© 2015 The Texas Lawbook.
By Brooks Igo
(July 29) – Dena DeNooyer Stroh will always remember her first day at Gruber Hurst in May of 2010.
She thought she was going to be working with founding partner Michael Hurst on a property dispute case, but to her surprise, he designated her as first-chair on the case and let her lead from beginning to end. He didn’t even show up for the trial.
In a separate pro bono case she was appointed to and served as first-chair, Hurst came on the case as her second-chair.
“It showed huge confidence in me,” said Stroh, who is now the general counsel of the North Texas Tollway Authority. “You need male lawyers like Michael that give women lawyers the opportunity to succeed.”
Last week, the Dallas Women Lawyers Association (DWLA) recognized Hurst for his contributions to the advancement of women in the law by awarding him with the Louise B. Raggio Award. He is the first man in DWLA’s 46-year-history to receive the honor.
“It is imperative that in order to effect change we need to involve men and honor them when they are working as hard as we do to effect change,” said Nicole Knox, president of the Dallas Women Lawyers Association (DWLA).
Hurst says he was fortunate to be raised by and around strong women, including his mother, wife and 12-year-old daughter. Professionally, he credits watching Lisa Blue in the courtroom and working with Mary Goodrich Nix as helping him see the “significance and importance of having a woman on your trial team.
“I learned early in my career the importance of diversity of thought and experiences,” he said.
The DWLA recognizing Hurst for empowering women lawyers is especially timely given the research report the American Bar Association published this year on the participation of women lawyers as lead counsel and trial counsel in litigation.
The report found that a man is three times more likely to play the role of lead counsel on a civil case than a woman. The variance is even more significant when looking at lawyers who represent businesses –80 percent of whom are male.
Dallas Judge Tonya Parker, a mentee of Hurst, noted in her nomination letter that “Michael helped us believe we could be lead trial attorneys, partners, rain-makers, general counsels, and judges.”
Indeed, Hurst has mentored women who have gone on to hold positions such as managing partner of a national law firm, general counsel of a top energy company, general counsel of a top oil and gas company and a district court judge.
“Some of the most respected female attorneys believe that without Michael they wouldn’t be where they are today,” Knox said.
Hurst, who received the Outstanding Mentor Award from the Texas Young Lawyers Association and Dallas Association of Young Lawyers last year, says it is important for the development and mentoring of female attorneys to provide support and encouragement, autonomy, a platform and flexibility in their work.
“I don’t know how my mother, my wife, [my colleague] Shonn Brown, juggle being mothers and primary caregivers with a career,” said Hurst, who is among the first men co-chairing the annual luncheon for the Dallas Women’s Foundation later this year. “I don’t know many men that could accomplish that.”
The DWLA also announced the recipients of its Outstanding Female Partner Awards, Outstanding Female Corporate Counsel Award and Rising Raggio Award.
Diana Bearden, a partner at Strasburger & Price; Rhonda Hunter, a partner at Dallas’ Farrow-Gillespie & Heath; and Karen McCloud were named the winners of the Outstanding Female Partner Awards for large, medium and small firms, respectively.
Rachel Gonzalez, executive vice president and general counsel at Southlake, TX-based Sabre Corp., won the Outstanding Female Corporate Counselor Award, which recognizes a female lawyer who has worked in a corporate legal environment for five years or more.
Tiffanie Limbrick, an associate at Sidley Austin in Dallas, was recognized with the Rising Raggio Award, which is given to a female lawyers who has been practicing for less than six years and who has had significant professional accomplishments.
All of the honorees will receive their awards at the DWLA annual fundraiser reception on Oct. 15.
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