Texas Insider Report: AUSTINTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton and First Assistant Attorney General Jeff Mateer announce a number of promotions within the top ranks of the Office of the Attorney General. The promotions were announced during a Tuesday meeting with senior staff.
The staff at this agency is among the finest anywhere Mateer said. Today we further strengthen our leadership core and position this office to continue to advance the great work we do for Texas and Texans every day.
The following promotions are effective immediately:
Katherine Cary assumes the role of Chief of Staff. An Austin native Ms. Cary attended Texas A&M University and St. Marys Law School. She has 26 years of work experience within the state and this agency and has served under four Texas Attorneys General. Her career includes Law Clerk and Staff Attorney in the Texas General Land Office and Assistant General Counsel for the Texas Lottery Commission. In the Office of the Attorney General Cary has held the following positions: Assistant Attorney General for the Administrative Law Division Public Information Coordinator Chief of the Open Records Division and General Counsel and Chief of the General Counsel Division. Having most recently served as Deputy Attorney General for Administration Cary becomes the first female to ever hold the Chief of Staff position.
Brantley Starr is the new Deputy First Assistant Attorney General. Mr. Starr is a native of Abilene Texas where he attended Abilene Christian University. After graduating from the University of Texas School of Law he clerked for Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett. He then served as Assistant Solicitor General under Ted Cruz practiced commercial and appellate litigation at King & Spalding L.L.P. and as staff attorney to Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman. He returned to the Office of the Attorney General in 2015 as Deputy Attorney General for Legal Counsel.
Prerak Shah was named Senior Counsel to the Attorney General. Mr. Shah graduated from Drexel University and The University of Chicago Law School. After law school he clerked for Judge Jerry E. Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He then worked at the law firm of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher L.L.P. before joining the Office of the Attorney General as an Assistant Solicitor General of Texas.
Ben Williams is the Senior Advisor to the Attorney General. A native of Richardson Texas Williams attended Texas A & M University. He has a Masters of Science in Public Policy from the University of Texas at Dallas and is currently completing doctoral work on his Ph.D in Political Economy. Williams has worked for Mr. Paxton since 2008 when he joined the staff as Legislative Director. He also served as Senior Policy Analyst when Paxton was in the State Senate. He was Campaign Manager for Ken Paxton during his Senate run and his race for Attorney General. Since 2015 he served as Senior Legislative Advisor.
Texas Insider Report: AUSTINTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton and First Assistant Attorney General Jeff Mateer announce a number of promotions within the top ranks of the Office of the Attorney General. The promotions were announced during a Tuesday meeting with senior staff.
The staff at this agency is among the finest anywhere Mateer said. Today we further strengthen our leadership core and position this office to continue to advance the great work we do for Texas and Texans every day.
The following promotions are effective immediately:
Katherine Cary assumes the role of Chief of Staff. An Austin native Ms. Cary attended Texas A&M University and St. Marys Law School. She has 26 years of work experience within the state and this agency and has served under four Texas Attorneys General. Her career includes Law Clerk and Staff Attorney in the Texas General Land Office and Assistant General Counsel for the Texas Lottery Commission. In the Office of the Attorney General Cary has held the following positions: Assistant Attorney General for the Administrative Law Division Public Information Coordinator Chief of the Open Records Division and General Counsel and Chief of the General Counsel Division. Having most recently served as Deputy Attorney General for Administration Cary becomes the first female to ever hold the Chief of Staff position.
Brantley Starr is the new Deputy First Assistant Attorney General. Mr. Starr is a native of Abilene Texas where he attended Abilene Christian University. After graduating from the University of Texas School of Law he clerked for Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett. He then served as Assistant Solicitor General under Ted Cruz practiced commercial and appellate litigation at King & Spalding L.L.P. and as staff attorney to Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman. He returned to the Office of the Attorney General in 2015 as Deputy Attorney General for Legal Counsel.
Prerak Shah was named Senior Counsel to the Attorney General. Mr. Shah graduated from Drexel University and The University of Chicago Law School. After law school he clerked for Judge Jerry E. Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He then worked at the law firm of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher L.L.P. before joining the Office of the Attorney General as an Assistant Solicitor General of Texas.
Ben Williams is the Senior Advisor to the Attorney General. A native of Richardson Texas Williams attended Texas A & M University. He has a Masters of Science in Public Policy from the University of Texas at Dallas and is currently completing doctoral work on his Ph.D in Political Economy. Williams has worked for Mr. Paxton since 2008 when he joined the staff as Legislative Director. He also served as Senior Policy Analyst when Paxton was in the State Senate. He was Campaign Manager for Ken Paxton during his Senate run and his race for Attorney General. Since 2015 he served as Senior Legislative Advisor.
