In this Q&A with The Texas Lawbook, Phillips Enterprises’ Shannon Cagnina discusses the traits she seeks in outside counsel, what outside counsel need to know when working with her and more.
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‘Life is a Team Sport,’ Says Toyota’s Scott Young
Toyota Managing Counsel Scott Young is being honored with a 2025 Corporate Counsel Award for Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service in recognition of his lifelong commitment to service, shaped by his upbringing and early humanitarian work. Alongside major legal leadership roles at Toyota, including transformative development and manufacturing projects, Young has led and expanded the company’s pro bono efforts, providing legal assistance to vulnerable communities.
Premium Subscriber Q&A: Scott Young
In this Q&A with The Texas Lawbook, Toyota’s Scott Young discusses the traits he seeks in outside counsel, what outside counsel needs to know when working with him and more.
Hamilton Wingo Continues to Grow
Former defense attorney Gina Mills has joined Hamilton Wingo as the plaintiffs’ firm continues to add partners. She was with Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons.
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.