Our lawyers at Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway, P.C. are honored with a variety of fellowships and awards, but above all, are passionate about serving the community. With backgrounds in anywhere from commercial litigation to academia, our lawyers pride themselves on their ethical and compassionate personal injury defense work in Texas, New Mexico, and North Dakota.
Matthew R. Heape
LICENSED IN TEXAS | NEW MEXICO
Matthew has been a member of the firm for nearly a decade and during that time has represented diverse clients across a broad spectrum of venues and claims. Matthew has tried numerous cases to verdict as both first chair and assisting counsel and has a history of significant case results, including numerous multi-million dollars settlements.
Matthew attended law school at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. Despite maintaining a full-time job while in law school, Matthew maintained high grades and was ultimately invited to serve as a member of the SMU Law Review Association. In his final year, Matthew was chosen to serve as articles editor for the SMU Law Review. Ultimately, Matthew graduated with honors from SMU in 2013.
After graduation, Matthew immediately joined Faddoul, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway. Matthew is proud to represent the injured and to work with some of the most skilled and ethical attorneys in the business.
Prior to law school, Matthew attended Texas A&M University where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets. Matthew received a double-major bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M and then went on to obtain a Master’s Degree in Education and has received certifications in English, History, Science. These qualifications often assist him in representing his clients, especially when understanding of complex scientific issues may be required.
Matthew was born in New Orleans, LA, and lived in Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas as a child. He spent the majority of his childhood in Corpus Christi, Texas. He now resides in Lubbock, Texas with his wife and four children.
Manuel H. Hernandez
Throughout his career, Manuel has helped clients search for answers and solutions where there appear to be only questions and uncertainty. Whether it be in trial, on appeal, or via settlement resolution, Manuel works to find the best solution for each of his clients.
Because he grew up on the border of the U.S. and Mexico, Manuel is fluent in both English and Spanish–a skill that helps him communicate and understand his clients on a personal level.
LICENSED IN TEXAS | NEW MEXICO
After graduating from the University of Texas at El Paso, Manuel attended the Texas Tech University School of Law, where he served as editor of the Texas Tech Administrative Law Journal. He earned a place on the Journal’s Executive Board and was awarded the Texas Tech University School of Law Judge Meade F. Griffin Award. The award is given each year to the student who has “best utilized the law school experience to improve and prepare for service to the profession and to mankind.”
Manuel was also selected for a Graduate Fellowship with the Central Intelligence Agency Office of General Counsel in Washington, D.C., clerked for the Honorable William E. Moody of El Paso, Texas, and began his legal career focusing on commercial litigation and personal injury cases in both state and federal courts for a law firm in Houston, Texas before joining FCHC.
Since joining FCHC, Manuel has had the great honor of taking cases to jury verdict and beyond, including arguing cases before the Supreme Court of Texas. Manuel is a proud member of the Texas Trial Lawyers’ Association and has also gained lifetime admission into the Million and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forums based on the recoveries he has obtained for his clients.
Meghan Mitchell
LICENSED IN TEXAS | NEW MEXICO
Meghan was born in Abilene, Texas and spent the majority of her childhood in Bangs, Texas where her parents both worked as educators.
After high school, she attended Midwestern State University, majoring in Theatre Arts. Meghan was highly involved in Midwestern State’s Theatre program, and it was there that she recognized her desire to make positive contributions to society.
After graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Meghan accepted a position in education. She taught middle and high school English and Theatre Arts for several years before making the decision to pursue her childhood dream of practicing law.
In 2013, Meghan entered law school at Texas Tech University School of Law, where she received numerous honors including top-grade awards in legal writing, family law, and criminal procedure. She was also a member of the Texas Tech Board of Barristers, a student organization focused on courtroom and advocacy skills.
In Board of Barristers, Meghan participated in negotiation, mock trial, and moot court competitions. She was selected to represent Texas Tech as a member of several national advocacy teams, including the acclaimed Texas Young Lawyers Association National Trial Competition. Meghan was awarded the J. Hadley Edgar Trial Excellence Award for her achievements as a member of Texas Tech’s trial advocacy teams.
Meghan graduated from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2016 and was admitted to practice law in Texas in November of 2016. After making the decision to practice personal injury law, Meghan knew that she wanted to work for a firm that only represented injured victims, which led her to apply and accept a position with Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway.
Meghan has been with FCHC in the Lubbock office since 2017. During that time, she has proudly represented hundreds of clients, including victims of assault and those injured in car wrecks and oil field accidents. Meghan was chosen as a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40. Meghan is licensed to practice law in both Texas and New Mexico state and federal courts.
Carlos E. Sedillo
LICENSED IN NEW MEXICO
Carlos is a native New Mexican, born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. A graduate of Valley High School in 2003, Carlos stayed in Albuquerque for his undergraduate degree and for law school. Carlos graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of New Mexico in 2007. Thereafter, he applied and was accepted to the University Of New Mexico School Of Law, and obtained his law degree in 2011.
