Tulsa attorney D. Ken Williams Jr. took an oath Jan. 20 to serve as the 2023 Oklahoma Bar Association vice president. Also sworn in were James R. Hicks, immediate past president, one-year term; Caroline M. Shaffer Siex, Young Lawyers Division chairperson, one-year term; and member at large Timothy L. Rogers, three-year term. They were among nine attorneys sworn in to serve on the OBA’s 17-member Board of Governors during a ceremony held in the Oklahoma Supreme Court Ceremonial Courtroom at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City.

Williams is a shareholder at the Tulsa office of Hall Estill Hardwick Gable Golden & Nelson PC, having joined the firm in 1996. Previously, he served as in-house counsel for Helmerich & Payne after forming his own firm in 1977. He received his bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from TU and his J.D. from the TU College of Law. He is licensed to practice in Oklahoma and Arkansas and represents businesses and communities in environmental, regulatory, administrative and litigation matters.

Hicks practices in Tulsa with the law firm of Barrow & Grimm PC. His focus is on the litigation and transactional needs of individuals and businesses. He also represents clients in probate, estate planning and family law matters. Admitted to practice in 1985, he served as a member of the OBA Board of Governors from 2015 to 2019. He also served as president of the Tulsa County Bar Association from 2013 to 2014 and the Tulsa County Bar Foundation from 2017 to 2019.

Shaffer Siex is a December 2016 graduate of the TU College of Law. She currently works at the Tulsa law firm of Gibbs Armstrong Borochoff PC, handling civil litigation, nursing home defense and family law matters. In 2020, she served as secretary of the OBA Young Lawyers Division Board of Directors, and in 2021, she served as the board’s treasurer. From 2020 through 2021, she concurrently served as the ABA YLD district representative for District 24 (Oklahoma and Arkansas).

Rogers is a shareholder at the Tulsa law firm of Barrow & Grimm PC, where his practice focuses primarily on business and construction law. He maintains an active litigation practice with an emphasis on construction, surety, business disputes, bankruptcy and employment law. He also regularly handles commercial leases and business contracts. In addition to his legal activities, Rogers has served as president of the TU College of Law Alumni Association  and on the Leadership Tulsa and Tulsa Mayfest Boards of Directors.

Others sworn in for one-year terms were Brian T. Hermanson of Ponca City as president and Miles T. Pringle of Oklahoma City as president-elect.

Taking oaths for three-year terms to represent their respective Supreme Court judicial districts were Jana L. Knott of El Reno, Nicholas E. Thurman of Ada and John E. Barbush of Durant.

OBA leadership roles are voluntary positions in which lawyers serve while continuing to practice law. The board meets monthly and governs the 18,000-member association.

The Oklahoma Bar Association, headquartered in Oklahoma City, was created by the Oklahoma Supreme Court to advance the administration of justice and to foster and maintain learning, integrity, competence, public service and high standards of conduct among Oklahoma’s legal community.