A Hair Crazy? Haynes and Boone Partner Meshes Personal Passion with Legal Productivity

© 2015 The Texas Lawbook.

By Patricia Baldwin

(May 20) – Most men don’t want to lose their hair. Haynes and Boone partner Jeff Dorrill is happy he did. His smooth pate and slim physique hint at this attorney’s personal passion for long-distance triathlon events.

The 54-year-old says the pursuit makes him more productive as head of the firm’s tax section and as a member of the board of directors.

It wasn’t the law, however, but love that convinced Dorrill to hone the sports skills that have placed him among the best triathletes in his age group.

But first, a primer.

A triathlon is a multi-stage competition composed of sequential swimming, cycling and running events. Races vary in distance, ranging from the Sprint Triathlon (.47-mile swim, 12-mile bike ride, 3.1-mile run) to the Ironman (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a full marathon or 26.2-mile run).

Dorrill acknowledged that, to accommodate his goal of training about 12 hours per week, he sometimes trains after midnight. And, yes, some have called him a little crazy.

It all began simply enough in the fall of 2004. Dorrill’s future wife, Melisa, invited him to watch her run the Chicago Marathon.

A sometime 3K or 5K runner, Dorrill left the event determinedly thinking: Never again…

…Never again would he be a spectator.

“What hit me was the crowd. It was 10-people deep. There was cheering for 26 miles,” Dorrill recalled. “I’m a bit of an adrenalin junkie. I love the excitement of winning and the crowds.”

So he started training for long-distance, “endurance” events.

Since that fateful resolution, he has competed in more than 400 endurance races, including four Ironman triathlons and three Boston Marathons. He has set personal records in the events he’s competed in since turning 50. Next on his calendar: The June 6 National Duathlon Championships (run/bike) in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Also since that fateful resolution, he married. He and Melisa had a son. And he joined Haynes and Boone after 23 years at Hughes & Luce (which combined with K&L Gates in 2008).

He said he quickly learned that the Haynes and Boone management places a premium on lawyers being able to live full lives outside the office.

“I’ve been much more successful at endurance racing because Haynes and Boone and its attorneys and staff have been extremely flexible in allowing me to balance my work and training needs,” Dorrill said.

In fact, he and managing partner Tim Powers, an avid runner, have participated in several of the same half marathons.

Still, Powers expressed “awe” at Dorrill’s accomplishments, both professionally and as an Ironman.

“It takes an incredibly high level of discipline and dedication to be able to achieve the level of success that Jeff has enjoyed,” Powers said. “Jeff is one of a host of examples in our firm where attorneys and staff work together to balance work and their passions.

“We think we have happier and more fulfilled and productive professionals because of it.”

That philosophy was in evidence as Dorrill sat in a plane, ready to leave for Weihai, China, and the Long Distance Triathlon World Championships. He had qualified for Team USA as one of the top 18 competitors in his age category. He didn’t want to miss the trip.

At the same time, he had been working on his largest client’s biggest transaction, but he had been assured that the closing would not occur until after the trip.

Then his phone rang. The transaction had to close in two days. Dorrill called colleagues Matthew Schindel and Troy Christenson.

“They went into hyper-gear — even though they were already swamped — and did the almost impossible to make the closing happen,” Dorrill remembered. “I did whatever I could during my short layovers in L.A. and Seoul.”

Schindel, a partner in Haynes and Boone’s real estate section, said, “We have a teamwork culture at Haynes and Boone. It’s the philosophy here.”

Schindel noted that he has three children under age 13, and he doesn’t miss many family functions, thanks to back-up by colleagues like Dorrill.

“He covers as much for me as I do for him,” Schindel added.

Tony Soards, a Haynes and Boone partner also specializing in real estate, said he has run “many miles and races” with Dorrill.

“As a transactional lawyer, Jeff truly represents his clients’ interests with dedication and enthusiasm, but in a cooperative and a ‘let’s get the deal done’ spirit,” Soards said. “However, Jeff’s a pretty competitive person, and his triathlon/running seem to be the primary outlets for that competitive streak.”

He added, “I’m not sure Jeff sleeps.”

Dorrill laughed when asked about sleep. He said he thinks that his DNA has bestowed upon him the need for fewer hours of sleep than others require.

And because he’s looking forward to races, he said he finds himself more engaged with and more energized at work.

“No matter how many hours or how late we have to work on a deal, I know that I have more stamina than the attorneys on the other side of the table,” he said.

David Jones, one of the world’s top masters triathletes, works at Richardson Bike Mart. He has helped Dorrill with upgrading components on his bicycle.

“What impresses me about Jeff is his big commitment,” Jones said, noting “He gets creative with his schedule.”

Matthew Lopez, managing shareholder of MBL Law and CEO of MBL Title, recalled that he had known Dorrill for some time as a runner. So he was surprised when Dorrill emailed him for advice about a bicycle and his plans to undertake a time-consuming triathlon.

“I’ve always been impressed at how much energy Jeff has the busier he gets,” Lopez said. “He just seems to have more and more passion and fulfillment when he has too much to do.”

Lopez added that Dorrill “doesn’t just complete the races — he races them.”

Dorrill, no doubt, inspires others.

What inspires him?

“It’s about the other people’s stories,” he said.

While Dorrill completes an Ironman competition in about 12 hours, he explained that the competition must be finished in 17 hours.

He likes to stick around to see the final competitors cross the finish line about midnight.

For example, he recalled one late finisher who was a cancer patient.

Such determination “brings tears to your eyes,” he said.

“I would love to see more lawyers pursuing their passions,” he added. “It’s important for us all to use our talents.”

Do you have a special avocation, hobby or other lifestyle interest to share? Please email patricia.baldwin@texaslawbook.net.

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