our team

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Joshua Carpenter attended BYU and the University of Utah for his undergraduate degrees of Spanish and Political Science.  He is bilingual in Spanish and English, and went to law school in Arlington, VA at George Mason University.   Joshua Carpenter is a former police officer, who started his legal career in Washington DC before moving west to be closer to family.  In 2004, he founded Carpenter & Associates. 

For almost 20 years Josh has been the firm managing partner.  During that time, he has fought relentlessly on behalf of the victims of domestic violence, as well as honed his craft of litigation through dozens of trials.  He was lawyer of the year for various domestic violence shelters and legal organizations for 15 straight years, and was frequently interviewed for news programs as an attorney advisor with the Police Department Stalking and Domestic Violence Unit.    Josh has a PhD in child psychology, which he uses every single day in the court system to fight for abused and neglected kids.  Last year Josh's law firm  provided over $250,000 in free legal work for victims of domestic violence, abuse and neglect.  Waking up at 3:30 every morning, Josh works 16 hours per day helping other people in an industry where conflict is high, and appreciation is not.  Josh is also the Staff Judge Advocate for the Texas Military Department State Security Unit, where he is heavily involved in the legalities of State Security. 

Josh's most important role is that of a Father.  He has 7 children with his wife of 22 years, with the oldest in college, and the youngest being a toddler.  He serves as a coach, trainer, and has also been elected to the local School Board.  Overall Josh is quick to smile and crack a joke, but fiercely fights for his clients.   

I grew up around small businesses. One of my grandfathers was an insurance agent in Denton. My other set of grandparents owned a bookstore in Irving. My father ran a financial services company in north Dallas with about ten employees, and during high school I often worked in his office after classes. I spent my summers working on commercial construction sites and watching how each contractor depended on the others to perform their obligations.  

At Stanford I majored in economics, in part because of its importance to business. But for me the real draw was the way in which economics approaches decision making: How do you balance expected costs and benefits to get the best possible outcome when the future is not entirely clear? This is the same way that I approach life, including litigation.  

For over two decades, since completing law school at UT Austin, I have assisted business clients in a wide variety of situations including breach of contract; misrepresentation and fraud; transactions and investments; disputes with vendors, customers, and construction contractors; tenant evictions; repossessions, foreclosures, and collections; trade secrets; covenants not to compete; misappropriation of business opportunities; embezzlement by managers; disputes over business ownership and control; enforcement actions by government regulators; negotiating and drafting contracts for real estate sales, businesses acquisitions, and large financial transactions; and setting up new companies. A large portion of my practice follows these issues into bankruptcy court.  

Early in my career as an attorney I also spent two years working at a medical technology company with about 100 employees. There I drafted contracts, participated in employee terminations, and worked out the legal arguments that resulted in a $100 million antitrust settlement against a Fortune 500 competitor. Most importantly, during those two years I walked in the shoes of my clients as a customer of legal services purchased from outside law firms. I understand the concerns that my clients have when they entrust me with their legal work.

Jason K. Naumann spent over a decade in the information technology industry before transitioning to a career in family law, which he feels better suits his personality, skillset, and passion. Jason attended the University of Texas at Arlington, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, advocated for the wrongly convicted with the Innocence Project of Texas, and became a published author while contributing to an original textbook for a university course studying racial disparity in the criminal justice system. He attended the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University. While at SMU, Jason focused as much attention as possible on family law and trial advocacy. He graduated a year earlier than scheduled, with honors.

For close to a decade, Jason has excelled in family law litigation. As the owner of his own boutique firm, Jason handled numerous cases from intake to final trial and has an outstanding record of success in the courtroom. Whether the case involves issues of child support arrearage, domestic violence, out-of-state possession and access, grandparents’ rights, same-sex divorce/custody, or complicated community estates, Jason does not shy away from even the most complex litigation. Equally at home in the courtroom or mediator’s office, Jason enjoys helping all his clients achieve their goals with cost-effective strategy and expediency.

Jason also has a strong background in community service, having spent hundreds of hours with organizations such as the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Innocence Project of Texas, UTA Innocence Network, Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, and other Masonic charities in North Texas. He is a Master Mason, 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, and Past Master of Pentagon Lodge No. 1080 A.F. & A.M.

