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DANIEL K. HAGOOD FEATURED IN WFAA STORY ON COLLAPSED FEDERAL HEALTH CARE FRAUD CASE

DALLAS, TEXAS — October 2025 — McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans Partner and Chairman of the firm’s White Collar & Government Investigations practice, Daniel K. Hagood, was featured this week in a WFAA Dallas news story after a major federal health care fraud case in Dallas collapsed due to prosecutorial misconduct, including the destruction of court-ordered evidence […]

McCATHERN, SHOKOUHI, EVANS SECURES $1.71 MILLION JURY VERDICT IN HOUSTON FRAUD CASE

HOUSTON, TEXAS — McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans is proud to announce that Partners Rodney Drinnon and David Clark obtained a $1.71 million jury verdict in favor of their client following an eight-day trial in the 295th District Court of Harris County, Texas. The case involved a real estate investment transaction in which the defendant, the general […]

PARTNER JIM SHERRY ARGUES BEFORE THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT

It is an exceptional honor to appear before the Texas Supreme Court, and on October 8th, McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans Partner Jim Sherry had that privilege. Representing both his client and our firm with distinction, Jim argued before the highest court in Texas — a milestone moment in the career of any appellate attorney. Jim appeared […]

DALLAS-BASED ATTORNEY KEVIN KOUDELKA AND HIS LAW FIRM MERGE WITH MCCATHERN, SHOKOUHI, EVANS

Dallas, TX – 10/1/25 – McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans (McCathern PLLC) is proud to announce a merger that brings attorney Kevin Koudelka and his law firm into the firm’s expanding practice. Koudelka is a veteran trial lawyer whose work spans complex construction litigation, catastrophic personal injury, product liability, commercial disputes, and aviation. He has represented clients […]

23 McCATHERN, SHOKOUHI, EVANS ATTORNEYS RECOGNIZED BY TEXAS SUPER LAWYERS FOR 2025

L to R: Joey Sampson, Scott J. Becker, Daniel K. Hagood, Megan R. Rachel, Laura B. Roach, Rodney Drinnon, Justin Bryan, Marie Briner, Stephanie M. Almeter, Jesse Showalter, Arnold Shokouhi, Levi G. McCathern, II, Carl L. Evans, Jr., Jennifer L. Falk, Alexandra Hunt, Eric Utermohlen, Ronald Wright, Shane Eghbal, Kylie Peebles, Michael Ricchi, Ty Sheaks, […]

McCATHERN, SHOKOUHI, EVANS PROMOTES DAVID L. CLARK TO PARTNER AND DANIELLE L. CHESTER TO SENIOR ASSOCIATE IN HOUSTON OFFICE

McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans is proud to announce two key attorney promotions in its Houston office. David L. Clark has been elevated to Partner, and Danielle L. Chester has been promoted to Senior Associate. Both attorneys joined McCathern’s Houston office in 2022 and have quickly established themselves as integral members of the team, providing exceptional legal […]

17 ATTORNEYS FROM McCATHERN, SHOKOUHI, EVANS RECOGNIZED AS THE BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA AND BEST LAWYERS: ONES TO WATCH IN AMERICA

L to R: Joseph Sampson, Scott J. Becker, Daniel K. Hagood, Megan Rachel, Laura Roach, Rodney Drinnon, Stephanie Almeter, Brandon Paine, Arnold Shokouhi, Levi G. McCathern, II, Eric Utermohlen, Ronald Wright, Michael Ricchi, Shane Eghbal, Kylie Peebles, Kristin Hecker, Danielle Chester McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans law firm announced today the 17 attorneys recognized as The Best […]

DANIEL K. HAGOOD P.C. MERGES WITH McCATHERN, SHOKOUHI, EVANS TO LAUNCH WHITE COLLAR & GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS PRACTICE

Dallas, TX – 8/4/2025 – We are proud to announce the merger of Daniel K. Hagood P.C., a highly respected Dallas-based practice, with McCathern, Shoukouhi, Evans (McCathern PLLC). Known for excellence in white collar and criminal defense, the addition of Mr. Hagood and his team marks the launch of our new White Collar & Government […]

SCOTUS RULING MAY REVIVE KEY EMPLOYMENT RULES | WHAT EMPLOYERS NEED TO KNOW

On June 27, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Trump v. CASA, Inc. that significantly limits the reach of nationwide injunctions, a ruling that could have major implications for employers across the country. The Court held that federal courts likely overstep their authority when blocking rules or policies nationwide, unless the relief […]

McCATHERN, SHOKOUHI, EVANS LAW FIRM REPRESENTS 73 INDIVIDUALS AGAINST COINBASE, INC.

