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Our Staff

Our Staff at National Trial Law

With a combined total of over eighty years of legal service, our professional support staff work with our team of lawyers through every aspect of the case. Our staff can boast decades of courtroom experience. All are consummate professionals dedicated to providing unparalleled service to our clients.

Record-Breaking Case Results

Across the United States

Achieving Justice Nationwide with Unparalleled Verdicts and Settlements

National Trial Law has a storied history of securing landmark verdicts and settlements across the United States. Notable achievements include a $230 million judgment for survivors of the Sutherland Springs Church mass shooting, a $44.7 million trial judgment for a birth injury at an Air Force hospital, and a $21.5 million verdict for a veteran who suffered catastrophic brain damage due to malpractice at the Manchester VA Hospital—the largest personal injury award in New Hampshire history. These results underscore the firm's dedication to holding institutions accountable and delivering justice for their clients.

  • Record-Setting $230,000,000
    Trial Win
    Sutherland Springs Mass Shooting - Highest Verdict and Settlement in FTCA History
  • Record-Setting $44,717,681
    Trial Win
    Air Force Birth Injury
  • Record-Setting $21,592,643
    Trial Win
    VA Medical Malpractice
  • Record-Setting $10,500,000
    Settlement
    VA Medical Malpractice

Karin Brauner, Administrative Assistant

Karin has been with Whitehurst, Harkness, Brees, Cheng, Alsaffar, Higginbotham & Jacob, PLLC since May 2018. Her father is a veteran and spent 20+ years in the military. Karin has strong ties to the military community and is grateful she can continue to help veterans.

Prior to joining the firm, Karin was a commercial property manager. We are so glad that she chose to bring her multitasking, organizational, and interpersonal skills to the legal field to assist the firm with case management and productivity. 

After attending The University of Texas at El Paso, she moved with her family to Austin. She has two grown sons and enjoys all things outdoors, a good book and spending time with her family.

Thelma Alvarado-Garza, Paralegal

Thelma Alvarado-Garza joined the firm in August 1992. She serves as a litigation paralegal and case docket manager with extensive experience in products liability cases, personal injury cases such as wrongful death and propane/natural gas explosions and FTCA cases. Thelma has assisted our attorneys in all aspects of civil litigation, from initial intake through jury verdict. She is also a fluent Spanish speaker

Thelma obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University in 1988. She has been President of the Capital Area Paralegal Association and a member of National Association of Legal Assistants.

Rosa Delgado, Paralegal

Prior to moving to Austin, Rosa was a hair dresser in a small east Texas town. When she came to Austin in 2001, Rosa changed her career path and started working in the field of law. She joined our firm in 2003. Rosa provides support to the attorneys in all aspects of litigation. She has an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice and previously served as a volunteer for the Austin Police Department and attended APD’s Citizens Police Academy. Rosa enjoys spending her spare time outdoors with her husband and their two daughters. She is also a fluent Spanish speaker

Pamela Potthoff, Paralegal

Pamela Potthoff joined Whitehurst, Harkness, Brees, Cheng, Alsaffar, Higginbotham, & Jacob, PLLC, in September 2017. She provides administrative support to the attorneys and clients for all Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) cases

Pamela has more than 10 years of experience in healthcare, specifically in the acute care hospital setting. She has experience in Health Information Management as a medical coder and with abstracting and trending neurosurgical data for the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). Pamela also has experience with Quality Improvement Initiatives to improve patient safety.

Pamela earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Information Management from Texas State University in 2008. She is a native Austinite who loves everything the city has to offer. She enjoys the outdoors, jogging at the hike and bike trail, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

What Sets Us Apart

  • PEER APPROVED

    More attorneys named Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters in the “Personal Injury Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff” category in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, than any other law firm in Texas (Bill Whitehurst, Chip Brees, Michelle Cheng, Jamal Alsaffar, Laurie Higginbotham and Tom Jacob)

  • RECORD-SETTING RESULTS NATIONWIDE

    Our firm has achieved some of the highest judgments and settlements under the Federal Tort Claims Act across multiple states. With a track record of setting legal benchmarks nationwide, we are committed to delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients.

  • TEXAS ROOTS

    Founded in Austin with more than 50 years of trial experience.

  • NATIONAL REACH

    National results in complex personal injury litigation.

  • DEEP BENCH

    Many experienced lawyers ready to serve you.

  • SE HABLA ESPAÑOL

    Our team has multiple Spanish speaking staff members.