Global Debate Champions Crowned: Carroll Senior High School Wins IPPF Title, $10,000 Prize
New York… May 3, 2025 – After eight months of fierce international competition, a team from Carroll Senior High School in Southlake, Texas, has triumphed at the 24th annual Brewer Foundation / NYU International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) Finals — earning the coveted title of IPPF World Champion and a $10,000 grand prize from the Brewer Foundation.
The final debate, held Saturday, May 3, at the Harold Pratt House in Manhattan, concluded a journey that began in October 2024 with 283 teams from 26 countries and 30 U.S. states.
This year’s resolution challenged teams to weigh equity against intellectual property, with teams debating the topic: “Resolved: Equitable access to pharmaceuticals should be prioritized over protecting intellectual property rights.”
From the original pool of 283 teams, 64 advanced into a rigorous single-elimination written debate tournament. The top eight — the “Elite Eight” — earned an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City as guests of the Brewer Foundation to engage in high-stakes, in-person debates before a panel of global experts.
The final debate was attended by more than 100 contest participants, NYU representatives, and professional staff from the Brewer law firm.
“This team demonstrated a command of the topic and persuasive force that defines the art of advocacy,” said William A. Brewer III, chairman of the Brewer Foundation and founder of the IPPF. “They earned their victory on a big stage, under the intense pressure of world-class intellectual competition.”
Brewer added, “The IPPF doesn’t just build debaters — it cultivates future leaders. At a time when civil discourse among those with opposing views seems nonexistent, this tournament annually engages students around the world in rigorous research, writing, and oral advocacy on a topic of international importance. By doing so, the IPPF equips them with the tools to lead, to question, and to speak with purpose. It’s not just a competition; it’s a proving ground for tomorrow’s policy thinkers and public voices.”
The winning team — coached by Anthony Brown and composed of students Tanya Kuriakose, Amber Lin, Nethra Tummalapalli, and Anushka Velala — bested top contenders in the quarterfinals and semifinals before defeating duPont Manual High School of Louisville, Kentucky, in the final round.
In addition to being named a world champion, debater Amber Lin, a freshman at Carroll Senior, was awarded the John E. Sexton Award and a $1,000 prize for exceptional performance during the Final Debate.
Additional Awards:
· Runner-Up: duPont Manual High School from Louisville, Kentucky ($5,000 prize)
· Sexton Award Winner: Amber Lin of Carroll Senior High School received the John E. Sexton Award and a $1,000 prize for exceptional performance during the Final Debate.
· Semifinalists: Blue Valley High School of Stilwell, Kanas, and Westwood High School of Austin, Texas ($3,000 each)
· Quarterfinalists: Alpha Co of La Cresenta, California; Kealakehe High School of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii; North Allegheny Senior High School of Wexford, Pennsylvania; and Peak to Peak Charter School of Lafayette, Colorado ($1,500 each)
Judging Panel:
The proceedings were judged by a panel comprised of NYU President Emeritus John Sexton; Miha Andric, an international debate coach and Director of Education Center Argument based in Slovenia; Will Baker, Director of the NYU Global Debate Fund; Trey Smith, Executive Director of East Mountain High School; and Alex Pouille, Zone Europe Chief Financial Officer for Anheuser-Busch InBev. The debate moderator was David Baker, famed debate coach and Director of Admission & Financial Aid at St. Mark’s School of Texas.
About the IPPF and the Brewer Foundation:
The IPPF was founded in 2001 by the Brewer Foundation and is now jointly administered with New York University. The program is available to all high schools around the world – public and private – for free. The IPPF is endorsed by leading forensic agencies, such as the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, the International Debate Education Association, the Impact Coalition, Associated Leaders of Urban Debate Leagues, and the National Debate Coaches Association.
The Brewer Foundation is a private, non-profit organization funded by companies, individuals and the national litigation firm of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. With offices in New York and Dallas, the Foundation has achieved widespread recognition for its efforts to create, fund and manage a variety of educational outreach programs.
