GRAT Trust Lawyers for Killeen, Texas

Josh Bernstein has been serving real estate and corporate transactional clients since 2002. His experience is varied, and he enjoys working on and puzzling out novel and complex corporate and real estate matters. Josh’s experience includes, among other things, the following: representation of public companies in connection with SEC reporting and compliance work (proxies, 10-K’s; 10-Q’s; 8-K’s, etc.); representation of public and private company securities issuances (including private placements, and other similar offerings); assistance in structuring and drafting joint ventures, both for investors and operating partners, and including both real estate and corporate ventures; handling public and private company mergers and acquisitions; and asset sales and dispositions; assisting clients, big and small, with real estate acquisitions, sales and financings; managing large-scale and multi-state real estate portfolio acquisitions, dispositions and financings; complex condominium creation, structuring and governance work, including: commercial condominiums, use of condominiums as a land planning tool, wholesale condominium property acquisitions and dispositions, and rehabilitating failed or faulty condominium legal structures to make ready for sale; development of restrictive covenants and owners’ association documents for master-planned communities; compliance with federal statutes governing real estate sale and development (including, without limitation, the Interstate Land Sales Full Disclosure Act, the Housing for Older Persons Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act); representation of real estate lenders, for both improved and unimproved property, and including numerous construction financings secured by real estate; assistance with commercial leasing; from both the landlord and tenant side, and including condominium leasing; training residential home and condominium sales staff for compliance with applicable local and federal law; and workouts of all kinds. When he’s not busy lawyering, Josh may be found watching 80’s commercials, flying a single-engine plane, playing poker, or trying to be a good dad.

Experienced attorney and tax analyst with a history of working in the government and private industry. Skilled in Public Speaking, Contract Law, Corporate Governance, and Contract Negotiation. Strong professional graduate from Penn State Law.

I am an experienced, well-rounded attorney with a background specializing in trusts and estates, contracts and business law. I have extensive experience working with simple contracts all the way up to multi-million dollar deals.

I am a Texas Board Certified specialist in Labor and Employment Law (since 2002) with nearly three decades of experience across private practice, Big Law, in-house counsel, and national civil rights litigation. I currently own and manage Jump Start Legal Justice Center, where I lead nationwide litigation for nonprofit domestic entities, defending free speech and constitutional rights, litigating Title VI and Title VII claims for professors, and representing individuals in No Fly list and watchlist challenges. For nearly a decade, I served as Civil Litigation Department Head at the Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America (now MLFA), managing a nationwide team of up to 12 attorneys, paralegals, and interns. My docket included religious freedom and religious discrimination cases for Muslim, Jewish, and Native American clients; birthright citizenship challenges; and inmate rights litigation for meal and prayer accommodations. My employment law background includes senior roles at Littler Mendelson, Jackson Walker, Akin Gump, and Jackson Lewis, as well as serving as the Texas state expert for Thomson Reuters Practical Law. I have counseled corporations on wage/hour compliance, non-compete agreements, FMLA, discrimination, retaliation, and workplace investigations. I have first-chaired federal court jury trials and handled appeals across the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, and D.C. Circuits. I also hold a Mediation Certification from the University of Houston and have served as an Associate Hearing Officer for the City of Dallas. I am a multiple-year Texas Super Lawyer (through 2026), Fellow of the Texas Bar College, and Fellow of the American Bar Association. I draft and review employment agreements, severance agreements, non-compete agreements, employee handbooks, independent contractor agreements, and settlement agreements. I also advise on nonprofit compliance, religious accommodations, and constitutional claims. Bar admissions: Texas (1996), U.S. Supreme Court, multiple Circuit Courts of Appeal, and federal district courts in Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, and Illinois (General Bar and Trial Bar).

Charlton Messer helps businesses and their owners with general counsel and contract drafting services. He has helped over 500 businesses with their legal needs across a variety of industries in nearly a decade of practice.

Education: Georgetown Law (83), Yale (75- BA in Economics), Hotchkiss School (1970). Practice areas have included commercial litigation, individual litigation, and securities litigation and arbitration.

Ms. Melton-Mitchell is a seasoned executive that has obtained a law degree and is practicing law as a second career. She has spent over 25 years in the health care industry and is well versed in health law, contract law, financial law, trusts and estates, M&A and other types of transactional law. She maintains evening and weekend hours to allow clients flexibility in connecting with her around their schedule.

Kenneth D. Ferguson is a distinguished attorney who earned his Juris Doctorate from St. Mary’s School of Law in May 2022. During his time at St. Mary’s, Kenneth displayed exceptional dedication and skill in the field of law, culminating in a historic achievement when his team secured victory in the first-ever National Mock Trial Championship for the university. This remarkable feat showcased Kenneth’s innate talent for advocacy and his unwavering commitment to excellence, earning him a well-deserved induction into the prestigious Order of the Barristers organization. Kenneth serves as a respected member of the Board of Directors for the Texas Young Lawyers Association, where he contributes his insights and expertise to the development of the legal community. Additionally, he holds the esteemed title of Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, a recognition of his outstanding contributions to the legal profession. Kenneth is also a valued member of the Texas Bar College, demonstrating his commitment to continuous learning and professional growth. Kenneth is licensed to practice law in a multitude of jurisdictions, including all Texas Courts, the U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas, and their respective Bankruptcy Divisions.

I have been in corporate practice for over 14 years dealing primarily with complex engineering, construction, and project management contracts as well employment contracts.

Angela is a business and transactional lawyer counseling clients in multiple facets of their business. Her practice includes commercial contracts, SaaS and technology licensing, intellectual property licensing, real estate contracts, and general business counseling.