Board of Councilors

The Board of Councilors works to promote TCRP’s pro bono attorney program, and encourage attorneys in the community to perform vital legal work for TCRP’s clients. Comprised of volunteer attorneys, the Board of Councilors helps to recruit law firms and individuals to make pro bono contributions on TCRP cases. Nine attorneys are invited to serve two-year terms on the Board of Councilors. The Board of Councilors meets twice a year, and elects two members to serve two-year terms on TCRP’s Board of Directors.

Vasu Behara has a broad-based litigation practice that includes all manner of business and commercial disputes in state and federal court practice. Vasu has actively participated in representation of numerous national and international companies in all phases of litigation, from case inception and strategy, to pleadings, temporary restraining orders, injunctions, discovery and depositions, dispositive motion practice, mediation, jury and bench trials, enforcement of judgements and appellate practice. He has also counseled and efficiently obtained favorable settlements on behalf of several Austin-area startup and emerging growth companies in contract, management and partnership disputes. He makes a concerted effort to stay updated on issues involving ethics, electronic discovery, the attorney-client privilege and work-product doctrine. Vasu was recently appointed as a Board member for Austin Voices for Education and Youth (“Austin Voices”), a non-profit that is focused on strengthening schools and expanding opportunities for Austin’s youth by improving campuses, engaging youth to identify community issues and influencing district-wide change. He is also involved in various diversity initiatives within DLA Piper and through the State Bar of Texas.

Sara Wilder Clark represents individuals, business entities, professionals, and governmental entities in a wide variety of complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on governmental representation, commercial litigation, professional malpractice defense, and litigation related to real estate development. Sara speaks Spanish fluently and represents many Spanish-only speaking clients. Sara received her undergraduate degree with honors from the University of Texas in 1991 and received her J.D. with honors from the University of Texas in 1995.

Zeke DeRose III practices complex commercial litigation. He represents plaintiffs and defendants in a range of disputes, including intellectual property, federal securities, and other business and commercial litigation. His experience includes motion to dismiss and summary judgement briefing and hearings, managing large discovery cases, and formation of trial strategy. Zeke has significant experience with electronic discovery and federal privilege law. Prior to joining Vinson & Elkins, Zeke served as a law clerk to the Honorable Royal Furgeson of the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division. Zeke organizes and coordinates pro bono efforts and a summer associate program in connection with the Texas Civil Rights Project and Anti-Defamation league. He graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles with an undergraduate degree in political science in 2000. Zeke then received his J.D. with honors in 2007 from the University of Texas School of Law. He was a recipient of the “Pro Bono Champion Award” by TCRP in 2010.

Tom Gutting is an associate in the Houston office of King & Spalding and a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. His practice areas are civil litigation and environmental and toxic tort litigation. Tom graduated magna cum laude with a J.D. degree from the University of Houston Law Center where he was a member of the Houston Law Review. He holds a B.A. with honors in Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University. Tom’s publications include “Mercury on the Move” from Law360.com, June 1, 2010. He has been honored as Order of the Coif and was a Texas Civil Rights Project Pro Bono Champion for 2009.

Peter Kennedy has practiced at the intersection of law and emerging technologies, communications, intellectual property and constitutional limits on governmental regulations for nearly twenty years. He first earned national attention in 1993 as lead trial lawyer for Austin-based Steve Jackson Games in a successful lawsuit against the United States Secret Service, helping establish limits on the government’s right to seize email. Pete represents a wide array of clients in matters from complex commercial disputes to matters involving technology, intellectual property, publishing, free speech and constitutional law. Pete received a B.A. magna cum laude in 1985 from Southwestern University, then received his J.D. in 1988 from the University of Chicago School of Law. During his time as an attorney, Pete served as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law, and taught Free Speech and the Internet Seminar. He has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America published by Woodward/White, Inc., Commercial Litigation (2009-2011), First Amendment Law (2005-2011).

Anna Rotman’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation. Prior to joining Yetter Coleman, she was a legal intern for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and worked for several years in the software and data management industries. She was a law clerk for the Honorable Marvin J. Garbis of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. In the Houston community, Anna serves on the board of Project Row Houses and the advisory committee of the Immunization Partnership. She is fluent in both Spanish and French. She has been recognized as Texas Rising Star, by Thomas Reuters’ Super Lawyers in Texas Monthly Magazine, 2010. Anna received her B.S. magna cum laude in 1998 from Georgetown University and her J.D. cum laude in 2004 from Harvard Law School.