from the editor By Andrew Pearce BoyarMiller
Associate Editors
Anna M. Archer U.S. District Court
Sydney Huber Bateman Horne Rota Moos
Nikki Morris BakerHostetler
Lane Morrison Bush Seyferth
The Houston Lawyer
Braden Riley Marrow & Sheppard
Kyle C. Steingreaber Adams and Reese
I
The Business of Law
recently celebrated 17 years with BoyarMiller. It is the firm I clerked with during law school and then joined when I graduated. I certainly enjoy what I do and I very much value the relationships I have developed with my colleagues at the firm, many of whom were here when I started. But I think the reason I have stayed is because I connect so deeply with my firm’s mission and values. Our mission is to provide counsel beyond expectations, build lasting relationships, and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives, and our values include such things as highest integrity in all dealings and sustaining an atmosphere of mutual respect, support, and authentic communication. I tell folks that I do not love my firm because we always live up to our values, I love my firm because we have a measure by which to know when we fall short. We also consider ourselves a group of entrepreneurial-minded attorneys who enjoy working with entrepreneurs. It is a great culture that I have immensely enjoyed learning from and (I hope) contributing to for so many years. Against this backdrop, I was thrilled to read about lawyers who took the leap to start their own firms and build their own culture. My sincere thanks to Dave Louie for sitting down with Cara Vasquez and Mark Waite of Vasquez Waite and with Pam Hicks, Scott Davis, and Forrest Wynn of Hicks Davis Wynn, P.C. as they shared the highs and lows, as well as the rewards and the struggles, that came with starting their own firms. As part of our work this Bar Year, we are highlighting each of Harris County’s six specialty courts. For this issue, I was given the opportunity to visit with Giuliana Lozano, LCSW, the program manager for Harris County’s Felony Mental Health Court. Ms. Lozano previously served as both a case manager and a court clinician for the FMHC, so I imagine few people have as much institutional knowledge about or insight into the FMHC as she does, but it is her enthusiasm for the
8 September/October 2024
thehoustonlawyer.com
program that is infectious. If you want to know what gives her goosebumps, check out the article on page 13. I am also reminded of the old saying that you can spend a little money on the front end or a whole lot of money on the back end. Nowhere is that truer than for small business owners setting up their businesses for the first time. Thanks to Carey Worrell, Cody Dumas, and Alisa Hoggatt, who offer some great advice on corporate formation, probate considerations, and much more. Plus, readers of this issue can learn about the new Business Court coming to Texas thanks to HBA President David Harrell, as well as a terrific legal update from Fermeen Fazal on the significant impact of the Loper Bright case on the Chevron Doctrine, why it matters, and what stands to happen next. I would also like to remind readers of our companion podcast—Behind the Lines: The Houston Lawyer Podcast—which regularly brings our magazine to life with lively and interesting conversations centered around each issue’s theme. Our upcoming podcast, titled The Business of Law, is no different. Anna Archer will speak to a host of terrific guests, including Michael Cancienne of Jordan, Lynch & Cancienne PLLC on starting his own firm, Natasha Breaux of Haynes and Boone, LLP on the new Business Court, Jonathan Jackson of J. Jackson Law Offices—also known as the “Sneaker Lawyer”—on his firm’s branding and why it is important, and Pete Patterson of Patterson, PC on common issues associated with partnership dissolution. Best of all, HBA members are eligible to receive CLE credit for listening (often including ethics credit). You can find more information, including links to current and past podcasts, as well as CLE credit information at The Houston Lawyer tab at the top of the hba.org website. Finally, a big thanks to Ciara Perritano and Corey Devine for serving as guest editors for this issue and, as always, thank you for reading The Houston Lawyer.