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GCs/Corp. Legal Depts.

Meet Kathryn Koorenny: The In-House Lawyer Who Quietly Saved American Airlines

Last week, a federal judge dismissed the $3 billion World Trade Center attack lawsuit against American Airlines. “The horrible attacks on September 11 were terrible for our country and, truthfully, could have been disastrous for our airline,” says Koorenny, an associate GC at American. “Those were my colleagues we lost that day and the lawsuits against us only added insult to our injuries by trying to blame us for the attacks." For a dozen years, the WTC cases have been Koorenny's life, but 10,000 hours or so later, the end of the litigation may be in sight.

Mark Curriden

Winners and More Winners at DFW GC Forum Golf Tourney

It was a hot day, but a cool event, for participants in the annual golf tournament of the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the General Counsel Forum. One stroke separated the first place team of GCs from Charles River Associates and Bell Helicopter and the second place team sponsored by Precision Discovery. FlexJet's Amanda Willis took the prize for the longest drive. Although no one hit a hole-in-one and won the Model S Tesla, a good time was had by all.

Mark Curriden

American Airlines Names Post Merger VP Over Legal and Regulatory Affairs

Long-time AA General Counsel Gary Kennedy is leaving after nearly three decades working in the airlines’ corporate legal department. AA CEO-in-waiting Doug Parker announced that his current executive vice president for corporate and government affairs at US Airways Group, Steve Johnson, will oversee the company’s legal and regulatory affairs.

Mark Curriden

Texas Law Firm GCs Watching Georgia Supreme Court Case

Do communications between a law firm's lawyers and its in-house GC fall under the attorney-client privilege and work product when a dispute arises between the law firm and one of its current clients? The Georgia Supreme Court is currently handling that exact dispute. “This is a case that every law firm and every corporate general counsel’s office should be watching,” says Randy Johnston, a Dallas legal ethics and malpractice expert.

Mark Curriden

Bob Dedman: Post ClubCorp, Guiding New Chapter of Family Business, Golf Legacy

Longtime Dallas businessman and SMU law graduate Bob Dedman is known for his thoughtful and deliberate decision-making. Yet, when presented with one of the most important deals of his career, he took fewer than five minutes. The back-story takes a bit longer to tell. It involves historical research, a golf legacy, a few colorful characters, a billionaire’s vision and even Mother Nature – not necessarily in that order.

Mark Curriden

Be a Leader? Why Should I? I’m just the Lawyer

Lawyers are trained to be leaders in their firms and in their communities. But in a time where risks to in-house and law firm counsel are significant - and sometimes even personal - will lawyers step up and take the leadership helm? Even though authentic leadership is so often lacking in today’s day and age, will the fear of very real consequences win out over the courage to lead?

Mark Curriden

GCs Added to Expanded Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee

Texas’ two U.S. Senators have named a 35-member commission to review and evaluate candidates interested in filling six open federal district judgeships and two openings on the federal circuit court of appeals. The Federal Judicial Evaluations Committee, appointed by Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, is stacked with high-profile Texas lawyers from the state’s largest and most prestigious law firms. New on the list, however, are four corporate general counsels, including chief legal officers or lawyers-turned-executives at JC Penney, Apache Corporation, Pride and Goldcrest Investments and Valley Baptist Health Systems. The panel will advise the two senators regarding the qualifications of federal judicial candidates nominated by President Obama for federal judicial positions that are currently open or become open during the next four years.

Mark Curriden

A G.C.’s Taste of Wine: Swirl. Sniff. Sip. Savor. Repeat.

Greg Blair’s love affair with wine began innocently enough early in the new millennium with the winning bid for a wine tasting at a fundraising auction for a school in Austin. Today, the general counsel for Amvensys Capital Group is back in Texas and generous with “how-to” advice for novice oenophiles.

Mark Curriden

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