Leslie Hillendahl shares what outside counsel needs to know about her and more.
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Kristina McQuaid of Phillips 66: A Reluctant Lawyer in a Purposeful Career
In her role as senior counsel at Phillips 66, Kristina McQuaid is asked to do more than M&A. Much more.
“At first, I did not want to be a lawyer. I really enjoyed math and wanted to be a stockbroker,” she says.
Now she finds herself nominated as a 2024 finalist for Senior Counsel of the Year for a Large Legal Department by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook.
Q&A: Kristina McQuaid
In her role as senior counsel at Phillips 66, Kristina McQuaid is asked to do more than M&A. Much more. The Lawbook had the chance to ask a few questions about her work and her expectations of outside counsel. We jumped on it.
CDT Roundup: 22 Deals, 14 Firms, 227 Lawyers, $14.9B
The $6.2 billion take-private sale of Minnesota utility Allete to a joint venture of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Global Infrastructure Partners would be noteworthy if just for the price tag alone. But a closer look reveals a common bond among the lawyers involved that graduates from noteworthy to extraordinary. The Roundup’s Claire Poole takes that closer look, along with her usual list of Texas-related transactions reported last week.
Litigation Roundup: American Airlines Sued Over In-Flight Death of Teen
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, a mother from the Bronx sues American Airlines in federal court in Fort Worth over the in-flight death of her 14-year-old son, USAA is accused in a proposed class action lawsuit of covertly operating a two-tier benefits system and a divided ruling from the state’s court of last resort for criminal cases makes a surprise appearance in this civil courts-focused article.
Texas GCs: Litigation Spend Soars in Post-Covid Era
Litigation spend by Texas companies with revenues of $1 billion or more reached an average of $3.9 million, according to Norton Rose Fulbright’s 19th annual trends survey of corporate general counsel. Two top lawyers from the firm discussed with The Texas Lawbook what is driving up the costs.
‘Many Lawyers Shrink in the Face of Crisis’ — Not LyondellBasell’s Brittany Ringel Walton
LyondellBasell senior counsel Brittany Ringel Walton had just put her children to bed in July 2021, when she received an urgent call about a leak at her company’s La Porte Complex. More than 100,000 pounds of acetic acid had been released. There were two fatalities, and another 30 people were taken to the hospital. Within minutes, Walton was on her way to the scene. Her first concern was the health and safety of her LyondellBasell colleagues at the La Porte facility but she also quickly comprehended the legal and regulatory issues that would come from the tragic event and immediately took the steps necessary to start investigating and addressing those issues and concerns.
The injuries and deaths of the workers — combined with the onslaught of governmental and civil investigations and lawsuits — exposed the companies to potentially hundreds of millions in legal claims and penalties. Instead, Walton’s thoughtful and proactive leadership that hot, humid night, the next day and throughout the legal processes during the past three years since the tragedy led to widespread praise and acclaim from company leaders, the board of directors and employees. Citing Walton’s success and leadership under pressure, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook have named Walton a finalist for the 2024 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Senior Counsel of the Year for a Large Legal Department.
Q&A: Brittany Ringel Walton
For Premium Subscibers LyondellBasell’s Brittany Ringel Walton shares what outside counsel needs to know about her and more. The Texas Lawbook: What are the factors you consider when deciding about
Q&A: Sean Jamieson
In this Q&A, Sean Jamieson shares his thoughts on effective diversity and inclusion initiatives the legal industry can be engaging in, what outside counsel needs to know about him and what he perceives as the biggest challenges when it comes to DEI.
Phillips 66: Taking Two Deals to Take a Midstream Private
When Jenarae Garland arrived as a new managing counsel at Phillips 66, she could be excused for not being fully prepared for the part she would come to play in the $3.8 billion take-private purchase of DCP Midstream LP. She was the junior member of a three-attorney team leading the deal, ranking behind Deputy General Counsel Rob Task and Managing Counsel Maine Goodfellow. Along with their outside counsel Bracewell, the deal has also resulted in their nomination as finalists for 2024 M&A Transaction of the Year by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook.