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Biography

Zenobia’s practice focuses on business litigation and all things related to enforcement proceedings brought against U.S. government contractors. She is an accomplished trial and appellate lawyer and has won numerous jury verdicts and trial court decisions, including a case before the United States Supreme Court. She has argued appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the First, Second, and Fifth Circuits. Her cases have been featured in Forbes Magazine, the New York Times, and the Houston Chronicle. Zenobia has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyers Rising Star, named a Top Woman Lawyer in Texas Monthly, and a Top Houston Lawyer by Houstonia Magazine.

In addition to her extensive trial and appellate experience, Zenobia also focuses on government contracts, including government investigations, white collar criminal defense, suspension and debarment proceedings, and compliance. She has served as counsel in cases involving NASA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense. She has helped her clients implement compliance programs and has advised clients being investigated by municipal, state, and federal government entities.

Zenobia serves as an adjunct professor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and the University of Houston Law Center Trial Advocacy Program. She also frequently writes and speaks on the procedural issues that arise in parallel proceedings—cases involving both civil and criminal allegations.

Other Info About Zenobia

Experience

Legal Work Highlights

Obtained jury verdict in favor of former general counsel of the Houston Housing Authority, related to violations of federal housing regulations.

Obtained white collar defense jury verdict (full acquittal) in favor of defendant NASA contractor, charged with submitting false statements in monthly reports.

Obtained jury verdict in favor of plaintiff, vodka manufacturer in trademark infringement dispute.

Obtained defense jury verdict (full acquittal) in favor of former student athlete, facing charges related to an alleged burglary (pro bono).

Represented service member and obtained dismissal of eviction claims filed against him during deployment (pro bono).

Represented defendant Houston-area entrepreneur and obtained dismissal of DTPA, fraud, and breach of contract claims filed against him.

Represented defendant charged with numerous regulatory violations that resulted from harassment by police officers. Certain charges were dismissed, and defendant obtained an award of summary judgment on remaining charges.

Education

Law School

Northwestern University School of Law, J.D., cum laude

Graduate School

The University of Alabama, M.A. Communication Studies, summa cum laude

Undergraduate School

West Texas A & M University, B.S. Mass Communications – Broadcasting, magna cum laude

Clerkships

Zenobia served as a clerk for the court(s) and judge(s) below:

Honorable Carl E. Stewart, of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Honorable Justice Dale Wainwright (ret.) of the Texas Supreme Court

Bar Memberships

Zenobia is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

Texas

Courts

Zenobia is admitted to practice before the following court(s):

United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Northern District of Texas

Southern District of Texas

Eastern District of Texas

Western District of Texas

Northern District of Oklahoma

Presentations

Zenobia was invited to speak at the following events:

Greater Houston Society of Healthcare Risk Managers, Presentation, “HEALTHCARE LAW YEAR IN REVIEW: FROM KEY CASES TO THE AKS AND STARK AMENDMENTS” (January 2021)

Cincinnati Bar Association, Panel Discussion, “2020 Healthcare Law Update” (December 2020)

Houston Bar Association, Panel Discussion, “The Houston Lawyer Presents a COVID-19 Roundtable Discussion” (August 2020)

Behind the Whistle Annual Conference, Presentation, “Criminal Justice Reform: The Importance of K-12 Educators to Disrupting the School to Prison Pipeline” (July 2020)

Greater Houston Society of Healthcare Risk Managers Annual Education Day, Panel Discussion, “2020 Healthcare Law Update” (February 2020)

West Texas A&M University Distinguished Lecturer Series, Speaker (February 2020)

Southern District of Texas Bench Bar Conference Houston/Galveston Division, Panel Discussion with Hon. Christina Bryan and e-discovery expert Maura Grossman, Trends in eDiscovery (October 2019)

Women in E-Discovery (Houston Chapter) Conference, Panel Discussion, Back to Basics: eDiscovery IRL (In Real Life) (September 2019)

Texas State Bar, Presentation & Paper at Business Disputes CLE, “Parallel Proceedings: When Civil and Criminal Cases Collide” (September 2019)

Guest Speaker, Rice University Judicial Internship Program (March 2019)

Women’s White Collar Defense Association Victory Lap Speaker Series, Panel Discussion, “Lessons from the Front/Trial: United States v. Tang.” (March 2019)

American Constitutional Society Speaker Series, Panel Discussion, “White Collar Crime: Under enforced. Out of control.” (February 2019)

American Legal Media, 2019 Legal Week, Panel Discussion, “How to Rise Through the Ranks & Achieve Success within Your Law Firm.” (January 2019)

Commencement Speaker, West Texas A&M University (December 2019)

Presentation & Discussion, Healthcare Fraud Prevention Series, “Prevent Theft of Your National Provider Identifier: Steps every healthcare provider should take to prevent fraud from invading your practice and career.” (September 2018)

“Theft of National Provider Identifiers: An early warning sign of healthcare fraud,” Physician’s Practice (July 2018)

Major Publications

Zenobia is an author or contributor to the following publications:

“Health Care Industry Must Provide Patient Notes via Third-Party App,” Thomson Reuters | Attorney Analysis, July 2021

“Six Ways to Reduce Products Liability Claims in the Time of COVID,” Westlaw, October 2020

“Prevent Theft of your National Provider Identifier,” Physicians Practice, July 2018

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