Six lawyers at North Texas companies have been named finalists for the 2025 DFW Corporate Counsel Awards for Senior Counsel of the Year.
The Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Texas Lawbook announced Wednesday that Dropbox Senior Counsel Victoria Nwankwo and Match Group Associate General Counsel Stephen Myers have been selected as finalists for the DFW Senior Counsel of the Year Award for a Large Legal Department (21 attorneys or more). Fisher Phillips partner Amanda Brown nominated Nwankwo, while Angela Zambrano, a partner and co-leader of Sidley Austin’s Dallas office, nominated Myers.
ACC-DFW and The Lawbook also named Children’s Health Associate GC Kathleen Benner and Michaels Stores Deputy GC Jane Ann Neiswender as the two finalists for the 2025 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Senior Counsel of the Midsized Legal Department (six to 20 lawyers). Children’s Health General Counsel Amy Yeager nominated Benner for the honor. Michelle Hartmann, who is the managing partner of the Texas operations of Baker McKenzie, nominated Neiswender.
For DFW Senior Counsel of the Year for a Small Legal Department (1-5 attorneys), ACC-DFW and The Lawbook announced that PGA of American Deputy General Counsel Ted Koehler and Caris Life Sciences Deputy GC Ginger Appleberry are the two finalists. Fisher Phillips partner Adam Sloustcher nominated Koehler, and Paul Genender, co-managing partner of Paul Hastings’ Texas offices nominated Appleberry.
The DFW Corporate Counsel Awards honor in-house lawyers for their extraordinary legal and business successes during the past year.
During the past week, ACC-DFW and The Lawbook have announced the finalists for Business Litigation of the Year, M&A Transaction of the Year, General Counsel of the Year and Corporate Legal Department of the Year. The finalists for Rookie of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service and Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion will be announced later this week.
“We are proud of the Corporate Counsel Awards program, which showcases the strength of our in-house legal community in Dallas–Fort Worth through the combined efforts of ACC-DFW and The Texas Lawbook,” said Canadian Solar U.S. Manufacturing General Counsel Olesja Cormney, who will be president of the DFW Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel in 2026. “Recognizing peers for their contributions, talent and leadership not only celebrates individual achievements but also elevates the entire profession in our area. The credibility and prestige of the Corporate Counsel Awards rest on the strength of this community’s participation and on the rigor of our judging process.”
“Since 2018, The Texas Lawbook has been an invaluable partner to us — helping us expand our reach, deliver meaningful insights, and recognize the outstanding contributions of our peers,” Cormney said. “Mark and his team are highly respected across the legal community, bringing energy, enthusiasm and connection that advance our profession.”
Here are the 2025 DFW Corporate Counsel Award finalists named so far:
DFW Business Litigation of the Year (which recognizes the corporate legal department and its outside counsel):
- Keurig Dr Pepper and assistant GC Stephen Cole with outside counsel Kirkland & Ellis partner Jeremy Fielding; and
- Energy Transfer and its deputy GC Sam Hardy and Gibson Dunn partner Trey Cox.
M&A Transaction of the Year (which also recognizes the corporate legal department and outside counsel):
- Celanese Corporation and its vice president of corporate global strategy, Adam Shulman, and its outside lawyers at A&O Shearman; and
- Comerica and its in-house legal team, which included Chief Legal Officer Von Hays, Deputy GC Nicole Gersch, Deputy GC Hope Schall, Deputy GC Shannon Barrow, Division GC for Capital Markets and M&A Steven Franklin and Deputy GC Ashley Fincher. Outside counsel was Wachtell Lipton. They were nominated by Fisher Phillips partner Amanda Brown and Comerica Regulatory Counsel Elizabeth Davidson.