Texas Lawyer, Above The Law Report on Brewer Firm Boosting First-Year Associate Salaries to $300,000
April 29, 2025 — Texas Lawyer and Above The Law report that Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors announced it will raise first-year associate salaries to $300,000, effective Sept. 1, up from the current $250,000, "as the Dallas-founded trial boutique strives to take on more litigation under alternative billing arrangements."
Firm founder William A. Brewer III told Texas Lawyer the firm wants to hire creative, superstar first-year associates as the firm leverages the efficiency of AI to meet increased demand, as clients are increasingly focused on outcomes instead of hours.
"We don’t want to pound clients with lots of hours. What you want to get to is value," Brewer told Texas Lawyer. "We are desperately trying to flip the script and reduce our hourly fee business to 20% or a little lower and have most of our work be based on an alternative arrangement."
Read the Texas Lawyer article here and Above the Law here.
Brewer Foundation Celebrates Graduates of Its Future Leaders Program
April 28, 2025 – The Brewer Foundation honored its 2025 Future Leaders Program (FLP) graduates this weekend, celebrating a milestone achievement for 18 seniors, including two students awarded the prestigious QuestBridge National College Scholarship and one student awarded the Gates Scholarship.
Founded in 2001 by the Brewer Foundation, the FLP provides year-round academic courses, leadership training, and cultural enrichment to more than 150 Dallas Independent School District (DISD) students, ages 12 – 18, at no cost. Designed for students, many of whom are the first in their families to pursue college, the FLP prepares future leaders to succeed in school, excel in college, and become pillars of their community.
The 2025 FLP graduates were recognized in a special ceremony on Saturday, April 26, at the Episcopal School of Dallas, attended by FLP faculty, families, and professional staff from Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors.
“We created FLP to help promising students reach their full potential,” said William A. Brewer III, FLP founder and Brewer Foundation Chairman. “Seeing these students achieve this extraordinary graduation milestone is incredibly rewarding – proof that hard work and educational access can transform lives."
A Vision for Success
Students are selected for the FLP based on scholastic aptitude, civic engagement, and leadership potential. The curriculum supplements the education students receive at their home schools, with coursework that includes humanities, advanced mathematics, and psychology. Each class is co-taught by both a private school and public-school teacher — a unique collaboration designed to bring together diverse ideas and perspectives.
The program partners with DISD several of Dallas’ top private schools, including St. Mark’s School of Texas, The Hockaday School, Greenhill School, and the Episcopal School of Dallas.
Since 2009, FLP seniors have received more than $20 million in scholarship offers. FLP alumni are graduates of many elite colleges and universities, including New York University, Yale University, Northwestern University, Pomona College, The University of Texas at Austin, Southern Methodist University, and Texas Christian University.
2025 FLP Graduates
Maya Alvarez
Juan Cabellero
Marian Cuenca
Elizabeth Espinoza
Alfredo Fuente, QuestBridge Scholar
Estrella Garcia
Madison Johnson
Andres Juarez
Juan Leos-Reyna
Anaya Martinez, Gates Scholar
Jonathan Martinez
Isaac Molina, QuestBridge Scholar
Lizbeth Ojeda
Lindsey Rodriquez
Jazmine Salinas
Shruti Sharma
Evelyn Sida
Julissa Zuniga
Learn more about the QuestBridge National College Scholarship here.
Explore the Future Leaders Program here.
Support our mission to expand opportunity for promising students here.
Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors Raises First-Year Associate Salaries to $300,000
April 28, 2025…Dallas, TX – Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors today announced that, effective September 1, 2025, it will increase first-year associate salaries to $300,000.
Coinciding with the integration of cutting-edge legal technologies and a focus on outcomes over hours, the increase in first-year associate salaries reflects a commitment to delivering results in a rapidly changing world.
Rewarding talent, not tenure, the firm continues to offer an aggressive partnership track. Associates are eligible for promotion to partner after five years.
