About Roxann Pais
Roxann Pais Cotroneo built a career at the intersection of municipal government and courtroom practice. She began her formal education at the University of Texas at Austin, earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1992. She spent a year in Salamanca, Spain, where she completed a Spanish language certification in 1989. She returned to Texas for law school and received her J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 1995.
Her early work was inside city government. In 1996 she joined the City of Dallas as an executive assistant city lawyer. That role placed her close to the day-to-day legal issues cities face: contracts, personnel matters, and municipal codes. In 2002 she moved into federal work as a Special Assistant U.S. Lawyer at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. The position gave her exposure to federal procedure and intergovernmental legal matters. In 2009 she returned to municipal service as a city lawyer for the City of Harlingen, Texas. In 2013 she launched Pais Cotroneo Law and has since maintained a practice tied to local government clients.
Those roles shaped the contours of her practice. Years inside city law departments and a stint at the U.S. Attorney’s Office mean she brings experience in municipal governance, regulatory questions, and litigation involving government actors. She has advised elected officials, city managers, and municipal staff on legal and procedural matters. She has handled disputes that require coordination between local and federal authorities. Her background also reflects an ability to work across legal and cultural environments; study in Spain broadened her language skills early in her career.
Cotroneo stays active in professional circles that serve municipal lawyers. She is a member of the Texas Municipal League and the Texas City Lawyers Association. She also belongs to the International Municipal Lawyers Association. Those memberships keep her connected to peers who handle the same set of municipal challenges and updates in state and local law.
Pais Cotroneo Law maintains a presence in multiple cities. The firm lists offices in Washington, D.C., one block from the White House, and locations in San Antonio at Forum One and in Austin at the Frost Bank Tower. Her practice has evolved from municipal in-house roles to a private firm that continues to work with local governments and related clients.
Her current practice focuses on municipal law and representation of government clients.
