Wells Peyton Partain Baldo & Lighty, LLP

Nicholas S Baldo

A native of the Northeast, Nicholas S. ("Nick") Baldo relocated to Texas in 1981 after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. Nick began his career in the oil and gas industry employed by Getty Oil Company and Texaco, Inc. In 1985, Nick decided to change career paths and entered law school. Since his admittance to the bar in 1989, Nick has devoted his entire career to defending job creators in civil litigation. Early in his career, he concentrated on the defense of asbestos product manufacturers. At the time, Texas was the epicenter of asbestos litigation in the nation. Nick tried over a hundred asbestos cases to verdict, while also resolving thousands of cases either by summary judgment, voluntary nonsuit or settlement. Nick represented several asbestos defendants on a state-wide basis. As tort reform significantly impacted Toxic Tort litigation in Texas, Nick's practice evolved. For the past 15 years, Nick has focused on defending Commercial General Liability insureds with a focus on personal injury, wrongful death and construction defect claims. He has been retained by major insurers including AIG, Cincinnati, and CNA. Nick prides himself in learning each insured's business thoroughly and developing relationships with its personnel in order to provide the best possible defense for each individual defendant. Nick handles the full gamut of these claims from sprains and strains to catastrophic injury and wrongful death. He is retained to defend cases throughout the Houston - Beaumont region. The upper Texas Gulf Coast contains the largest petrochemical complex in the nation. Much of Nick's casework arises out of this industry. In 2007, Nick was retained as outside counsel for the Motiva Port Arthur Refinery Crude Expansion Project. This was the largest construction project in the United States from 2007 - 2012. All personal injury and wrongful death cases from the Project were referred to Nick. In litigated matters, he would represent the Owner, the General Contractor and all Subcontractors. He would also be called to the Project to conduct privileged attorney work product incident investigations and interface with OSHA during on-site post-incident investigations. Nick has an expertise in the legal issues involving large construction projects and has successfully resolved most of these claims by summary judgment. He currently has the same role for the Sabine Pass Liquefaction Project in Cameron Parish, Louisiana and refinery expansion projects in Beaumont and Baytown, Texas. Nick is married with two daughters. His wife Melissa is a former state and federal prosecutor and is now a full-time faculty member at Lamar University focusing on Business Law. Their older daughter has decided to enter the family business and is enrolled at Texas Tech University School of Law. Their younger daughter is enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin. Nick is active in the local community. He coached youth soccer for eight years, and he volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, the local food bank, and Teen Court. He has served on the Parish Finance Council at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica for 20 years and has chaired three major capital campaigns. He also serves as a lector and is a member of the international philanthropic organization, The Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. When not practicing law and raising a family, Nick enjoys travel, reading, music, golf, hiking, grilling and riding his motorcycle.

Education: South Texas College of Law Houston, Houston, Texas J.D. - 1988 , Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania B.S. - 1981

Certifications: Professional Associations - State Bar of Texas , Professional Associations - Jefferson County Bar Association , Professional Associations - Texas Bar Foundation Life Fellow , Professional Associations - Texas Association of Defense Counsel , Bar Admissions - Texas, 1989 , Bar Admissions - U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas, 1990 , Bar Admissions - U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 1990 , Bar Admissions - U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1991 , Honors - South Texas Law Review , Honors - Order of the Lytae Legal Honor Society

Services: Personal Injury and Wrongful Death , Premises Liability , Products Liability , Construction Defect , Toxic Torts

Zachary R. Celeste

I was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas. I graduated summa cum laude from Lamar University in December 2011, with a B.A. in Accounting, and cum laude from Texas Tech University School of law in May 2015. After being admitted to the Texas Bar in November 2015, I began my career as an associate attorney at the law firm of Wells Peyton Greenberg & Hunt, LLP, now known as Wells Peyton Partain Baldo & Lighty, LLP (“Wells Peyton”). I became a Partner at Wells Peyton in 2019 and have been Managing Partner since 2020. I am a certified mediator and have been honored by Super Lawyers for the years 2023 – 2026.

