Family Law

• Divorce
• Child Support
  Family Law is an area of law which covers all aspects family relationships. Generally, Family Law attorneys assist people with the making and breaking of family relationships. Family Law issues require a thoughtful balance between advocating for the rights of a client and protecting children of the marriage. When you are faced with an important life decision regarding a key family relationship, the advice and assistance of an experienced attorney is pivotal to your understanding of the issues and legal consequences involved. The Family Law attorneys at McLeod, Alexander, Powel & Apffel, P.C. have extensive experience in divorce suits, including child custody matters, child support, conservatorship, adoptions, guardianships, restraining orders, division of the marital estate, and paternity suits.
• Child Custody and Visitation
• Adoption
• Paternity
• Guardianship
  In Texas, probating a Last Will and Testament can be a simple, routine matter. However, many times disputes arise as to the validity of that will which can delay the probate of an Estate for years. Sometimes, even when a will is valid other issues may arise by competing claims or creditors. Guardianships are not a pleasant matter for any family. They typically involve either a loved one who no longer has the capacity to take care of themselves and did not adequately put into place the means to have assistance, or a loved one who has lost that capacity but refuses help when needed. Guardianships take many forms from complete guardianships over a person and his or her financial affairs to more limited guardianships to handle medical or financial affairs of an incapacitated person or minor. In its decades of existence MAPA has handled numerous disputes regarding these issues with sensitivity and professionalism.

Criminal Law

• Sex Crimes
  After law school, Mr. Gonzalez began his legal career working for a solo practitioner on the Island. He handled matters relating to family and immigration law. Mr. Gonzalez found himself returning to RCC as their Director of Legal Services representing victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Since joining the firm, Mr. Gonzalez’ practice has focused on general civil litigation including construction law and insurance defense.
• Theft
• Assault
• Arson
• Restraining Order

Business and Corporate Law

• Business Formation
  The Firm has experience in handling matters involving business formation and operation with respect to corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and other business associations. Included in this area of practice are: contract review, preparation, and negotiation; business acquisitions; employment law and risk management; maintenance of legal entity requirements; and intellectual property protection.
• Business Disputes
  He has experience in such diverse cases as FELA, grade crossing, employment law claims, contract disputes, mass tort, environmental, product liability claims, and insurance coverage litigation.
• Business Transactions
  Susan K. Musch has recently joined the MAPA Law Firm as Of Counsel.  Licensed since 1982, Susan has focused in the corporate and tax arenas where she served as Vice President and Head of Tax of two multi-billion dollar international corporations.  Susan’s experience includes corporate and commercial transactions, corporate tax planning and international transactions and operations.
• Limited Liability Companies
• Trade Secrets
• Intellectual Property

Employment Law

• Workers Compensation
  John W. Drewry Jr. associated with the Firm in 2018. Mr. Drewry began his legal career in May 2013 handling both commercial maritime and longshore workers compensation cases.  He then diversified his practice to include family and humanitarian based immigration matters.  Mr. Drewry has extensive experience with legal permanent residency (Adjustment of Status and Consular Processing) and naturalization applications.  He has also successfully handled many 601-A waivers, removal of conditional status, and affirmative based asylum cases.  Since joining the Firm, Mr. Drewry’s practice has focused on commercial litigation and first-party insurance defense matters.
• Wrongful Termination
  Throughout his legal career, Jim has handled a diverse array of disputes dealing with a variety of legal issues, including Mass Torts, Chemical Exposure and Cancer, Construction, Jones Act, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, FELA, Workers’ Compensation, Longshoremen and Harbor workers, Indemnity, Insurance Coverage and First Party Claims, Probate, Arson, Adoption, Labor/Employment, Immigration/Asylum, Industrial Explosions and Accidents (including severe burns and multiple death cases), Products Liability, Libel/Slander, Medical Malpractice, OSHA Regulations and Enforcement Actions, Groundwater and Neighborhood Environmental Contamination, Wrongful Discharge, Employment Discrimination and Environmental Regulation and Damage.
• Employment Discrimination
  The familiar term “Human Resource” is a recognition that the most valuable assets of every organization are its employees. Thus, the ultimate goal of every employment relationship should be to have a safe and mutually beneficial workplace. However, the challenge of fulfilling business goals, meeting employee needs and complying with an ever growing body of employment laws and policies generated by state and federal authorities requires constant attention by employers to avoid costly missteps. The same attention is required by individual employees and their labor representatives, where applicable, to keep abreast of their own rights and obligations. The need to keep abreast of the changes in human resource regulation and policy extends also to those in civil government service. Both employees and management must follow many of the requirements imposed on private employers, but also must comply with strict state and federal constitutional restrictions regarding civil service issues, “name clearing” hearings, restrictions on random drug testing in the workplace and open government laws which may impact the privacy of individual employees and the ability of governmental employers to effectively manage their workforce. And of course, there are specialized rules and provisions regarding government sponsored employee benefit and retirement plans which both management and employees may require assistance in interpreting. The Firm strongly believes that much litigation can be eliminated through the use of properly formulated policies and procedures, proper education of supervisors and implementation of litigation prevention strategies. Our attorneys provide counsel to employers and employees on issues related to preparation and implementation of employee policy manuals, employment contracts, development of and compliance with anti-discrimination policies, drafting and application of drug testing policies and employee assistance programs, issues related to workplace privacy, implementing employee benefit plans and ERISA interpretation, negotiation and preparation of work separation agreements and severance plans, compliance with federal and state wage laws, and internal investigation of employee complaints or of employees suspected of theft or violating company sexual harassment and substance abuse policies. Our attorneys also have extensive experience in the development of governmental employee benefit plans, including insurance risk pools and self-funded insurance trusts, and in the development and implementation of governmental pension plans and savings plans. When litigation cannot be avoided, our attorneys rely on years of experience in the litigation of issues related to private and governmental employers and employees. Such suits have involved both the prosecution and defense of Age Discrimination Claims, Pregnancy Discrimination Claims, quid pro quo and “hostile environment” gender discrimination claims, wage, overtime and Pay Day Act c
• Employment Contract
• Severance Agreement
• Sexual Harassment

