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The 2019 Magna Stella Award Goes To…

August 12, 2019 Mark Curriden

The Texas General Counsel Forum announced Monday that it has chosen eight in-house lawyers at prominent companies or organizations – including Boeing Global Services, Platinum Dermatology, Southwestern Energy and the Teacher Retirement System of Texas – to receive the group’s prestigious Magna Stella Award in mid-November.

But the biggest winner in the 14th annual Magna Stella Awards is Houston-based Mattress Firm, which is receiving two honors. Mattress Firm General Counsel Kindel Elam is the General Counsel of the Year for a Small Legal Department, while Mattress Firm Senior Legal Counsel Mindy Harper is being awarded the Magna Stella Award for Major Litigation. Mattress Firm successfully exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018.

The GC Forum, which has about 650 members in Texas, also announced the following honorees:

Alan Dorantes

AT&T Senior Legal Counsel Alan Dorantes is the winner of the Magna Stella Award for Diversity;

Boeing Global Services Assistant General Counsel Kuljit Ghata-Aura is being honored with the Magna Stella Award for a Major Transaction;

CenterPoint Deputy General Counsel Monica Karuturi gets the Stella Award for Senior Managing Counsel of a Large Legal Department;

Monica X. Karuturi

ExxonMobil General Counsel Randall Ebner is recipient of the Magna Stella’s General Counsel of the Year Award of a Large Legal Department;

Platinum Dermatology Partners General Counsel Mauri Miller is the winner of the Magna Stella Award for General Counsel of a Solo Legal Department;

Southwestern Energy Assistant General Counsel Chris Lacy is being honored with the Managing Counsel of the Year of a Small Legal Department; and

Mauri Miller

Teacher Retirement System of Texas General Counsel Carolina de Onis is the recipient of the Magna Stella Award for a Non-Profit/Governmental Agency.

The GC Forum will officially present the Magna Stella Awards at its annual meeting in San Antonio on Nov. 14.

Mark Curriden

Mark Curriden is a lawyer/journalist and founder of The Texas Lawbook. In addition, he is a contributing legal correspondent for The Dallas Morning News.

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