Who Are We?
More than just a law firm — Banner, Briley & White is also a family of dedicated individuals who work closely with the people our firm represents, and with each other, to solve complex legal problems involving issues that can range from car accidents and medical negligence to family law and business disputes. Use the following links to learn more:
- Steve Briley
- Harold White
- Kathleen Brown
- Sheri Littrell
- Frances Brown
- Brenda Underwood
- Lisa Morath
- Lucy DeLoney
Steve Briley, a native of Denison, Texas, met Mary Ann Reinert while both were serving time in high school detention. Having paid their debt to Denison ISD and its faculty, they married and eventually moved to Wichita Falls where they have raised their four children.
Their eldest, Lieutenant John Briley, is an aviator in the U.S. Navy stationed in Jacksonville, Florida. Mark Briley is a law student at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Stephanie, a dancer who spent the summer of 2005 in New York City at The Joffrey Ballet School, is a student at Texas A & M University. Their youngest, Katheryn, graduated from Rider High School this past spring. Steve and Mary Ann are also the proud grandparents of two adorable little boys courtesy of John and his wife, Nicole.
Steve is also interested and involved in his community. He has served on the board of directors for the Girl Scouts of America as well as the Association for Retarded Citizens. He is a supporter of the local arts community and has attended many a performance of The Nutcracker ballet as the proud father of performers as well as theater productions at Midwestern State University where his son, Mark, majored in drama.
The Briley family attends Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church where Mary Ann — with only four children of her own and her grandchildren in Florida — fills the void by caring for other people’s children in the nursery.
Steve’s hobbies include skeet shooting, cooking, hunting, fishing and reading.
- Steve Briley's attorney profile
Harold White was raised in Wichita Falls, Texas where he attended Wichita Falls public schools. He graduated from Midwestern State University and attended law school at Texas Tech University School of Law in Lubbock, Texas where he received his Juris Doctorate degree.
After completing his legal education, he returned to Wichita Falls and worked in the Wichita County District Attorney’s office while serving as District Attorney. Following this, Harold began civil practice in Fort Worth, Texas, later returning to Wichita Falls where he has been a lawyer since 1987. Jack Banner, Steve Briley and Harold formed Banner, Briley & White in 1992, and the firm continues through this point in time.
Harold enjoys bird hunting in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas as well as fishing trips to Alaska.
Harold has two children, Weston and Amelia. Weston and his wife, Valerie, met while attending the University of Oklahoma School of Law. Weston practices law in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He and his wife are the proud parents of Harold’s grandson, Jackson. Amelia graduated from Sweetbriar College in Virginia with a degree in the Psychology of Human Relations. She lives in Washington, D.C., where she is pursuing a career in film.
Kathleen Brown, an associate attorney, is the newest member of our firm — although having been here since 2002 she isn’t really “new.”
Kathleen was raised in Houston and learned the hard way how important an education is when, at 17, she found herself the mother of a beautiful red-headed daughter she named Meika. Kathleen put herself through school to become a Respiratory Therapist Technician while working and raising her daughter as a single parent. She subsequently earned a B.S. degree from University of Houston Clearlake and followed up with a J.D. from University of Houston Law Center where she graduated cum laude in 2002.
While pursuing her undergraduate education, Kathleen met and married Michael Brown, whose father is Joe Brown, a long time columnist for the Times Record News and host of “Cup of Joe,” a morning farm news television show. Joe Brown also owns Brown Cow Orchard, although there are no cows, but plenty of peach trees and blackberry bushes.
Kathleen and Michael moved to Wichita Falls in 2002 to be closer to family. By that time they had been blessed with another daughter, Marisa, a blond with an IQ like her mother’s.
The Browns are a family oriented clan and spend most weekends attending soccer games. Michael, Meika and Marisa have all served as referees for the Greater Wichita Falls Soccer Association. Kathleen also serves on the board of directors of the Wichita Falls Bar Association.
Kathleen is a member of Fairway Baptist Church where she has increased her family again by opening her heart to include her family in Christ. Michael is a master craftsman who, in addition to building their home and most of its furnishings, has had his hand-made, one of a kind, pieces of furniture selected for on-line inclusion and display at www.finewoodworking.com.
Kathleen has an excellent future ahead of her as a trial attorney and has blended easily into our business family.
Sheri Littrell, formerly Sheri Cravens, is another “home town girl.” Sheri attended grade school in Iowa Park where her mother, Pat Cravens, was the elementary school principal. Sheri’s father, Danny Cravens, worked for many years as this firm’s investigator.
While attending law school at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Sheri worked for Banner, Briley & White during her summers off. Upon receiving her J.D. and passing the bar exam in 1995, she became a full time attorney for the firm until she moved to Dallas a few years ago. While she lived in Wichita Falls, Sheri was a member of the First Baptist Church where she had the pleasure of teaching a Sunday school class to junior high girls. One of her favorite activities was planning gatherings for her class. She also enjoyed making gifts for the class members such as decorative jars filled with spiced tea. When there were not enough attendees to her class to receive all of these gifts, the extras were always welcomed by the Banner, Briley & White staff.
After her move to Dallas, Sheri began to work out of her home as a part time employee for Banner, Briley & White while she attended Dallas Theological Seminary. She graduated from the seminary in May 2007.