Jason is also a full-time single dad, and every free minute he has is spent with his amazing four-year-old son, Lincoln. Their combined areas of interest are superheroes, dinosaurs, Star Wars, hanging out with the other tired parents at the playground, hiking at the nature park, and numerous imaginative games usually involving running and screaming. Jason believes that family always comes first, and he very much enjoys going to battle for like-minded clients.

Bernard J. Grant has over twenty years of experience in civil litigation, personal injury litigation and business litigation. Bernard attended Texas A&M University - College Station, Texas, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He attended St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas. While at St. Mary's, Bernard was a member of the St. Mary's Law Journal as a staff writer and associate editor.  Bernard is a published author on Federal Income Tax law.

For over two decades, Bernard has practiced civil litigation in numerous state and federal courts. Bernard has worked as an attorney for law firms and as captured counsel for Nationwide and Farmers Insurance. Bernard has handled multiple cases from beginning to final resolution, and has tried over forty cases to a jury in the State of Texas.  Bernard does not shy away from complex litigation. Equally at home in the courtroom or mediator’s office, Bernard enjoys helping all his clients achieve their goals with cost-effective strategy and expediency.

Also, Bernard has a strong background in community service, having served as a City Council member for the City of Murphy, TX from 2011 - 2014, and having served on various City of Murphy boards and commissions over the years.  Bernard routinely donates to animal rescue organizations and has adopted three rescue dogs.

Natalia Rivera, was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She graduated Cum Laude from University of Puerto Rico with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. In 2017, Natalia obtained a Master’s degree in Justice System with a concentration in Human Rights from University of Sacred Heart. 

Natalia has acquired concentrated knowledge in environmental, international, immigration and criminal law through a Juris Doctor, obtained from the University of Puerto Rico - Law School. 

She is admitted to practice in New Mexico. She also passed the bar exam from Puerto Rico, and is awaiting to be admitted. 

Before joining Carpenter & Associates, Natalia Rivera, was an immigration attorney at one of the biggest Immigration firms in Miami, FL.  

As an immigration attorney, Natalia Rivera has handled a wide variety and complex immigration cases. From family petitions, U & T visas, asylums, Adjustment of Status, Naturalization to Ground for Inadmissibility, Criminal Based Grounds and Waivers, work permits, travel permits, among others.

Natalia’s passion for the immigrant community started in 2014 in law school through Family-Based Immigration Course. 

In 2019, she volunteered to be the Citizenship teacher for a Non Profit, that offered free services for Immigrants.  Through these Naturalization classes, Natalia teached to permanent residents how to develop a foundation in the 100 civics questions in the citizenship exam, as well as learning to read, recognize and write the vocabulary required in the reading and dictation portions of the citizenship interview.

As a Latina woman driven by justice  she understood the importance of connecting with the immigrant community and to speak up for those who are too afraid to do so. She was the leading voice for dignity and fairness for the immigrant domestic workers. To address these challenges, she worked with the National Domestic Workers Alliance and other affiliates to introduce the National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, which will establish and enforce rights for home care workers, nannies and house cleaners in N.J. 

Also, she advocates for the rights of low-wage workers and immigrant workers through direct service, public policy research, community education and outreach.

Since then, Natalia has not stopped fighting for the rights of the immigrant community. 

Gustavo Guerrero is an Immigration Attorney at Carpenter & Associates. His practice focuses on complex immigration litigation and family-based immigration matters.

Gustavo Guerrero was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He obtained a Law Degree from La Universidad Rafael Urdaneta in 2011, were he graduated Cum Laude. While he was finishing his law degree in Venezuela, Gustavo also obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business Administration from Atlantis University. For the next two years, Gustavo served as the Legal Advisor & Manager of S.O.H.I.C.A, a leading company in Occupational Health & Safety, in Maracaibo.

In 2013, Gustavo moved to Spain to complete an L.L.M in International Law from the Instituto Superior de Derecho & Economia (ISDE). After completing his Master’s Degree in 2014, Gustavo moved to the United States to work in an entertainment law firm, in Miami, researching copyright and trademark issues. This was the first contact Gustavo had with the laws of the United States.

