Our Team

STEPHEN RISPOLI

Stephen Rispoli brings over a decade of experience in jury consulting to Mayer LLP. In addition to an active litigation practice, Stephen runs jury focus groups for plaintiff and defense attorney teams to assist them with their strategy for presentation of a case. These focus groups are tremendously helpful for identifying themes and theories of the case that resonate with the ultimate actual jurors. The jurors also help troubleshoot thorns in the case and find out what facts may be particularly interesting to the ultimate jurors.

Prior to joining Mayer LLP, Stephen was the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Strategic Initiatives at Baylor Law School. In addition to other duties, he served as the Director of Innovation and Scholarship for the school’s Executive LL.M. in Litigation Management. He assisted with the teaching of Early Case Assessment methods (specifically focusing upon the jury focus group sessions and best practices for implementation), taught Ethical Issues in Litigation Management and Applying Technology to Litigation Management, and led the research and writing aspect of the program. Stephen speaks and writes on litigation management topics, always focusing upon effective, efficient, and ethical processes to best serve clients and their communities.

  • • Healthcare

    • Litigation

    •  Trial Consulting

  • • Baylor University, B.A., 2009

    • Baylor University School of Law, J.D., 2012

    • University of Texas School of Law, LL.M., 2018

  • • State Bar of Texas

    • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

    • United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas

    • United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas

    • United States District Court for the Western District of Texas

ZACH MAYER

Zach Mayer is an experienced trial lawyer who represents clients in courtrooms across the country. He has spent the majority of his practice counseling and defending Fortune 500 corporations, mid-size businesses and individuals facing high-risk, catastrophic loss actions. Zach has tried over 30 jury trials throughout Texas and has represented clients as lead counsel in Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.

Due to his trial success and creative approach to litigation, Zach serves as National Coordinating Counsel for several of his Fortune 500 clients and has tried a large variety of cases, including product liability matters, employment and commercial disputes, shareholder oppression claims and cases involving catastrophic loss. Zach incorporates an aggressive, strategic approach to representing his clients in venues across the country.

Zach’s trial accolades and reputation among his peers led to his being selected as a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Zach is often asked to present to organizations on an array of topics focusing on his trial experience and strategic approach to representing clients.

  • • Labor & Employment

    • Litigation

    • Trial Consulting

  • • Texas Tech University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1999

    • Texas Tech University, B.B.A., cum laude, 1996

  • • State Bar of Texas, 1999

    • State Bar of Oklahoma, 2007

    • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas 

    • United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas 

    • United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas 

    • United States District Court for the Western District of Texas

HEATHER A. KANNY

Heather Kanny practices in the areas of medical malpractice and health care law, defending physicians, hospitals, nurses, and other health care providers in business and professional disputes. Heather also represents physicians in contested proceedings and license revocation hearings before the Texas Medical Board. Heather provides advice to physicians and other health care entities regarding peer review and credentialing matters.

Heather has successfully defended physicians in cases with significant or multi-million-dollar damage potential in many counties across Texas, including Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Grayson, McLennan, Midland, Parker, Tarrant, and Wichita. She has also handled appeals in various appellate courts throughout the State of Texas. Ms. Kanny has been recognized by her peers as an AV-rated attorney in Martindale-Hubbell and has been named to the Texas Rising Stars List by Super Lawyers, a Thompson Reuters service in the area of personal injury-medical malpractice defense and professional liability defense for 2017 - 2023. She has also been named by D Magazine as a Best Lawyer Under 40.

Ms. Kanny received her law degree in 2008 from Baylor Law School. While attending Baylor Law School, she was elected to the Order of the Barristers and received the Best Advocate award from ABOTA. She earned her degree from Occidental College in 2005, where she obtained a double major in Diplomacy & World Affairs and Religious Studies, graduating magna cum laude.

  • • Healthcare

    • Litigation

  • • Baylor University School of Law, Waco, Texas, J.D., 2008

    • Occidental College, Los Angeles, California, B.A., magna cum laude, 2005

  • • State Bar of California, 2008

    • State Bar of Texas, 2009

    • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

    • United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas

    • United States District Court for the Western District of Texas

BAILEY STROHMEYER

Bailey Strohmeyer is an associate in the Dallas office of Mayer LLP. Bailey’s area of legal practice is Health Care and Medical Malpractice. Her medical liability defense practice includes comprehensive legal services from case inception to trial to litigation through appeals throughout the State of Texas. She works proactively with clients to provide representation, arbitration, mediation, and alternative dispute resolution services. She proposes risk management strategies and solutions to minimize liability exposure to lawsuits and administrative disciplinary proceedings.

Prior to joining Mayer LLP, Bailey worked at Baylor Law School, where she helped develop the nation’s first Executive LL.M. in Litigation Management, working with experienced attorneys, judges, and thought leaders to promote the study and implementation of efficient and effective legal solutions.

Bailey received her Juris Doctor from Baylor Law School in 2018, followed by her Executive LL.M. in Litigation Management in 2021. While attending Baylor, she competed on multiple mock trial teams, winning the AAJ Regional Competition in Houston, Texas, and advancing to the quarterfinals at the National AAJ Competition in Raleigh, NC. Bailey was involved in the National Adoption Day Program for three years, served as Vice President of the Texas Aggie Bar Association, and was a member of the Baylor Barrister Society. She received her B.B.A. in Marketing from Mays Business School at Texas A&M University in 2015.

In her free time, Bailey is a 200-hour registered yoga teacher, a keelboat and cruising certified sailor, and an avid reader. She enjoys coaching law school mock trial and youth basketball.

  • • Healthcare

    • Litigation

  • • Baylor Law School, Waco, Texas, Executive LL.M. in Litigation Management, 2021

    • Baylor Law School, Waco, Texas, J.D., Special Distinction in Litigation, 2018

    • Texas A&M University, B.B.A. Marketing, Certificates in International Business & Advertising, 2015

  • • State Bar of Texas, 2018

    • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

    • United States District Court for the Western District of Texas