The Top Texas Legal Stories of 2021
The year’s list of top Texas legal stories as determined by the staff of Androvett Legal Media & Marketing.
SAExploration GC David Rassin is a ‘Real Fixer Upper’
SAExploration offered David Rassin the GC job in March 2020. There were a few things they thought he should know: the last GC and CEO had been fired and faced federal criminal charges; the SEC was investigating the company for securities fraud; the company was restating five years of financials and faced being delisted by Nasdaq; and bankruptcy was a possibility. Rassin accepted the challenge and SAE is glad he did.
“It was the most intense year of my life,” said Rassin, who is a finalist for the 2021 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards GC of the Year for a Small Legal Department.
Four Energy Companies, Four Finalists for Houston Senior In-House Counsel of the Year Honors
The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook are pleased to announce finalists for the 2021 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards who have done some amazing legal work and demonstrated extraordinary leadership during some definitely unordinary times. Today, we reveal Senior Counsel of the Year finalists.
Border Heritage Central in Trial Lawyer’s ‘Journey to Credibility’ with Jurors
I reflect upon how my background motivated me to be an attorney, and I appreciate how it has made me a better attorney. I have always been driven to pursue a career to help people, especially those who feel invisible, like immigrants or women of color. My heritage is just as much a piece of me as my hard work, my studies and the long hours that have brought success to me and my clients.
The Importance of Representing My Community
As the eldest daughter of Mexican immigrants, I was often pushed to gain a title for the prestige – encouraged to chase a dream that under the lenses of American society was deemed worthy or desirable. Becoming an attorney for me symbolized a personal achievement by immigrant and American standards. With this mentality and ultimate yearning for acceptance, I began my path to pursue the study of law.
Mattress Firm, Norton Rose Fulbright, Carl Lewis Run Against Racism
Norton Rose Fulbright, Mattress Firm and nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis came together Sunday for a charity race to raise money for three elite organizations that fight racism and to announce college scholarships. The “Run Against Racism” raised $197,087 and produced a lot of good times. And Mattress Firm announced two $10,000 college scholarships.
Don’t Fight the Facts: Collect More Money and Get Paid Faster with Online Payments
Recent studies have concluded that firms that utilized online payments in their practice collected $10,000 more per attorney than firms that did not. LawPay outlines the benefits of frictionless billing in this article.
The Dallas Hispanic Law Foundation and Others Work to Increase the Number of Hispanics in the Legal Profession
We have all heard an attorney joke. But the lack of Hispanic attorneys in Dallas, Houston, and Texas is no joke, writes T-Mobile VP of Legal Affairs Chris Luna. In this article, Luna highlights the work of the DHLF and identifies programs that have successfully removed barriers and increased diversity in the profession.
Kate Hayashi Helps American Airlines Navigate an Extraordinary Year
American Airlines Associate GC Kate Hayashi has faced some challenges during the past 25 years – TWA’s bankruptcy, TWA’s acquisition by American Airlines, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that involved two American jetliners, American’s bankruptcy and restructuring and American’s merger with U.S. Airways. But 2020 was a year unlike any other. But those challenges are why she is one of the most experienced lawyers in the airline industry today.
Zix’s Noah Webster and ‘Magical Creativity’
While most companies battened down the hatches in 2020 in order to weather the Covid-19 pandemic, Dallas-based global cloud-based cybersecurity and productivity solutions company Zix Corporation went searching for opportunities. “We decided that the most resilient businesses continue to grow and continue to build to grow, even under difficult or unusual situations,” said Zix Noah Webster CLO. Last July, Zix discovered the perfect acquisition opportunity – an Israeli-owned company called CloudAlly that focuses on cloud-based data backup and recovery for businesses.