DWLA Announces 2019 Award Recipients

LOUISE B. RAGGIO AWARD RECIPIENT

Charla Aldous is a founding partner with Aldous\Walker, a Dallas-based trial law firm that handles birth injury, medical malpractice, serious injuries, and wrongful death.

Charla is a veteran of more than 200 trials and many significant jury verdicts and settlements. She is a dedicated trial attorney who is passionate about her clients and their cases and has been recognized for her work in the legal industry. Charla has stood up and fought for “the little guy.” But the truth is, very often, the little guy has been a woman. Just this year, she won two verdicts for women, one a $37.6 million win on behalf of a woman left quadriplegic because of a faulty seat belt system, and then a $32 million verdict on behalf of a young woman who was the victim of a sexual assault by high school football players when she was only 14 years old.

Those two verdicts and one other all came within the space of 90 days. Charla also represented Stacey Jackson – who brought suit against the bar in Dallas that over-served former Dallas Cowboys player Josh Brent, whose auto accident resulted in the death of Ms. Jackson’s son, Jerry Brown.

Charla received her J.D.; Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law; 1985.

OUTSTANDING CORPORATE COUNSEL AWARD RECIPIENT

Ellen Farrell is Vice President & Deputy General Counsel for Toyota Motor North America, Inc.

Ellen is responsible for overall management of the defense of product liability- and warranty-related claims and lawsuits involving Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles in North America. She also partners with various client business units to mitigate operational and product-related risks and to promote customer satisfaction. In addition, she oversees the law department’s technology and business operations functions, including its Partnering Program, one of the key goals of which is to promote diversity & inclusion among the counsel who represent Toyota.

Ellen is a member of the Board of WiNGS, a Dallas-area non-profit whose mission is to empower women, fight poverty and impact generations.

Prior to joining Toyota in 1999, she was with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Farrell is licensed to practice law in California and Texas; she is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Texas.

OUTSTANDING FEMALE LAWYER AWARD RECIPIENT

Angela Zambrano is co-leader of Sidley Austin’s firmwide Commercial Litigation and Disputes practice. She represents companies and boards of directors in commercial litigation and internal investigations, including class actions and multi-jurisdictional disputes. Angela has authored several industry articles, been recognized for her achievements in the legal community, and is a past president of Dallas Women Lawyers Association (2016). Angela is a graduate of SMU Dedman School of Law, J.D., 1997 (magna cum laude).

RISING RAGGIO AWARD RECIPIENT

Nicole Munoz is an Associate with Figari+Davenport. Her practice primarily focuses on business, commercial, insurance, and labor and employment litigation. Prior to joining Figari + Davenport, Nicole practiced at a business litigation firm and gained extensive litigation experience on both the plaintiff and defense side in federal and state courts, securing optimum results for her clients from securing pre-judgment injunctive orders to appellate review relief. Nicole received her J.D., Texas A&M University School of Law, 2015.

OUTSTANDING JURIST AWARD RECIPIENT

Justice Lana Myers has been a Texas judge for twenty-four years. Justice Myers was appointed to the Fifth District Court of Appeals by Governor Rick Perry in 2009, was elected to retain her seat on the Court in 2010 and re-elected in 2016. At the time of her appointment to the Court, she was Judge of the 203rd Judicial District Court and had presided over that trial court for nearly fifteen years.

Justice Myers began her legal career at the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office where she served as an Assistant District Attorney for twelve years.

Justice Myers earned her B.F.A. from Baylor University magna cum laude in 1976. She taught art in Arlington I.S.D. for two years before attending law school. She received her J.D. from Baylor University School of Law in 1981.

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR AWARD RECIPIENT

Staci Glenn is an Attorney at Renwick & Associates, P.C. She is an experienced litigation attorney with exceptional legal research and writing skills, particularly in the areas of summary judgment and third party practice.

Staci is the longest serving Board member in Dallas Women Lawyers Association’s history having served 17 years as the organization’s Secretary.

Staci is a graduate of The University of Texas School of Law (J.D) in 1995.

JAMES E. COLEMAN, JR. “HER CHAMPION” AWARD RECIPIENT

David McAtee II joined AT&T in 2012 and was appointed to his current position of Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel, AT&T Inc. in October of 2015, and Chair of the AT&T Foundation in May 2018. He is responsible for all legal matters at AT&T as well as for AT&T’s Washington, D.C. public policy organization. Before coming to AT&T, he was a Partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP. David is also a former President of the Texas Young Lawyers Association and currently serves on the Board of Directors of St. Mark’s School of Texas and Methodist Health System. He also is a Commissioner of the Texas Access to Justice Commission..

In 2015, AT&T spent $16.5 billon partnering with diverse suppliers and launched the AT&T Executive Women’s Leadership Experience, which targets female executives on the cusp of promotion.

David graduated from Duke University with honors and from The University of Texas School of Law.