Q&A: Thomas Gottsegen
PURIS GC Thomas Gottsegen discusses what he seeks in outside counsel and more: Texas Lawbook: What are the factors you consider when deciding about hiring outside counsel? Thomas Gottsegen: I always
Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
Mark Curriden is a lawyer/journalist and founder of The Texas Lawbook. In addition, he is a contributing legal correspondent for The Dallas Morning News.
Mark Curriden is a lawyer/journalist and founder of The Texas Lawbook. In addition, he is a contributing legal correspondent for The Dallas Morning News.
Mark is the author of the best selling book Contempt of Court: A Turn-of-the-Century Lynching That Launched a Hundred Years of Federalism. The book received the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award and numerous other honors. He also is a frequent lecturer at bar associations, law firm retreats, judicial conferences and other events. His CLE presentations have been approved for ethics credit in nearly every state.
From 1988 to 1994, Mark was the legal affairs writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he covered the Georgia Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He authored a three-part series of articles that exposed rampant use of drug dealers and criminals turned paid informants by local and federal law enforcement authorities, which led to Congressional oversight hearings. A related series of articles by Mark contributed to a wrongly convicted death row inmate being freed.
The Dallas Morning News made Mark its national legal affairs writer in 1996. For more than six years, Mark wrote extensively about the tobacco litigation, alleged price-fixing in the pharmaceutical industry, the Exxon Valdez litigation, and more than 25 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. Mark also authored a highly-acclaimed 16-part series on the future of the American jury system. As part of his extensive coverage of the tobacco litigation, Mark unearthed confidential documents and evidence showing that the then Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, had made a secret deal with a long-time lawyer and friend in which the friend would have profited hundreds of millions of dollars from the tobacco settlement. As a direct result of Mark’s articles, the U.S. Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation, which led to the indictment and conviction of Mr. Morales.
For the past 25 years, Mark has been a senior contributing writer for the ABA Journal, which is the nation’s largest legal publication. His articles have been on the cover of the magazine more than a dozen times. He has received scores of honors for his legal writing, including the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award, the American Judicature Society’s Toni House Award, the American Trial Lawyer’s Amicus Award, and the Chicago Press Club’s Headliner Award. Twice, in 2001 and 2005, the American Board of Trial Advocates named Mark its “Journalist of the Year.”
From 2002 to 2010, Mark was the senior communications counsel at Vinson & Elkins, a 750-lawyer global law firm.
Mark’s book, Contempt of Court, tells the story of Ed Johnson, a young black man from Chattanooga, Tenn., in 1906. Johnson was falsely accused of rape, railroaded through the criminal justice system, found guilty and sentenced to death – all in three weeks. Two African-American lawyers stepped forward to represent Johnson on appeal. In doing so, they filed one of the first federal habeas petitions ever attempted in a state criminal case. The lawyers convinced the Supreme Court of the United States to stay Johnson’s execution. But before they could have him released, a lynch mob, aided by the sheriff and his deputies, lynched Johnson. Angered, the Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the sheriff and leaders of the mob, charging them with contempt of the Supreme Court. It is the only time in U.S. history that the Supreme Court conducted a criminal trial.
You can reach Mark at mark.curriden@texaslawbook.net or 214.232.6783.
PURIS GC Thomas Gottsegen discusses what he seeks in outside counsel and more: Texas Lawbook: What are the factors you consider when deciding about hiring outside counsel? Thomas Gottsegen: I always

In the three and a half years since joining Cardinal System Holdings, General Counsel Sara-Ashley Moreno has led several significant and highly complex financial transactions, including three projects in 2023. Some of the projects, such as an $185 million hybrid/synthetic lease structure in Florida, are highly complex because Cardinal’s holdings span across operators, real estate and venture investments. Citing her extraordinary work in 2023, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook named Moreno a finalist for the 2024 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for General Counsel of the Year for a Solo Legal Department.
For Premium Subscribers Cardinal Systems GC Sara-Ashley Moreno discusses her biggest challenges, what she seeks in outside counsel, what they need to know about her and her career in this

Linda Primrose has a passion for education. It is in her genes. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s degree in environmental sciences, a law degree and a senior executive program certificate from the London Business School. “I love to learn … and would gladly still be in school obtaining additional degrees,” Primrose told The Texas Lawbook. “Unfortunately, that isn’t practical.”
Primrose discovered the second best thing: Being a lawyer at Mitsui & Co., an international company with 10 business divisions ranging from iron and steel products, mineral and metal resources and infrastructure projects to mobility business, foods and retail, wellness and IT and communication. The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook have named Primrose a finalist for the 2024 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for General Counsel of the Year for a Midsized Legal Department.
For Premium Subscribers Mitsui GC Linda Primrose discusses her hero in life, what she seeks when hiring outside counsel and efforts at diversity and inclusion. The Texas Lawbook: Who is

Mark Shaw has witnessed a lot of crises and successes during his 24 years as a lawyer for Southwest Airlines, but the day that stands out most is Sept. 13, 2001. “I will never forget seeing that first flight after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 taking off from Love Field,” Shaw told The Texas Lawbook in an interview Thursday. “It had been a horrible, tragic few days, but American flags were everywhere and seeing the spirit of everyone moving forward was amazing.”
Southwest announced Wednesday that Shaw, 61, is resigning as the company’s chief legal and chief regulatory officer on May 31 for family reasons. Shaw, who has been the general counsel since 2013, will remain with the company in an executive advisory role.
For Premium Subscribers TGS GC Tana Pool discusses her biggest challenges, what she seeks in outside counsel, diversity efforts and how the role of the GC has changed during her

Tana Pool is a self-described “small town girl.” The adopted daughter of Texas panhandle cotton farmers, she had never traveled outside the U.S. before becoming a lawyer. Then, a decade ago, Pool became the general counsel of a global Norwegian-based energy data and intelligence corporation that has a $1.7 billion market cap. She now has offices in Oslo, London and Houston. She is doing M&A deals around the world.
During her 17 years at TGS and Quanta Services, Pool has done more than a dozen acquisitions and joint ventures, negotiated more than $1 billion in credit facilities and is now on the verge of closing TGS' largest M&A transaction — the acquisition of Oslo-headquartered Petroleum Geo Services (PGS) for 9.3 billion Norwegian crowns (roughly $864 million) in a merger of equals. Recognizing her long list of extraordinary achievements, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook are awarding Pool with the 2024 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Hugo Teste is the general counsel and vice president of legal of Vopak. In this Q&A, Teste discusses the factors he uses when hiring outside counsel and specific items outside lawyers need to know about him.

As a first-year lawyer at Mayer Brown in Houston, Hugo Testé was given a case that his partner told him he was "going to lose.” His new client was a 19-year-old Honduran mom and her three-year-old daughter seeking asylum. The son of Cuban immigrants, Testé said the case hit home right away. “After one meeting with my clients I knew that I couldn't afford to lose,” he said.
Nineteen years later, Testé is the general counsel of Vopak, where he has guided the chemical, oil and gas and biofuels storage corporation through numerous transformation transactions. Testé’s 2023 successes are the reason that the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook are honoring him with the 2024 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for General Counsel of the Year for a Small Legal Department (less than five lawyers).
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