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
  While she has broad legal knowledge in a variety of legal matters, her primary practice areas are commercial and real estate litigation, ad valorem tax and property valuation litigation, employment law, toxic tort, and railroad/FELA law.
• Premises Liability
• Construction Litigation
  Shriners Hospitals for Children v. McCarthy Brothers Company, 80 F.Supp. 707 (S.D. Tex. 2000) (construction contract dispute involving interpretation of settlement agreement)
• Real Estate Transactions
  The firm is a member of the Texas City – La Marque Chamber of Commerce and the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce as well as many other local civic associations and charities in Galveston, Texas City, League City, La Marque, Dickinson, Friendswood and other communities in Galveston County. As a full service practice, the firm’s attorneys handle business and personal injury lawsuits, consult with businesses and governmental agencies, business and real estate transactions, assist in estate planning, probate wills and guide clients through divorces and other domestic disputes.
• Eminent Domain
  Mr. Brocato joined the firm in November of 2023 as Of Counsel. As an Assistant Attorney General from 1997 to November of 2023, he represented the Texas Department of Transportation in hundreds of eminent domain cases on highways across the State of Texas. For the Firm, Mr. Brocato’s practice will focus primarily on eminent domain litigation, land litigation, ad valorem tax and property valuation litigation, commercial litigation, and insurance defense claims.
• Land Use and Zoning
  The reality of environmental laws and regulations impacts every phase of an owner’s use, planning and development of real property. The Firm attorneys in this practice area coordinate with members of the Real Estate Practice Group of the Firm to devise strategies to deal with environmental issues and concerns that relate to the development and use of real property.
• Property Damage

Immigration Law

• Citizenship and Naturalization
• Family Immigration
• Work Visas

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  Mr. Lasswell joined McLeod, Alexander, Powel, & Apffel in 1992. He focuses his practice on general civil litigation with an emphasis on personal injury defense and railroad litigation. He has also handled cases related to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the Jones Act, and general maritime law. Mr. Lasswell represents a variety of clients including BNSF Railway Company, Union Pacific Railroad Company, Amtrak, Mid-Continent Casualty Company, Unitrin County Mutual Insurance Company, Southern States Offshore, Inc.
• Medical Malpractice
  He has experience in such diverse practice areas as product liability claims, first party insurance litigation, medical malpractice defense, historic preservation law, municipal zoning law, toxic tort claims, and mass tort litigation.  Since 2009, Mr. Salyer has handled several thousand windstorm claims and suits arising from Hurricanes Ike and Harvey.  He has been board certified in personal injury trial law since 1998.
• Auto Accidents
• Social Security Disability
  Patrick grew up in Sugar Land then moved to Austin where he graduated from St. Edward’s University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He began his legal career in Houston, where he managed Title II and Title XVI Social Security Disability claims as a paralegal and case manager. He then opted to attend law school at South Texas College of Law Houston.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  While in law school, Patrick participated in the Randall O. Sorrels Civil Practice Clinic, where he worked on the estate planning team. Most recently he worked in employment law and civil litigation.
• Wills
  McLeod, Alexander, Powel & Apffel, P.C. represents individuals in the preparation of wills and trusts and the development of other gift planning strategies, as well as financial and health care powers of attorney and health care directives (also known as living wills). The Firm is well experienced in estate, trust, and guardianship administration, and has provided representation in will contests and interpretation actions, contested guardianship proceedings, and fiduciary litigation.
• Trusts
• Power of Attorney
• Probate

Finance Law

• Foreclosure
  Our Firm’s real estate attorneys have experience in a wide variety of matters, such as sales and acquisitions, leasing, financing, construction, port and harbor development, foreclosures, condominium and other property owner association representation, zoning, and subdivision development. Our clients have included developers, financial institutions, investors, property management firms, owners associations, and governmental entities. We have extensive experience in land use issues involving the Texas Open Beaches Act as well as other laws and regulations specifically relating to the ownership and development of waterfront property, including port and harbor facilities. Our representation has included matters involving appearances, procedures, and actions in front of the Texas General Land Office, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Maritime Commission, and other federal, state, and local land use administrative agencies and governmental bodies. In addition, we have handled numerous civil suits relating to such matters.
• Tax Law
  He focuses his practice primarily in the areas of commercial and real estate litigation, ad valorem tax and property valuation litigation. Mr. Brown serves as legal counsel for the Galveston Central Appraisal District and the Port of Galveston. He has litigated hundreds of cases concerning appraised value and property tax exemption issues. He also serves as local claims counsel for Stewart Title Guaranty Company. Mr. Brown also advises and represents a variety of other Firm clients on commercial/real estate litigation and property tax issues.