Robert Harmala
Attorney
For thirty years Mr. Harmala has represented clients as both a litigator and as a lobbyist at the Federal, State and Local levels. Mr. Harmala’s litigation practice has included complex and highly sensitive political matters such as representing victims of state sponsored terrorism against foreign governments, participation as part of the class counsel teams in the Washington, DC breast implant litigation and the settlement of one of the largest claims against the federal government for trust mismanagement as well as being a member of the settlement team of one of the most high profile MDL cases against the CDC regarding the implementation of Covid relief rules. Mr. Harmala was a Partner at Jenner & Block, where he was the head of the Government Relations practice and counseled Native American tribes, international organizations, and the cosmetics industry in their relationships with the US federal and California state governments. Prior to Jenner & Block, Mr. Harmala was also a partner at Kilpatrick Townsend for more than 13 years and before that of Counsel to the law firm of Venable. Mr. Harmala utilized his extensive knowledge and network of contacts in lobbying the US Congress, the California Governor’s Office, Legislature and Attorney General’s Office, as well as lobbying the cities of Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Oakland, CA. Mr. Harmala has also represented foreign governments, including Taiwan, Turkmenistan, the Netherlands Antilles, Ukraine and India, before the United States Congress and the Executive Branch. From 1995, when he left the House International Relations Committee as a Counsel, until joining Venable in 2001, Mr. Harmala maintained a successful solo lobbying practice splitting time between Washington, DC, Sacramento, Oakland, CA and the Hague, Netherlands.
David P. Matthews
Attorney
Attorney David Matthews has been chosen through US News & World Report as one of the Best Lawyers in America from 2016-2023. He has been repeatedly voted by his peers as one of the top trial lawyers in the country. His firm handles several types of cases for plaintiffs, including: Social Media Lawsuit | School District Litigation Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Clergy Abuse Lawsuits Zantac Cancer Claims More than 150 Cases tried to Verdict Mr. Matthews has tried more than 150 cases to verdict. He developed insurance coverage opinions straight out of law school, defended carriers in court, and handled major subrogation claims ranging from $5 million to $500 million. For the last 33 years, he has worked solely for injured plaintiffs. Best US Law Firms Selected among the best plaintiff’s firms in the country by US News & World Report in 2023, Matthews & Associates Law Firm has secured compensation for thousands of clients nationwide. With offices in Houston, Texas; Chico, Calif.; Salinas, Calif.; and New York City, the firm has long been recognized as a nationwide leader in civil litigation for plaintiffs. Nationwide Legal Experience Mr. Matthews is licensed to practice law in Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi; but he also prosecutes cases nationwide through pro-vice arrangements with different attorneys licensed in virtually every state. Broad Litigation Experience David Matthews has, for decades, represented victims of dangerous medical devices such as IVC filters, and those injured by drugs such as Zantac. He also represented plaintiffs in Roundup cancer cases, as well as children and their parents injured by pesticides like Paraquat. He also represents Houston Car Accident victims. Nationwide Representation Mr. Matthews has helped injured people across the country attain some of the largest verdicts or settlements in pharmaceutical litigation against the makers of such drugs as Phen-Fen, Rezulin, Vioxx and Bextra-Celebrex. He worked 18 years as a partner in the oldest personal injury firm in Texas, the last 15 years as head of Matthews & Associates, with offices in Houston; New York City; Chico, Calif; Salinas, Calif. Other Litigation Mr. Matthews has also handled employment and civil rights cases, environmental lawsuits, toxic torts, premises liability, plant explosions, class actions (such as the hot fuel litigation), nursing home abuse, priest molestation, car and truck accidents, mesothelioma and more.
