For Random Profiles, we randomly pick one of our 87,000-plus attorneys and do a Q&A. We’ve found that every Texas lawyer has an interesting story. Will yours be next?
Most important career lesson:
Meet people.
Bet you didn’t know:
I lived in Sweden for a year and Egypt for 6 months. I speak neither Swedish nor Arabic. But my Spanish from growing up on the Texas border came in handy with the Columbian soldiers we served with in the Middle East. Good soldiers, even though they scorned my border Spanglish.
Family/personal:
Charming wife, Susie (married at A&M. Whoop!)
3 kids (18, 15, and 11 years old – oldest is freshman at Texas A&M)
Areas of practice:
Qui tam. It’s a lovely phrase. Catching the white-coat criminals, if you know what I mean. Please follow my blog (http://govtfraudlawyer.blogspot.com/).
Another little known fact:
I was sworn in to practice law in the stands (UT side) at the 1994 A&M-UT football game in Austin. The Aggies smoked the awful horns, of course. It was a glorious day.
Likes/Dislikes:
Likes: my kids; my wife; writing; reading; running; cooking; beer; eating; sleeping; qui tam; skiing; Aggies; high pressure systems; Lake Medina; San Antonio; and orders denying summary judgment motions.
Dislikes: Indian food; ice chewing; bills; traffic; traffic tickets; flat tires; red lights; air planes; pain; low pressure systems; the Brazos River; and summary judgment motions.
Pet peeve:
Ice chewing. It drives me nuts. And it’s bad for your teeth . . . so don’t do it. But don’t tell my opposing counsel that it’s my pet peeve.
Secret for staying young:
Microbrews. They’re small, so that helps. Also, I’m in the Army Reserves. It’s kind of a big deal in the Army to stay fit—they like it for some reason. Otherwise they get mad at you and tell you you’re fat to your face (really—and that hurts, a lot). It’s humiliating being observed by several soldiers watching you tip the scales. So I try and go small on the microbrew consumption.
Any words of wisdom or advice for the president of the State Bar of Texas?
Convince the ABA and law schools to reduce law school to two years. Three years is a waste of time and money. Shame law schools to keep costs down and discourage student loan debt.
Dan works at Hargrove & Rea in San Antonio.
You can also view Dan’s TexasBar.com profile.
Prizes
It’s not every day that you’re randomly picked from among 87,000 peers. To commemorate, randomly-profiled attorneys receive a TexasBar.com t-shirt.
Update Your Online Profile
Have you updated your attorney profile lately? Go to MyBarPage on TexasBar.com, log in, and click "Update My Profile." While you’re at it, click “My Directory Options” and add a photo, law firm link, and Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and blog accounts – all for free.
Opinions and statements expressed in these profiles are those of their subjects – not the State Bar of Texas.