Cantey Hanger named Brian Newby, who served as general counsel and chief of staff to former Texas Governor Rick Perry, as the firm’s new managing partner on Monday.
Newby, the chair of Cantey Hanger’s public/regulatory practice, succeeds Michael Appleman, who has led the firm since August 2015. Newby first joined the Fort Worth law firm in 1991 and became partner in 1996.
In 2004, Newby left the firm to be Governor Perry’s general counsel. Three years later, he was named Perry’s chief of staff. He then served as director of the Division of Disaster Recovery and Renewal after Hurricane Ike hit Texas before returning to Cantey Hanger in 2009.
Newby’s record of public service also includes serving as vice chairman of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents and as deputy commander of the Texas National Air Guard. In Fort Worth, he has served on numerous boards including the Tarrant County Regional Water District, United Way Tarrant County and Cook Children’s Foundation.
“Brian has enjoyed success, and he has risen to the top, in all of his endeavors – from general counsel and chief of staff to the Governor of Texas to earning promotions to the rank of Major General in the United States Air Force,” Appleman said in a statement. “He will bring the same leadership skills to our organization, and I am looking forward to working with him and supporting him as he does.”
In his practice, Newby represents Fortune 500 companies, national insurance carriers, retail distributors, small businesses, school districts and water and transportation authorities in commercial litigation, administrative law and governmental affairs.