The nominations deadline is Monday, March 16.
The awards ceremony will take place Thursday, May 28, 2026 at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Here are a few critics’ tips to make your nominations more successful:
- The more detailed the nomination, the better chance it has to win.
- Explain in detail the successful work of the in-house counsel, the challenges the nominee faced and why the nominee deserves the award.
- Include the bio of the in-house counsel you are nominating and any past articles regarding the in-house counsel’s success.
- Winning past awards is interesting, but it is not evidence of success or achievement.
- Tell us about the nominee's background and any personal stories about the nominee's life and career that readers might find interesting.
CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS
Lifetime Achievement recognizes a current or recently retired General Counsel or AGC for their decades-long commitment to the legal profession and the corporate in-house counsel community.
Corporate Legal Department of the Year recognizes the achievements of an entire legal department on either a single project or involving multiple projects.
Business Litigation of the Year honors a corporate legal department and its outside counsel for extraordinary success in a significant litigation matter that was active or concluded in 2025.
Transaction of the Year honors the corporate legal department and its outside counsel for successfully guiding a company through a complex merger, acquisition or joint venture that was either announced or closed during 2025.
General Counsel of the Year (Large, Medium & Small/Solo Departments) honors individual General Counsel and Chief Legal Officers for successes they achieved in 2025. Large corporate legal departments have 21 or more lawyers. Medium-sized legal departments have 6-20 lawyers. Small/solo legal departments have one to five attorneys.
Senior Corporate Counsel of the Year (Large, Medium & Small/Solo Departments) celebrates individual in-house counsel who are deputy GCs, AGCs or managing counsel for successes they achieved in 2025 through their individual efforts. Large corporate legal departments have 21 or more lawyers. Medium-sized legal departments have 6-20 lawyers. Small/solo legal departments have one to five attorneys.
Rookie of the Year acknowledges great legal work of an in-house lawyer during her or his first two years working in-house. The recipient can only have practiced a maximum of two years total working in-house at a corporate legal department, and must be 40 years of age or younger.
Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service lauds an individual corporate in-house counsel for her or his commitment and service to the community for pro bono work and/or public service.
Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion recognizes an individual corporate in-house counsel for her or his commitment and service to diversity within their department, the company and the legal profession.
Legal Innovation and Creative Partnership recognizes an individual corporate counsel/legal department and their outside counsel who have developed game-changing, creative approaches to legal services or have successfully developed and instituted an innovative project or working relationship.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
My email is mark.curriden@texaslawbook.net.
My cell phone is 214.232.6783.
Click here to submit your nominations
Please contact brooks.igo@texaslawbook.net for information on sponsoring the awards program.
