As a law student, Alana Newhook dreamed of working as a lawyer for a professional hockey team. Five years later, she is living that dream. “[Newhook] is already the envy of many attorneys as she has combined her legal skills and talents with her passion for hockey,” says FedEx Office GC Kimble Scott. At age 29, Newhook may be the youngest corporate general counsel in Texas. This is her story.

Managing outside counsel relationships can be challenging for general counsel. With a new year on the horizon, now is the perfect time for corporate legal departments to create or update an “outside counsel guidelines” that governs everything from billing practices and use of outside vendors to specifics about the lawyers and support staff you want working on your matters. In this edition of Ten Things, Miller reminds GCs that the many facets of an outside counsel relationship need constant management.

Eighteen year Mary Kay veteran Julia A. Simon has been promoted to be the cosmetic and personal care company’s top corporate lawyer. Addison-based Mary Kay announced Thursday that Simon, who has been the company’s deputy general counsel, is its new chief legal officer.

Hunt Consolidated has named former Energy Future Holdings General Counsel Stacey H. Doré as its new senior vice president and chief legal officer for two of its affiliated companies, Hunt Utility Services and InfraREIT.

Hunt Consolidated has named former Energy Future Holdings General Counsel Stacey H. Doré as its new senior vice president and chief legal officer for two of its affiliated companies, Hunt Utility Services and InfraREIT.

Jack Balagia, who turned 65 on Wednesday, officially retires next week as ExxonMobil’s general counsel. In an exclusive interview with The Texas Lawbook, Balagia discusses his career, his biggest successes, his epic golf matches against former AT&T GC Wayne Watts, his efforts to diversity the legal profession, life inside the ExxonMobil legal department, his view of law firm rankings and the biggest legal issues facing the world’s largest oil and gas company. Balagia made one point career: he may be retiring, but he’s not done as a lawyer.

Regina Gregory has been the top lawyer at Houston-based American Midstream Partners for only six weeks, but she has already overseen a $2 billion acquisition. A 1996 graduate of the University of Oklahoma School of Law, Gregory was named American Midstream’s new general counsel, corporate secretary and senior vice president in September.

AT&T General Counsel David McAtee, Associate General Counsel John J. O’Connor, Assistant General Counsel David Lawson and teams of lawyers from Sullivan & Cromwell and Arnold & Porter are leading the communications giant’s efforts to acquire Time Warner for $85 billion.

AT&T General Counsel David McAtee, Associate General Counsel John J. O’Connor, Assistant General Counsel David Lawson and teams of lawyers from Sullivan & Cromwell and Arnold & Porter are leading the communications giant’s efforts to acquire Time Warner for $85 billion.

In this edition of “Ten Things,” I search for the perfect arbitration clause. Alas, much like Moby Dick, El Dorado, Sasquatch, and honesty in politicians, the search comes up dry. But, with a little work, you can come up with a “really damn good” arbitration clause that will better suit your company’s interests and goals. It requires time and effort, such as taking a long look at the clauses you are using now and asking yourself some tough questions about what you really want to get out of an arbitration process. If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, here are some things you need to consider and think through when drafting an arbitration provision.

Exxon Mobil General Counsel Jack Balagia has announced he is officially retiring as the Irving-based oil and gas giant’s top lawyer in three weeks. Balagia, who has been with Exxon Mobil for 18 years, says current assistant general counsel Randall Ebner will succeed him as the company’s chief legal officer.