The Oklahoma Bar Journal October 2026

B ench & B ar B riefs

ON THE MOVE

Scott F. Brockman has joined the law firm of Glass & Tabor LLP as of counsel. He previously served as a special judge in Cleveland County for 8.5 years, where he also presided over the wellness court. Mr. Brockman started his legal career as an attorney work ing in civil litigation with Ward & Glass, where his areas of practice were employment discrimination and civil rights and negligence matters, and as the principal appellate attorney. He worked at the firm for nearly 15 years before starting his own practice, Brockman Law PLLC, in 2016. Mr. Brockman received his J.D. from the OU College of Law in 2002. Brett P. Merritt has rejoined the law firm of McAfee & Taft. He practices in corporate and real estate law and has 12 years of experience advising clients on a wide range of complex trans actional, corporate governance and regulatory matters. He orig inally joined the firm in 2014 and returned after spending five years working in senior legal and compliance roles for several Oklahoma-based organizations. Joel-lyn A. McCormick has joined the law firm of GableGotwals as shareholder in its litigation prac tice. She comes from a career of public service, including 17 years as an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma. During her tenure as a federal prosecutor, Ms. McCormick served in leadership roles includ ing deputy criminal chief, senior

courtroom, she is a legal writer and strategic advocate for clients across a broad range of disputes, including catastrophic injuries and wrongful death, consumer fraud and abuse, deceptive busi ness/trade practices, derivative shareholder and partner/member litigation, complex commercial and business disputes, real estate, construction, lending and financ ing disputes, trademark/copyright infringement, employment harassment, discrimination and wrongful termination, healthcare litigation, and professional negli gence/malpractice matters in the medical, legal, accounting and engineering fields. Ms. Jordan received her J.D. from the OU College of Law. Katherine Himaya Lewis has joined GableGotwals as a litiga tion associate in the Tulsa office. She will focus on commercial litigation, researching complex legal issues and conducting anal ysis, drafting motions and briefs and providing trial support. Prior to joining the firm, she served as a staff attorney with Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma and also gained experience as a law clerk with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid’s Family Defense Project and as a student attorney ad litem in the University of Texas School of Law’s Children’s Rights Clinic. In addition, Ms. Lewis was a judicial intern for Judge Aurora Martinez Jones of the 126th Civil District Court in Travis County, Texas. She received her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.

David Hickey has joined Helton Law Firm as of counsel. He is a title examiner and real estate attorney whose background spans residential transactions, commercial development, lend ing and energy-related projects. Mr. Hickey received his J.D. from Widener University School of Law. Before entering private practice, he served more than a decade as an officer in the United States Navy, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander. John R. Reeves has joined the law firm of McAfee & Taft as of coun sel. He has more than 50 years of experience helping clients nav igate complex regulatory issues and disputes. He will continue to concentrate his practice on matters before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. Dr. Kathy LaFortune was appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt to serve as the commissioner representing the Oklahoma Bar Association at the Oklahoma chologist. Dr. LaFortune began her legal career as a municipal public defender and has experi ence in forensic psychology and the juvenile justice system. She received her J.D. from the TU College of Law and Ph.D. from the University of Tulsa. Rachel Jordan has been named partner at HB Law Partners PLLC. She brings experience in both civil and criminal law. Beyond the Commission on Children and Youth. She is a licensed Oklahoma attorney and psy

102 | OCTOBER 2026

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL