Brewer Firm Welcomes Summer Associates

May 16, 2022 – Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors recently welcomed five summer associates to the Dallas and New York offices.

Three summer associates are joining the Dallas office. James Clarke will graduate from Samford University Cumberland School of Law in 2023 and earned his B.A. in Political Science and Media Arts from the University of New Mexico in 2017.

Sydney Kossow will graduate from the SMU Dedman School of Law in 2023 and earned her B.S. in Marketing with a concentration in Entrepreneurship from the University of Kansas in 2020.

Michael Vera will graduate from the UNT Dallas College of Law in 2024 and earned his B.S. in Finance from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2020. He previously was a summer intern at the firm in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Two summer associates are joining the New York office. Stefan Sultan will graduate from NYU School of Law in 2023. He earned his B.A. in International Affairs from The George Washington University in 2019.

Alexander Szarka will graduate from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2024 and earned his B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley in 2019.

Pine-Richland High School Students Crowned Champion of International Public Policy Forum Debate Contest

April 30, 2022 – New York – A team of students from Pine-Richland High School of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, bested a field of high schools from around the globe Saturday, winning the 21st Annual Brewer Foundation/New York University International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) debate competition and a $10,000 grand prize. The final debate was held at The Harold Pratt House in New York City.

The teams that competed in the IPPF Finals on Saturday, April 30, were the final “Elite Eight” teams to emerge from a field of more than 120 teams. The teams debated the topic: “Resolved: On balance, the hegemony of the United States dollar is detrimental to the world economy."

As the new IPPF World Champion, the Pine-Richland team receives a $10,000 grand prize ($5,000 for the school’s debate program and $5,000 in individual scholarships). The team was coached by Jeff Byko, and the team members were Miles Brown, Callie Stoltz, Andrew Ni, Amish Sethi, Tadg Manna and Matthew Farmar.

"These student debaters impressed the judges with their strong advocacy skills – ultimately winning the title of IPPF World Champion," said William A. Brewer III, partner at Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors and cofounder of the IPPF. "Over the course of seven months, the students demonstrated superior written scholarship and oral advocacy skills in a rigorous test of their academic abilities. The results achieved here suggest the promise of bright futures.” 

Brewer added: “Congratulations to the team for excelling in a debate involving a complicated public policy issue: the role of the United States dollar in the world economy.”

In New York, Pine-Richland advanced over the Ministry of Education, Singapore, in the quarterfinal round and Amity Regional High School from Woodbridge, Connecticut, in the semifinal round, before facing Potomac Oak from Rockville, Maryland, in the finals.

The runner-up team, Potomac Oak, receives a $3,500 prize. Coached by Elisa Chen Sukhobok and Alex Jiang, the team members were Kaden Chien, Evelyn Shue, and Jonathan Wen.

The top eight teams competing in the IPPF Finals represented schools in five U.S. states, Canada and Singapore. The team from Singapore competed virtually – making this the IPPF’s first hybrid debate final.

The IPPF Finals give students the opportunity to participate in oral debates in front of some of the world’s foremost experts in debate, business, law and politics. The proceedings were judged by a panel comprised of Brewer, NYU President Emeritus John Sexton, NYU Stern School of Business Dean Raghu Sundaram, Above the Law Senior Editor Kathryn Rubino, and Miha Andric, an international debate coach and communication teacher based in Slovenia.

“This partnership between NYU and the Brewer Foundation celebrates a unique expression of debate – involving months of written scholarship, oral advocacy, and the chance to compete on a global stage,” Sexton said. “As a member of the IPPF judging panel, I have enormous confidence in these students – and the power they have to positively impact the world around them. They are destined for great things.”

Founded in 2001, the IPPF is the only competition that gives high school students from around the globe the opportunity – for free – to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy.  

The 2021-22 competition began in October, as teams submitted qualifying round essays on the IPPF topic. Judges selected the “Round of 64” teams, who then participated in a single-elimination, written debate contest ― volleying essays back and forth via e-mail. From November to March, the field was narrowed from 64 teams to 32, then 16, and finally to the eight teams that competed in oral debates at the IPPF Finals in New York.

In New York, the quarterfinalists were Bergen County Debate Club from Fort Lee, New Jersey; The Davidson Academy of Nevada from Reno, Nevada; Ministry of Education, Singapore; and North Allegheny Senior High School from Wexford, Pennsylvania. Quarterfinalists each win $750. 

The semifinalist teams — Amity Regional High School from Woodbridge, Connecticut, and Extraordinary Education Centre from Toronto, ON, Canada — each win $1,500. 

About the IPPF and the Brewer Foundation:

The IPPF was founded in 2001 by the Brewer Foundation and is now jointly administered with New York University. The program is available to all high schools around the world – public and private – for free. The IPPF is endorsed by leading forensic agencies, such as the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, the International Debate Education Association, the Impact Coalition, Associated Leaders of Urban Debate Leagues, and the National Debate Coaches Association.

The Brewer Foundation is a private, non-profit organization funded by companies, individuals and the national litigation firm of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. With offices in New York and Dallas, the Foundation has achieved widespread recognition for its efforts to create, fund and manage a variety of educational outreach programs.

