© 2017 The Texas Lawbook.
By Mark Curriden
(Aug. 29) – The Dallas-Fort Worth Outstanding Corporate Counsel Awards are getting a makeover to be more substantive and more inclusive, including honoring the successful team work between corporate legal departments and their outside law firms.
The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter and The Texas Lawbook unveiled the official categories Monday that the two organizations will honor at the 2017 Outstanding Corporate Counsel Awards ceremony in January at the Bush Institute.
The new ACC and Texas Lawbook awards do three things:
- They put more focus on the great work being performed by corporate legal departments;
- They celebrate the amazing legal work between corporate general counsel and the outside law firms that work for them; and
- They seek to be more inclusive of smaller in-house corporate legal operations.
A dozen law firms and professional legal organizations have already signed up to sponsor the Outstanding Corporate Counsel Awards, including Newhouse+Noblin, Bailey Brauer, Greenberg Traurig, Haynes and Boone, Locke Lord, Baker Botts and Winston & Strawn.
“There are still a handful of sponsorship opportunities available,” says Texas Lawbook Deputy Publisher Brooks Igo. “These sponsors will have direct involvement in the Outstanding Corporate Counsel Awards with ACC members and will play a prominent role in the event.”
Here are the new award categories:
Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a current or retired General Counsel or Asst. GC for their decades-long commitment to the legal profession and the corporate in-house counsel community.
Corporate M&A Deal of the Year honors a corporate legal department and its outside counsel for successfully guiding a company through a complex merger, acquisition or joint venture.
Assistant/Deputy GC of the Year Award (Large, Medium & Small/Solo Departments) recognizes individual in-house counsel for successes they achieved through their individual efforts and successes.
Community & Public Service Award celebrates an individual corporate in-house counsel for her or his commitment and service to the community, pro bono and public service.
Business Litigation of the Year Award honors a corporate legal department and its outside counsel for extraordinary success in a complex and high stakes litigation or trial.
Corporate Legal Dept. Diversity Award recognizes an individual corporate in-house counsel for her or his commitment and service to diversity initiatives.
Law Firm Diversity Award elevates a law firm for its commitment and service to diversity initiatives.
General Counsel of the Year (Large, Medium & Small/Solo Departments) honors individual General Counsel and Chief Legal Officers for successes they achieved through their individual efforts.
The Texas Lawbook and the Association of Corporate Counsel will send out the official submission form on Oct. 1. Submissions will be accepted during the month of October.
© 2017 The Texas Lawbook. Content of The Texas Lawbook is controlled and protected by specific licensing agreements with our subscribers and under federal copyright laws. Any distribution of this content without the consent of The Texas Lawbook is prohibited.
If you see any inaccuracy in any article in The Texas Lawbook, please contact us. Our goal is content that is 100% true and accurate. Thank you.