(AUSTIN) May 5, 2015 – Locke Lord Chair Jerry Clements (pictured center) has been named the 2015 Baylor Lawyer of the Year by the Baylor Law Alumni Association for her distinguished professional career and service to the community.
Clements is the first woman to receive this honor in the 53-year history of the recognition program, which was held at a luncheon today in the ballroom of the Stephen F. Austin Hotel.
In announcing the award, Baylor Law School Dean Brad Toben said, “Jerry does it all and has been recognized as a leading light in our profession. She is one of the few ‘go to’ lawyers on everyone’s list. She never fails to impress all whom she meets, both professionally and personally. And she gives to each person, regardless of circumstances, the full measure of her best efforts and service as a stand-out professional and as a caring person.
“Jerry is not only one of the finest lawyers going, but even more importantly, one of the finest persons whom I have ever had the privilege of knowing.”
As Locke Lord Chair, Clements manages a global law firm serving 23 cities around the world that is consistently ranked among the Top 100 law firms by The American Lawyer magazine. She has been a driving force in strategically building Locke Lord into a major legal force on the international stage that better serves clients through key lateral hires and mergers, this year leading the effort to combine the resources of Locke Lord with those of Edwards Wildman.
In receiving the award, Clements said, “I am humbled and honored to be counted among a group of such prestigious Baylor Lawyers of the Year. To be the first woman makes it even more meaningful. Baylor Law School gave me a wonderful education, many dear friends, and the opportunity to achieve things that this girl from Fort Worth could never have imagined. For that, I am forever grateful and indebted.”
Clements has previously been recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women Lawyers by the National Law Journal and one of 30 Extraordinary Women in Texas Law by Texas Lawyer. Prior to being elected Chair of Locke Lord, she served as Managing Partner of one of its predecessor firms, Locke Liddell & Sapp, and headed Locke Liddell’s Litigation Section from 2001-2006.
Clements has been named one of the “Top Ten Litigators” by the Dallas Business Journal. During her almost 35 years of litigation experience, Clements has represented Fortune 500 companies across a wide range of industries and built an impressive record of resolutions in complex disputes in the area of commercial litigation. Her decades-long work in class actions helped shape the law, not only in Texas but in other states whose courts have relied upon precedent established in Texas cases in which she was lead trial counsel. She is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, is a Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, a Fellow in the International Society of Barristers, a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, and a Board Member of Business Counsel Inc.
In addition to her distinguished legal career, Clements is a leader in service to the community at large. She serves on the Baylor University Board of Regents. She is also a Lifetime Member and past president of the Baylor Law Alumni Association. She is an active member of the United Way of Central Texas and Dallas, serves on the Board of Directors of the National Women’s Council, and was selected as a Yellow Rose of Texas by then-Gov. Rick Perry.
A list of past recipients of the Baylor Lawyer of the Year award are available here. Honorees include Leon Jaworski, Morris Harrell (a named partner of a legacy Locke Lord firm and one of Clements’ mentors), and Bob Bullock.
About Locke Lord LLP
Locke Lord is a full-service, international law Firm working in 23 cities to meet clients’ needs around the world. With a combined history of more than 125 years and a greatly enhanced domestic and global footprint, Locke Lord is a worldwide leader in the middle market sector. The Firm advises clients across a broad spectrum of industries including energy, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, telecommunications, technology, real estate, financial services and health care and life sciences, while providing a wealth of experience through its complex litigation, regulatory, intellectual property and fund formation teams.
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