Evan Selik of McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans Law Firm is representing 73 individuals in a class action that was compelled to arbitration. The Claimants allege that Coinbase is able to manipulate and trade on their consumer’s account without the consumer’s knowledge or consent. They also allege that Coinbase represents that their platform is safe for maintaining […]

PROSPER ISD PARENTS QUESTION DISTRICT RESPONSE TO BUS DRIVER ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING STUDENTS

December 15, 2025

Author: Rebecca Lopez with WFAA Watch the interview here. PROSPER, Texas — Parents of two young girls who say they were repeatedly sexually assaulted by a Prosper ISD school bus driver are speaking out about what they describe as serious failures by the district — including delayed notification to families and promised safety changes they say were never fully implemented. The parents asked that they not be identified to protect their children, who were just elementary school age at the time of the abuse. In a lawsuit filed in 2023, the girls — identified only as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 — allege former bus driver Frank Paniagua assaulted them repeatedly during the 2021–2022 school year. According to the lawsuit, Paniagua would wait until other students exited the bus, then assault the girls, sometimes holding one child back so he could take her to the rear of the bus. Attorneys say the abuse occurred over several months and was captured on bus surveillance video. How the abuse was discovered The girls’ mother said the abuse came to light after their grandmother noticed troubling comments about gift cards offered by the bus driver. When the mother later questioned the girls again, they disclosed what had been happening. Prosper ISD police reviewed surveillance video from the bus in May 2022. Paniagua was arrested two days later and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and indecency with a child. Paniagua later died after jumping from the second floor of the Collin County Jail while awaiting trial. Concerns about delayed notifications Attorneys for the family say more than 100 days passed after Paniagua’s arrest before Prosper ISD publicly acknowledged the allegations — a delay parents say may have prevented other potential victims from being identified. At a packed school board meeting, Prosper ISD parent Morgan Grahovec, a child psychologist whose daughter attended the same school as the victims, told trustees that delays in notifying parents can have serious consequences. “Children who are victims of abuse need to be identified and interviewed as soon as possible because memory fades over time,” Grahovec said. “The longer you wait, it’s harder to get a child to report abuse accurately.” Parents at those meetings called for Superintendent Holly Ferguson’s resignation, arguing district leaders should have acted sooner and communicated more transparently. Ferguson did not step down, instead promising changes to safety protocols. District response and former statement In an earlier written statement to WFAA, Prosper ISD said it took appropriate action once allegations surfaced: “We are horrified that an employee violated the trust of our families and students, as Prosper ISD’s foremost priority is to protect our students’ safety and well-being at all times. We strongly condemn the actions of any adult who would cause mental or physical harm to a child, and we do not tolerate such behavior.” The district has declined additional comment, citing pending litigation. Disputed claims about safety changes Prosper ISD previously told parents it would implement additional safeguards, including increased supervision during bus drop-offs, a volunteer “bus buddy” program, and improved monitoring of bus surveillance video. But the parents and their attorneys say those changes were not consistently put in place. Attorney Levi McCathern says the district does not regularly review bus surveillance footage — even though video captured the alleged abuse in this case. “You would think the first thing you would do after this happens is change your monitoring program,” McCathern said. “They don’t monitor them at all.” McCathern and co-counsel Kristin Hecker say the lawsuit is aimed at forcing policy changes rather than seeking financial gain. Questions about oversight and leadership The case has also raised broader concerns about district leadership and oversight. Prosper ISD’s school board president later resigned in an unrelated child abuse case, further shaking confidence among some parents. Families have also questioned the independence of the district’s internal review, noting that the law firm hired to investigate the district’s response is also defending Prosper ISD in the lawsuit. “All we want is an independent investigation,” McCathern said. Parents push for accountability and change The parents say their children remain enrolled in Prosper ISD, but they continue to press for reforms they believe could prevent similar abuse. “We want justice for our kids,” the girls’ mother said. “But we also want changes to happen at the district so that this doesn’t happen to other children.”

Author: McCathern Law