The Signal Peak Symposium
Signal Peak thanks its esteemed speakers and guests for joining its invitation-only Symposium on February 26, 2026, at The Post Oak Hotel in Houston, Texas. In addition to an afternoon of interactive presentations, The Signal Peak Symposium will include a keynote tribute to H. Lee Godfrey led by Vineet Bhatia of Susman Godfrey honoring Mr. Godfrey’s extraordinary career. Here is a list of some of our friends joining the Symposium.
The Honorable Christian Menefee
United States House of Representatives
The Honorable Alan Albright
United States District Court Judge
The Honorable Charles Eskridge
United States District Court Judge
The Honorable Derek Gilliland
United States Magistrate Judge
The Honorable Shashi Kewalramani
United States Magistrate Judge (Retired)
The Honorable Brett Busby
Texas Supreme Court Justice
The Honorable Jennifer Caughey
Texas First Court of Appeals Justice
The Honorable Lauren Reeder
234th Civil District Court Judge
The Honorable Alamdar Hamdani
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas (Retired)
The Honorable Mike Engelhart
151st Civil District Court (Retired)
The Honorable Ravi K. Sandill
127th Civil District Court (Retired)
Lonny Hoffman
University of Houston Professor of Law
The Signal Peak Symposium
February 26, 2026 at The Post Oak Hotel
Agenda
12:30 pmRegistration
1:05 pmWelcome remarks by Mani Walia, Signal Peak Partners
1:15 pmThe Policymakers
Podcast host Ted Farrell will interview Congressman Christian Menefee; The Honorable Alamdar Hamdani (U.S. Attorney, ret.) and Professor Lonny Hoffman (Univ. Houston Law Center) regarding efforts to legislate the litigation funding industry through taxation, regulating private contracts, disclosure, and outright prohibition. Questions will cover substantive policy questions as well as issues of jurisdiction and enforcement.
2:30 pmThe Deciders En Banc
Hon. Mike Engelhart and Hon. Ravi Sandill, both former Texas state court judges, will argue two sides of an issue that often comes up in the context of third-party litigation funding, which is whether courts should require such arrangements to be disclosed. Lauren Harrison (Signal Peak Partners) will moderate our “en banc” panel of eight judges as they deliberate the issue. Judges: Alan Albright (U.S. District Court); Charles Eskridge (U.S. District Court); Brett Busby (Texas Supreme Court); Jennifer Caughey (Texas First Court of Appeals); Derek Gilliland (U.S. Magistrate); Shashi Kewalramani (U.S. Magistrate, Ret.); Lauren Reeder (Texas District Court); and, sitting by designation, Brian Melton (Susman Godfrey).
4 pmThe Stakeholders
Professor Carliss Chatman (SMU Dedman School of Law) will use her expertise in corporate personhood to moderate a panel of general and in-house counsel. Topics will include thoughts on working with legislators to achieve industry-fitting legislation. Panelists: Andy West (Enervest); Shane Kimzey (CenterPoint Energy); David Rassin (SAExploration); Dash Kohlhausen (Houston Rockets/Fertitta Entertainment); and Jeffrey Kaplan (LyondellBasell).
5 pmTribute to Lee Godfrey by Vineet Bhatia, Managing Partner, Susman Godfrey LLP
6 pmCocktails
6:45 pmDinner
The Honorable Christian Menefee
United States House of Representatives
The Honorable Alan Albright
United States District Court Judge
The Honorable Charles Eskridge
United States District Court Judge
The Honorable Derek Gilliland
United States Magistrate Judge
The Honorable Shashi Kewalramani
United States Magistrate Judge (Retired)
The Honorable Brett Busby
Texas Supreme Court Justice
The Honorable Jennifer Caughey
Texas First Court of Appeals Justice
The Honorable Lauren Reeder
234th Civil District Court Judge
The Honorable Mike Engelhart
151st Civil District Court (Retired)
The Honorable Ravi K. Sandill
127th Civil District Court (Retired)
The Honorable Alamdar Hamdani
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas (Retired)
Chief Executives & In-House Counsel
EnerVest, Contango Oil & Gas, SAExploration, CenterPoint Energy, and the Houston Rockets/Fertitta Entertainment
Managing Partners from Elite Law Firms
Baker Botts, Norton Rose Fulbright, and AZA
Lonny Hoffman
University of Houston Professor of Law
Pending changes to the Congressional calendar.
For more information, please contact symposium@signalpeakllc.com.