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P.S. — Dallas Lawyers Launch Nonprofit to Keep Kids in Competitive Soccer 

When Sarita Prabhu and Jacque Kruppa first enrolled their sons in recreational soccer, it cost about $80. 

But as the boys advanced into more competitive leagues, the price tag climbed to upwards of $5,000. 

They saw other kids drop out because their families could not keep up with the rising costs. 

Prabhu, managing vice president and legal counsel at Gartner, and Kruppa, a partner and transactional lawyer at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, occasionally made donations to their nonprofit soccer club to bridge the gap. But they also began thinking about how they could make a broader impact after seeing the value soccer provided their kids beyond the field – leadership, teamwork, strategy, grit and exposure to diverse groups of kids. 

The result was Dallas Soccer Scholars, which launched in July, obtained 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in January, and has accepted 12 scholars into the program. Additional applications are pending for the 2026-2027 season. The organization has also sponsored two soccer tournament teams to ease travel costs.

That and more in this edition of P.S.

As Austin Business Skyrockets, So Too Does Reliance on Modern Dispute Resolution  

As the city has grown rapidly, this thriving business hub has seen increased complexity in legal disputes tied to technology, construction, energy, healthcare, and employment matters, just to name a few. With this increase, the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services has also steadily risen. Fortunately, Austin has long enjoyed a sophisticated ADR marketplace, serving this expanding business community for approximately three decades.

ConocoPhillips’ Scott Kelly: 2025 was ‘Most Challenging and Rewarding Year Ever’

Scott Kelly accomplished more in his first year at ConocoPhillips than many in-house counsel accomplish in decades of service. Kelly joined the ConocoPhillips legal department in December 2024 but has already won three major trials, defeating $250 million in claims against ConocoPhillips and recovering $12 million in damages. And he settled a fourth case that involved multiple fatalities.

Citing these huge courtroom victories, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook are awarding the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Senior Counsel of the Year Award for a Large Legal Department to Kelly.

KBR’s Kriste Sullivan Instrumental in ‘Mighty Big’ Win 

When a federal jury in Houston hit KBR with a $71 million verdict in a trade secrets case involving processes used to manufacture polycarbonate, the engineering and construction firm’s senior counsel Kriste Sullivan didn’t flinch. 

She knew the plaintiffs had taken a big gamble. And she knew she had an ace in the hole. But it wasn’t just the luck of the draw that resulted in KBR eventually completely pouring out Trinseo’s $360 million trade secrets case.

Citing that win, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook have honored Sullivan, KBR and the lawyers at Susman Godfrey and Bracewell the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Business Litigation of the Year. 

Fertitta Buys Caesars for $17.6B

Houston-based Fertitta Entertainment added significantly to its gambling and hospitality holdings Thursday, cutting a long-rumored deal for Caesars Entertainment for $17.6 billion in cash and assumption of debt. Guided by general counsel Steven Scheinthal, Fertitta chose White & Case as outside counsel. Caesars tapped both Latham & Watkins and Skadden Arps. Coincidentally, Scheinthal (pictured) is being honored Thursday night by the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook with the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for General Counsel of the Year for a Midsized Legal Department. The Lawbook’s Jason Philyaw has more on the deal and the more than 70 lawyers involved.

Exxon Shareholders Approve Texas Reincorporation Plan

Exxon shareholders approved the move to Texas, first recommended in March, with more than 70 percent of shareholders voting in favor.

The move may prove more historical than controversial. While the company’s relocation received some opposition, the controversy was nothing compared to Exxon’s legal and historical past.

Phillips 66’s Vanessa Sutherland & Michael Voutsinas — The New World of Legal Operations

Energy company legal departments have a lot on their agendas in 2026, including ever-changing tariffs, turmoil in the Middle East, constant reversals in federal regulatory schemes, threats of cybersecurity and intellectual property theft and constantly rising hourly rates from outside counsel. As companies struggle to manage or keep up, Phillips 66 GC Vanessa Sutherland and Legal Ops Director Michael Voutsinas have taken a different approach: It has dramatically upgraded its entire legal operations team that deals with effective financial management of legal work, employee performance management, technology adoption and usage, outside vendor management, information governance, e-discovery and data analytics to optimize legal services delivery. The reforms have resulted in several internal and external successes.

“It has become more critical for staff functions to be both a good corporate steward of capital and a partner that generates value,” Sutherland said. ACC Houston and The Texas Lawbook have named Phillips 66 as the recipients of the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Legal Innovation.

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