Dallas Bar Association
HEADNOTES Focus Corporate Counsel/Securities Law
November 2017 Volume 42 Number 11
Kim J. Askew Honored with DBA Distinguished Service Award BY SARAH WILSON
The Dallas Bar Association is proud to announce Kim J. Askew as the inaugural recipient of the Dallas Bar Association Distinguished Service Award. The award will be presented to Ms. Askew at a special DBA award luncheon, on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at noon at the Belo Mansion. The newly established Dallas Bar Association Distinguished Service Award recognizes the DBA member who, through service to the Association and the Dallas community, has shown a lasting dedication to good works—above and beyond the traditional service of DBA members— while promoting good relations among lawyers, the judiciary, and the community. Ms. Askew, a partner at the Dallas office of K&L Gates LLP specializing in complex commercial and employment litigation, has embodied these characteristics throughout her long career in the Dallas community, and we are proud to now recognize her for these superior qualities and achievements. “I cannot think of another person who has given more time to the DBA than Kim Askew,” said DBA President Rob Crain. “Not only has Kim served the DBA in virtually every official capacity, she is the first person we call on when the long-term health of our association is on the line. She embodies wisdom, stability and grace. Those attributes have been a guiding presence and a big reason for the success of the DBA over the past three decades.” A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and former clerk for the late U.S. District Judge Jerry Buchmeyer, Ms. Askew has dedicated the last three decades to elevating the DFW community as a whole through her tireless work with the Citizens Council of Dallas, Dallas Museum of Art, UT Southwestern Board of Visitors, Baptist Foundation of Texas (now HighGround Advisors), Dallas Theater Center, and St. Philips School. She has been awarded several prestigious local and national awards and commendations for her work, including the Women Helping Women Award from the Dallas Women’s Foundation, the Spirit of Excellence Award from the ABA Diversity Commission, the Flame
Kim Askew
of Honor Award from the Southwest Jewish Congress, and the Women Who Soar Award. Ms. Askew has risen to key leadership roles within the practice of law, as well, formerly chairing the ABA Section of Litigation, the SBOT Section of Litigation, and the SBOT Board of Directors. She was awarded a Presidential Citation for her work on the SBOT Board of Directors, the Louise Raggio Award for her work with the Dallas Women Lawyers Association, the Luther Soules III Award from the SBOT Section of Litigation for her commitment to professionalism and her outstanding contributions to the profession of law, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Justice Award from the Dallas Bar Association. Her talent, professionalism, and dedication have been lauded across the board. Ms. Askew has been consistently named one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America, one of the Top 250 Women in Litigation (Benchmark Litigation), one of the 25 Greatest Texas Lawyers of the Past Quarter Century, Best Lawyers in America in Commercial
Litigation, and a Texas Super Lawyer many times over. She is highly sought after as a lawyer and as a distinguished author and speaker on topics of discovery, evidence, business litigation, and employment law. She also currently serves as the Texas State Delegate in the ABA House of Delegates. According to DBA past president Sally Crawford, “Kim is a proven leader. She has served as a mentor and role model to lawyers, young and old, in Dallas and around the country. We are fortunate to have Kim as one of our own.” One of the benefits of being a lawyer, according to Ms. Askew, is that “lawyers make a difference.” Her trailblazing accomplishments and accolades have only highlighted the fact that Ms. Askew is making a difference in the local, state, and national legal communities, achieving multi-faceted excellence in the face of often seemingly insurmountable odds. Ms. Askew was one of the first African American women lawyers to join a major Dallas law firm, and her experiences have led her to focus on issues of importance to women lawyers and lawyers of color. She says that her goal “is to always move the needle so that women and lawyers of color continue to advance in the profession.” This emphasis on diversity in the profession has led her to mentor and help elevate some of the best and brightest minds in the Dallas legal community, and her continued commitment to the general promotion of the Dallas legal community throughout the state and country cannot be denied—she is a credit to our profession and to the DBA. Her lifetime of achievements and dedication make Kim Askew the perfect recipient for this new and prestigious honor. She has selflessly dedicated her career to the advancement of the profession of law, and contributed tirelessly to improving our community in countless ways. We cannot think of a more deserving attorney on which to bestow the inaugural Dallas Bar Association Distinguished Service Award. And we thank Ms. Askew greatly for her continued dedication to the Dallas Bar Association, the HN legal profession, and the Dallas community. Sarah Wilson is an associate at Bellinger & Suberg, L.L.P. She can be reached at swilson@bellingersuberg.com.
THANK YOU TO OUR MAJOR DONORS The Dallas Bar Association and Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas kicked off their annual Equal Access to Justice Campaign benefitting the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program. A number of Dallas firms, corporations, and friends have committed major support. Join us in recognizing and thanking the following for their generous gifts*:
PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL ($30,000+) Crain Lewis Brogdon, LLP Hartline Dacus Barger Dreyer LLP
PLATINUM (CONT) Haynes and Boone, LLP The Hartnett Law Firm Jackson Walker L.L.P. Jones Day Kastl Law, PC Locke Lord LLP Mike McKool Sidley Austin L.L.P. Vinson & Elkins Vistra Energy/TXU Energy
CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL ($25,000+) Anonymous GOLD PATRON ($20,000+) Margaret & Jaime Spellings DIAMOND ($15,000+) AT&T Services, Inc. Dallas Association of Young Lawyers
GOLD ($5,100+) Charla Aldous Baker Botts, LLP Balch & Bingham LLP Condon Tobin Sladek Thornton PLLC
PLATINUM ($10,000+) Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP Business Litigation Section
GOLD (CONT) Enoch Kever PLLC W. Gary and Donna Fowler Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP Gruber Hail Johansen Hail Shank LLP Kirkland & Ellis LLP Latham & Watkins LLP The Mike & Barbara Lynn Philanthropic Fund Jeff & Annette Patterson Real Property Section Simon Greenstone Panatier Bartlett, PC Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Nancy & John Solana Advised Fund of The Dallas Foundation Robert Tobey Waters, Kraus & Paul, LLP
Law firms, corporations, and individuals wishing to make a pledge will be prominently recognized beginning at the $5,000 level each month through January. To donate, contact Michelle Alden, aldenm@lanwt.org. For more information about the Campaign visit www.dallasbar.org/dvapcampaign. *Donors as of press time.
Inside 9
Keeping Up with Technology and Confidentiality
15 Effective Corporate Compliance on a Budget 18 Has Your Firm’s Website Been Approved? 22 DBA Bench Bar Conference
Guess What? IT’S DBA MEMBER APPRECIATION MONTH We will have random raffle drawings at several Section CLE presentations this month for a chance to win free lunch and parking for a day at the Belo as well as a special a CLE program on Social Media and more! Check out DBA Online for more details each week!