The legal department at Match Group is the recipient of the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Business Litigation of the Year, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Texas Lawbook announced Monday.
ACC-DFW and The Lawbook also announced that Clinton Willett, corporate counsel at City Electric Supply, and Maria Alonso, trade and corporate counsel Tokyo Electron U.S. Holdings, are the two finalists for the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Rookie of the Year.
Corporate legal departments and law firms submitted more than 60 nominations in 13 different categories for this year’s DFW Corporate Counsel Awards, which recognize the successes and leadership demonstrated by in-house counsel in North Texas.
Independent judges reviewed dozens of nominations and selected the finalists and winners who will be celebrated at the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Awards ceremony on Jan. 25. More details to be announced.
Last week, The Lawbook unveiled the names of the in-house counsel and companies that are finalists for the 2023 DFW M&A Deal of the Year, Senior Counsel of the Year, Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion, Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service and Corporate Secretary and Legal Counselor of the Year. Those details are below.
On Wednesday, the DFW General Counsel of the Year honorees will be announced.
For 2023 DFW Business Litigation of the Year, the judges selected 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.
There are two finalists for 2023 DFW Rookie of the Year, which honors lawyers who have been in-house counsel for three years or less. Stinson partner Elsa Manzanares nominated Alonso for the award, while City Electric General Counsel Meg Shockley and K&L Gates partners Artoush Varshosaz and Sana Hakim nominated Willett.
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.
The other finalists already announced include two finalists for Senior Counsel for a Small Legal Department (1-5 lawyers). They 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.
- 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.
There is only one finalist for 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.
Similarly, the ACC-DFW judges selected a sole finalist — and thus a winner — for Senior Counsel for a Large Legal Department (21-plus lawyers). And 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.
The Texas Lawbook will publish in-depth profiles of the finalists throughout January.
ACC-DFW and The Lawbook previously announced that Pioneer Natural Resources’ Akshar Patel is the sole finalist and recipient of the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Corporate Secretary/Legal Counselor of the Year. 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.
The two finalists for the 2023 M&A Deal of the Year were also announced earlier. The M&A Deal of the Year is another one of the DFW Corporate Counsel Awards that honors in-house counsel and its outside lawyers for their joint achievements. The finalists are:
- 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.
- 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.
Rachel Morgan, Nexstar Media Group general counsel, is the sole finalist and recipient of the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service. Sidley partner Aimee Fagan nominated Morgan for the honor.
Kelly Chen, managing counsel for Toyota Motor North America, is the sole finalist and winner of the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion. Toyota Managing Counsel Meyling Ly Ortiz, a past recipient of a DFW Corporate Counsel Award, nominated her colleague Chen for the honor.
“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.