“Our firm strives to stay ahead of the curve – in terms of compensation, advocacy, and skills,” said founding partner William A. Brewer III. “Our aim is to recruit the best and brightest and give them the opportunity to work on precedent-setting matters. The bigger the stage, the better.”
Brewer offers a multidisciplinary advocacy model in commercial litigation. The firm unites professionals from a range of disciplines – financial, economic, and management consultants; researchers and private investigators; and communications specialists – who work with the firm’s lawyers to develop insights, drive strategy, and win cases.
Since its founding in 1984, Brewer has consistently led the market on compensation, surpassing the salary scales at large firms. The salary announcement follows another successful year for the firm and reaffirms its commitment to the Art of Advocacy and the clients and communities it serves.
About Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors
Founded in 1984, Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors, has earned a reputation as one of the most successful law firms in the United States practicing exclusively in the field of complex commercial litigation and dispute resolution. With offices in New York and Dallas, Texas, the firm represents a wide spectrum of industry leaders – from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 corporations – facing the most challenging of legal issues. Visit Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors at www.brewerattorneys.com.
Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors Launches Office Search for New Dallas Headquarters
Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors Launches Office Search for New Dallas Headquarters
April 25, 2025 – Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors, the Dallas-based litigation firm known for zealous advocacy in high-stakes litigation, is launching a strategic office search to support the firm’s expansion.
The firm’s community impact affiliate, the Brewer Storefront, as well as its charitable foundation, the Brewer Foundation, will also relocate as part of this transition, enabling expanded engagement across Texas and throughout the United States.
The move follows more than 30 years of the firm’s office base at the Comerica Bank Tower in Downtown Dallas – a location that provided a bedrock for success and a strong foundation for growth. Looking ahead, the firm sees the future of Dallas beyond the downtown core and is broadening the search to include the entire Metroplex.
The firm will consider locations in the corridor east of downtown, Knox-Henderson, and South Dallas, where the firm sees potential to partner on office development projects.
“This announcement reflects our long-term commitment to the Dallas community – not just as legal advocates, but as neighbors, partners, and stakeholders in the future of Dallas and Texas," said William A. Brewer III, the firm’s founding partner.
The firm anticipates relocating from the Comerica Bank Tower in 2026. Colliers brokers Travis Ewert and Billy Vahrenkamp are advising on the search.
William Brewer Writes Op-Ed for Dallas Morning News About Keller ISD Voting Rights Case
William Brewer writes in an op-ed for The Dallas Morning News about how the recent failed proposal to split Keller ISD highlights the failures of the at-large election system used to elect the school board — and the need for a new election system.
Brewer, with Kent Bhupathi contributing, writes that "Ultimately, at-large voting systems compound inequities in racially diverse communities. Imagine a board that nominally represents everyone but that in practice panders to the preferences of one dominant group. That is what happened in Keller ISD, with the all-white board effectively insulating wealthier communities (where most trustees live) from the financial responsibilities of supporting lower-income students and diverse cultural backgrounds."
Brewer Storefront, the firm's community service legal affiliate, recently filed a Voting Rights Act lawsuit on behalf of plaintiff Claudio Vallejo challenging the at large system. Brewer writes, "The case seeks to implement a cumulative voting system and move to on-cycle elections, reforms that have the potential to break the hold of entrenched majorities and open the door to a more diverse, representative school board."
Read more here.
Actress Cindy Latch Battles Unauthorized Image Exploitation in Florida Lawsuit
Latch Seeks to Protect Her Brand After Years of Misappropriation by Biote-Affiliated Clinics
April 4, 2025 – Cindy Latch, a commercial actress and TV host, has filed a lawsuit and request for temporary injunction alleging that 19 Florida-based medical clinics unlawfully exploited her image and likeness for commercial gain — years after her consent was withdrawn.
