Chris LaFollette Discusses Background and Career with Texas Lawbook

Akin Gump partner emeritus Christine “Chris” LaFollette sat down with Texas Lawbook to discuss her illustrious career as a corporate and energy lawyer in the feature article “Chris LaFollette: ‘Just a Lucky Girl From South Texas’.”

To start, the publication depicts LaFollette standing on a shaking oil rig during a simulated blowout. It is a memory, LaFollette says, from early in her career that helped shape her approach to client work by stressing the importance of immediate action in that moment. She added that “it was her who needed to answer the phone [when a client called], not her voicemail, that she needed to be at-the-ready to act immediately…”

Reflecting on the high pace nature of corporate work, LaFollette, who retired from the firm in 2020, discussed the importance of adaptability, saying “You have to be able to adapt quickly because the speed of change is getting faster.” Among the many highlights of her career, the publication notes LaFollette’s expansive book of business, comprising several multibillion-dollar deals including Cimarex’s $1.6 billion acquisition of Resolute Energy Corp. and SRC Energy’s $1.7 billion merger with PDC Energy.

Now, as partner emeritus, the publication notes that LaFollette, who served as partner in charge of Akin Gump’s Houston office for more than a decade, is highly focused on the mentorship of junior lawyers as well as participating in women-focused events. LaFollette stressed the importance of community in the legal industry, saying “This isn’t a profession where you can be a loner successfully. This is a profession where you’re going to have so many pull you up, lift you up and keep you going.”