Counsel Brew

Kandace Walter did not grow up dreaming of becoming a lawyer. She was a painfully shy child who loved math and science, went to college to study chemical engineering, then switched to chemistry and pre-med to become a forensic pathologist. When she realized how long medical school was going to take, she reconsidered. Law school was three years, she liked Law & Order , and she quickly pivoted i...

Most swag when you attend a conference is okay - nothing new that you don’t expect. A new coffee mug, a tote bag, maybe a charger you’ll toss in your desk drawer and forget about. Useful? Sure. Unforgettable? Not usually. But when Mark Shoffner handed out The Companion at the Texas General Counsel Forum Annual Conference on behalf of his firm, he broke the mold. The gift was a hit, the laughs kept...

Most people would look at Joe Cox's ten-year running streak and see dedication. Joe sees something much simpler: a chance to clear his head, experience a city one step at a time, and occasionally get stopped by neighbors who are less concerned about Joe than they are about where his dogs are. Spend an hour with Joe, though, and you realize the running isn't really the story. It's si...

A Misto isn't just Lauren Brogdon's go-to coffee order. It's part of a routine she intentionally keeps simple, saving her energy for the decisions that matter most during her day. That same philosophy carries into every aspect of her career, especially when the stakes are high, which, in Lauren's world, is often. In this episode of Counsel Brew , Lauren shares how a piece of ad...

A flat white earned Dr. Rhonda Evans an immediate nod of approval from Nicola before becoming the perfect springboard for a conversation about Australia, curiosity, and the unexpected opportunities that can shape an entire career. Rhonda didn't get her first passport until she was 28 years old. She had no idea that one long flight to Australia would change the course of her life. In this epis...

It's often the moments that don't seem remarkable at the time that change everything. For Leigha Simonton, those moments included a move across state lines, a mock trial competition, and a mother who never stopped believing in her. In this episode of Counsel Brew , Leigha reflects on the experiences that shaped her long before she stepped into leadership. She shares what it was like grow...

His perfect morning is surprisingly simple: a couple cups of black coffee, one decaf to round out the trio, and then it's off to tackle whatever impossible challenge lands on his desk. Somewhere between leading a national tax practice, advocating for thousands of Texas tenants, and occasionally grabbing a karaoke microphone, he's also managed to build one of the largest eviction advocacy...

This week on Counsel Brew, we sit down with Noelle LeVeaux — strategic marketer, civic brand-builder, cancer survivor, TEDxSMU speaker, children’s author, entrepreneur, and currently the Chief Marketing Officer helping lead North Texas’ FIFA World Cup 26™ moment onto the global stage. If you’ve lived in Dallas long enough, chances are you’ve already experienced Noelle’s work without even realizing...

What happens when a former child actor, ERISA lawyer, and Fortune 500 in-house counsel walks into a coffee shop? In this case, she orders a lavender chai latte* and starts reimagining what a legal career can look like.  *served best in an actual coffee mug, preferably with fancy foam art and enjoyed while sitting in a coffee shop In this episode of Counsel Brew, we sit down with Misty Leon, who at...

Professor C. Paul Rogers III has spent more than four decades shaping lawyers, preserving baseball history, mentoring students, navigating college athletics, and collecting stories that somehow sound too good to be true — except they are. In this episode of Counsel Brew, Nicola and Shereen sit down with one of the most beloved and legendary figures from SMU Dedman School of Law just as he prepares...

This conversation covers a lot of ground. From exploding matcha to stepping into leadership before you feel ready, Gabe keeps it real about what it looks like to operate under pressure. In this episode of Counsel Brew, we sit down with Gabe Vazquez, Vice President and Associate General Counsel at Vistra Corp., to talk less about titles and more about how he works. His approach is simple on the sur...

Jasmin Brand doesn’t just build businesses. She builds ecosystems. An award-winning marketer, speaker, and serial entrepreneur, Jasmin has made a career out of doing what most people just dream about: creating strategic partnerships, unlocking opportunity, and moving communities forward in real, measurable ways. Born and raised in Dallas, with roots at Booker T. Washington and Southern Methodist U...

Fifty episodes in and we have started to recognize a pattern: the most interesting people don’t follow straight lines—they pivot, rebuild, and end up somewhere better. Enter Kathy Wise. A former attorney turned award-winning journalist, Kathy is now the Editorial Director of D Magazine and the founder of MÄHJ the Magazine , a quarterly mahjong publication that’s equal parts culture, connection, an...

