The 2026 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation

We’re thrilled to introduce The 2026 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation.

They are the future of the law. And, in many respects, the now.

The world has accelerated, with everything bigger, faster and more intense. That – and one or two other factors – have pressurized the practice of law, which is now a big business whether you’re a plaintiff personal injury lawyer in Texas, an M&A dealmaker in New York or a civil rights litigator in Washington, D.C.

But amidst all the hullabaloo, take a step back with me for a moment. Think about your own dreams and hopes of a better future, a good profession, doing something that mattered to you.

That’s who we’re here to celebrate today. The remarkable lawyers featured here chose a path to the law, sacrificed the long hours and investment required to get through law school and the bar and start a career. The sleepless nights, the terror of getting on your feet in court, in a boardroom, putting yourself on the line. When it matters.

There are thousands of lawyers like these in every firm and type of practice in the world. And we applaud this year’s Lawdragon 500 X crew for their own accomplishments and as representatives of the dream of becoming a lawyer. A good lawyer. A great lawyer.

They chose to believe in themselves and the law.

Daniela Mondragón is an appellate associate at Wright Close Barger & Guzman in Houston. She became a bilingual elementary education teacher through Teach for America in the Gateway to the Rio Grand Valley, Raymondville, Texas, after law school. She enrolled in St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, interning at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Harlingen, Texas, and at the Executive Office for Immigration Review. She was Editor in Chief of the St. Mary’s Law Review – publishing on non-citizen rights and procedural due process – and graduated in 2018. She then served as a judicial law clerk for Hon. Marvin Isgur of the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of Texas, organizing a conference to inspire law students and attorneys of color to apply for federal judgeships. She then pursued the law firm path, building experience and winning recognition for her pro bono work. She joined Wright Close in 2024, and has handled business restructuring and insolvency matters with a focus on complex chapter 11 filings, as well as international arbitration matters involving cross-border disputes involving Latin America. She is also a founding member of Houston Women in Business for Good.

Christina Lee is a partner at Keker Van Nest in San Francisco. At Harvard Law School, she was involved in the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, and was Co-Chair of the 21st Annual National Asian Pacific American Conference on Law and Public Policy. After graduating in 2016, Lee served as a law clerk to Judge Milan D. Smith, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and to Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. She then joined Keker, where she has represented major technology clients in cutting-edge privacy class action cases, and leading firms in high-profile patent litigation matters involving artificial intelligence, video streaming and medical devices. She also represented the former shareholders of FerroKin BioSciences against Shire Pharmaceuticals in a Delaware Court of Chancery bench trial in which the judge awarded the firm’s clients more than $80M. She, too, has remained dedicated to the public interest. Working in collaboration with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union, she represented three immigrant families who were separated at the United States-Mexico border in 2018 in a federal lawsuit seeking damages in the Northern District of California.

Ernesto Alvarez is a trial lawyer at Zehl & Associates in Houston. He grew up in Port Arthur, Texas, and attended Lamar University, a public university in Beaumont. He attended the University of Texas School of Law, where he was Article and Notes Editor at the Texas International Law Journal, and active in the Chicano & Hispanic Law Student Association. After graduation in 2015, he worked in law firms for 10 years, handling commercial and energy litigation, often defending global companies against the workers to whom he related. In 2025, he moved across the aisle, joining the plaintiff practice at Zehl & Associates. As a first-generation Mexican immigrant and a native Spanish speaker, he deeply connects with his clients’ struggles, having lived the pursuit of the American dream. He is dedicated to championing families, workers and the Hispanic community, ensuring their voices prevail against powerful corporations and insurers.

Alvarez recently interviewed a student of a similar background. He posted on LinkedIn, “I remember what it felt like to need someone to take a chance on me, no questions asked. I am grateful I was given that shot, and even more grateful to now be in a position to pay it forward. Let's go.”

This is our fourth edition of the LDX guide, whose honorees inspire us. These lawyers have made their mark in fewer than 15 years in practice, with entire careers ahead of them to be the change they want to see in the world. We received a huge number of outstanding submissions for this guide, which we researched through our journalistic process. We also talked to lawyers and peers familiar with the candidates’ work and contributions.

The law belongs to us all. Let’s take a moment to appreciate those who will carry it forward.

Let’s go.