In this week’s P.S. Column, the Dallas-area legal community is recognized for raising more than $145,000 and donating nearly half a ton of food to the North Texas Food Bank through the annual Food from the Bar campaign, with top-performing firms honored at a recent awards celebration. In Houston, Bracewell and Cheniere Energy recently worked a free legal clinic at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, assisting 23 veterans with challenges such as housing disputes. Meanwhile, Kirkland & Ellis and AlixPartners have launched the first-ever Knock Out the Need blood drive to address summer shortages. Other notable updates include nonprofit board appointments, scholarship awards and Communities Foundation of Texas presenting its 2025 Vester Hughes Award to Holland & Knight’s David Rosenberg.
Food from the Bar: North Texas Award Winners Announced
The Dallas-area legal community raised $145,718 and 940 pounds of food to the North Texas Food Bank as part of the annual “Food from the Bar” campaign in April. The effort also drew 85 on-site volunteers, collectively equating to about 445,460 meals for North Texans, according to the Food Bank.
Nineteen teams vied for various prizes that were announced during a celebration at the Arts District Mansion in Dallas last week. The winners were:
- Power of Attorney Award – Top Team Overall – Vinson & Elkins LLP
- Partner 4 Hope Award – Top Team Per Capita – Simon Greenstone Panatier, PC
- Collective Force Award – Most Volunteers – Kershaw Anderson King, PLLC
- Can Do Award – Most Food Donated – Bank of America Legal Department
- #RaiseTheBar Award – Top Social Media Campaign – Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel
- Broadest Appeal Award – Most Active Campaign – Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
- New Counsel Award – Top First Year Team – Walters, Balido & Crain
Now in its seventh year locally, the campaign focuses on fighting food insecurity during the summer months, when children who rely on school meals often go without.
Veterans Get Help from Bracewell, Cheniere
At a recent free legal clinic for military veterans, Bracewell Houston partner Richard Whiteley met a former servicemember facing a difficult living situation: his apartment had been damaged in a fire, and his landlord was refusing to make repairs or provide alternative housing.
Whiteley grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and began drafting a formal notice for the veteran to send the landlord, citing the Texas law that requires landlords to maintain habitable living conditions and demanding prompt action.
Stories like this are common at the veterans legal clinics hosted by Houston Volunteer Lawyers, where attorneys from Bracewell and their client Cheniere Energy have volunteered their time. These clinics are especially meaningful, Whiteley said, because they offer an opportunity to give back to those who have served the country.
In April, a team of Bracewell and Cheniere lawyers staffed a clinic at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston, where they provided legal assistance to 23 veterans.
“It always feels rewarding when you help someone with a legal issue,” Whiteley said of the veterans clinics. “You can just tell it’s a huge relief for them because there’s this problem they have and they feel like it’s insurmountable.”
Bracewell has long partnered with Houston Volunteer Lawyers and commits to taking one pro bono case for every five attorneys at the office. This year, the Houston office committed to 27 cases from June to June and far exceeded that goal, said Whiteley, who chairs the firm’s pro bono initiatives in Houston and who has led the effort for the past three years.
Whiteley describes pro bono service as a “moral and ethical” responsibility.
Bracewell has now brought Cheniere to the veterans clinic twice, allowing the team to help more veterans and build connections with each other, Whiteley said.
“It’s good to work with a client on something outside of their particular legal issue that you get paid for,” Whiteley said.
Dallas Law and Finance Leaders Launch Blood Drive to Address Summer Shortages
Kirkland & Ellis partner Michael Considine and AlixPartners partner Ted Stafford have announced an inaugural Knock Out the Need Blood Drive — a friendly competition among Dallas-area law and financial firms aimed at combating shortages of blood donations during the summer months.
The three-day campaign will take place from June 16 to June 18 at The Crescent Club’s Gourmet Room, located at 200 Crescent Court in Dallas. Blood donations will be accepted each day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The winner will receive a customized championship belt to keep until the next competition anticipated for next year, Considine said.
Participants are encouraged to schedule appointments in advance by visiting the American Red Cross website and entering the code crescentclub.
Considine and Stafford serve on the Dallas Fort Worth Metro East Board of Directors for the American Red Cross and are spearheading the initiative to engage local firms in a good cause while fostering team spirit.
Communities Foundation of Texas Recognizes David Rosenberg
Communities Foundation of Texas bestowed its 2025 Vester Hughes Award to Holland & Knight Dallas partner David Rosenberg.
Named in honor of the legendary tax lawyer and Hughes & Luce co-founder, the award commemorates his longstanding commitment to charitable work and his support of the organization’s philanthropic efforts.
This year marks the fourth time CFT has presented the Vester Hughes Award.
“There is not a nonprofit in town that doesn’t know David’s name, or who hasn’t benefited from work that David has provided to them or to others,” said Carolyn Newham, general counsel for Communities Foundation of Texas.
Rosenberg said he knew in college that he wanted to be a tax lawyer. He said he naturally gravitated to nonprofit organizations, which have been the focus of his practice for more than three decades.
Rosenberg is both compassionate and intelligent, said Mike McCullough, a former colleague at Thompson & Knight who recruited Rosenberg to the firm’s nonprofit and tax-exempt section.
Michael George, senior development officer of The Catholic Foundation, added, “It’s been said about Mr. Hughes that he keeps his friends and he retains his clients for life. I think a lot of people feel that exact same way about David, whether they are clients, colleagues or friends.”
DFW Lawyers Take on Nonprofit Leadership Roles
Hagar’s Heart, a North Texas-based nonprofit organization that supports domestic violence survivors, has announced the addition of Helen Yoon to its Board of Directors. Yoon, associate general counsel at Integer Holdings Corporation, also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the DFW Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel.
Bill Stark, a shareholder in the Dallas office of Greenberg Traurig, has been appointed to the Board of Directors for Camp Eagle, a Christian adventure camp in the Texas Hill Country.
Witherite Law Group Awards Scholarships to Fort Worth Students
The Witherite Law Group and 1-800-TruckWreck awarded $127,000 in scholarships to 51 graduating seniors from Fort Worth’s Dunbar High School. The awards were presented through the firm’s annual “Making a Difference” scholarship program, now in its 11th year.
Each student received a $2,500 scholarship, which is renewable annually for students who maintain a 2.5 GPA and enroll in at least 12 college credit hours. Notably, every Dunbar student who applied for the scholarship this year was selected, according to the firm.
Witherite Law Group and 1-800TruckWreck began their partnership with Dunbar in 2014. Since then, they have awarded 404 initial scholarships and 398 renewals, representing nearly $2 million across multiple schools.
“Most people cannot afford college outright, so scholarships can be a lifeline for students,” Witherite said. “We are proud to support these remarkable students as they take the next step toward their futures.”