Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
Mary Nichols didn’t invent the Texas workers’ compensation system, but she may be its most ardent and aggressive defender. The article examines the 17 years Nichols has been GC at Texas Mutual, her landmark courtroom victories, and her relationships with outside counsel.
Top in-house lawyers say their job responsibilities have tremendously expanded. Today, general counsels find themselves involved in every aspect of their corporate operations
Berg has handled some of the most complex legal transactions in the global energy sector during the past few years. The energy deals, which valued in the billions and completely transformed the large, independent oil and gas exploration and production company and its investments. “We hire lawyers who know our company and want to partner with us. We still see this as a legal profession, not as a commodity and we treat it as such," says Berg. “The law firms that will survive in this new environment are those who go back and look at how the practice of law used to be."
S.M. Krishna, India’s Minster of External Affairs and a 1959 graduate of the SMU Dedman School of Law, is returning to his alma mater Wednesday. The highest-ranking Indian official to ever visit Dallas, Krishna’s presence comes at a time when Texas-based companies are doing more and more business with their counterparts in India. During the past two years, businesses in Texas, including Fluor Corp, Pioneer Natural Resources, Atlas Energy and ConocoPhillips, have inked more than a dozen deals with companies in India. In addition, Indian-based companies are hiring Texas-based law firms, including Thompson & Knight, Vinson & Elkins and Akin Gump, to handle their complex legal transactional work in Texas and globally.
Hired by rig owner Transocean just days after the deadly Deepwater Horizon explosion, Rachel Giesber Clingman approached the case with her trademark relentless preparation. Her early work proved critical, as she faced a maze of complex litigation, Congressional hearings and the challenge of leading a team of independent trial lawyers. For Clingman, the case she is reluctant to discuss is the high point of a 20-year career, showcasing, and at times testing, the skills that have propelled her from a small Texas Hill Country town to her current position, at age 45, as the go-to defender of energy companies in trouble.
Richard Horstman, who is widely recognized as one of the leading lawyers for international oil exploration and production, didn’t do much pro bono during his first 30 years at Marathon Oil. Five years ago, the energy giant implemented a formal pro bono effort. The assistant GC now performs more than 200 hours of pro bono a year handling child immigration cases. “Pro bono certainly changed my view of myself as a lawyer,” says Horstman. “I realized that I am one of the few who can do this because of my expertise as a lawyer.”
Carlson was a member of DART's board of directors for almost a decade before becoming the new GC.
Carlson was a member of DART's board of directors for almost a decade before becoming the new GC.
At age 38, Stroh is one of the youngest general counsels in the oil and gas sector. A former partner at Gruber Hurst, Stroh specializes in complex civil litigation and appellate law. “I’ve basically changed positions – from lawyer to a businesswoman,” she says. “My job is to identify problems early so that I can nip them in the bud or fix it before it becomes a bigger problem.”
SMU Dedman Law School leads national list with three CEOs at the helm of Fortune top 50 companies.
Winston is former Associate GC and Corporate Secretary at EFH and TXU and former Associate Counsel to President Clinton
Dallas energy company also names Stephanie Zapata Moore as GC at Luminant
ExxonMobil and Fulbright develop unique partnership through Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program.
From Dell and Shell to AT&T and ExxonMobil, corporate legal departments take pro bono efforts of outside law firms into account during the hiring process.
James Matthews will become vice president, general counsel and secretary of Denbury Resources.
James Matthews will become vice president, general counsel and secretary of Denbury Resources.
Haynes and Boone partner is new Assistant General Counsel for Litigation and Antitrust Matters for Telecommunications Company.
Haynes and Boone partner is new Assistant General Counsel for Litigation and Antitrust Matters for Telecommunications Company.
AMR Corporation’s filing for Chapter 11 sent bankruptcy lawyers in north Texas scrambling Tuesday to line up clients and could put an estimated $100 million in the coffers of a couple prominent national law firms.
Dynegy and American Airlines are multibillion-dollar corporations based in Texas based companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November. Their restructurings are predicted to be lengthy and highly complex, meaning that legal fees could approach $100 million each.
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