GC of the Year — Small
There are three finalists for General Counsel of the Year for a Small Legal Department (two to five attorneys). They are:
- CSW Industrials GC Luke Alverson, who was nominated by A&O Shearman partner Robert Cardone;
- Solo Brands GC Chris Blevins, who was nominated by Greenberg Traurig shareholder Rob LeBlanc; and
- Trintech GC Heather Randall, who was nominated by Baker McKenzie partner Michelle Hartmann.
GC of the Year — Solo
The judges selected a single finalist and thus a recipient of the GC of the Year for a Solo Department. He is:
- Presidio Investment Holdings GC Brett Barnes, who was nominated by Jeremy Pettit, a partner at Sidley Austin.
GC of the Year — Large
The sole finalist for DFW General Counsel of the Year for a Large Legal Department (21 attorneys or more) is:
- PepsiCo Foods General Counsel Adrienne Mosley, who was nominated by Candace Uduebor, legal director at PepsiCo North America.
GC/Senior Counsel of the Year — Nonprofit/Gov’t Agency
The award recipient of the General Counsel/Senior Counsel of the Year for a Nonprofit or Governmental Agency is:
Parkland Health Associate General Counsel and Interim Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs Brad Nitschke, who was nominated by construction and infrastructure lawyer Marc Gravely of Gravely Attorneys and Counselors.
Corp. Legal Dept. of the Year
There are two finalists for the DFW Corporate Legal Department of the Year Award. They are:
- Charles Schwab and its Chief Counsel Shamoil Shipchandler, who was nominated by Sidley Austin Partner Angela Zambrano; and
- PepsiCo North America and PepsiCo Foods, which was nominated by Candace Uduebor, legal director at PepsiCo North America.
“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 Texas Lawbook publisher Brooks Igo. “This group also represents the great diversity of business sectors and success stories. 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 champions who will allow these stories to be shared with our legal community.”
Lawyers and law firms interested in sponsoring the DFW Corporate Counsel Awards should contact Igo at brooks.igo@texaslawbook.net.
GC of the Year — Small
There are three finalists for General Counsel of the Year for a Small Legal Department (two to five attorneys). They are:
- CSW Industrials GC Luke Alverson, who was nominated by A&O Shearman partner Robert Cardone;
- Solo Brands GC Chris Blevins, who was nominated by Greenberg Traurig shareholder Rob LeBlanc; and
- Trintech GC Heather Randall, who was nominated by Baker McKenzie partner Michelle Hartmann.
GC of the Year — Solo
The judges selected a single finalist and thus a recipient of the GC of the Year for a Solo Department. He is:
- Presidio Investment Holdings GC Brett Barnes, who was nominated by Jeremy Pettit, a partner at Sidley Austin.
GC of the Year — Large
The sole finalist for DFW General Counsel of the Year for a Large Legal Department (21 attorneys or more) is:
- PepsiCo Foods General Counsel Adrienne Mosley, who was nominated by Candace Uduebor, legal director at PepsiCo North America.
GC/Senior Counsel of the Year — Non-Profit/Gov’t Agency
The award recipient of the General Counsel/Senior Counsel of the Year for a Non-Profit or Governmental Agency is:
- Parkland Health Associate General Counsel and Interim Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs Brad Nitschke, who was nominated by construction and infrastructure lawyer Marc Gravely of Gravely Attorneys and Counselors.
Corp. Legal Dept. of the Year
There are two finalists for the DFW Corporate Legal Department of the Year Award. They are:
- Charles Schwab and its Chief Counsel Shamoil Shipchandler, who was nominated by Sidley Austin Partner Angela Zambrano; and
- PepsiCo North America and PepsiCo Foods, which was nominated by Candace Uduebor, legal director at PepsiCo North America.
“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 Texas Lawbook publisher Brooks Igo. “This group also represents the great diversity of business sectors and success stories. 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 champions who will allow these stories to be shared with our legal community.”
Lawyers and law firms interested in sponsoring the DFW Corporate Counsel Awards should contact Igo at brooks.igo@texaslawbook.net.