The Association of Corporate Counsel’s San Antonio Chapter and The Texas Lawbook announced Wednesday that Vericast Deputy General Counsel Shelayne Clemmer and Jackson Walker partner Robert Soza, Jr. are the recipients of the prestigious 2026 C. Lee Cusenbary Ethical Life and Leadership Award.
The Lee Cusenbary Award honors one in-house lawyer or legal department and one private lawyer or law firm that exemplify exceptional ethical behavior and leadership in the practice of law. It is one of the most coveted honors in the San Antonio legal community.
Cusenbary was general counsel of San Antonio-based Mission Pharmacal Company for 17 years before semi-retiring in 2020. He was an active member of ACC San Antonio for decades and a constant voice for ethics and professionalism among lawyers.
Clemmer, a 2007 graduate of St. Mary’s University School of Law and a past president of ACC San Antonio, has been with Vericast for more than eight years.
“Shelayne is the rare person whose commitment to doing the right thing is evident in every setting in which she serves — at work, in the community and in her personal life,” said Christine Reinhard, director at Fennemore Craig, who nominated Clemmer for the award. “Her ethics are not situational, aspirational or reserved for difficult moments.”
Soza, a trial lawyer who has practiced at Jackson Walker for nearly two decades, “reflects the rare combination of professional excellence, principled leadership, sustained mentorship and deep service to the community,” according to Julia Mann, the managing partner of Jackson Walker’s San Antonio office, who nominated Soza for the honor.
The 2025 Lee Cusenbary Ethical Life and Leadership Awards went to Whataburger Chief Legal Officer Elena Kraus and Norton Rose Fulbright partner Steven Jansma.
Clemmer and Soza will receive their awards Oct. 29 at the 2026 San Antonio Corporate Counsel Awards.
The Lawbook and ACC San Antonio will announce the 2026 recipients of the Legal Department of the Year, General Counsel of the Year, Senior Counsel of the Year, Rookie of the Year, M&A Transaction of the Year and other honors next week.
For more information about the 2026 San Antonio Corporate Counsel Awards, contact Lawbook publisher Brooks Igo at brooks.igo@texaslawbook.net.