Governor Abbott Reappoints Ten Judges To Texas Business Court

Governor Greg Abbott today reappointed all ten judges of the Texas Business Court Divisions to new two-year terms beginning September 1, 2026.

"Businesses choose Texas in record numbers because Texas delivers results," said Governor Abbott. "The Texas Business Court has resolved complex commercial disputes with unmatched speed and expertise. Hundreds of cases already filed and scores resolved prove these judges fuel Texas' status as the economic engine of America. I have reappointed these skilled judges to protect that success and to ensure that Texas' business jurisprudence is on steady ground for years to come."

Since its creation, the Texas Business Court has delivered monumental success. Specialized judges now handle the most complex commercial matters with the expertise and speed Texas businesses demand. Cases move forward efficiently, which gives companies the certainty they need to invest, expand, and create jobs. The judges being reappointed today have strengthened Texas' position as the top state for business and drawn national attention as models for commercial dispute resolution.

First Business Court Division:

• Andrea Bouressa of Murphy has served as a Judge for the First Business Court Division since September 2024. She previously was Judge of the 471st Judicial District Court and served a two-year term as Local Administrative District Judge for Collin County.
• William "Bill" Whitehill of Coppell has served as a Judge for the First Business Court Division since September 2024. He previously served as a member of Condon Tobin Sladek Thornton Nerenberg PLLC, where he was head of its appellate and special issues practice group, and is a former Justice of the Texas Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas.

Third Business Court Division:

• Melissa Andrews of Austin has served as a Judge for the Third Business Court Division since September 2024. She previously served as an equity partner at Holland & Knight, an attorney for Texas Supreme Court Justice Jeff Boyd and First Court of Appeals Justice Harvey Brown and was a law clerk for Judge Don R. Willett, while he served on the Texas Supreme Court.
• Patrick K. Sweeten of Austin has served as a Judge for the Third Business Court Division since September 2024. He previously served as the Principal Deputy General Counsel for the Office of the Governor and Deputy Attorney General for Special Litigation for the Office of the Texas Attorney General.

Fourth Business Court Division:

• Marialyn Barnard of San Antonio has served as a Judge for the Fourth Business Court Division since September 2024. She previously served as Judge of the 73rd Judicial District Court in Bexar County, Bexar County Commissioner for Precinct 3, and spent 10 years as a Justice on the Fourth Court of Appeals.
• Stacy Sharp of San Antonio has served as a Judge for the Fourth Business Court Division since September 2024 and currently serves as the Administrative Presiding Judge Pro Tempore. She previously served as an attorney and owner of Sharp Appellate PLLC and an adjunct professor at The University of Texas (UT) at Austin.

Eighth Business Court Division:

• Jerry Bullard of Colleyville has served as a Judge for the Eighth Business Court Division since September 2024. He previously served as a shareholder and attorney with Adams, Lynch & Loftin, P.C. and has over 30 years of experience in state and federal court litigation, including both trial and appellate law.
• Brian Stagner of Fort Worth has served as a Judge for the Eighth Business Court Division since September 2024. He previously served as counsel and a former partner at Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP and as an adjunct professor at Texas Christian University teaching business law.

Eleventh Business Court Division:

• Sofia Adrogué of Houston has served as a Judge for the Eleventh Business Court Division since September 2024. She previously served as a partner with Diamond McCarthy LLP. She is founder and editor of the Texas Business Litigation Treatise (ALM), now in its 6th Edition, dedicated to the Texas Business Court, and at the outset of her career, she clerked at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Grant Dorfman of Bellaire has served as a Judge for the Eleventh Business Court Division since September 2024 and currently serves as the Administrative Presiding Judge. He previously served as a Visiting Judge and is a former Deputy First Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Texas Attorney General, Judge of the 334th Judicial District and the 129th Judicial District both in Harris County, former counsel for Sheehy, Ware, Pappas & Grubbs, P.C., and former Senior In-House Counsel to Nabors Industries.

In 2023, Governor Abbott signed House Bill 19 to establish the Texas Business Court, a specialized trial court designed to resolve complex commercial disputes and maintain Texas' position as the top state for business.

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