Recently married to Van Littrell — Sheri remains involved with her church in Dallas, and continues to produce excellent work product for Steve Briley and Harold White. In addition to all that, she has been busying herself turning the house they moved into in September into the Littrell family home where she and her husband like to entertain. As you can tell, Sheri is a multi-talented lady.
Frances Brown
The first thing you will see when you enter the front door to Banner, Briley & White is the smiling face of our receptionist, Frances Brown, who will greet you as if you were an old friend. In fact, if you aren’t an old friend of hers already, it won’t be long until you are. Being the people person that she is, Frances will be interested to hear about the activities and well-being of yourself and your loved ones, so save a little time to chat.
One of the reasons Frances is so happy is because of her funny husband, Don, to whom she has been married for 45 years. If you are native to this area, and of the right age, you will have childhood memories of those delicious August pies prepared and sold from a small brick building located at the corner of North Fifth and North Broadway in Wichita Falls. Until his retirement Don was involved in the making, selling and delivering of those pies. In fact, Frances and Don first met in 1959 when Don was delivering a load of August pies to her mother’s little café in Mankins.
Frances and Don have a son, Cliff, who along with his wife, Tori, has gifted them with five grandchildren. They now share a comfortable life at home with Bruiser, a Chihuahua weighing in at slightly over three pounds. Frances has remarked: “Being Don Brown’s wife is not bad, but I’d rather be his dog.”
Frances has been with the firm for 11 years and is an integral part of our business family.
Brenda Underwood
Brenda Underwood grew up in Electra, Texas as Brenda Walker and spent most of her life there. She was hired as Steve Briley’s legal assistant in June 1990 with the idea of leaving the area when her youngest child left for college. However, after over 18 years of employment, and many years after that child left home, she is apparently here to stay. Brenda attended Midwestern State University, mostly at night, while raising her two children, and in 1993 became certified as a paralegal by the National Association of Legal Assistants.
While raising two boys, Michael and Zachary, Brenda was always concerned about the old adage “A son is a son ‘till he takes a wife, but a daughter is a daughter all of her life.” However, Brenda has experienced the opposite as she has been blessed with two wonderful daughters-in-law who have truly become her daughters. Michael is a GCSSA certified superintendent at Pecan Plantation Golf Course in Granbury where his wife, Tonya, is the office manager at Lakeshore ENT. They have two children, Jenna and Kale. Zachary is the sports information director at University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha, Oklahoma; his wife, Lori, is the director of student affairs at USAO. Zac and Lori have two little boys, Trae and Brett.
Brenda loves spending time with her four grandchildren hiking, going to carnivals, picnicking and playing at the park. Brenda jokes that she is grateful for her grandchildren because people look oddly at an adult playing at the park alone. All the grandchildren spend a week with Grandma each summer visiting places like Turner Falls, Lake Murray and the museums at the Fair Park in Dallas.
Brenda has recently added to her family with a friendly and feisty Pekingese named Phaedra.
Lisa Morath
Lisa Morath is a legal assistant who has been with the firm since 1997. Lisa’s meticulous and super-organized nature makes her an essential element of Harold White’s practice, but she is first and foremost a mother. Lisa considers the top two accomplishments of her life to be her children.
Lisa’s son, Justin Morath, is a recent graduate of Rider High School and a former member of the Rider Raiders 2004 semi-quarter-finalist football team. Justin, selected to both the All-District and the All-State teams, was an outstanding player garnering rewards and recognition rarely accorded a player in the position of center. Justin currently attends Midwestern State University and is majoring in Accounting.
Her daughter, Lauren Morath, is a future pastry chef who is studying at Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona. Lauren is also licensed to practice cosmetology by the Texas Department of Licensing.
Lisa raised her children in the Assembly of God Church, a Christian heritage passed down from her hero and mentor, her Granny Lane.
Lisa keeps fit by walking several miles a day, often with one of the family pets in tow. Lisa also enjoys traveling and has been on several cruises visiting ports where she and her children have ridden horses in the ocean and ATVs in the Mexican jungle.
Lisa is a crucial addition to the staff and provides excellent assistance to Harold White in his evaluation, discovery and trial of medical malpractice and nursing home cases as well as cases against large entities such as Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation.
Lucy DeLoney
If you have been at the Chase Bank Building and noticed a gorgeous brunette with hip length hair bouncing across the parking lot you are aware of our dependable and hard working legal assistant, Lucy DeLoney. Lucy has been with the firm for 8 years. Prior to her employment with Banner, Briley & White Lucy was on the staff of the Wichita Falls District Attorney’s office.
Lucy’s husband, David, is a Master Sargent with the United States Air Force. Lucy and David have two beautiful children. A four year old boy named Jalen who is the image of his father, and an eight-month-old daughter, Heaven Li, who is so adorable you have to go “Awww,” when you see her. Lucy’s mother was a Vietnamese war bride who married Lucy’s dad while he was serving with the armed forces in Vietnam, and left her homeland to become an American. She makes the most delicious egg rolls you can imagine. Lucy grew up a military brat and got to travel to and live in many places around the world.
Lucy has three sisters: Crystol, who lives in Huntsville and has a baby of her own, Audrey who recently completed a year of service with AmeriCorps and is currently attending UNT in Denton, Texas, and Dyanna, who is married to an Army officer who has just completed his second tour of duty in Iraq; they are the parents of two.
