In this issue

President's Report

Calendar of Events

Member Get a Member Program

Membership Survey

Welcome New Members

Registration for Events and Other Questions?

Members On The Move

Welcome New Sponsors!

Scholarship Recipients

Growing Connections

Houston Corporate Counsel Awards

Corporate Counsel Institute

Community Service

Authorized for Release By:

ACC Houston 2024 Newsletter

President's Report

ACC Houston President, Melanie Koltermann, shares her vision and plans for our chapter this year in a first-ever video address and interview.

Calendar of Events

SAVE THE DATE

March 26, 2024 – Health Law and Labor & Employment Social

Postino | 5:00pm – 8:00pm
791 Town & Country Blvd. Suite 146
Houston, TX 77024

All are welcome! Click HERE to register to attend.

Member Get a Member Program

Membership Renewal Time

🌟 Your Next Chapter with ACC Houston Begins Here! 🌟

Hey ACC Houston members, here's a friendly reminder. If you were part of the ACC action in 2023 and haven't renewed yet, you have until March 31, 2024 before you lose your benefits of membership. We have made it easy for you to click HERE to renew and keep enjoying the ACC events at your own pace.

🚀 Member Get a Member Promo – Share the Excitement

Feeling the ACC buzz? Share it with your in-house crew! Invite them to ACC, where they'll get a membership discount, and you? You'll unlock some awesome surprises. Who doesn't enjoy a bit of extra excitement?

💼 Invite a Friend, Reap the Benefits 💰

Spread the word, and you'll reap the rewards. If your recruit mentions you in the "Friend/Colleague" field, you'll snag a cool $50 credit. They'll get to experience ACC, and you'll enjoy the perks – it's a win-win!

🎁 Perks Unveiled - Share & Collect Rewards 🌐

Big shoutout to our members – you make ACC fantastic! Get ready for monthly rewards as our recruitment champs take center stage.

🏆 Tiered Rewards for ACC Enthusiasts 🚀

🌟 1 Member:

A friendly shoutout on ACC platforms.
A $5 digital Amazon gift card.

🌟 2 Members:

Tier 1 rewards, PLUS:
$100 off Corporate Counsel University OR Annual Meeting 2023.

🌟 3 Members:

Tier 1 & 2 rewards, PLUS:
Take your pick: Data Privacy Program Assessment, Cybersecurity Program Assessment, or Confidential Information Maturity Assessment.
A generous $150 donation to Doctors Without Borders.

🌟 5+ Members (Rare Achievement):

A complimentary ticket to an event of your choice. No rush – use it before 12/31/24.
The ACC Chapter with the most recruits? They score a free ticket too! (see the below details)

🚀 How to Dive into Rewards Mode 🚀[1]^,[2]

Fuel your journey by sharing your ACC transformation story:

Spot an in-house colleague yet to join the ACC excitement.
Share your ACC journey.
Encourage them to sign up online with your code and tag you under "How did you hear about ACC?" – choose "Friend/Colleague" and drop your name.
Keep the excitement spreading with your crew!

Houston, let's turn up the excitement, share the opportunities, and rise together!

🌟 Click HERE to renew or start your ACC journey whenever it suits you! 🚀💼

^{1 Rules: To receive credit for each new member or reinstated member, individuals must submit the online application and list their recruiter's name in the "How did you hear about ACC?" section. Select "Friend/Colleague" from the list and then enter the recruiter's name in the text box. Only ACC members in good standing and Chapter Administrators are eligible to participate in this campaign. All membership applications must be received between 1 April 12:00 am ET and 30 September 11:59 pm ET. The recruiter will be given credit once the membership application is approved according to ACC membership eligibility requirements.}

^{2 The Fine Print: This campaign will be void where prohibited by law. This campaign is being conducted by Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), 1001 G Street NW, Suite 300W, Washington, DC 20001. All entries made into this campaign are the property of ACC, and ACC reserves the right to amend, modify, and terminate this campaign. We will publish a list of winners using only the first name and last initial of the winning member(s). Please see ACC’s privacy policy here. If you would like to participate without recommending a new member, please send an email to [email protected]. with the subject line "Member Get a Member Entry". Only one entry per person will be allowed without recommending a member for the duration of the campaign. Odds of winning a complimentary registration to a qualified ACC event are 1:249.}

