Commencement Speakers

W. Mark Lanier

W. Mark Lanier founded The Lanier Law Firm in 1990. Since then, Lanier has earned widespread recognition as one of the top trial lawyers in the United States. His work for clients across the country is supported by firm offices in Houston, New York, Los Angeles and Palo Alto, California.

Lanier consistently is recognized among the country’s leading legal minds by his peers and the media. The National Law Journal has twice named him one of nation’s Top 10 Trial Attorneys, as well as naming Lanier as one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America.  In 2010, The National Law Journal named Mark as one of the most Influential Attorneys of the Decade. He has earned similar honors from other publications, including being named to The Trial Lawyer Magazine’s America’s 100 Most Influential Trial Lawyers of 2011. Under his leadership, U.S. News and World Report named The Lanier Law Firm to it’s list of Best Law Firms and Best Lawyers has named Mark Lanier as the 2012 Top Class Action Attorney.  In its coverage of Lanier’s stunning verdict in the nation’s first Vioxx trial, The New York Times described him as “one of the top civil trial lawyers in America...”

In addition to national recognition, Lanier also has earned accolades from his peers in Texas. In a statewide attorney survey published in Texas Monthly magazine, Lanier has earned selection to the “Texas Super Lawyers” list in 2003 through 2011. In 2002, Texas Lawyer newspaper named Lanier as one of the Top 5 “Go To” Personal Injury Plaintiff Attorneys in Texas. The same publication named Lanier as its 2005 “Impact Player of the Year” and later recognized him as the Top Personal Injury Lawyer in Texas in 2007.  Most recently they named Mark as one of the Top 25 Attorneys of the Past Quarter Century.

What the news clips can’t measure or define is Lanier’s commitment to his clients and the passion he brings to every case. Often motivated by injustice and a sense of fair play, Lanier has helped even the score for individuals as well as large corporations.

Lanier’s courtroom work has resulted in feature articles in The Wall Street Journal, The American Lawyer, Texas Lawyer, The New York Times, New York Lawyer, The National Law Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Houston Chronicleand Bloomberg, among others. He also is a frequent guest on news shows such as CNBC’s “Squawk Box” and Fox News’ “Your World With Neil Cavuto”.  He also is a regular guest and contributor to Fox Business News’ highly rated “Varney and Company” with Stuart Varney.

Lanier’s significant courtroom experience and his work in settlement negotiations includes work for clients across the United States, including:

• A settlement for Retractable Technologies, a syringe manufacturer, in an antitrust case against industry giant Becton, Dickinson and Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of medical syringes and needles.
• A verdict on behalf of 21 asbestos victims in February 1998, considered one of the largest asbestos verdicts in U.S. history.
• A substantial verdict for a small oil company in a 1993 business fraud case against one of the nation’s largest oil providers.
• A settlement with a U.S. distributor of dangerous products imported from China.
• The largest VIOXX verdict in history on behalf of the wife of a former marathon runner who died after taking the controversial drug for only a few months.
• In addition to individuals, Lanier also represents corporations, associations and governmental entities.

Lanier is certified as a Personal Injury Trial Specialist by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is licensed to practice in all Texas state and federal courts, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court. Lanier also is licensed to practice in New York state. He is frequently asked to instruct other attorneys about his trial techniques in seminars held across the nation.

Lanier is enthusiastically involved in government and community activities outside the practice of law. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Committee for Economic Development, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that addresses ongoing critical economic and social issues facing society. Lanier often is called on by chairmen, presidents, and senior executives from major American corporations and universities for his respected business views on national and international issues.  Mark Lanier was recently named to the board of directors of the prestigious National Center for State Courts.

A strong supporter of his alma mater, Lanier earned his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1984. He remains active at Texas Tech by serving on the Law School’s Foundation Board. Lanier was selected as the Texas Tech University School of Law Distinguished Alumnus for 2005. He also is the founder of the Christian Trial Lawyers Association, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to create a network of principled attorneys to minister to others through civic-minded endeavors.  Lanier teaches a 300-plus member Sunday school class focusing on Biblical literacy at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston. He lives in Houston with his wife, Becky, and their five children.

Edward E. Whitacre, Jr.

Former Chairman & CEO, General Motors Company
Chairman Emeritus, AT&T Inc.

Ed Whitacre joined General Motors as Chairman when the new company launched in July 2009 and held that position until the end of December 2010.  He also served as Chief Executive Officer from December 2009 through August 2010.  In his expanded leadership role, Whitacre set a clear vision for GM:  Design, Build and Sell the World’s Best Vehicles. 

As chairman and CEO of AT&T from 1990 until retiring in June 2007, Whitacre led then-SBC Communications (SBC) on a disciplined growth strategy and through a series of industry-changing mergers and acquisitions, including the 2005 acquisition of AT&T Corp., after which the company adopted the venerable name, AT&T Inc. (AT&T).

Under Whitacre's leadership, SBC made significant domestic and international investments. In addition, SBC established several groundbreaking strategic partnerships with companies such as Yahoo! and Echostar, enabling SBC to set the pace for DSL sales as well as enter the video market. SBC joined with BellSouth to create Cingular Wireless, which in 2004 acquired AT&T Wireless. SBC and the new AT&T have been repeatedly named by Fortune magazine as the most admired telecommunications company in America and the world. Forbes magazine named AT&T "Company of the Year" for 2006.

Whitacre currently serves on the boards of Exxon Mobil Corporation and the PGA Tour.  He previously served as a member of The Business Council, the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee and the boards of the Institute for International Economics, Anheuser-Busch Companies and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation.  

Born on November 4, 1941 in Ennis, Texas, he graduated from Texas Tech University in 1964 with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering. He began his career with Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in 1963 as a facility engineer in Lubbock, Texas.

Whitacre's leadership extends into the community where he has been actively involved with the Boy Scouts of America, the Board of Regents of Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and United Way.

In recognition of his commitment to business and community, Whitacre was named one of the Top 25 Executives of the Year by BusinessWeek. He also has earned a number of awards for his contributions to business and civic affairs, including the Corporate Leadership Award from the National Minority Supplier Development Council and the Obelisk Leadership Award.

Mr. Whitacre is married to Linda Whitacre and they have two married daughters and four grandchildren.