Anna Alvarado has an extraordinary life story. And she has experienced extraordinary success.
The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Alvarado grew up in government-subsidized housing at a work camp in Central California, picking grapes and selling cassette tapes. Neither of her parents spoke English. Her dad was an addict and felon who served prison time.
“Had it not been for all of those things and having to deal with all of those things, I would not be sitting here today,” Alvarado said in a 2022 interview. “I am the American dream.”
Today she is the chief legal officer of Texas Capital Bank and a member of the Dallas-based financial institution’s operating committee that has created and grown an investment banking division and a broker-dealer group under CEO Rob Holmes. Holmes became the bank’s CEO in 2020 and hired Alvarado a year later.
“Rob Holmes’ vision of what he wanted to build, what he wanted Texas Capital to be, was inspiring, exciting and bold and scratched the internal itch I was feeling for an entirely new challenge and the opportunity again, to be part of something great, historic, and leave my DNA in the new build,” Alvarado told The Texas Lawbook.
“Before Rob, Texas Capital was a one trick pony, simply a lender. We took it down the studs and created an entirely new bank with the capabilities of a money center bank,” she said. “It takes a lot of grit. We all had to go deep, go fast and be right. A lot of rock had to moved, but we have a great team who thrives on challenges of operating in a high-octane environment.”
Citing her extraordinary success, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Lawbook have named Alvarado a finalist for the 2024 DFW Corporate Counsel of the Year Award for General Counsel of the Year for a Midsized Legal Department (6-20 attorneys).
ACC DFW and The Lawbook will celebrate the Corporate Counsel Award finalists and announce the winners at the annual ceremony on Jan. 30.
“Anna was integral in the creation and launch of Texas Capital’s investment banking division, and she proved herself as a steadfast leader and invaluable resource while helping the firm maximize shareholder value, mitigate risk and simplify its business model,” said Haynes Boone partner Sakina Foster, who nominated Alvarado for the GC of the Year award. “Under Anna’s leadership, Texas Capital’s legal department is more streamlined and efficient in its support of the firm and lines of business than ever before.”
“Anna brings her invaluable life experiences and perspectives to solve real world problems,” said Foster, who is the firm’s Dallas office managing partner. “Under her leadership, Texas Capital has reached impressive new heights, fulfilling the strategy it set in 2021 to build a flagship full-service financial services firm headquartered in Texas. The North Texas legal community is lucky that we have Anna — a lawyer with grit and determination who also gives back by mentoring lawyers and finding ways to help others in the profession.”
Premium Subscriber Q&A: Anna Alvarado discusses the traits she seeks in outside counsel, what outside counsel need to know when working for her and more.
Kate Moseley, a corporate partner at Alston Bird in Dallas who has known Alvarado for a dozen years, said she is fearless and has “overseen explosive growth at Texas Capital” and “helped transform the bank from a regional player to a national presence.”
“Anna always rolls up her sleeves and jumps right into the matters that are being handled by her outside counsel,” Moseley said. “She is incredibly accessible when you are representing her. Internally, she inspires confidence in her team and her clients.”
Bell Nunnally partner Dania Duncan Moreno said Alvarado’s ability to “seamlessly blend legal expertise with executive management and business strategy is truly exceptional.”
“Anna’s unique combination of deep legal expertise and strong business acumen makes her an exceptional lawyer and leader,” Duncan told The Lawbook. “Her background as both a trial attorney and an accountant enables her to approach challenges with a strategic mindset and a comprehensive understanding of complex business and legal issues. Her ability to navigate the nuances of legal, regulatory and corporate governance matters, while also driving transformative business strategies, sets her apart.”
Public service is equally important to Alvarado. She serves on the board of the nonprofit ACH Child and Family Services and co-chaired the 2024 Equal Access to Justice campaign through the Dallas Bar Association.
Alvarado said her most important business achievements since joining Texas Capital Bank in October 2021 were “building a high functioning, high performing legal team, laying out the legal infrastructure at the firm” and “playing a key role in the build of the products and services, including the investment bank.”
“It’s like turning the Titanic on a dime,” she said.

‘Texas was a huge culture shock’
Alvarado was born and raised in Central California. Her parents were migrants from Central Mexico — the Bajío region. They lived at the Woodville Farm Labor Camp in Tulare County, which Alvarado describes as a “tight and close community where everyone worked in the fields.”
From age eight to 14, Alvarado worked the fields picking grapes — many times starting before dawn to put in a few hours before school. After school, she sold grapes and cassette tapes at a roadside stand to make money for the family. She also worked at a pawn shop.
“I very much disliked working in the fields,” she said.
In the mid-1980s, the Woodville community became part of the Cesar Chavez “Wrath of Grapes” movement that went on strike. A lawyer for Chavez held a rally at their worksite — and that was a day that truly changed her life.
“I didn’t know who he was or even understand much of what he was saying, but I knew he worked in an office and not outside. I knew I wanted more,” Alvarado told The Lawbook.
As she listened to the lawyer speak, she said thoughts and feelings were building up inside of her.
“There’s no way I want to be working the fields,” she thought to herself. “There’s gotta be something bigger, better than this, to be someone important, the feeling of ambition and the feeling of being someone who was intelligent, respected, knowledgeable, and help people.”
At age 17, Alvarado moved with her father from California to Fort Worth.
“Moving to Texas was a huge culture shock, she said. “[My dad] was tired of living in that [work camp] environment. He spent time in prison. When he was released, he wanted a new start in a different state.”