Visit the IPPF at www.ippfdebate.com, www.facebook.com/ippfdebate, or on Twitter and Instagram at @IPPF1. 

Industry Takes Notice: Brewer Increases First-Year Associate Salaries to $235,000, Announces Increases for Other Professionals

February 15, 2022 – The Brewer firm today announced that, effective February 1, 2022, first-year associate salaries increased to $235,000. Also, the firm announced that many other lawyers, consultants, and other professionals will receive salary increases, based on merit and tenure. Adjustments in the firm’s compensation model are designed to benefit professionals at all levels of the organization.

Founded in 1984, the Brewer firm has a unique staffing model in commercial litigation. The firm is comprised of several professional groups – financial and management consultants, researchers & private investigators, and public affairs strategists – who work with the firm’s lawyers to develop insights that shape case strategy. All the groups are poised for expansion in the firm’s Dallas and New York offices.

In a communication to firm employees, firm partner William A. Brewer III congratulated staff members for their “unwavering commitment to winning.” He wrote, in the face of the pandemic, “we remain defined by our expertise – and the manner in which it positions us to handle our clients’ most important legal matters. We remain inspired by the firm’s core mission: advocacy at the highest level imaginable.”

The firm enjoyed a stellar 2021, handling a wide range of legal and regulatory matters for the National Rifle Association of America (NRA), advancing a closely followed case against Virgin Hotels in San Francisco, and advocating against Uber in a rider safety case that has captured national headlines. It has trials scheduled in San Francisco, Dallas, New York and elsewhere over the next three months.

Outside of its commercial litigation docket, the firm continues to actively promote its community legal affiliate, the Brewer Storefront, and the Brewer Foundation. This past year marked the 20-year anniversary of the Brewer Foundation Future Leaders Program, which lights a path to college for urban youth, and the Brewer / NYU International Public Policy Forum (IPPF). The IPPF is the first global debate contest that offers high school students the opportunity to participate in written scholarship and oral advocacy on public policy issues.

“The firm has always been defined by a culture of service,” Brewer says. “It is a privilege to work with clients and to help effect change in the community.”

Legal industry outlet Above the Law reported on the salary increase in an article titled, “Elite Firm Shrugs at Milbank Scale, Instead Offers Starting Salaries of $235K – Extremely exciting news!” The article noted that boutique firms are unveiling their generous compensation schemes, and added that the Brewer firm “blew right past” the $215K salary scale. The article added that the Brewer firm “has paid salaries at or above market for years…”

Brewer Foundation Announces Sweet 16 Teams Advancing in IPPF Competition

February 15, 2022 – The Brewer Foundation and New York University are pleased to announce the results of the “Top 32” round of the 21st annual International Public Policy Forum (IPPF). The advancing Sweet 16 teams remain in the running to win a $10,000 grand prize. 

The IPPF is the only contest that gives high school students around the world the opportunity to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy. The competition was founded in 2001 by the Brewer Foundation, a private, non-profit organization funded by companies, individuals and the national litigation firm of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors.

“These students analyzed and debated the role of the United States dollar in the world economy,” says William A. Brewer III, partner at Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors and a founder of the IPPF. “The 16 teams that remain will compete in another written round of debates – in hopes of advancing to the IPPF Finals in New York City.”

The IPPF’s 21st annual competition began in October, as teams submitted qualifying round essays affirming or negating the IPPF topic, “Resolved: On balance, the hegemony of the United States dollar is detrimental to the world economy.” Those essays were reviewed by a committee, which determined the top 64 teams based on the overall quality of each 2,800-word essay.

In November, the top 64 teams began a single-elimination, written debate competition. Each team was assigned a position (affirmative or negative) and then volleyed papers back and forth with another team via email. A panel of judges reviewed the essays in the order they were presented and selected the winning teams. The Top 32 teams were selected, and then narrowed in another round to the Sweet 16. The Sweet 16 round is now underway.

On March 24, the Elite 8 teams will be announced. The advancing teams will compete in the IPPF Finals on April 30, 2022. The IPPF Finals give students the opportunity to supplement their written scholarship with oral advocacy – competing in debates in front of some of the world’s foremost experts in business, law and politics. The winning team will take home the “Brewer Cup” and the $10,000 grand prize.

To view a list of advancing teams, click here.

Firm Adds Professionals to Dallas Office

January 10, 2022 - Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors recently announced the hiring of three new employees in the Dallas office.

Cory Ford joined the office as an associate. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law and his bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in business from Southern Methodist University. Prior to joining Brewer, Mr. Ford was a litigation associate at an AmLaw 100 firm representing national business entities in complex commercial disputes and catastrophic loss scenarios. During law school, he interned in the chambers of Chief Magistrate Judge John O’Sullivan in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Brett Beaver joined the office as a consultant. He previously worked as a lead accountant for Pioneer Natural Resources in Irving and also previously was a senior auditor for Deloitte & Touche LLP in Fort Worth. He received a master’s degree in accounting from Texas Christian University (TCU) and a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Texas A&M University.