Membership Survey

We hear you! Feedback from our sponsors and members drive our Board’s improvement initiatives. Thank you to all members who participated in our 2024 Annual Membership Survey. Key takeaways include the following:

Downtown and Energy Corridor are the top two additional areas of town for events. We’ll keep this in mind for our planning and share with our law firm sponsors.
Nearly a third of respondents have hired a law firm sponsor because of an ACC event. Almost 60% of respondents have developed a professional relationship with an ACC sponsor they anticipate will lead to retention of the sponsor law firm when the need arises! These are exactly the connections that demonstrate the great value ACC brings to both sponsors and members.

Remember, providing us your opinions also earns you a chance to win prizes. Congratulations to survey participant John Burchfield, General Counsel at The Weekly Group of Companies! He won a $50 Visa gift certificate for sharing his thoughts.

Welcome New Members

In February 2024, ACC-Houston tallied 1,271 members – an all-time high!

Thank you to our members and a special welcome to our 28 newest members since January 2024:

First Name	Last Name	Title	Company Name
Brian	Archabal	Counsel - Projects, Operations and Procurement	BP America Inc.
Haley	Parker	Associate Counsel	Voya Financial
Michael	Brannon	Senior Counsel - Health, Safety & Environmental	Quanta Services, Inc.
Cabell	Acree	Division General Counsel	Quanta Services, Inc.
Hudson	Hoosier	Senior Counsel 2	Motiva Enterprises, LLC
Mike	LeFevre	Senior Counsel	Motiva Enterprises, LLC
Danny	Vu	Chief Counsel 1	Motiva Enterprises, LLC
Ben	Rothchild	Legal Counsel
Alia	Herbert	Senior Counsel	KBR
Fiona	Bell	Legal Counsel	KBR
Michael	Hatch	Senior Legal Counsel	KBR
Rodney	Barnwell	Senior Counsel-Environmental & Safety	Exxon Mobil Corporation
Erik	Blekht	Legal Counsel	Wood Mackenzie, Inc.
Shemeika	Scroggins	Senior Legal Counsel, USNG Regulatory & Operations Law	TC Energy
Gillian	Hobson	Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary	Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
Shawn	Foster	Managing Counsel	Exxon Mobil Corporation
Suzanne	Patron	Regional General Counsel	Southwest Water Company
Uma	Kaluvakolanu	Sr. Attorney	KBR
Rishi	Krishnan	Sr. Attorney	KBR
Reshma	Minz	Sr Attorney	KBR
Rochelle	Rance - Cabe	Counsel	KBR
Diogo	Pereira	Sr. Counsel	KBR
Brett	Chalke	Managing Counsel	Wood
Andrew	Baird	Compliance Counsel West	Wood
Steven	Smart	Associate General Counsel, Compliance	Enerflex Ltd.
Jason	Wiley	Assistant General Counsel	Hess Corporation
Jamie	Mathews	Legal Counsel	Hess Corporation

Registration for Events and Other Questions?

ACC Houston has an online registration platform through StarChapter. Please let Executive Director, Elena Baer, know if you need help with your log in credentials.

To access the StarChapter pages you can click HERE!

Members On The Move

Tracey Rice joined Honeywell International Inc. in January 2024 as Assistant General Counsel. She first became aware of the opening because one of her fellow ACC Houston members posted the position on LinkedIn. After reaching out to get some basic information, she applied for the position. After a vigorous interview process, she was the selected candidate. Tracey’s ACC connection was invaluable in this process.

Please contact Elena Baer, ACC Houston Executive Director, if you have received a promotion or otherwise made a career move with close ties to ACC Houston members or sponsors. We hope to promote these on LinkedIn or in future newsletters.

Welcome New Sponsors!

