In honor of Women's History Month, host Mark Annick sits down with Heather Hilgers, founder of Hilgers Graben, the largest women-owned law firm in the country. The two discuss the firm’s growth, its unique culture, and what it takes to lead a nationwide team of top-tier attorneys.

The conversation explores:

• Women in leadership – Breaking barriers and building a law firm with national impact
• Balancing law and life – Leading a firm while raising four kids
• Growth and innovation – Scaling beyond a personality-driven model to create lasting success

And not to mention the firm's “No Jerks” policy.

Ms. Hilgers also shares insights on recruiting top talent, empowering women in law, and why vulnerability is a strength in leadership. 

More about Heather Hilgers: https://hilgersgraben.com/professionals/heather-hilgers/

More about Hilgers Graben: https://hilgersgraben.com/

In this episode of Keep It Legal, we sat down with Jake Pollack, wealth transfer planning attorney at Shackleford, McKinley & Norton in Dallas. We dive into the critical, yet often overlooked, topic of business succession planning. Mr. Pollack shares insights on why nearly 70% of family businesses lack a formal succession plan, the challenges of transferring ownership, and how proactive planning can prevent disputes and protect a company’s legacy. 

Learn about Jake Pollack here: https://shackelford.law/profiles/jake-n-pollack/

In 2024, Texas was once again at the forefront of some of the biggest legal stories of the year. Androvett Legal Media & Marketing takes a look at the Top 10 Texas Legal Stories that shaped the legal landscape for the year.

 To view the full list, visit https://androvett.com/media-coverage/top-10-legal-news-for-2024

In this episode, we sit down with Winston & Strawn attorney Ashley Wright and her mother, Judge Derbha Jones in Denton County, to discuss diversity in the legal industry, second-career lawyers, and the power of letting your work speak for itself. 

The duo shares personal stories of breaking barriers, navigating new careers as mothers, and leading by example, offering inspiring insights for anyone pursuing a path in law. 

Learn more about Ashley Wright here: https://www.winston.com/en/professionals/wright-ashley-j

Keep It Legal sits down with Katie Anderson, who provides legal solutions for public and private educational institutions. In this episode, we discuss the biggest issues facing schools and educators, including book bans, cell phones, AI, teacher retention and more. 
 
 "Schools come to me when something went wrong... My legal advice is based on the best interest of the student."
 
 Katie also represents governmental entities, including housing authorities and cities, through counseling and litigation. 
 Learn more about her here: https://www.ccsb.com/professionals/katie-anderson/

PART 2: This episode, the PR professionals at Androvett gathered around the mic (again!) to talk Crisis Communications. 

This time, we break down American Airlines' and Scottie Scheffler's legal woes, plus what went wrong with Houston's weather response.

Like we mentioned in Part 1, you can’t plan for everything. However, creating a strong framework will ensure that your response is measured, your message is credible and that you’re able to put your stakeholders at ease, even when the unexpected happens.

Learn more: https://www.androvett.com/services/crisis-communications

This episode, the PR professionals at Androvett gathered around the mic to talk Crisis Communications. 

Listen as our team details why you shouldn’t wait until there’s a problem to deal with before putting a plan in place, with real-world examples of how companies and entities could have handled certain situations a little better. We break down what went right and what went wrong - from a communications standpoint - in #KateGate, the Baltimore bridge collapse and others. 

We also offer a few tips: 

• Assemble a dedicated response team. Identify everyone’s role and what their tasks will be.
• Plan ahead. What problems could you face in the future?
• Assess possible risks. Learn to identify problems before they become problems.
• Practice, practice, practice. Put yourself and your organization through the drill.

Of course, you can’t plan for everything. However, creating a strong framework will ensure that your response is measured, your message is credible and that you’re able to put your stakeholders at ease, even when the unexpected happens.

For this special Mother's Day episode, we sat down with acclaimed trial lawyer Charla Aldous and her daughter Eleanor Aldous on the heels of their $71.95M verdict against Walker Engineering. 

The mother-daughter legal team represented the family of a Texas electrician who was killed after a scissor lift on which he was working collapsed when a boom lift backed into it at an Irving Frito-Lay factory. 

The two discuss their strategy in securing this verdict and take a trip down memory lane. Ever wondered what its like to work with your mom? Listen to find out!

More about the verdict: https://www.aldouslaw.com/firm-news/2024/april/death-in-2019-frito-lay-industrial-accident-resu/

Visit aldouslaw.com

This Women's History Month, we sat down with commercial litigator Courtney Ervin, a partner at Hicks Thomas, LLP. We discuss the progress that has been made for women in male-dominated fields, such as law. 

We also highlight her family dynamic, which is breaking traditional gender roles. 

*** 

The Breadwinner article: https://www.bestlawyers.com/article/ending-stigma-career-decision/5271

Learn more about Courtney: https://www.hicks-thomas.com/attorneys/courtney-e-ervin/
More about the firm: https://www.hicks-thomas.com/ 

In 2023, Texas was once again at the forefront of some of the biggest legal stories of the year. Androvett Legal Media & Marketing takes a look at the Top 10 Texas Legal Stories that shaped 2023 with CEO and founder Mike Androvett. 

This episode highlights stories 1-5!

Listen to Part 1: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1968149/14249300-top-10-legal-stories-of-2023-recap-part-1.mp3?download=true


You can view the full list here: https://www.androvett.com/reporters
Learn more about Mike Androvett: https://www.androvett.com/people/mike-androvett