​​On this episode of Counsel Brew, we sit down with Eunice Nakamura, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Texas Rangers, for a conversation that proves the path to a dream role rarely follows the plan you laid out for yourself. Eunice didn’t set out to work in professional sports. Like many lawyers, she started with a clear plan—be a litigator, build the career, hit the milestones. But...

Sterling Miller knew he wanted to be a lawyer when he pulled the lawyer card while playing Life . That early realization turned into a remarkable legal career spanning private practice, in-house roles at American Airlines and Sabre, and ultimately General Counsel positions at Travelocity, Sabre, and Marketo. Today, he serves as COO, General Counsel, and Senior Counsel at Hilgers PLLC and is still...

This episode is fueled by a lot of coffee. We’re joined by Alana Matthews, former BigLaw litigator, trailblazing sports executive, and founder & CEO of Alautus. She’s a woman who runs on instinct, grit, and an impressive amount of caffeine. The girl whose mother cut her hair short and snuck her onto a boys’ hockey team at age seven has never waited for permission since. After graduating from l...

☕ This week on Counsel Brew, we’re joined by Vicki Blanton, Assistant VP and Senior Legal Counsel of Tax and Benefits at AT&T, Adjunct Professor at SMU Dedman School of Law, and immediate past President of the Dallas Bar Association. Vicki’s career spans some of the most complex in-house environments in the country, touching approximately $150B in plan assets and impacting millions of employe...

Some guests command the room without ever raising their voice. They make you sit up straighter, rethink your posture, and question whether your coffee order is sufficiently ambitious.  In this episode of Counsel Brew, we sit down and debrief with The Honorable Judge Barbara Lynn (Ret.) who takes us from her early days in Florida—pushing past stage fright and finding her voice—to becoming one of th...

 A New Year at Counsel Brew  Time really does fly when you’re having fun. In this New Year reflection, we’re looking back on the stories, sips, and moments that shaped Counsel Brew in 2025—and sharing what we’re brewing next as we head into 2026. Happy New Year from Counsel Brew! 🍻 In this special year-end reflection episode, we’re looking back on a year that flew by—and gave us so much more than...

At its core, this episode is about legacy with intention. Sharon and Jenny King — a mother–daughter duo built on service, strategy, and grit — show how generational leadership is passed down when lived into and shaped together. Their story is a masterclass in intergenerational badassery.  Sharon came of age in turbulent 1960s Atlanta, stumbled into a dream job at a legendary department store, and...

Ann Sheu is what happens when intentional living meets elite execution. A speaker, entrepreneur, and Certified EOS Implementer, Ann helps founders at work and families at home craft a shared vision, communicate better, and actually enjoy the life they’re building together. After earning three degrees from SMU and building a successful career in law, Ann realized that success without alignment wasn...

Featuring Brad Pritchett, Chief Experience Officer at the Dallas Museum of Art If there’s one person redefining how Dallas connects with culture, it’s Brad Pritchett. As the Chief Experience Officer at the Dallas Museum of Art, Brad isn’t just curating exhibits; he’s curating connection. With his trademark blend of creativity, candor, and charm, he’s turning one of the city’s most storied institut...

If there’s anyone who proves that planning is a form of art, it’s Susan Wetzel. Whether she’s mapping out her one-, five-, or ten-year goals, or guiding clients through the legal maze of mergers and acquisitions, Susan doesn’t wing it, she designs it. Every decision, every move, every cup of tea. Her brew of choice? Ginger turmeric tea for its bold, balanced, and quietly powerful impact, much like...

When your guest shows up in a white top hat and jokingly calls himself “the fun appellate lawyer,” you know you’re in for a great conversation. For our 40th episode, we’re raising a mug to Chad Ruback — appellate attorney, on-air legal commentator, and all-around class act who somehow balances professionalism with a sharp sense of humor. Chad shares his path from his family’s jewelry business in K...

“The worst thing in life is to look back and say, I wish I had. ” That one piece of advice changed everything for Hilda Galvan. She sold her brand-new home, headed to law school, and never looked back. Fast forward three decades: Hilda became one of the most respected intellectual property litigators in the country, leading Jones Day’s Dallas office for nearly a decade and winning cases for client...