Randee Rogers joined the firm as a senior legal analyst. She previously worked as a senior litigation paralegal for Brackett & Ellis, P.C. Prior to that, she was a contract specialist and in-house paralegal for BNSF Railway. She received a paralegal certificate from the University of North Texas.  

International Public Policy Forum Announces Top 32 Teams

January 3, 2022 - The Brewer Foundation / New York University International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) today announced the teams that will advance into the Top 32 round of the 2021-22 competition. Advancing teams will continue to debate the topic, "Resolved: On balance, the hegemony of the United States dollar is detrimental to the world economy." 

Founded in 2001 by the Brewer Foundation, the IPPF is the first and only competition that gives students around the world the opportunity to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy. The contest is jointly administered by the Brewer Foundation and New York University, and available to all high school students for free. 

The IPPF begins annually in October, as teams submit a 2,800-word qualifying round essay either affirming or negating the IPPF topic. Judges evaluate each essay, and the top 64 teams advance into a single-elimination, written debate competition.

In the top 64 round, schools volleyed papers back and forth via e-mail. Judges reviewed the essays in the order they were presented (affirmative constructive, negative constructive, affirmative rebuttal, negative rebuttal) and selected the advancing teams. The process will begin anew as the "Top 32" teams compete for their chance to advance to the "Sweet 16" round.

In March, the "Elite 8" teams will be announced. These teams win all-expenses-paid trips to New York City to compete during IPPF Finals Weekend, which begins April 29, 2022. During the finals, teams supplement their written advocacy with oral argumentation. The IPPF World Champion is awarded a $10,000 grand prize. 

To view the list of advancing teams, click here.

Brewer Foundation Announces 9/11 Memorial Lights Artwork, Participates in Video Tribute

New York, New York…November 24, 2021 – The Brewer Foundation announced that a special art project it commissioned to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 will soon be on display at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

The sculpture piece, “YZKAR,” is a pair of bronze-cast lights created by artist Tobi Kahn from the last known pieces of steel recovered from Ground Zero in New York. The steel pieces were provided to the artist by The Port Authority/Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), in coordination with NYU President Emeritus John Sexton. The memorial lights were previously displayed at the Grey Art Gallery at New York University. YZKAR will be on view at the museum in early 2022.

A video celebrating this historic project can be viewed here: https://www.911memorial.org/connect/blog/gift-lights-tobi-kahns-yzkar.

“The memorial lights offer a tribute to the people whose lives we lost that day – and also represents a promise to never forget them,” says Brewer Foundation Chairman William A. Brewer III. “Working with Mr. Kahn and the many others who made this vision a reality, we believe this art inspires reflection and hope for generations to come.”

Each piece includes a vessel to hold a memorial light. The two pillars in each piece represent the Twin Towers, and the pieces are designed to be lit to commemorate the lives of the many people who were lost on 9/11. An upright, vertical piece represents individual lives lost and the second piece, which extends like an embrace, represents the communal loss.

“I want to thank all who made this work possible, including the Brewer Foundation,” says Kahn. “This work is based on what is the last known artifact from hallowed Ground Zero, honoring our collective sense of loss from the events of that day. This is among the most personal and meaningful projects in which I have ever been involved.”

In collaboration with Mr. Kahn, the Brewer Foundation will sponsor an educational curriculum around the pieces and the project, serving as a catalyst for conversation about the events of 9/11. A lecture series will be offered to the NYU community. The Brewer Foundation will also host an educational program for students from the Brewer Foundation Future Leaders Program, an academic and leadership development program that lights a path to college for students from Dallas’s urban community.

About The Brewer Foundation

The Brewer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation funded by the support of the Brewer Storefront; the generosity of the law firm Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors; and donor contributions. The Foundation supports a broad range of community initiatives, with a special emphasis on a growing array of educational programs. Among these are the Future Leaders Program (FLP), an academic and leadership development program that benefits minority youth, and the Brewer Foundation/New York University International Public Policy Forum (IPPF), a global debate contest for high school students. The Foundation has also partnered with leaders in numerous sectors to grow and support its mission.

About Tobi Kahn

Tobi Kahn is a painter and sculptor whose work has been shown in over 40 solo exhibitions and over 60 museum and group shows since he was selected as one of nine artists to be included in the 1985 Guggenheim Museum exhibition, New Horizons in American Art. Works by Kahn are in major museum, corporate, and private collections. For thirty years, Kahn has been steadfast in the pursuit of his distinct vision and persistent in his commitment to the redemptive possibilities of art.

Firm Announces Hiring of Professionals in New York and Dallas

July 26, 2021 – Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors announced the hiring of two professionals in the New York and Dallas offices.

David Partida joins the firm as a senior associate in the New York office. He most recently worked as an associate in the San Francisco office of Hanson Bridgett LLP. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Notre Dame.

Katherine Kus joins the Dallas office as an investigator. She previously worked as an information analyst at Digital Intelligence Systems. She received a master of science in health studies degree and a master of library science degree from Texas Woman’s University, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.