securing equal parenting time or unique possession arrangements.

He won the 10 Best Award for Client Satisfaction for 2017 by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys.

Bauerle earned his J.D. from Regent University School of Law and a B.B.A. in Finance and BA in Political Science from Southern Methodist University.  To learn more about Ryan Bauerle and his expertise, visit https://www.gbfamilylaw.com/attorney/ryan-r-bauerle/

About Hayley B. Collins
As a family attorney, Collins excels at connecting with clients to learn their stories and achieve outcomes that are best for their individual circumstances. Her practice encompasses the broad range of family law, including contested custody and complex property cases.

Collins joined GoransonBain in 2013.  She has been named  D Magazine Best Lawyers Under 40 in 2018 and a Super Lawyers Rising Stars from 2015-2018.

She received her J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law and her B.A. from Southern Methodist University. To learn more about Hayley Collins and her expertise, visit https://www.gbfamilylaw.com/attorney/hayley-b-collins/.

About Kathryn F. Samler
To families going through divorce and child custody issues, Samler provides a goal-oriented approach to achieve favorable outcomes for her clients and their families.  Samler also has unique experience and background guiding families in cases involving sensitive issues that require a well-planned and strategic approach, including cases involving personality disorders and substance abuse issues. 

Samler joined GoransonBain in 2013.  For the second consecutive year, she was named to D Magazine’s Best Lawyers Under 40. She has also been named a Super Lawyers Risings Star from 2014-2018.

She received her J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law and her B.A. from Baylor University. To learn more about Katie Samler and her expertise, visit https://www.gbfamilylaw.com/attorney/kathryn-flowers-samler/.

About GoransonBain Ausley
GoransonBain Ausley is a Texas family law firm building on long-standing records of successful and ethical representation in the field of family law.

In 2017, GoransonBain and Ausley, Algert, Robertson & Flores merged to bring together two firms with 40 years of experience guiding people constructively through complex family law issues.  The firm’s shared values have fostered a constructive atmosphere and strategic approach to help clients control costs, minimize the disruption to their daily lives and achieve the best possible outcome.

GoransonBain Ausley ‘s team of attorneys, including three former family court judges, offers clients comprehensive experience and perspectives to work towards an efficient resolution in complex situations. Services encompass virtually every facet of family law, including divorce, asset identification and valuation, complex property matters, collaborative law, mediation, premarital and postmarital agreements, child custody and visitation, property division, child support, adoption, paternity, and same-sex legal issues.

For the past five years, U.S. News & World Report named GoransonBain Ausley a Best Law Firm in its U.S. News - Best Lawyers® for family law and family law mediation, an achievement that involved a rigorous independent evaluation process.

The firm has been named a Top Workplace by the Dallas Morning News and a Best Places to Work by the Dallas Business Journal.

A family lawyer for 30 years, Thomas A. Greenwald has earned the trust and respect of his clients.  Now, the family law attorney and senior partner with GoransonBain is being recognized by his peers in the legal profession as the Dallas/Ft. Worth Lawyer of the Year in the 2018 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

“Through his conviction to do what is in his clients best interests, Tom’s has built a reputation of integrity among his clients and peers,” said Curtis W Harrison II, managing partner.  “His approach to take the high road mirrors his own principles and helps clients build confidence to move forward with their lives.”

Greenwald,  who is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has a "Superb 10.0" rating by Avvo, is renowned for managing complex divorces with expertise and has successfully litigated child custody and complex property issues in jury and non-jury cases. He also practices collaborative law and conducts mediation.

In being named Lawyer of the Year, Greenwald marks the sixth consecutive year that a GoransonBain family law attorney has held the individual recognition in Dallas/Ft. Worth. This recognition is awarded to only one attorney with the highest overall peer-feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region.

“This is a great honor and I am proud to join my colleagues at GoransonBain in receiving this recognition,” said Greenwald. “It is a privilege to be acknowledged by my peers.”

In addition to Greenwald, family law attorneys Kathryn J. Murphy, Diana S. Friedman, Paula Larsen, and Thomas P. Goranson have been recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” each year since 2013.

Greenwald is a sought after speaker and has authored numerous articles on family issues, including legislative updates, discovery rule changes, and a commentary on custody and property issues. 

GoransonBain’s reputation for being among Texas’ most respected family law attorneys is further strengthened with five attorneys being named to the 2017 Texas Super Lawyers® Rising Star list.  The achievement is reinforced with two of the attorneys being named to the Up-and-Coming 100 and Up-and-Coming 50: 2017 Women Texas Rising Star list.

The Texas Rising Star professional accomplishment places Lené Alley DeRudder, P. Lindley Bain, Angel J. Berbarie, Hayley B. Collins, and Kathryn F. Samler among only 2.5 percent of Texas' nearly 97,000 attorneys who receive the annual honor.   Each of the family law attorneys is making a repeat appearance on the list.

The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area.

The Texas Rising Stars includes attorneys who are 40 or under, or who have been practicing for ten years or less.  Among the GoransonBain Texas family law attorneys selected for inclusion are:

• P. Lindley Bain, a Board-Certified Family Law attorney who manages the firm’s Austin office.  Focusing on the future rather than the past, Lindley believes, and counsels divorcing clients to strive for healthy, attainable goals.  Lindley concentrates on financially complex divorces and high-conflict custody matters.   She has been named a Texas Rising Star by Thomson Reuters for eight consecutive years.  
  