Decided to become a U.S. attorney, Gustavo enrolled in Florida State University to pursue a second Master’s Degree in American Law, graduating with honors (Cum Laude). Gustavo won an scholarship at Florida State University to complete the Juris Doctor Degree, for the next two years, Gustavo became a member of many legal organizations such as Advocates for Immigrants and Refugee Rights, International Law Student Association, ABA Young Lawyers Division; but more importantly, Gustavo became the Vice Magister of Phi Delta Phi Legal Honor Society, the oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States with distinguished members such as President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Justice Scalia, to name a few.

After passing the Florida Bar in 2017, Gustavo started practicing Immigration Law. As an Immigration Attorney, Gustavo has handled a wide array of complex immigration cases. From family petitions to removal defense, asylum, adjustment of status, immigration waivers, among other immigration matters. Gustavo has helped hundreds of families to remain together, he is committed to helping the Hispanic community as a whole.

Agrippa Namatama is a member of our newly launched immigration law team.  He attended Texas A&M University School of Law in Fort Worth to obtain a Master of Laws degree.  Before moving to the United States, Agrippa lived in Zambia, Southern Africa, where he obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree at Zambian Open Univeristy and a Master of Laws degree in International Trade and Investment at University of Lusaka.

Agrippa previously worked for the United States Embassy in Zambia for 15 years, where he received the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) for exceptional service with the consular section.  Among his duties were processing immigrant and non-immigrant visas to the United States. As an immigrant visa specialist, Agrippa was responsible for processing both local and inter-country adoptions to the United States.  In 2013, he was instrumental in working with the Department of Social Welfare in facilitating Zambia's accession to the Hague Conventions on Adoptions. Agrippa also provided emergency and non-emergency services to the American citizen population in Zambia, which included passports, children's issues, prison visits, repatriation of remains, working with victims of crime, and repatriation of destitute Americans among others.  Agrippa was the lead for combating fraud and conducting investigations across all consular services and interacted with local law enforcement and other U.S. federal agencies in identifying and monitoring trends and patterns.

Agrippa worked with refugee and migrant populations in processing travel documentation for follow-to-join family members, conducting visits to refugee camps to represent the U.S. government and coordinating with foreign embassies and international organizations in providing support to refugees and migrants while reporting efforts back to Washington DC.  Over those years, Agrippa received extensive internal training through seminars, conferences and staff exchanges at other U.S. Embassies.  He brings to the firm extensive knowledge of immigration and national law, a variety of international contacts and speaks the language of federal agencies required to ensure sustained excellence in the provision of immigration services.

Upon his arrival in the United States, Agrippa obtained the Master of Laws degree, passed the Texas bar and was admitted to practice law.  He now lives in Fort Worth with his wife and children.  In his spare time, Agrippa enjoys serving at his church, traveling and spending time with his family.  Agrippa is an avid reader and likes to learn new things.

 Lisa grew up in the Houston area, where she demonstrated an early interest in the law by being a voracious reader and writer. She knew from an early age that she wanted a career where she got to interact with people, especially children, while reading, processing, and organizing information. This made family law a natural fit, and she has been practicing exclusively in that area since early 2018. Her favorite cases are those where she gets to make a difference in a child's day-to-day life.

Educationally, Lisa has always been a high achiever. She graduated from Texas Tech School of Law in 2016, where she served on the Estate Planning and Community Property Journal. Prior to that, she earned her bachelor's degree from Texas A&M - Corpus Christi and associate's degree from San Jacinto College.

While not at work, Lisa enjoys reading, traveling, collecting Baby Yoda figurines, and binging Netflix or Disney+. She loves spending time with her husband of five years, and looks forward to one day growing their family.  

Shortly after joining our firm as a filing clerk in 2020, Rachel purchased several paralegal textbooks and began teaching herself paralegal skills. She is responsible for drafting, research, scheduling appointments and hearings, and investigating case facts. Rachel's positive personality, compassionate nature, and first-hand experience as a client allow her to act as a wonderful liaison between our firm and our clients. 

Rachel grew up in Waxahachie, Texas.  She received her B.S. in Political Science and Legal Studies from Texas Woman's University in December 2021. She now attends The University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth College of Law.

She is most passionate about spreading awareness to childhood cancer and domestic violence. 

Kerri has over 20 years of experience, in multiple fields including, but not limited to Criminal Defense, Civil Litigation, Family Law, Probate and Guardianship.  

