Lawless is credited with helping to establish the policyholder insurance bar in Texas at a time when insurance cost recovery work was routinely sent to lawyers in New York and other large northern cities.

For Lawless, it all started with an insurance case that arose from one of his then-firm's environmental clients. After the client was ordered to clean up a contaminated site, Lawless was hired to hold the company's insurance company liable for damages to pay for the cleanup. He was successful and word-of-mouth spread quickly, resulting in more of that work being referred to him until he was able to start a solo practice in Austin. He soon emerged as thought leader on policyholder law in Texas and eventually, in 1999, Lawless and and a handful of other lawyers founded the Insurance Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, which grew from 200 members to become one of the largest in Texas, now with about 2,100 members representing policyholders and insurers. 

In 2011, Lawless helped launch McGuireWoods' Austin office and has held the role of managing partner for the office since then, continuing to grow the firm's insurance law practice. With his assistance, McGuireWoods has recovered more than $1 billion for policyholders over the past decade.

The legal profession is constantly evolving and that evolution only seems to have accelerated in recent years. What's the biggest change you've seen in the profession during your career?

I have observed two major changes. First, and clearly the biggest change, is technology. Younger lawyers have grown up on computers and learned to read documents electronically. I still have to print out documents so that I can highlight and make margin notes. The second change, and important to me, is that it no longer is easy to practice law by hand shake. It is all about ambushing your opponents and writing CYA memos to the file.  I still believe that you can be a good lawyer without being a jerk.

What is one thing about the profession that has remained unchanged over the years? 

Good lawyers are always practical and cost efficient. That has not changed. It has been my experience that clients do not really want an 80-page memo when a 10 minute phone call will do. Most clients hire seasoned lawyers for their experience, and do not want to pay to train young lawyers to figure out what the seasoned lawyer probably already knows.

What is one piece of advice you would give someone entering into the profession that you wish you had as a young lawyer? 

Find an area of law that you are passionate about, strive for excellence, and become a thought leader. I have known way too many lawyers who simply do not enjoy being a lawyer, because they did not find a passion for the type of law that they practice. I was lucky, I found an area⁠— insurance⁠—for which I have had a passion for over 30 years.

An awards ceremony will be held on Sept. 18 at the Belo Mansion in Dallas. The Attorney of the Year award winner will be announced at the ceremony.

Click here for booking information. For information about sponsoring the event, contact Andre Sutton at 757-721-9020 or email [email protected].