In this Q&A with The Texas Lawbook, Luke Alverson discusses the traits he seeks in outside counsel, what outside counsel need to know when working with him and more.
Texas Lawbook: How is AI changing your business and how you and your legal team operate?
Luke Alverson: Like many businesses, we’re leveraging AI use cases to drive productivity and efficiency enhancements, but we’re just scratching the surface. Consistent with our culture, we’re not using it to replace people, but rather to help allocate our teams’ time to higher-value work. Within our legal team, the story is similar — we’re just starting to leverage it to help drive efficiencies in areas you would expect, mainly around research and drafting. I see some additional AI use-case opportunities for us, but I think they will be incremental to how the legal department operates, given the nature of our business and how we deliver support day to day.
Lawbook: What has been your best day at CSW?
Alverson: There have been a few I could point to in answering this, but in June this year, we transferred our exchange listing to the NYSE, and we had the opportunity to ring the closing bell on the exchange floor. Having our board of directors, executive team and our families in one spot to commemorate the occasion was very special. Even though we were just transferring our listing, there was a significance, I think for all of us, in marking the milestone that went beyond that — it both recognized our team’s incredible accomplishments over the years and provided a moment of reflection on how far we’ve come as an organization, with a conviction that we’re not done yet.
That said, I think my best day will arrive in late February 2026 when I celebrate my 10th anniversary with the company. It has been an incredible run.
Lawbook: What do you look for in hiring outside counsel?
Alverson: Business acumen, practicality and ability to understand risk appetite/risk tolerance — those are the primary characteristics I look for. Beyond that, there needs to be good chemistry. We run a lean legal department and rely heavily on our outside partners, so we spend meaningful time together. Work can be very hard, so it’s a big plus when you can do it with people you enjoy being around.
Lawbook: What does outside counsel need to know about working with you?
Alverson: I used to be in private practice, and I remember what it’s like to have an unreasonable client, so I do my best not to be that client. I don’t micromanage or nitpick bills — I don’t have time for it — and I don’t manufacture emergencies or set unrealistic timelines for the fun of it. In exchange for that, I have to be able to trust you and see that you can function as an extension of our lean internal department — I want and need long-term partnerships. That means you invest the time to understand our business, risk profile and culture, you communicate transparently and proactively, and you take ownership in efficiently helping us achieve our goals and addressing our challenges.
Lawbook: What are your pet peeves about outside counsel?
Alverson: There are a few, but they all really come down to not having a business-focused and solution-oriented mindset. That can manifest itself in a variety of ways — overindexing on immaterial risks, overworking a particular matter, showy displays of ego/arrogance, etc. With that context, I have two main nonstarters: Don’t make me chase you for a response, and don’t surprise me with a bill. It comes down to trust.
Lawbook: Are you involved in any pro bono or public service efforts?
Alverson: I have the honor of serving as the chairman of the board of trustees for Fort Worth Christian School — I’ve been on the Board for six years — and that consumes the bulk of my volunteer time. I also provide business and governance counsel for some smaller nonprofit organizations.
Click here to read the Lawbook profile of Luke Alverson.