Baker Botts L.L.P.

Litigation

Senior Associate

A trial lawyer with hands-on advocacy experience beyond her years, Laura Shoemaker McGonagill handles energy, tort, and water disputes in state and federal courts, as well as domestic and international arbitrations.  She excels at distilling complex disputes into coherent, understandable themes to present to juries, judges, and arbitrators. She approaches all stages of a dispute to best position her clients to tell their story. From taking and defending depositions of experts, corporate representatives, and fact witnesses, to arguing dispositive motions, and ultimately cross-examining and presenting witnesses at trial and in arbitration hearings, she makes the complicated simple. This approach, combined with her trial skills and experience, differentiates her from her peers.

In the energy space, Laura works closely with oil and gas, power, and renewable energy clients on a broad range of issues involving disputes over leases, power purchase agreements, joint venture agreements, joint operating agreements, midstream agreements, master service agreements, and purchase and sale agreements, among others. In the water space, Laura has litigated various claims involving surface water, groundwater, and flood water, including claims under the Texas water code and nuisance and trespass disputes.  She has also represented clients in disputes over water permitting issues for the production and transportation of groundwater. Rounding out her practice is her general experience handling various causes of action in tort.

State Bar of Texas

J.D., The University of Texas School of Law 2017 cum laude

B.A., Communication Studies, University of California, Los Angeles 2014 cum laude College Honors

Laura proudly maintains an active pro bono practice and role in the community, serving on the Board of Wesley Community Center, receiving the 2023 Judge Thomas Gibbs Gee Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Service for her work to Eviscerate the Tampon Tax in Texas, and being named “Most Likely to Never Give Up” by Houston Volunteer Lawyers, the largest provider of pro bono legal services in Harris County, in its 2022-2023 Year in Review.