This week’s edition of P.S. features information on the Houston Bar Foundation’s new chair, an Easter-themed food giveaway sponsored by Witherite Law Group, a tennis clinic and exhibition match that hosted underserved youth in Austin and sponsorship opportunities for the Dallas Bar Association’s upcoming annual golf tournament.
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— On Feb. 24, Latham & Watkins sponsored the ATX Open, a tour-level tennis tournament in Austin. Latham’s role in Austin’s largest women’s professional sporting event involved hosting a youth tennis clinic with the Boys & Girls Club of Austin. The teens who participated did some agility drills under the direction of Hologic WTA Tour players, which also gave the youth a better understanding of the game. After, the teens had a meet-and-greet with four-time WTA Tour titlist Anastasija Sevastova, then the day ended with an exhibition doubles match featuring Peyton Stearns and Arianna Hartono against Julia Riera and Martina Capurro. Stearns previously led the University of Texas to back-to-back NCAA team titles.
Samer Zabaneh, Latham’s Austin office managing partner and past chairman of the Boys & Girls Club of Austin’s board, said in a statement that the sponsored clinic “embodies the spirit, dedication, perseverance and teamwork that is inspiring and motivating to everyone.”
“It’s important to remember that this event is not just about the competition, but also about encouraging the next generation, both on and off the court,” Zabaneh said.
— This Thursday, Linda Hester became the new chair of the Houston Bar Foundation at the foundation’s annual luncheon. Hester is a former Phillips 66 senior legal counsel who retired from her in-house career last year to focus on community service and nonprofit board service. As HBF chair, Hester succeeds CenterPoint Energy general counsel Monica Karuturi.
Under Karuturi’s leadership, the foundation accomplished several access to justice initiatives, including the launch of a new $50,000 annual grant program. The first of these grants allocated $30,000 to fund one of several lactation pods to be installed in the Harris County Court Complex. The foundation also received $500,000 from CenterPoint to help self-represented litigants in Harris County. Also under Karuturi’s leadership, the HBF’s 74th Annual Harvest Celebration raised a record $1.1 million for the Houston Bar Association’s pro bono arm, Houston Volunteer Lawyers, in November.
Throughout Hester’s legal career, she has been involved in pro bono work, including representing HVL clients and the Tahirih Justice Center.
The foundation’s board also includes vice chairs Alastair Dawson of Beck Redden and Sejal Brahmbhatt of Williams Hart & Boundas; treasurer Richard Whiteley of Bracewell; and incoming directors Benny Agosto Jr. of Abraham Watkins, Jennifer Hadley of Hadley Scarano, Stephanie Noble of Vinson & Elkins and Krisina Zuñiga of Susman Godfrey.
At the luncheon the foundation also recognized recipients of the Harris County Bench Bar Pro Bono Awards and a series of other awards.
Harris County Bench Bar Pro Bono Awards recipients: Shell USA (corporate law department award), Bracewell (large law firm award), Winston & Strawn (mid-size law firm award), Shipley Snell Montgomery (small firm award) and Jeremy North (individual award).
Harris County Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) Awards: Ernest Martin, who won “longevity of exemplary service to the Dispute Resolution Center,” and Heather Davis, who won “outstanding contribution to the Dispute Resolution Center.”
Finally, the Outstanding Legal Article in the Houston Lawyer award went to Nikki Morris, who wrote “Becoming a New Mom is Hard — But Law Firms Don’t Have to Make it Harder” for the November/December 2022 issue of The Houston Lawyer.
— On March 26, Witherite Law Group and 1-800-TruckWreck will donate 500 $100 Honey Baked Ham gift cards to provide Easter dinners to 500 families in need. This is the third year in a row for the firm to participate in this giveaway, which will be in partnership with Dallas radio station K104-FM. The issue seeks to address food insecurity, which affects millions of Americans and 630,000 in North Texas — the fourth largest U.S. region to struggle with this problem. Witherite Law is supporting 200 more families than in 2023, which accounts for a $20,000 donation increase from the firm.
“Hunger impacts people year-round, and we’re working to ease the burden during a holiday revered by many,” Witherite Law and 1-800-TruckWreck founding partner Amy Witherite said in a statement. “Our goal is to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our community, giving them something money cannot buy: peace of mind and time with loved ones on a day that represents hope and faith.”
North Texans in need can get their gift card from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m on March 26 at the Honey Baked Ham store in Arlington at 4201 S. Cooper St. Gift cards will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis.
— The Dallas Bar Association is seeking sponsors for its 32nd Annual Charity Golf Tournament on May 23. Proceeds from the tournament support the DBA’s Entrepreneurs in Community Lawyering, a 501(c)3 incubator program that supports and provides mentoring to newly licensed attorneys who are seeking to increase access to justice by serving clients of modest means. The all-day event also includes one hour of ethics CLE credit.
An expected 128 golfers will participate in the tournament and the event usually is attended by more than 150 lawyers, judges and guests from the Dallas area.
Firms that enter the tournament as a foursome or Double Eagle sponsor will compete against each other, and the winning firm-sponsored team will have bragging rights and the coveted Winner’s Cup for a year.
When: Thursday, May 23 (registration and lunch begins at 11 a.m.; the event begins at 1 p.m. and concludes at 6 p.m. with an auction).
Where: Cowboys Golf Club (1600 Fairway Drive, Grapevine, TX 76051)
Cost: $299 per player
How to sponsor: Visit here for information on the various levels and to register.
To donate: click here.