Bell Nunnally Partner Tammy S. Wood has been awarded “Best Mentor” by Texas Lawyer as part of its “Texas Legal Awards 2020” (TXLA). The entire roster of honorees, numbering less than 50 across the state of Texas, were highlighted at a virtual ceremony on September 17.
TXLA features “attorneys and judges who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession in Texas.” Wood is one of four selected for the “Best Mentor” award, recognizing lawyers who have helped less-experienced colleagues become better lawyers.
“Tammy’s career is shaped by those who mentored her, and I can think of no one who been more dedicated to the concept of ‘paying it forward,’” said Bell Nunnally Managing Partner Christopher B. Trowbridge. “Here at Bell Nunnally, and in the broader community, Tammy is engaged in helping those working to build their lives and their careers, particularly young female attorneys. We congratulate Tammy on this well-deserved honor.”
Bell Nunnally’s Litigation Chair, Wood serves clients across a diverse range of industries – including telecommunications, manufacturing, insurance, health care, energy, SaaS, advertising, retail, food service, cyber security, trucking, construction, real estate and high technology. These clients rely on Wood to be their advocate in litigation, arbitrations and other business-critical matters.
As detailed in her nomination, Wood’s life story includes near homelessness, parental abandonment and financial struggles. Her parents, who were born in Puerto Rico and later moved to Texas, separated while she was in high school, leaving her reliant on various family members across the area for basic necessities, such as housing.
In 1986, Wood was interviewed by the board members, including Carolyn Clark, of Educational Opportunities (EdOp) – a Dallas-based volunteer organization dedicated to assisting youth who have the academic ability but not the financial means to attend college. Clark, one of the organization’s founders, eventually became Wood’s mentor, offering everything from rides to organizational events when she had no transportation, to lengthy phone calls discussing Wood’s studies and helping her navigate personal issues. With the financial aid support of EdOp, Wood graduated with honors from college and later law school. She today works closely with EdOp, serving in a host of capacities, including past president and student mentor team lead.
An active mentor at Bell Nunnally, Wood recently revamped the firm’s Associate Training and Mentorship Program,” and now leads it. Her success at the firm and in the courtroom is only part of her story. Wood is the mother of five children, two of whom have pursued legal careers.
Martindale-Hubbell AV-rated and listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Wood is a graduate of Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1993) and Texas Woman's University (B.S., 1990).
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Tammy S. Wood