Wayne Colodny is an experienced personal injury and civil trial attorney. He graduated with a J.D from St. Mary's University School of Law (San Antonio, Texas) in 1982 in the top quarter of his graduating class. Prior to that, he obtained a B.S in Radio, Television and Film from the University of Texas-Austin in 1979. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1982.
Mr. Colodny was born in Freeport, New York and was raised in Dallas, Texas. The early part of his legal career was spent as an insurance defense lawyer for Allstate and Nationwide Insurance Companies. He has spent the last ten years representing injured parties in Central and South Texas for personal injury firms based in San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Colodny has tried approximately forty cases to verdict before a jury in the counties of Bexar, Travis, Cameron, Webb, Calhoun, Williamson, Zavala, San Patricio and Nueces.
He has represented parties in over five hundred mediations and has also served as mediator on several occasions. He is on the Board of Directors of the San Antonio Trial Lawyers Association and a member of the Capital Area Trial Lawyers Association. He is admitted to practice in the Western District of Texas of the United States District Court.
His hobbies include tennis, reading and he is an avid fan of the Dallas Cowboys and San Antonio Spurs. He has two sons, ages 21 and 24.
Email: wayne@rpenalaw.com
Victor Manuel Garza Esq., was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and for the last several years has lived and practiced law in Edinburg, Hidalgo County Texas. Prior to his senior year at Highlands High School, he enlisted the U.S. Army, attending Basic Training at Fort. Benning, Georgia. Upon graduation in 1990, he returned to Fort Benning to attend Infantry and Airborne School. While attached to Co. B, 141st Mechanized Infantry Division, Victor received a full Military Scholarship to attend St. Mary University in San Antonio, and participate in the Reserve Officers Training Corps.
During his undergraduate years Victor was involved in many student organizations and in other community activities. He fondly recalls his efforts to establish mentor programs, an annual high school leadership conference through his efforts with El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlán (M.E.Ch.A), as well as summer camps spent with inner-city youth during his tenure with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Leadership Institute.
After receiving a B.A. in 1995, Victor worked with the Lawyers Committee For Civil Rights: Texas Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project; an impact / class action litigation firm protecting the civil rights of its constituents. The following year, he embarked on a year long National Volunteer Service program with the domestic AmeriCorps. The program was one of five national efforts sponsored by the Department of Justice, and administered through the U.S. Attorneys Office. JustServe sought to bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement at the grassroots level.
Seeking to future his academic credentials, Victor returned to St. Mary’s and attended the prestigious School of Law receiving his Juris Doctorate Spring of 1999. Despite the demanding rigors of law school, Victor found time to volunteer with the Center For Legal and Social Justice, Human Rights Clinic, and traveled to Cuba on a human rights expedition. He also studied in Europe for three months at the University of Innsbruk in Austria. During his third year, Victor practiced law as a student attorney in the Criminal Justice Clinic focusing on indigent defense.
As a sole practitioner, Victor won his first trial less than three weeks after passing the Bar Exam. Understanding the significance of a quality judiciary he became involved in the re-election campaign of the now Chief Justice of the 4th Court of Appeals, Justice Alma L. Lopez. Under her tutelage, Victor remained involved in politics holding several political posts, and is currently the State Treasure of the Texas Democratic Party.
His political involvement took him to the Valley, where he assisted State Representative Aaron Pena in his election bid. Working with Aaron Pena & Associates for over three years, Victor fostered his civil litigation skills, primarily working in the area of Civil Rights and Labor and Employment. Wanting to broaden his professional development, while working for the rights of working class citizens, Victor joined the Law Offices of Richard Pena in the fall of 2005. Victor believes that integrity and respect for others are the greatest attributes one may have in life. He is grateful to his parents Gloria and Julio, for instilling in him the principals and values which have allowed him to be successful in both his professional and personal life.
Email: Victormgarza@aol.com
