About Nancy Henderson
Nancy Henderson is an award-winning journalist who has published hundreds of articles in Smithsonian, The New York Times, Parade, The Wall Street Journal and other publications. The author of Sewing Hope and Able! How One Company’s Extraordinary Workforce Changed the Way We Look at Disability Today, she enjoys breaking stereotypes and often writes about people who are making a difference through their work. Over the years, she’s enjoyed listening to family stories about her grandfather, who prosecuted cases as a solicitor general in North Carolina long before she was born.
Articles written by Nancy Henderson
Big Swings
Michael Veron is an ace in the world of long-shot litigation—and golf literatureIn 1993, when Billy Corbello asked his cousin Michael Veron to do battle with Shell Oil, Veron was initially reluctant but found he couldn’t say no. For starters, he loved his cousin like a brother. And Corbello hammered home the fact that Veron’s own father, also a lawyer, had asked Corbello to keep an eye on the family’s land, while Shell had not only failed to vacate the family’s Louisiana farm when the royalty-based lease expired, but also neglected to clean up the toxic waste left …
How Far We’ve Come
Five attorneys discuss the last 20 years of lawTo commemorate the 20th anniversary of Colorado Super Lawyers, we asked five attorneys who’ve been practicing for more than two decades to reflect on what they’ve learned, how the profession has changed, and what the next generation needs to know. Among the variety of opinions, there’s one thing they all agree on: that practicing law was, and is, the right choice. “People ask me all the time, ‘Have you enjoyed it? How have you survived being a trial lawyer for 40 years?’” says …
What Are You Signing Away?
Employment attorneys discuss the pitfalls of NDAs, noncompetes and other contract provisionsEmployment lawyer Sarah Brown often sees clients who are shocked when the contract provisions they ignored come back to haunt them. “What I see most is people who have either been terminated or who want to go to a different company, and they have an employment agreement that’s standing in their way,” says Brown, of Brown & Curry in Kansas City, Missouri. “They went ahead and signed it without even understanding it or thinking about the ramifications. “Trying to fix it after …
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
What to know about software licensing agreements before you signWhile combing through a proposed software license agreement with a business client, Brian Gamsey discovered language that would have let the vendor use the client’s data to train artificial intelligence. “That was something the client very much did not want,” says Gamsey, of Mills Gamsey in Atlanta. “We were able to get them to not use that feature as part of the offering once the license agreement was in place.” Choosing the wrong software vendor, or signing without reading the …
‘What Would Patty Do?’
Patricia McKinnon focuses on connecting with clients and paying it forwardAbout two months out of law school, Patricia McKinnon joined the newly created Marion County public defender agency to represent parents either trying to get their children back or facing involuntary termination of parental rights. One month later, she was thrust into her first civil trial—alone. She had worked extensively with the client, who consented to let relatives adopt all of her children except one, and she was counting on the woman to demonstrate on the witness stand that she was, in …
High Hopes
Two attorneys on the advantages of youth, its challenges, and the future of lawDuring Georgia Malik’s first court appearance—less than a month after she passed the bar in 2020—the opposing counsel asked, “Are you the attorney? How old are you?” “I was like, ‘Old enough for a law license,’” says Malik, a civil litigator with Cranfill Sumner in Raleigh. “Having to navigate this [age issue] has always been challenging.” Misconceptions about youth aren’t the only stumbling blocks for young attorneys in the early days of their careers. For Chris …
What To Know Before You Sign a Software Licensing Agreement
Before signing a software licensing agreement, read the scope and data portability of the software license, permitted user limits, and subscription terms. Your data ownership rights depend on the license scope, and you should watch for auto-renewal and limitations of liability or indemnification. Some agreements include price escalation terms, service levels, uptime credits, audit rights, security obligations, support terms, and termination rights. Talk to a transactions attorney about your …
‘Self, We Need to Get This Work Done’
Five attorneys on the joys and challenges of going soloLike any work situation, hanging a shingle has its pros and cons. “The biggest pro, I think, is being able to be your own boss and choose what you’re going to work on and handle the cases the way you think you should,” says personal injury and civil rights attorney Miguel Dominguez. “The biggest challenge is that you’re responsible for bankrolling these cases. It’s also your responsibility to figure out where the next case is going to come from. At the end of the day, it’s still a …
Sharing Her Story
Elizabeth Kurowski Quante supports others with Type 1 diabetesFor Elizabeth Kurowski Quante, the hardest part of being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 14 was “getting used to a completely new normal,” she recalls. “I couldn’t eat without thinking about it. I couldn’t exercise or go out for a walk without thinking about what my blood sugar is,” she says. “If I wanted to eat a piece of cake at a birthday party, I would have to prick my finger and then give myself a shot of insulin.” Rather than try to hide her struggles, she …
'I’m Trying to Fix Things’
Carey Acerra is determined to right the wrongs of the nursing home industryEven the dog in the courtroom was on Carey Acerra’s side. For reasons unknown, when her opposing counsel spoke during the five-week trial in 2016, a rescue dog the judge adopted—a small black shih tzu with a graying muzzle—would often bark.And each time the canine interjected, Acerra, who was representing the family of a dementia patient fatally neglected at a Memphis nursing home, said, “See? Even the dog is objecting.” It helped lighten the mood. The jurors visibly relaxed. …
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