Texas Lawbook: What are the critical factors you consider when deciding about hiring outside counsel and what are the biggest mistakes that outside counsel make in their relationship with in-house counsel?
Hailey Mullican: When I review the stable of Texas attorney general-approved outside counsel firms — state agencies must have outside counsel contracts approved by the AG — I assume competence. What I try to discern is excellence. I look for experience, relationships and, most importantly, reputation. The money we use to pay outside counsel is … the state of Texas’ and taxpayers’ money. So, with each selection and engagement, I am acutely aware of the potential to have to justify my decision and selection. It is a lot of pressure and honor to be in this position, and I do not take it lightly.
Lawbook: What does outside counsel need to know about you?
Mullican: Everything we do must relate back to and uplift the educational mission. Clinical and research successes are inherently valuable. But when they are properly structured to amplify the educational mission, then we feel that we’ve had a good day.
Lawbook: What am I not asking that I should be asking?
Mullican: What kind of team can accomplish this? Teams needed for a successful merger cannot be one-dimensional. We relied on the expertise, innovation and commitment arising from our strategic, financial, operational, legal, clinical and academic teams to not just accomplish the merger, but to keep all of the other vital activity moving. Major initiatives rolled out during this last year in addition to the merger. That’s the untold story.