Kerri uses her considerable multitasking skills and customer service experience to help families in transition by providing detailed support to the attorneys and clients.  From complex litigation cases to simple uncontested divorces, she is involved from beginning to end.  Kerri assists clients by providing regular contact and updates, managing the discovery process, maintaining the case calendar and deadlines, and drafting pleadings and letters.  She also maintains document production, and is integral in preparing for mediations, hearings, and trials.

Aside from the legal field, Kerri focuses on family and enjoying every moment she has with them.  She comes from a military family and has lived in numerous places, but has made Richardson her home along with her wife, puppy dog and kitty cat.  

Nida Zahid graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas, majoring in Business and Political Science and earned her Juris Doctorate from Western Michigan Cooley Law School in 2016. While at law school she interned at the District Attorney's office in the Domestic Violence Unit. While doing an externship out of law school, Nida focused on family law and personal injury law where she fought tirelessly for her clients.  She has always believed in fighting for those that do not have a voice and that is what drives her in being a strong advocate for the clients.

Nida was born in Chicago and raised in the DFW metroplex; which is where she now lives with her husband and two boys. In her free time, she is busy chasing after her boys, travelling, and spending quality time with the family and friends.

Elishia White joined Carpenter & Associates, PC, in February of 2022. In her role as paralegal she enjoys working one-on-one with clients to gather the information and documents they will need to achieve a successful resolution of their case. While family law disputes can be an emotional journey for clients, Elishia thoroughly enjoys helping each one achieve a positive outcome and witnessing their personal growth and confidence about moving forward to the next chapter.

Prior to joining the firm, Elishia spent over eight years working for a nationwide process serving company as a director of the Court Department. She spent countless hours working directly with all the courts in Texas and numerous states nationwide to facilitate the filing of thousands of court documents. Elishia enjoyed learning the rules of each new state to establish operating procedures and working directly with programmers to automate court filings across the state of Texas.

Elishia holds an Associate's degree in Health Care Administration, and she is finalizing an additional Associate’s degree in Paralegal studies to satisfy additional prerequisites to obtain a Bachelor's Degree and plans to attend law school so she can continue to serve clients as an attorney.

When Elishia is not at work, she spends her time volunteering for her kids' extracurricular activities. Elishia enjoys cooking and spending time with her family.

Jay M. Williams, TBLS-BCP, graduated with an Associates of Applied Sciences in Paralegal Studies from ESS College of Business in 1990. Since then, he has gained a diverse background working in federal criminal defense, real estate, corporate, estate planning, tax, employment, mergers & acquisitions, general civil litigation, before focusing his work on personal injury cases beginning in 2000. He has also gained experience in family law and state criminal defense. Seeing the benefits of continuing education, Jay joined the Dallas Area Paralegal Association (DAPA) in 2004 and was appointed to fill the term of Professional Development Director. He worked his way through leadership positions within DAPA, culminating in serving as President for the 2008 term. Jay is also a member of the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas (PD), joining in 2012, and serving as District 2 (Dallas, Ellis counties) Director from 2014 to 2018 and as Treasurer in 2015 and 2016. In 2009, Jay was elected to fill the unexpired term of Vice President and Director of Profession Development for the National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA). Jay continues to serve on various committees within these associations. Jay became a board certified paralegal in civil trial law through the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in 2013, and in personal injury trial law in 2015. He also received the Michele Boerder Lifetime Achievement Award from DAPA in 2015. 

Jay has presented continuing education topics with the PD and Institute for Paralegal Education and has authored several articles pertaining to the paralegal profession, including articles in diversion, equity, and inclusion. He has also presented topics related to DEI to paralegal associations. 

Jay is actively involved in his church, volunteering in several ministries and singing with the praise & worship group. He also sings with the Turtle Creek Chorale, and various solo gigs in the Dallas area.

While having received his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Texas Tech University School of Law and having over ten years experience as a practicing attorney, Andrew chose to join our team in a support role that provides a level of experience and expertise to our clients that is rare among law firms. Andrew has experience with civil litigation, estate planning, probate, family law and criminal defense. He is also quite politically active and has been a leader in his community for decades.

Aside from the legal field and politics, Andrew is very much a family man. He is a devoted husband having been married for eight years and a doting father of two children.

He also enjoys camping, fishing, hiking and exercise but also finds joy in cooking and baking. The latter two traits being greatly appreciated by his family, friends and coworkers.