Firm Updates Archives -

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 […]

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 […]

McCATHERN PARTNERS LEVI McCATHERN, SHANE EGHBAL, AND TARIG ANANI, ALONG WITH CLIENT, SUE ACORDA THERAPEUTICS FOR $3.3M

By Bill Heltzer, Westfair Business Journal – Link to Article An investor in Acorda Therapeutics Inc. claims he lost $3.3 million because two top executives persuaded him to hold on to his investment even as they were planning to take the Rockland County drugmaker into bankruptcy. Paso Milak, of Dallas, accused Acorda founder and CEO […]

Reggie Bush reclaims his 2005 Heisman due to attorney Levi McCathern

Reggie Bush’s retrieval of his Heisman Trophy can be attributed to a encounter at Rob Gronkowski’s Super Bowl party, where he bumped into his attorney Levi McCathern. McCathern fought tirelessly to ensure the prestigious award returned to its rightful owner. Alongside McCathern and Ben Crump, Bush faced the press at The Coliseum in Los Angeles, […]

McCATHERN CLIENTS FILE LAWSUIT AGAINST HIGHLAND PARK VILLAGE SECURITY GUARD

Dallas Managing Partner, Arnold Shokouhi at McCathern PLLC, was featured in a WFAA news segment about a lawsuit the firm initiated on behalf of their clients against St. Moritz Security. The legal action stems from allegations that Ronnie Smith, a security guard at a luxury watch store in Highland Park Village, covertly filmed women in […]

SHEAKS AND SAMPSON TO SPEAK AT 2024 IAVM ACADEMY FOR VENUE SAFETY & MANAGEMENT

McCathern Partners Ty Sheaks and Joey Sampson will again serve as faculty at this year’s edition of the Academy for Venue Safety & Security conducted by the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). The 2023 Academy will take place March 23-28 in New Orleans, Louisiana. McCathern attorneys have proudly participated in the Academy as faculty […]

McCathern Celebrates 25 Years of Improving People’s Lives

On Friday October 27th, McCathern attorneys and staff gathered at the Dallas office to celebrate the recent 25th anniversary of the founding of the firm. They were joined by numerous clients, friends and business partners, and throughout the night memories of a quarter century of legal practice were shared and celebrated. Founded on October 1st, […]

Dallas Attorney Shane Eghbal Named a Partner at McCathern

McCathern is thrilled to announce that attorney Shane Eghbal of the firm’s Dallas office was recently named a partner at our law firm. On Friday, September 15th, the North Texas offices gathered at the Dallas office for the announcement and to celebrate Shane’s achievement. Shane’s journey to the partnership began long ago, when he worked […]

McCathern Adds Corporate Services Attorney Tarig Anani to Dallas Office

McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans, Grinke is excited to announce that experienced corporate services and business lawyer Tarig Anani has joined the firm’s Dallas office as a Partner. Tarig brings three decades of specialized counsel to the firm and is already having a positive impact on McCathern clients. Tarig’s experience includes working as an outside General Counsel […]

Attorney Haseeb Dada Joins McCathern Houston Office

McCathern is excited to announce that newly barred attorney Haseeb Dada has joined its Houston, Texas office. Since graduating from the University of Houston Law Center with his J.D. in 2022, Haseeb has continued developing his experience across several practice areas, including Business & Commercial Litigation, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, and Civil Litigation. Haseeb grew […]

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.”

Category: Firm Updates