Former defense attorney Gina Mills has joined Hamilton Wingo as the plaintiffs’ firm continues to add partners. She was with Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons.
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Brad Nitschke Connects Compassion to Counsel at Parkland Health
Brad Nitschke’s passion for public service started in his teens at Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas.
“Justice and service have always been important to me, and my time at Jesuit left me deeply convinced that there are real problems hurting real people in the world, and we are called to use our gifts and talents to intervene where we can,” said Nitschke, who officially married his values and passion with his career mission five years ago when he joined the legal team at Parkland Health. Last month, Parkland named Nitschke its interim executive vice president for legal affairs due to his extraordinary successes. And ACC-DFW and The Texas Lawbook are awarding him the 2025 DFW GC of the Year Award for a Non-Profit/Governmental Agency to celebrate his achievements.
Premium Subscriber Q&A: Brad Nitschke
In this Q&A with The Texas Lawbook, Brad Nitschke discusses the traits he seeks in outside counsel, what outside counsel need to know when working with him and more.
AI as a Service — Divergent State Tax Approaches and Their Impact
Artificial intelligence as a service is transforming business operations across industries, but its tax treatment remains inconsistent among states. For example, Texas applies sales tax to many AIaaS offerings under its “data processing” framework by taxing 80 percent of the service charge, while Indiana exempts AIaaS entirely as a nontaxable service. These differences have significant implications for deal structuring, compliance risk and valuation in private equity transactions. This article examines Texas’ controversial stance, contrasts it with Indiana’s approach and explains why these distinctions matter for investors and operators.
Brett Barnes Helps Build Presidio into a Publicly Traded Powerhouse
Brett Barnes is a landman.
His title is general counsel for Presidio Production, a Fort Worth upstream oil & gas company. But Barnes is a landman. Maybe not in the sense of the popular Paramount streamer — “I’ve never been kidnapped by a cartel,” he notes — but a landman, nonetheless.
For the last eight years, he’s been GC at Presidio Petroleum, a company that acquires mature, producing oil and gas properties in a market that is hitting a newfound stride. The company is on the cusp of going public thanks to a deSPAC merger announced late last year.
The DFW Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel and The Texas Lawbook have named him 2025 GC of the Year for a Solo Legal Department.
Premium Subscriber Q&A: Brett Barnes
In this Q&A with The Texas Lawbook, Brett Barnes discusses the traits he seeks in outside counsel and what outside counsel need to know when working with him.
Dorsey Hires Litigator from McGuireWoods
Chelsea Hilliard joins Dorsey & Whitney as a partner from McGuireWoods. Her addition is part of the firm’s efforts to grow its litigation practice.
Asked & Answered with Chrysta Castañeda: Cases, Career and Coffee
In this edition of Asked & Answered, trial lawyer Chrysta Castañeda reflects on her career and offers advice for young lawyers. While she has closed her firm, retiring for good is not in her plans.
My Five Favorite Books: Kristen Cook (Chief Legal Officer at The Brink’s Company)
While I gravitate toward fiction, I do enjoy mixing in leadership and business books to challenge myself and broaden my perspective, but I won’t stray from fiction for too long, as I am convinced that even the lightest works of fiction offer valuable insights. Each of these works has moved me profoundly, resonating with me on a personal level. They all share themes that have shaped my outlook and contributed to my understanding of myself and the world.
Litigation Roundup: Egg-Cellent Settlement Nets 2.1M Eggs for Texas Food Banks
In this edition of Litigation Roundup, we give you details on the unusual terms of a settlement Texas reached with Cal-Maine Foods in a price gouging suit, the U.S. Court of Appeals issues a ruling being hailed as a victory for taxpayers, and a doctor in the Valley goes to prison for fraud involving adult day care centers.