AUSTIN – Locke Lord’s Cynthia Bast, Chair of the Firm’s Affordable Housing and Community Development Section, has been named Austin Office Managing Partner, and Elizabeth Mack, Chair of the Firm’s Environmental – Real Estate and Corporate Section, has been named Dallas Office Managing Partner.
Bast and Mack will lead alongside Houston Office Managing Partner Laura Edrington, marking the first time in the Firm’s history that all of its Texas offices are led by women.
“As Partners and section chairs, Cynthia and Elizabeth are outstanding lawyers and proven leaders. As Office Managing Partners, they will continue Locke Lord’s tradition of preeminence in Texas while helping to usher the Firm into a bright future,” said Locke Lord Chair David Taylor.
These changes reflect Locke Lord’s ongoing commitment to diversity, with six offices across the Firm now run by women: Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Locke Lord has four women on its Executive Committee, including one Vice Chair, and 12 women on its Board of Directors, including both Co-Chairs. Joining Mack on the leadership team of the Dallas office is Vicky Gunning, who will serve as Deputy Managing Partner.
Bast is a member and former Co-Chair of Locke Lord’s Board of Directors and a nationally recognized affordable housing and community development finance lawyer. She advises developers, investors, financial institutions and governmental agencies on complex affordable housing transactions and has helped shape Texas laws and regulations impacting the industry. Bast is at the forefront of implementing new affordable housing initiatives at the local, state and federal levels, while working to improve existing programs. In 2020, she was recognized as a Texas Trailblazer by Texas Lawyer for her work building Locke Lord’s affordable housing practice. Bast serves on the national advisory board for Rainbow Housing Assistance Corporation.
Mack also serves on the Firm’s Board of Directors and is a nationally known lawyer, with significant experience in brownfield redevelopment, environmental compliance, and environmental litigation. She has a deep understanding of the practical implications associated with environmental issues, combining business savvy with legal, scientific, and technical knowledge. She is a past Chair and current member of the Board of Directors of Texas Appleseed and serves on the Executive Committee of the Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board. Mack is a member of Locke Lord’s Firm Finance Committee and Women’s Initiative Committee.
Locke Lord has been a mainstay in Texas for 130 years, with strong roots, deep ties and a formidable presence in the state. The Firm has cultivated long-standing relationships with clients, and its experienced and dedicated lawyers are leaders — in the courtroom, in the boardroom and in the community.