ACC Houston welcomes its newest sponsors for 2024

Visit our StarChapter Sponsor Page to check out all of our 2024 Sponsors

Scholarship Recipients

ACC Houston is proud to award scholarships worth up to $48,000 to deserving local law students to help reduce the financial burden of pursuing their legal dreams! We’ll announce the winners next month and celebrate them at the DE&I Scholarship Reception and Dinner on April 10^th along with our generous sponsors and invited guests from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, University of Houston Law Center and South Texas College of Law!

Special Thank You to our DE&I Champion Sponsors

Growing Connections

ACC Houston Diversity Scholarship news! Former co-chairs of the Diversity Scholarship Committee, Lauren Haller and Dionne Hamilton, ran into a former scholarship recipient, now full-fledged attorney, Ashlay Ledger at the Houston Bar Association’s Gender Fairness Speed Networking event.

“It’s great when you get a chance to reconnect with scholarship recipients and see them thriving in the legal profession,” Dionne said. “We look forward to engaging more with recipients after graduation and are pleased that Eric Williams, another former recipient, will be our keynote speaker at this year's scholarship event in April,” Lauren said.

ACC Houston is proud to support ambitious future lawyers’ journeys before and after joining the bar!

Houston Corporate Counsel Awards

The Association of Corporate Counsel's Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook are pleased to announce that the annual Houston Corporate Counsel Awards ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, May 15^th, at the Four Seasons Hotel. The Corporate Counsel Awards recognize the achievements and successes of in-house counsel during 2023.

Net income from the event goes to the Texas Lawbook Foundation, which employs the only full-time reporter covering pro bono, public service and diversity in the legal profession in Texas. To learn more about the Texas Lawbook Foundation and Texas Lawbook pro bono, public service and diversity writer Natalie Posgate, please visit texaslawbookfoundation.org.

Finally, Natalie is interested in writing articles about pro bono projects and in initiatives handled jointly by corporate legal departments and their outside counsel. Please contact Natalie at [email protected] for more details.

Corporate Counsel Institute

ACC Houston Partners with UT Law CLE for the 46th Annual Corporate Counsel Institute

Dear ACC Houston Members,

We are thrilled to announce our continued partnership with UT Law CLE as a "Supporting Organization" for the 46th Annual Corporate Counsel Institute.

As a Supporting Organization, ACC Houston enjoys a range of benefits, including a $50 discount for our members on the standard or late Institute or webcast registration. To avail this offer, use Promo Code “acchouston50” at checkout online here.

UT Law CLE Event Overview:

Date: May 9-10, 2024

Location: Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria, Houston, TX (also available via Live Webcast)

Description: The conference is a must-attend for in-house and outside counsel representing companies of all sizes. The Institute offers practical discussions on legal issues crucial to corporate counsel, providing networking opportunities and valuable insights.

Highlighted Topics Include:

· Employment Law Update and Hot Topics

· Current Privacy Laws: The Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA)

· The Current State of Non-Competes: Are They Still Enforceable?

· Did You Just Waive Privilege? Protecting Privilege and Attorney Work Product

· How "Reptile Theory" Should Impact How You Draft Your Next Contract

· Code Red: What You Need in Your Crisis Management Playbook

· The New Texas Business Courts

· Key Considerations When Selling or Financing your Company in Tough Market Conditions

· Cyber Attacks: Are Your Outside Counsel and Other Vendors Doing Enough to Protect Your Information?

· AI and the Future of Your Organization’s Training and Staffing

Following the conference, attendees will receive a bonus eSupplement to ensure practitioners can earn their required 15.00/3.00 Texas MCLE hours for the year.

Community Service

ACC Houston Members: Empowering Future Legal Leaders at Alief Early College High School

We are delighted to share an inspiring update on the accomplishments of the Mock Trial Club at Alief Early College High School, and more importantly, to invite you to join us in supporting the future legal minds emerging from our community in continuation of ACC Houston's support of the Street Law Program and its affiliation with this school.

The Mock Trial Club recently achieved an incredible feat, clinching 1st and 2nd place at the Houston regionals and spent February preparing for the State competition. If you would like to volunteer to assist the Mock Trial Club or to get involved with the Street Law Program contact Elena Baer, ACC Houston Executive Director, or any member of the Community Engagement & Pro Bono Committee.