After law school, Carlos began his legal career with the Narvaez Law Firm, gaining a wide range of litigation experience including general tort liability, insurance law, and education law. Carlos was with the Narvaez Law Firm for five and a half years, until the opportunity to join Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy, & Conaway. Carlos decided to take his experience to represent and assist people injured or killed in accidents. His practice now includes representing people injured or killed in oilfield accidents, car accident, medical malpractice, and education law.
Carlos is highly involved in the community as a member of the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association, the New Mexico Trial Lawyers, the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, and the Albuquerque Bar Association. Additionally, Carlos has volunteered his time as a mentor in community outreach programs assisting low-income students.
In January of 2018, Carlos welcomed the birth of his first child, a baby boy named Carlos Leon Sedillo. Carlos and his wife, Monica, are proud new parents and love spending all the time they can with their baby.
Jodee Rankin
Licensed in Texas | New Mexico
Jodee Rankin was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of New Mexico and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Communication in 2014.
In 2017, Jodee began her legal studies at Texas Tech School of Law in Lubbock, Texas. During law school, Jodee enjoyed competing in various competitions, including Moot Court, Mock Trial, Negotiations, and Client Counseling. In 2020, she (alongside her partner) won the American Bar Association’s Regional Client Counseling Competition.
Committed to her studies, Jodee earned top grade awards in Legal Practice I and II, Trademarks and Unfair Competition Law, Civil Practice Clinic, and Advanced Alternative Dispute Resolution Clinic. Jodee also served as a Legal Practice Teaching Fellow, Professor Research Assistant, and earned the opportunity to spend a summer working on Supreme Court amicus briefs in Washington, D.C.
In May of 2018, Jodee began her career with Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway, P.C., as a law clerk. After just a short time, FCHC became her home. Working between classes, she continued as a law clerk throughout law school, learning from FCHC’s experienced attorneys and staff members along the way.
In 2020, Jodee graduated magna cum laude from Texas Tech University School of Law. Since then, she has been admitted to practice law in both Texas and New Mexico. Jodee is grateful for the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of fighting for victims of injustice.
Outside of work, Jodee enjoys traveling to new places, connecting with her local community through volunteering, and most of all, spending time with her family.
Noe Astorga-Corral
LICENSED IN NEW MEXICO
Mr. Astorga-Corral was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico from and by Mexican-immigrant parents. In 2019, he graduated cum laude from the University of New Mexico School of Law. In 2018, Mr. Astorga-Corral had the honor of receiving the Justice Pamela B. Minzner award. This award is given each year to one law student who demonstrates excellence in professionalism and legal ethics.
After graduating from law school, Mr. Astorga-Corral went to work for a large, well-known civil defense firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico. During his approximately two and a half years working for that firm, Mr. Astorga-Corral had the opportunity to practice in diverse legal areas, representing corporations and governmental entities in tribal, state, and federal court.
In 2022, Mr. Astorga-Corral transitioned to Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway, P.C., where he has the privilege of using his broad legal skills to assist individuals who have been unjustly injured.
Outside of work, Mr. Astorga-Corral enjoys reading, watching sports, listening to podcasts, enjoying the company of his friends and family, and spoiling his four-year-old niece. Mr. Astorga-Corral is also an ex officio member of the New Mexico Supreme Court’s Equity and Justice Committee.
Megan B. McCormack
LICENSED IN NEW MEXICO
Megan B. McCormack is a graduate of University of New Mexico. She received a Master’s in Bilingual Education in Madrid, Spain and is fluent in Spanish after living there for 8 years. She began law school at La Verne Law School in San Bernardino, California and returned to New Mexico in 2020 to graduate with honors from UNM School of Law in May 2022. She worked in immigration law and environmental law during law school before coming to FCHC as a law clerk in July 2021.
Megan was the President of the Public Interest Law Foundation as a 1L and Vice President of the New Mexico Criminal Defense Attorney (NMCDLA) Student chapter during her 3L year. Megan loves to cook, take walks in the bosque, and read mystery novels in her free time.
Aaron Thompson
Aaron Thompson is a 2001 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a degree in Government with a minor in History. After graduation, Aaron served as a platoon leader and company executive officer with the United States Army’s First Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas and Baghdad, Iraq. Following his military service, Aaron returned to the University of Texas School of Law.
While in law school, Aaron had the privilege of interning for retired justice Wallace B. Jefferson – then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. Since his graduation in 2010, Aaron has spent much of his legal career serving families in complex wrongful death and personal injury actions. Aaron and his wife Corina are the proud parents of four daughters. In his free time, Aaron loves watching scary movies with his girls, playing guitar, and fly fishing.