Affinius Capital’s Rachel Donnelly is the ‘Simone Biles of the Texas Legal Community’

Rachel Donnelly once planned to become a forensic psychologist before a law degree changed her path. Now she’s chief compliance officer and deputy general counsel at Affinius Capital, where she’s helped steer the firm through SEC exams, a corporate rebrand and its expansion into AI-driven data centers. Association of Corporate Counsel’s San Antonio Chapter and The Texas Lawbook have named her the winner of the 2026 San Antonio Corporate Counsel Award for Chief Corporate Compliance Officer of the Year.

October 21, 2026 Mark Curriden

Brenna Nava’s Hard Work, Leadership ‘Literally Saving Lives’

The 2017 class of Leadership San Antonio was touring the nonprofit healthcare organizations BioBridge Global and helping assemble packets used to match marrow donors with patients. One class member — Rackspace Technology Senior Counsel Brenna Nava, a former high school dance teacher turned corporate in-house counsel — was fascinated.

Seven years later, Preferred Legal Counsel President Morgan Matson called Nava with an interesting opportunity: the deputy general counsel position at BioBridge. Nava is the 2026 San Antonio Senior Counsel of the Year for a Small Legal Department.

October 19, 2026 Mark Curriden

P.S. — Law Firms, Corporate Counsel Link Arms to Help Families Plan Ahead, A&M Law Professor Wins Back-to-Back Honors

In this edition of P.S., we report on law firms and corporate counsel who recently teamed up to staff clinics helping families in Houston and San Antonio prepare essential legal documents. And we spotlight Texas A&M Law Professor Luz Herrera, who received two prestigious honors recognizing her contributions to the Latino community.

October 2, 2026 Krista Torralva & Elle Grinnell

P.S. — Lawyers Observe Sept. 11 With Acts of Service 

In this edition of P.S., we highlight the volunteer work of Holland & Knight, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, Haynes Boone and Bank of America in observance of Sept. 11, 2001. Holland & Knight’s efforts also honor the legacy of Glenn Winuk, a partner in the Manhattan office who was also a volunteer firefighter and EMT who died helping others at the World Trade Center during the terrorist attacks.

September 25, 2026 Krista Torralva & Elle Grinnell

P.S. — Texas Supreme Court Makes ‘Generational Investment’ in Rural Legal Aid

Today, in observance of Sept. 11, 2001, Bank of America lawyers are hosting its global Wills for Heroes event. In Dallas, lawyers from Bradley and Haynes Boone are volunteering alongside the Bank of America attorneys at the Dallas Police Department headquarters to draft wills and estate planning documents for members of the DPD and Dallas Fire-Rescue. 

Plus, the details on the historic Rural Justice Initiative.

September 11, 2026 Krista Torralva & Elle Grinnell

P.S. — Baker Botts Scores Two Pro Bono Victories in August 

Baker Botts closed out August with two notable pro bono victories — a due process claim on behalf of a Florida tenant in the Eleventh Circuit and a closely watched constitutional challenge to Texas’ drag ban. Also in this edition of P.S., we spotlight two Texas recipients among the American Association of Law Libraries’ annual award winners. 

September 4, 2026 Krista Torralva & Elle Grinnell

My Five Favorite Books: Brandy Treadway (Chief Legal Officer, Academy Sports and Outdoors)

When I was asked to contribute to this ongoing column, I was immediately excited — and then, admittedly, a little nervous. Books have always held a special place in my life. As a child, I was a voracious reader, and my mom would often find me tucked away in a closet with a flashlight, determined to finish whatever story had captured my imagination. As an adult, I have not always devoted as much time to reading as I did when I was younger, but books have remained an important way for me to connect — with friends, with family, and now with my own children. I chose these five books because each one has meant something to me at a particular stage of life, and each is one I have shared with someone else.

September 2, 2026 Brandy Treadway

P.S. — ‘Lesson in Service’: SMU Law First-Year Students Kick Off Semester with Volunteerism

Also in this edition of P.S., a University of Houston Law Center professor and Phillips 66 General Counsel Vanessa Allen Sutherland earn prestigious recognitions.

August 28, 2026 Krista Torralva & Elle Grinnell

P.S. — Texas Lawbook Foundation Seeks New Board Members to Guide and Support Pro Bono, Public Service and Diversity Coverage

Do you have a passion for pro bono legal work, community service and nonprofit charities or diversity and inclusion in the Texas legal profession? The Texas Lawbook Foundation has a job for you. A nonprofit 501(c)(3) that funds the reporting and writing efforts of The Texas Lawbook about pro bono, public service and diversity is seeking new board members for the Lawbook Foundation.

August 21, 2026 Mark Curriden & Derek Lipscombe

Lynn Pinker Pro Bono Team Wins Asylum for Venezuelan Political Activist

After 10 years representing a Venezuelan political activist on a pro bono basis, lawyers with Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann secured asylum for their client after an immigration judge found he had been subjected to a systematic campaign of persecution by the Venezuelan government because of his political beliefs. 

August 14, 2026 Krista Torralva