Filemon Vela
Attorney
Filemon Vela graduated from Georgetown University in 1985 and received his law degree from the University of Texas in 1987. After decades of practicing law and public service he and his wife Rose recently established Vela Justice PLLC, a law firm focused on contingency fee based representation of individuals and businesses harmed by wrongful conduct. Until 2022, Mr. Vela served as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing the 34th District of Texas, anchored in his hometown of Brownsville, Texas. During his congressional career he was a distinguished member of the House Armed Services Committee, the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Homeland Security, having served as a chairman and ranking member on several subcommittees in these congressional bodies. As a member on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and chairman of the Congressional Border Caucus he earned a reputation as a seasoned voice on international affairs. Mr. Vela’s legal career prior to his election to Congress was focused on representing aggrieved parties in complex civil litigation. He represented many school district and governmental bodies in construction defect litigation collecting millions of dollars in recoveries in those efforts. His legal clients included victims of products defects including those that were killed or seriously injured during the Ford/Firestone rollover debacle in the early 2000’s. Working men and women who suffered serious injuries in the workplace have long relied on Mr. Vela’s able representation. Education University Texas School of Law, J.D. 1987 Georgetown University, Bachelor of Arts 1985 Admissions State Bar of Texas District of Columbia United States District Court Southern District of Texas United States District Court New Mexico
Rose Vela
Attorney
Judge Rose Vela’s 35-year career spans vast experience in law, politics, and government service. After graduating law school from St. Mary’s University in 1988, she served as a law clerk to two Appellate Justices at Texas' 4th Court of Appeals and Texas' 13th Court of Appeals. After her appellate clerkships, she practiced law as an appellate attorney with two preeminent trial lawyers, Guy Allison and Darrell Barger in Corpus Christi, Texas. In 1998, at age 33, Vela was elected as Judge of 148th District Court of Nueces County, Texas, where she presided over thousands of complex trials (class-action lawsuits, environmental litigation, medical malpractice, etc.). She served in that role for 8 years. In 2007, Vela was elected as Justice of Texas' 13th Court of Appeals, the same court she had clerked for 15 years before. After retirement from the bench in 2016, Vela worked with Texas attorney Mikal Watts on pharmaceutical litigation against opioid manufacturers and other class actions against companies who manufactured harmful products such as Juel, Syngenta, Pradaxa and Zantac. In 2021, Vela was appointed by President Joseph Biden to serve in his administration as Director of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships. She worked in that role at the White House until January 2025. Raised in a military family, she has been a volunteer public service leader in numerous community and professional organizations and is proudly the first in her family to receive a college degree, after having worked continuously through high school, college and law school to support her education. In 2022 she was named Outstanding Alumni by Texas State University.
Brittnie Panetta
Attorney
Brittnie Panetta became a lawyer to further her desire to help others; especially individuals harmed with little recourse for justice. Since joining Matthews & Associates, Brittnie has been involved in complex civil litigation against some of the largest drug and pesticide manufacturers, while also assisting victims of the California wildfire secure their compensation. Brittnie is a native Californian raised on the Monterey Peninsula, surrounded by a family dedicated to public service and helping others. She earned her Masters Degree in International Policy Studies with a focus on trade investment and development and her Bachelors Degree in International Studies from Middlebury Institute of International Studies, a graduate school of Middlebury College. Prior to her legal career, Brittnie co-founded a non-profit organization to promote the betterment of the social and economic conditions for the people of Santa Catarina, Mexico. Her decade plus involvement with this non-profit and the Mexican government solidified her fluency in Spanish. Education & Legal Experience Brittnie earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence at Santa Clara University School of Law. While at SCU Law, she was a member of the High-Tech Law Journal, a leading forum for multidisciplinary discourse on emerging issues at the intersection of technology, law, and public policy. She was also a student attorney at the Katharine and George Alexander Community Law Center providing assistance to low-income individuals for worker’s rights and landlord-tenant issues in both English and Spanish. Throughout her legal career, she has focused her efforts to helping the underrepresented. A large part of her practice has been focused on compensation for minors and incapacitated individuals. Brittnie strives to fulfill the two roles of her law degree: attorney and counselor. Real problems require real problem-solving skills, and Brittnie strives to employ all of the tools available to bring real resolutions and solutions for her clients. Areas of Practice Mass Toxic Tort Products Liability Personal Injury Compensation for minors and incapacitated individuals Water Contamination Wildfire Lawsuits Language Spanish