In a story that highlights the increasingly urgent battle over image rights in the digital age, Latch asserts that her likeness was used without permission to promote Biote medical products and services. Biote is a leading hormone therapy company for whom Latch worked as a commercial actress.
Despite a strict contractual agreement dating back to 2015 limiting usage rights to paid terms, the complaint reveals numerous Biote-affiliated providers continued to use her image well beyond the expiration of her contract in February 2021.
Filed on April 2, 2025, in the 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Hillsborough County, near Tampa Bay, Florida, Latch’s complaint outlines a pattern of persistent infringement even after repeated demands to cease use, a court-issued temporary restraining order, and a temporary injunction issued by the 101st District Court of Dallas County.
As of today, at least 7 of the named clinics allegedly continue to display Latch’s likeness across their websites, social media platforms, and promotional videos – all for the benefit of their commercial interests.
“These defendants were told to stop, ordered to stop, and yet they continued to use our client's image,” said William A. Brewer III, founding partner at Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors and lead counsel for Ms. Latch. “Our client believes that this is a textbook example of commercial misappropriation. These clinics and Biote capitalized on Ms. Latch’s brand equity and image to attract business while ignoring the law.”
At the heart of the dispute is Latch’s former collaboration with Biote Medical LLC. Under a series of "Image Usage Contracts," Biote had the right to use Latch’s promotional materials — but only so long as payments were timely and consent remained valid. According to the complaint, those contracts explicitly required that affiliates remove all content 30 days after payment stopped or authorization ended.
The lawsuit says that when Latch withdrew her consent in 2021 and Biote’s license expired, many affiliated providers ignored the termination and continued using her image. Despite receiving written instructions from Biote in September 2021 to remove the content — and a court-ordered injunction in December 2024 — numerous providers allegedly continued to refuse to comply. Latch filed suit against Biote Medical LLC in November 2024.
The most recent complaint cites violations of Florida’s unauthorized publication of name or likeness statute, common law invasion of privacy by misappropriation, unjust enrichment, and civil conspiracy. Latch seeks monetary damages, injunctive relief, disgorgement of profits, and punitive damages.
The clinics named in the suit span the state from Fort Lauderdale to Jacksonville to Sarasota and include some still actively using her image for their own profit on social media. Most only ceased after legal action was initiated.
“This isn’t just about me. It’s about drawing a clear line,” says Latch. “Professionals deserve control over how their image is used. If companies can ignore contracts and court orders without consequence, then no one’s brand is safe.”
William Brewer Writes About Embracing AI, Alternative Billing Models
April 3, 2025 — In a recently published Law360 article, William A. Brewer III argues the billable hour isn't just outdated – it's a liability threatening firms clinging to antiquated billing models.
In "Firms Must Embrace Alternative Billing Methods or Fall Behind," Brewer highlights the risk for firms reliant on antiquated billing models in a legal market reshaped by AI, enhanced competition, and growing demand for outcome-based fee arrangements. Brewer states, “Law firms face a choice: evolve or fade into irrelevance. To stay competitive, they must ditch the billable hour, embrace AI, and accelerate their digital transformation – before it’s too late.”
Brewer predicts that firms willing to adopt outcome-based fee arrangements will gain a decisive edge. Clients, he notes, are demanding results and will become increasingly unwilling to bankroll unproductive hours. Frustrated, they will seek alternatives.
“As more companies seek legal services that prioritize outcomes over hours, the firms that embrace this new paradigm will gain a decisive competitive advantage. Those who resist will lose ground to tech-savvy boutiques, Big Four firms and legal startups that aren't shackled by tradition.”
Brewer then addresses Big Law directly, stating, “Big Law must evolve now to stay ahead. The firms that embrace AI, ditch the billable hour and redefine their value proposition will thrive. This is the dawn of a golden age. Technology holds the promise of less drudgery, expanded access to justice, and firms empowered to deliver sharper, faster and more strategic legal services. Change isn't coming — it's here. And the firms that are embracing it won't just survive. They'll set the standard for the future.”