A View from Meadows Collier

Joel Crouch and Paul Budd continue their conversation with Chuck Meadows and Trey Cousins in Part II. Chuck and Trey discuss a major firm change in 1989, the savings and loan crisis continues with an abundance of cases, the firm finding success in estate tax litigation and criminal cases, a view on contingency cases, and conclude with the question of how much of their success is attributable to luck and how much is attributable to skill and hard work?

Joel Crouch talks with Managing Partner, Anthony Daddino about becoming a tax lawyer and what lead him down this career path. Mr. Daddino may have been destined to become a tax lawyer due to being born on April 15th. He started his legal career with a large law firm in Dallas where he spent 2-3 years in the tax planning area researching and writing. From there, he joined Meadows Collier and he has been with the firm for 17 years, partner for 13 years, and managing partner for 3 years. He has a successful tax controversy and tax planning practice. Learn what his favorite and least favorite things are about practicing tax law, and his advice on having a successful tax practice.

Join Joel Crouch as he sits down and has a conversation with Michael (Mike) A. Villa, Jr. about growing up in Louisiana, his heritage, including living through Hurricane Katrina, his education, and practicing law. Mike is a 7th generation New Orleans native. Both his father and uncle were lawyers and this was something he always wanted to do. He was very interested in politics and initially thought he would have a career that focused on law and politics. Ultimately, he decided to stay on the lawyer path. Mike joined a New Orleans law firm in August of 2005 and then Hurricane Katrina hit later that same month. His entire family lost their homes as much of New Orleans was totally destroyed. He began working out of the Lafayette office of his firm and worked many hurricane-related matters. Mike decided to go to NYU to obtain his LL.M. in Tax in 2007. New York was a cultural shock for him. Mike had already taken the LA and TX bar examines back-to-back. For personal reasons and the business climate, he came to Texas. He joined Meadows Collier in 2007 and quickly began working on tax shelter cases. Currently, his practice is 60-75% criminal tax, and he sees civil inquiries too on his cases from the government. Listen to Mike and Joel discuss how the practice of law has changed since 2007, and finally Mike's advice to anyone who is thinking about becoming a lawyer.

Joel Crouch sits down for a conversation with Stephen Beck. Mr. Beck has been with the firm for 17 years. He joined the firm in 2005 and became a partner in 2011. He attended the University of Texas and earned his BBA, with high honors, in 1995. He also attended the University of Texas School of Law earning his J.D., with honors, in 1998. After law school, he moved to Washington, D.C. where he worked at one of the nation's premier litigation firms and attended Georgetown University School of Law earning his LL.M. in Taxation, with distinction, in 2000. He remained in Washington, DC for five years practicing tax law and then returned to Texas with his family and joined Meadows Collier. From an early age, Steve knew he wanted to be a lawyer. His first year of law school was tough and he wasn't sure what type of law he wanted to practice but after taking several tax courses, he discovered taxes impact all business decisions. As a tax planning lawyer, Steve works with entrepreneurs, privately-held companies, individuals buying and selling businesses and is involved with cross-border transactions involving taxpayers owning businesses outside the U.S. Mr. Beck enjoys problem-solving, especially difficult tax problems that clients are uncertain how to treat. His favorite thing about practicing law is the relationships he develops and his least favorite thing about practicing law is billable hours and the housekeeping items associated with a law practice. He attributes the success of his practice to caring about his clients and colleagues. Hear Steve's best advice to new lawyers and whether he thinks his law practice is successful due to his hard work, luck or both.

Joel Crouch talks with firm partner, Kristen Cox about how she earned a spot on a famous game show during High School when she was 17-18 years old and what she did with her winnings. Kristen determined she wanted to be a lawyer at a very young age and she thought she wanted to be a litigator. Find out how a two-year clerkship turned her interest from Litigation to a Corporate and Real Estate practice. She feels luck played a role in her joining the firm 15 years ago. With great mentors and excellent teachers at the firm who allowed her to participate in all stages of various transactions, she has developed a very rewarding practice. Find out what her favorite and least favorite things are about practicing law as well as one thing she believes has changed the most in the last 15 years of her law practice.