Corporate general counsel faced a year of business and governmental turmoil, higher interest rates, tightened capital markets and dramatic changes in state and federal regulatory schemes throughout 2023. But three GCs did it exceptionally well.
The Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Texas Lawbook announced the 2023 DFW General Counsel of the Year awards Tuesday. The winners are:
- GameStop General Counsel Mark Robinson, who was nominated by Angela Zambrano, co-managing partner of the Dallas office of Sidley Austin. Robinson is receiving the GC of the Year for a Small Legal Department (2-5 lawyers).
- Hunt Realty Investments General Counsel Diane Hornquist, who was nominated by Baker Botts Partner Jeremy Gott. Hornquist is being honored for GC of the Year for a Solo Legal Department.
- Former Avantax Chief Legal Officer Tabitha Bailey, who was nominated for GC of the Year for a Midsized Legal Department (6-19 lawyers) by Sidley Austin partner Beth Berg.
ACC-DFW and The Lawbook will celebrate the recipients of the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Awards on Jan. 25 at a ceremony at the George W. Bush Institute.
A panel of independent judges reviewed more than 60 nominations in 13 different categories submitted by corporate legal departments and law firms. The DFW Corporate Counsel Awards recognize the successes and leadership demonstrated by in-house counsel in North Texas.
During the past 10 days, The Lawbook has named the following finalists and winners for the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Awards:
DFW Business Litigation of the Year: Match Group’s Associate General Counsel Jeanette Teckman, Director and Senior Counsel for Litigation Stephen Myers and Corporate Litigation Counsel Katie Johnson. The three report to Match Chief Legal Officer Jared Sine. Teckman, Myers and Johnson led the Match litigation team that included Dallas trial lawyer Jeff Tillotson and lawyers at Hueston Hennigan in an historic market manipulation lawsuit against Google that resulted in a settlement on the eve of trial that resulted in more than $300 million in financial benefits to Match. Business Litigation of the Year is one of four DFW Corporate Counsel Awards that recognizes in-house counsel and their outside lawyers.
DFW Rookie of the Year: The two finalists are Maria Alonso, trade and corporate counsel Tokyo Electron U.S. Holdings, who was nominated by Stinson partner Elsa Manzanares, and Clinton Willett, corporate counsel at City Electric Supply, who was nominated by City Electric General Counsel Meg Shockley and K&L Gates partners Artoush Varshosaz and Sana Hakim. The Rookie of the Year award honors lawyers who have been in-house counsel for three years or less.
DFW Senior Counsel for a Small Legal Department (1-5 lawyers): The two finalists are Carolyn Lam, Ecobat deputy general counsel, who also serves as the world’s largest battery recycler’s chief compliance officer. Lam was nominated for the honor by Toyota Managing Counsel Meyling Ly Ortiz. The second finalist is Chris Pappaioanou, Envoy Air senior vice president for legal, who handles labor and employment for the regional airline, which is a subsidiary of American Airlines. Peter Simek of Social Revolt nominated Pappaioanou for the award.
DFW Senior Counsel for a Midsized Legal Department (6-20 attorneys). The recipient is Denton Muse, City Electric Supply Company’s associate general counsel, who was nominated by City Electric Supply’s General Counsel, Meg Shockley.
DFW Senior Counsel for a Large Legal Department (21-plus lawyers): The winner is Chasity Henry, deputy general counsel for Jacobs, who is now a two-time recipient of a DFW Corporate Counsel of the Year Award. In 2020, ACC-DFW and The Lawbook honored Henry with the Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion Award. Dykema member Israel Silvas nominated Henry for the award this year.
DFW Corporate Secretary/Legal Counselor of the Year: Pioneer Natural Resources’ Akshar Patel is the sole finalist and recipient of the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for. As Pioneer’s corporate secretary and vice president of legal, Akshar Patel is being recognized for his leadership role and extraordinary legal counsel to Pioneer’s directors and executives in its $64.5 billion sale to Exxon Mobil. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher corporate partner Jeff Chapman, who was lead outside counsel on the transaction, nominated Patel for the honor.
DFW M&A Deal of the Year: There are two finalists. Matador Resources General Counsel Bryan Erman and his team of in-house lawyers, including Bradley Hart and Cale Curtin, led their company in 2023 through the $1.6 billion acquisition of Advance Energy Partners from EnCap Investments. Matador chose Baker Botts and partners Preston Bernhisel and Jon Platt as its lead outside counsel. And MoneyGram General Counsel Robert Villasenor and his team of in-house counsel on the company’s $1.8 billion take-private transaction involving Madison Dearborn Partners. For its lead outside counsel, MoneyGram picked Vinson & Elkins and its partners Lande Spottswood, Alan Bogdanow, Cris Dewar and Fry Wernick.
DFW Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service: Rachel Morgan, Nexstar Media Group general counsel, is the sole finalist and recipient of the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for. Sidley partner Aimee Fagan nominated Morgan for the honor.
DFW Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion: Kelly Chen, managing counsel for Toyota Motor North America, is the sole finalist and winner of the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for. Toyota Managing Counsel Meyling Ly Ortiz, a past recipient of a DFW Corporate Counsel Award, nominated her colleague Chen for the honor.
ACC-DFW President Alvin Benton said the judges selected finalists “who provide so much value to their companies, their companies’ goals and objectives and the overall Dallas legal community.”
“These fine lawyers represent the best of the best and once again demonstrate the great value that DFW lawyers add to their company’s leadership and objectives,” said Benton, who is lead product counsel for fintech company Upstart and former senior counsel at Goldman Sachs. “This group also represents the great diversity of business sectors and success stories. So, with that being said, I still walk away with the same impression I’ve had in the past, and this year’s candidates continue to raise the bar of what in-house counsel success looks like. Kudos to all of the finalists, and I am grateful to all of the finalists and their nominators who will allow these stories to be shared with our legal community.”
The Lawbook will publish in-depth profiles of the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Award finalists during the next month.
“We have an amazing group of finalists and winners this year,” said Texas Lawbook publisher Brooks Igo. “This year’s honorees are wonderful examples of great lawyers who also demonstrate tremendous leadership.”
Igo points out that all profits from the DFW Corporate Counsel Awards goes to support the funding of the full-time pro bono, public service and diversity reporter position for The Texas Lawbook.