  
• Kathryn F. Samler, a family law attorney in the Dallas office.  To families going through divorce and child custody issues, Samler provides a goal-oriented approach to achieve favorable outcomes for her clients and their families.  Samler also has unique experience and background guiding families in cases involving sensitive issues that require a well-planned and strategic approach, including cases involving a personality disorders and substance abuse issues.  An advocate for families, she understands the emotional and financial toll that litigation can take; and as a result, whenever possible, she collaborates with clients and opposing parties to reach a resolution without unnecessary litigation.  She has been selected as a Texas Rising Star for four years.
  
  
• Lené Alley DeRudder, a family law attorney in the Plano office, has been selected a Rising Star for four years. Lené approaches family law by pursuing all possible avenues to resolve family law problems outside of the courtroom. Her goal is to minimize the emotional, mental, and financial costs for her clients. However, when issues are unyielding, Lené is a tenacious litigator in court, endlessly representing her clients’ interests to achieve positive results.
  
  
• Angel J. Berbarie, a Board-Certified Family Law attorney in the Plano office, has been named a Rising Star for six straight years.  An extremely organized lawyer, Angel is experienced in managing cases with large assets. She is especially attuned to solving the financial needs of her clients, whether it is the spouse who must move forward without a breadwinner or the spouse who wants to make sure he or she is keeping a fair share of the estate they worked so hard to create.
  
  
• Hayley B. Collins, a family law attorney in the Plano office, has earned the Rising Star professional accomplishment for three consecutive years. As a family attorney, Hayley excels at connecting with clients to learn their stories and achieve outcomes that are best for their individual circumstances. Hayley’s practice encompasses the broad range of family law, including contested custody and complex property cases.

The list of Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars is featured in the April 2017 issue of Texas Monthly.  

Developing professional relationships can be life-changing.  For Diana S. Friedman, early career mentoring and active participation in the Family Law Bar opened the door to service and leadership in the field of family law. It has led to a career in which the GoransonBain Partner has risen to the forefront of the practice and recently earned her recognition as the 2016 Sam Emison Award recipient from the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists.

The Sam Emison Award is earned in recognition of a significant impact on the practice of family law and the family law bar association.

The award has special meaning to Friedman.  As a law clerk more than 25 years ago, her mentors invited her to the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists Annual Dinner.  The Sam Emison award presentation was one of the defining moments that shaped her career.  

It provided a great example of leadership in the field of family law and demonstrated to Diana the importance of embracing collaboration, intellectual inquiry and legislative advocacy.

 A leader in driving legislative changes that will improve Texas divorce laws, she is an active member and past chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, serving as Co-Chair of the Legislative Committee. She is the Past President of the Texas Family Law Foundation, a member of the Family Law Council State Bar of Texas, Past President of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, and Past Chair of the State Bar of Texas Family Law Section. 

She is a frequent course director, speaker and author of matters related to family law.

 She is equally invested in paying it forward with the next generation of family lawyers.  The mentors she had played an instrumental role in her understanding not just the business of family law but the practice.

There is not a more personal practice of law than family law. She believes the relationships you develop through active participation in your professional associations and networking benefit not only you but your clients.

 A fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Friedman has earned the 2016 Lawyer of the Year in Family Law by The Best Lawyers in America and Dallas 500 – The Most Powerful Business Leaders in Dallas-Ft. Worth awards.  In 2014, the Family Law Section presented her with the Dan R. Price Award.   Friedman has been named a Texas Super Lawyer every year since 2003, and a Best Lawyer in America for the past seven years.  

A high degree of peer recognition and professional accomplishment is how five GoransonBain family law attorneys have earned inclusion on the 2016 Rising Stars list compiled by Super Lawyers.   P. Lindley Bain, Angel J. Berbarie, Hayley B. Collins, Lene' Alley DeRudder and Kathryn F. Samler are making their repeat appearances on the exclusive annual ranking limited to the top 2.5 percent of lawyers in Texas.

The annual Texas Super Lawyers “Rising Star’s” ranking recognizes the state’s best lawyers under the age of 40 and practicing for no more than 10 years. Lawyers are selected through a competitive process that includes independent research, peer nominations and evaluations. 

A highly regarded list, P. Lindley Bain, a partner who manages the family law firm’s Austin office, has earned the recognition for six straight years.  Board certified in family law, she has also been selected to the 2016 Best Lawyers in America.

Divorce lawyer, Angel J. Berbarie, who recently joined the firm’s Plano office, is Board Certified in Family Law and has achieved the recognition for five years.

Plano family law attorney Lene' Alley DeRudder has earned the Rising Stars recognition for three years and recently was designated as one of the 10 Best Attorneys (in her region) for Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Family Law Lawyers.

Hayley B. Collins, also in the divorce firm’s Plano office, has earned the achievement for two years.   

Kathryn F. Samler, who is with the family law firm’s Dallas office, has achieved the recognition for three years.

Additional information on the GoransonBain Rising Stars can be found online at https://www.gbfamilylaw.com/attorneys/