In this edition of P.S., Gray Reed Managing Partner Kyle Sanders opens up about his three bouts with blood cancer in an effort to fundraise for blood cancer research, patient services and advocacy. The nonprofit Blood Cancer United has named Sanders a candidate for its Visionary of the Year.
We also shine a light on the Texas Bar Foundation’s spring cycle grants. The Foundation recently awarded nearly $1 million in grants to 73 nonprofit organizations across the state.
Also, the Houston Bar Association recently welcomed its new president, BakerHostetler partner Gregory Ulmer, and presented awards to area attorneys during its Annual Dinner. BakerHostetler announced at the event that it would endow a scholarship in Ulmer’s name at his alma mater, the University of Houston Law Center.
And in Dallas, the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts advisory board named Holland & Knight’s Dallas office its 2026 Revolutionary Award Honoree. The firm has supported students with a total of $340,000 in scholarships over 17 years.
Gray Reed Managing Partner Opens Up About Cancer Fight in Fundraising Campaign
Houston-based Gray Reed managing partner Kyle Sanders has been named a candidate for Blood Cancer United’s Visionary of the Year campaign, a national fundraising initiative supporting blood cancer research, patient services and advocacy.
The honor carries added meaning for Sanders. He is a three-time blood cancer survivor.
Sanders was first diagnosed at age 14 – one week into his freshman year of high school – with Diffuse Histiocytic Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. The cancer later returned during his senior year at the University of Notre Dame and again in 2007.
Although Sanders has lived with the disease for four decades, his Visionary of the Year candidacy marks the first time he has spoken publicly about his experience.
“I am still here because of the sacrifice, funding and research of all of those who preceded me,” Sanders said in a statement. “The protocols that saved my life were built by organizations like Blood Cancer United and the people who supported them. It is long past time for me to say so publicly.”
Sanders has served as managing partner of Gray Reed since June 2022.
“Kyle has led this firm with quiet strength and integrity for years’” Grey Reed Family Law Practice Group Leader Amy Allen said in a statement. “His willingness to share this part of his story- and use it in service of others- is exactly who he is. We are honored to stand behind him.”
Blood Cancer United is a nonprofit organization focused on blood cancer research, education and patient support. The fundraising campaign ends May 29. You can read Sanders’ personal essay and donate to his campaign at the link here.
Texas Bar Foundation Awards Spring Grants to Texas Nonprofits
The Texas Bar Foundation recently awarded $960,240 in grants to 73 nonprofit organizations across the state.
Supported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Foundation has awarded more than $30 million to law-related programs since its inception in 1965.
The latest round of funding will support efforts to inform, educate and advocate for some of Texas’ most vulnerable residents, said Kelly Wood, communication and outreach manager for Houston Volunteer Lawyers, which received a $10,000 grant.
“The grant provided by Texas Bar Foundation will be allocated towards additional expenses critical to providing meaningful litigation services that will allow HVL to increase assistance available to low-income residents of the Greater Houston area,” Wood said.
Many of the grant recipients serve people who are disproportionately affected by legal barriers, including children and foster youth, survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, immigrants, seniors, Texans with disabilities and justice-involved individuals. Several organizations focus on serving rural communities and legal deserts. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $50,000.
The largest award went to Aid the Silent, a San Antonio-based nonprofit that supports children and teens with hearing loss. The $50,000 grant will help launch its statewide Bridging the Silence: Equal Access Initiative, which will provide accessibility and communication training for attorneys, court personnel, Child Protective Services staff and law enforcement professionals, while also offering legal literacy education to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals and their families.
“This work moves Texas closer to equitable access to justice through communication access,” said Emma Rudkin, founder and executive director of Aid the Silent.
A complete list of grant recipients and amounts is available on the Foundation website, here.
Holland & Knight Honored by Booker T. Washington High School
Holland & Knight’s Dallas office has been named the 2026 Revolutionary Award Honoree by the advisory board of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in recognition of the firm’s nearly two decades of support for the school community.
The award recognizes individuals and organizations that have invested time and energy into supporting the school and its students. Holland & Knight received the honor April 24 during the school’s annual showcase of student talent, the Flying Horse Show.
For 17 years, the firm has awarded four $5,000 scholarships annually to one graduating senior in each conservatory through a nomination and selection process. In total, the firm has contributed $340,000 in scholarship support to students at the school through the years.
Representatives from the school also recently visited Holland & Knight’s Dallas office for a lunch and learn session, during which the award was presented to Dallas Executive Partner Scott Wallace and litigation partner Greg Curry, a longtime advisory board member of the school.
“Our firm is deeply honored to work alongside Booker T. Washington High School, supporting and celebrating the incredible talent and dedication found within its community for nearly two decades,” Curry said. “This partnership began at Thompson & Knight and continued seamlessly after it combined with Holland & Knight in 2021, and we are proud that our commitment and contributions help nurture numerous artists and performers at the school each and every year.”
BakerHostetler’s Gregory Ulmer Takes Helm of HBA
The Houston Bar Association honored its outgoing president, Daniella Landers, and inaugurated her successor, Gregory Ulmer, during its Annual Dinner on May 7.
Ulmer, a partner at BakerHostetler, serves as deputy group chair of the firm’s litigation practice group and team leader of its product liability and toxic tort team. During the event, the firm announced it would endow a scholarship in Ulmer’s name for a student at Ulmer’s alma mater, the University of Houston Law Center.
The association also presented the following awards.
The Justice Ruby Kless Sondock Award, recognizing outstanding achievement and leadership for women in law, went to Judge Sofia Adrogué of the Eleventh Business Court Division.
The Justice Eugene A. Cook Professionalism Award went to Richard “Dick” Schwartz, shareholder of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr and executive director of The Garland R. Walker Inn of Court.
The following is a list of the 2026 HBA President’s Award Winners:
- AIDS Outreach Committee Co-Chairs: David Miller and Hilary Tyson
- Campaign to End Homelessness and Hunger Committee Co-Chairs: Aburiyeba Ibiye Amaso and Rachel Kahane
- Fun Run Committee Co-Chairs: Rick Anderson, Maine Goodfellow, and Adam Weaver
- Gender Fairness Committee Co-Chairs: Anna Archer, Farrell Hochmuth, Monica Uddin, and Brittney Williams
- Habitat for Humanity Committee Co-Chairs: Victoria Gipson, Joseph Holloway, and Alex Roberts
- Hay Center Committee Co-Chairs: Cisselon Nichols Hurd and Rehana Vohra
- Lawyers for a Beautiful Houston Committee Co-Chairs: Justin Hicks, Teresa Jones, and Donna Thomisee
- Lawyers for Literacy Committee Co-Chairs: Anietie Akpan, Wonderland Hudson, Brittny Mandarino, and Allen Zwernemann
- LGBTQ+ Committee Co-Chairs: Pamela Brantley Dunnings, Lena Laurenzo, and Jeff Watters
- Military & Veterans Committee Co-Chairs: Barney Dill and Eric D’Olive
Senior Lawyers Committee
Co-Chairs: Melinda Brents and Denise Oncken
Special Olympics Committee
Co-Chairs: Megan Banahan, Daniella Martinez, and Brandon Renken
Wellness Committee
Co-Chairs: Charles Shaw and Samantha Torres
Environmental Section
Chair: Eddie Lewis
Solo & Small Firm Section
Chairs: Melanie Bragg and Ken Krock
Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL)
Houston Lawyers Association (HLA)
Houston Young Lawyers Association (HYLA)