Services: Estate Planning (Wills, Trusts, and Alternatives), Probate, and Estate Administration 50% , Business / Corporate Law (Corporate Formations, Commercial Transactions, and Contracts) 25% , Commercial & Residential Real Estate Law (Sales, Leases, and Conveyances) 25%

Donald Francis Lighty

I have spent my entire legal career defending people and corporate entities in personal injury, civil, contract, employment, real estate and workers' compensation matters. I have tried over 135 jury cases as the primary trial counsel in state and federal courts throughout the state. In 1985 I was fortunate enough to begin my legal career handling personal injury claims including automobile wrecks and workers' compensation matters throughout southeast Texas. This allowed me to obtain much needed experience before juries, including in counties known for awarding excessive plaintiffs' verdicts. Over the years clients have retained me to represent them in other parts of the state, and am now statewide counsel for many entities including municipalities, political subdivisions and major corporations. ln 2022 I became a founding partner of Wells Peyton Partain Baldo & Lighty, LLP. The firm was formed to continue our commitment in defending those who have been sued. l have expanded my practice to include the defense of real estate professional liability claims, as well as representation of clients before administrative law entities such as OSHA, Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Department of Insurance-Division of Workers' Compensation. I have been married for thirty-five years, raised three sons, two of which have chosen to follow me in the practice of law. I have served in many philanthropic boards including United Way of Beaumont & North Jefferson County and Beaumont Crime Stoppers. have also served on the Board of Directors for the Jefferson County Bar Association and Jefferson County Young Lawyers Association. Currently I am a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Association of Defense Counsel, a Fellow of the College of the State Bar of Texas and a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. I am the former Chaim1an of the District 3A Subcommittee of the Unauthorized Practice of Law (1993-2014) and a member of the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem."

Education: St. Mary's University School of Law, San Antonio, Texas J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence - 00/1985 , Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas B.A. Major: Business Administration

Certifications: Classes & Seminars - Workers' Compensation Seminars, Texas Bar CLE, 2010 to Present , Classes & Seminars - Employment Law updates, Various professional seminars, 1990 to Present , Classes & Seminars - Litigation topics, Jefferson County Bar Association, 2000 to Present , Past Positions - Benckenstein Norvell Bernsen & Nathan, LLP, Partner, 1985 to 1998 , Past Positions - Stevens Baldo & Lighty, PLLC, Partner, 1999 to 2021 , Professional Associations - Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow, 2015 to Present , Professional Associations - College of the State Bar of Texas, Fellow, 1995 to Present , Bar Admissions - Texas, 1985 , Bar Admissions - U.S. Supreme Court, 1991 , Bar Admissions - U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1987

Services: Personal Injury Litigation 40% , Civil Trial Law 20% , Workers' Compensation Defense 30% , Real Estate Professional Liability 10% , Divorce , Family Law , Custody & Visitation

Matthew F. Lighty

Matthew F. Lighty graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2013 and from South Texas College of Law Houston in 2021. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Phi Delta Phi at South Texas College of Law Houston, and the Houston Young Lawyers Association. Mr. Lighty began his career with Wells Peyton Partain Baldo & Lighty, LLP in 2021, and has been a Partner since January 2026.

Education: South Texas College of Law Houston, Houston, Texas J.D. , Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas B.A. - 2013 Honors: summa cum laude Major: History

Certifications: Professional Associations - State Bar of Texas, 2021 to Present , Professional Associations - Jefferson County Bar Association, 2021 to Present

Services: Divorce , Custody & Visitation , Family Law , Residential & Commercial Evictions

Bruce M. Partain

Education: South Texas College of Law Houston, Houston, Texas , Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas

Certifications: Jefferson County Bar Association, Member , Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Member , Civil Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1985 , Certified Mediator

Services: Commercial Litigation , Employment Litigation , Probate Litigation , Disputes Among Owners of Business , Construction Litigation , Trustee & Fiduciary Litigation , Consumer Litigation , Debt Collection Litigation , Bankruptcy & Creditor Rights