Alvarado graduated from Pascal High School in Tarrant County. She received a scholarship to attend Bentley University near Boston, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in international studies and then she earned a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance.
After working as a financial analyst for nearly three years, Alvarado felt like something was missing. She wanted to “do more, see more, and learn more.”
Remembering the lawyer for Chavez, she applied to Southern Methodist University School of Law. It was the only school she targeted. She was accepted into its night program, which allowed her to work during the day.
Upon receiving her law degree in 2007, Alvarado was hired by the Fort Worth firm Hill Gilstrap, where she practiced civil litigation for two years. In 2009, she moved to the labor and employment law firm Tanner & Associates.
In 2011, Alvarado was approached by officials at FirstCash, a Fort Worth-headquartered pawn shop operator. She had represented the company on matters when she was a young lawyer.
“I was the only bilingual, bicultural lawyer at the firm handling a breach of fiduciary case involving an executive in Mexico,” she said. “Seven years later, I ran into the CEO, and soon thereafter, I left private practice to help FirstCash expand into all of Latin America.”
Over 11 years as the general counsel for FirstCash, Alvarado led more than 40 acquisitions that allowed the company to expand from 350 brick-and-mortar stores to 3,000 in the U.S. and Latin America. She also led the efforts to have FirstCash declared an essential business during the Covid-19 pandemic, which allowed it to stay open.
Alston & Bird’s Moseley, who first started working with Alvarado during her time at FirstCash, said the duo worked on a high-yield bond offering and the establishment of the company’s credit facility.
“While this wasn’t an area of expertise for Anna, she dug in and learned her way around the debt agreements and the debt world to the point she was an expert,” Moseley said. “I have seen her take this approach throughout her career. She will tackle any issue head on and become well versed in it in no time. That is why she is an excellent chief legal officer. She touches on multiple areas of the law in expert fashion. Her fearlessness and take-charge attitude also make her a great leader.”
In 2021, a legal recruiter contacted Alvarado about an in-house legal position with a bank.
Alvarado’s first contact with banks was when she sold grapes and cassettes to make money for the family. She was in charge of their bookkeeping.
“Money was really important,” she said. “It represented financial security.”

When Rob Holmes took over as Texas Capital Bank’s CEO, he developed a strategic plan to transform the company into a full-service financial institution that included an investment bank that provided services such as mergers and acquisitions advising, capital raising, securities underwriting, hedging and mortgage services.
Haynes Boone partner Kit Addleman said Alvarado “knows what hard work really is and is ready to take on any challenge.”
“Under her leadership, the accomplishments of Anna’s legal department are unparalleled,” Addleman said. “Texas Capital is moving at warp speed, growing quickly and tackling new areas daily. Anna has put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears. It is her character, integrity and determination that define Anna Alvarado as a stellar general counsel and qualify her as general counsel of the year. From a humble childhood, Anna learned ethics and hard work that she now deploys every day.”
Lawyers agree that Alvarado’s single biggest achievement was leading the establishment of Texas Capital’s investment banking division and broker-dealer, which is called Texas Capital Securities, and successfully obtaining its license from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
“This accomplishment reflects her ability to drive complex strategic initiatives under tight timelines,” Duncan said. “Her leadership has been instrumental in ensuring robust legal compliance with securities laws and banking regulations while advising the firm on risk mitigation and strategic growth initiatives.”
“Anna’s diverse background allows her to tackle problems from multiple perspectives and deliver holistic solutions,” she said. “Her bicultural fluency and global perspective enable her to navigate cross-border challenges with ease, making her a standout leader in today’s interconnected business environment.”
Kyle Healy, a partner at Alston & Bird, said Alvarado’s ability to “quickly identify what matters and what does not” has made her an effective chief legal officer.
“Anna’s ability to navigate Texas Capital through the volatility that has been a hallmark since COVID has been remarkable to see,” Healy said. “From the banking crisis in the spring of 2023, to overseeing significant growth and expansion from Texas Capital, including in new regulated lines of business, to dealing with a more aggressive regulatory climate, Anna has successfully steered the bank through these challenges with a focus on continued growth without sacrificing compliance.”
“Despite being a rockstar GC and tireless worker, at the end of the day, Anna is just plain fun to be around,” he said. “She has an infectious energy that serves her well in her role as GC and in her interactions with all stakeholders. She can also be a tireless advocate when needed and someone that you always want in your corner.”
FUN FACTS: Anna Alvarado
- Favorite book: To Kill a Mockingbird, Shadow of the Wind, and most recently, Storm Before the Calm. Injustices and bullies offend me to my core, I’m a romantic at heart; and I love my country, so the last book is a reminder of that, regardless of political climate.
- Favorite musicians: That’s like asking me who my favorite child is. I love music so much. I cannot imagine life without music but you ask me what “radio stations” I most listen to are: Mana (Mexican Rock Group) and Kings of Leon; David Gray and Lake Street Dive
- Favorite movie: Bridesmaids
- Favorite restaurant: The Tavern in Fort Worth. The artichoke, cornbread, the Japanese salmon, French dip, and crispy chicken sandwich.
- Favorite beverage: Gin Martini, a little dirty otherwise, a neat scotch (Macallan 15)
- Favorite vacation: I’ve been to 32 countries and all vacations are my favorite.
- Hero in life: My mom, strongest and most caring, nurturing woman I know.