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Our Heritage

In the Beginning

Wally Scott and Frank Douglass founded our firm in 1976 based on the principles of honesty, attention to detail and exceptional client service. Scott Douglass & McConnico began as an oil and gas firm and our roots run deep in this industry. The firm’s expertise in both litigation and regulatory law empowered the growth of our civil litigation, appellate and tax practices. Our 40+ attorneys today strive to stay true to the firm culture and style of practicing law that our esteemed founders established.

Wallace H. Scott, Jr.

Wallace H. Scott, Jr., (1920 – 2005) practiced oil and gas law from 1949 until his death in 2005. A 1948 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Wally was hired as the first attorney in the Oil and Gas Division of the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) where he served as a hearings examiner. As a solo practitioner from 1950-1976, and then as a co-founder of this law firm, Wally represented most of Texas’ successful independent producers. He appeared in thousands of cases at the RRC, many of which affected or established key legal issues in oil and gas regulatory law. Wally’s cross-examination skills were legendary and surpassed only by his storytelling. One of the most colorful, larger than life personalities ever to obtain a law license, Wally’s humor and wit were cornerstones for the firm’s special atmosphere. As a captain of the 1941 University of Texas football team, Wally remained a dedicated Longhorn. He served on the Men’s Athletic Council from 1962-1984, and was a co-founder of the Longhorn Club (predecessor of the Longhorn Foundation). In 1977, Wally was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor and in 1998 into the Texas High School Hall of Fame. His career and achievements were honored in 1991 by the establishment of the Wally Scott Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law at the University.

Frank Douglass

Frank Douglass (1933 – 2007) graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 1958, and joined Powell, Rauhut, McGinnis and Reavley (later known as McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore). In 1976, Frank teamed with Wally Scott to form Scott & Douglass. Frank championed the State Bar’s creation of a board certified specialty in oil, gas and mineral law and became certified in that specialty and in Civil Trial Law. Many of the cases he tried and argued reached the Supreme Court of Texas and became important parts of the state’s oil and gas law. In 2006, Frank received the first Ernest Smith Award for Lifetime Achievement in Energy Law from the Texas Journal of Oil, Gas & Energy Law and the Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Energy Litigation Award by the Institute for Energy Law at the Center for American and International Law. Among his many positions and honors, he was a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and a Founding Master of the American Inns of Court (Austin Chapter). He served as an important leader of both the State Bar and the American Bar Association’s committees on oil & gas, mineral & environmental law. Frank was among the first to commit his time and money to the Austin Bar project, now known as Volunteer Legal Services, which matches volunteer lawyers with clients unable to afford legal services. SDM lawyers still participate in VLS.

Steve McConnico

Steve McConnico is an accomplished trial lawyer of more than 40 years, respected for his skill in the courtroom as well as his exemplary ethical standard of practice. Steve attended Baylor Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Baylor Law Review. After graduating with honors in 1976, he became the briefing attorney for Justice Jack Pope of the Texas Supreme Court and thereafter practiced law with Andrews Kurth in Houston where he gained a foundation in medical malpractice. In 1985, Steve joined Scott Douglass at the recommendation of Chief Justice Pope.

Steve is a Fellow of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. In addition to being recognized by Chambers USA for his litigation practice, Steve has been honored with the Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award by the Texas Bar Foundation and The Baylor Lawyer of the Year Award.

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