Click here to view Blake's Profile on Super Lawyers!

Blake C. Erskine grew up in Techuacana, Texas, and graduated from Mexia High School. After receiving his BA degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1967 and a JD cum laude in 1969 from Baylor Law School, Blake was licensed to practice in Texas in 1969. While at Baylor Law School, Blake was a member of Alpha Chi and served on the Editorial Board, Baylor Law Review for 1968-1969. He has practiced in state and federal courts since 1969. He received his license to practice before the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas in 1970; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in 1973; the U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas in 1980; and the United States Supreme Court in 1985.

Blake has been a member of the State Bar of Texas since 1969, and is a long-standing member of the Gregg County Bar Association, Northeast Texas Bar Association, American Bar Association, East Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, and Association of Trial Lawyers of America(sustaining member). He is also a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas and is a Fellow of the Roscoe Pound Foundation. Blake is certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in the area of Personal Injury Trial Law and has also been certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. In addition, Blake is a member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and is also a member of the Million-Dollar Advocates Forum, whose membership is limited to Trial Lawyers who have achieved a trial verdict, award or settlement in excess of one million dollars.

He has sponsored, and held various Board of Directors leadership positions in worthy civic organizations and community service programs, including Longview Hospice, Longview Boys' Baseball, and East Texas Hope Center.

Mark P. McMahon grew up in Henderson, Texas and graduated from Henderson High School. After receiving his BBA from the University of Texas at Austin in 1974 and a JD in 1976 from St. Mary's University of San Antonio, Mark was licensed to practice in Texas in 1977. While at St. Mary's Law School, Mark was a member of the Phi Delta Phi Honorary Legal Fraternity and was Associate Editor of St. Mary's Law Journal in 1975-1976. After graduating, he served as Staff Counsel, Judiciary Committee, Texas House of Representatives in 1977; and as Briefing Attorney, Sixth Court of Civil Appeals, Texarkana, Texas, 1977-1978.

He has practiced in state and federal courts since 1977, and received his license to practice before the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas in 1979; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in 1980; the U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas in 1983; and the United States Supreme Court in 1984. Mark has been a member of the State Bar of Texas since 1977, and is a long-standing member of the Gregg County Bar Association, Northeast Texas Bar Association, East Texas Trial Lawyers Association (V.P., 1989-1991; President, 1991-1993), Texas Trial Lawyers Association (Assoc. Dir.), and Association of Trial Lawyers of America (sustaining member). He is a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, and is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and of the Roscoe Pound Foundation. Mark is certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in the area of Personal Injury Trial Law.

Dennis M. McKinney was born and raised in Freeport, Texas. He graduated from Brazosport High School in 1975. Dennis attended Louisiana State University and received his BS degree in 1979. Thereafter, he attended Southern Methodist University School of Law where he received his JD in 1983. Dennis was licensed to practice in the State of Texas in 1983 and in the State of Florida in 1987. In 1989, the Texas Board of Legal Specialization certified him in the areas of residential and commercial real estate. Dennis is licensed to practice before all courts in the states of Texas and Florida and before the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Florida Bar, Gregg County Bar Association, and the Northeast Texas Bar Association. The majority of his practice is devoted to helping individuals with real estate, commercial and consumer-related problems, as well as to assisting with the firm’s general personal injury practice. He has also been involved with girls’ softball and youth basketball, and has worked as a volunteer in Longview’s downtown development activities for the past several years. Mr. McKinney is also a part-time instructor of Texas Real Estate Law at Kilgore College and has been accredited by the Texas Real Estate Commission to teach continuing education courses.

In conjunction with the cities of Longview and Kilgore, Dennis recently participated in production of a cable television program for the Texas Department of Housing, exploring current issues in fair housing, housing discrimination, and remedies available to persons subject to discrimination.

Kathy Colvin grew up in Tehuacana, Texas, and graduated from Mexia High School. She received her BA degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1971; her MBA, with honors, from the University of Dallas in 1977; and her JD from St. Mary’s School of Law in 1987. Kathy was licensed to practice in Texas in 1989, and received her license to practice before the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas in 1997. Kathy has been a member of the State Bar of Texas since 1989, and is a member of the Gregg County Bar Association and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. Kathy has also been certified as a mediator since 1996, having received special training in family law education.