Zachry Legal Team ‘Gets to Yes Without Compromising Legal Integrity’
San Antonio trial lawyer Jay Old has achieved remarkable courtroom successes throughout his 38-year career, with his most significant accomplishments coming in 2024 and 2025. During this period, Old and his legal team guided Zachry through a difficult phase marked by a transformative corporate restructuring.
Additionally, Old's team, consisting of six attorneys and 17 other professionals, negotiated a landmark engineering, procurement, and construction contract with Duke Energy for a natural gas power plant in North Carolina. They also signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Engineering and Construction, establishing a partnership focused on nuclear power construction.
The Association of Corporate Counsel’s San Antonio Chapter and The Lawbook recognized the Zachry legal team's achievements by awarding them the 2025 San Antonio Corporate Counsel Award for Corporate Legal Department of the Year.
Personal Background of Jay Old
Jay Old was 12 years old when his father, a family physician and pilot, died in a tragic plane crash, leaving his mother to raise three children under 16 alone. The family faced a lawsuit that settled as the jury was being seated.
“The lawsuit and the resulting settlement, while not large by any means, exposed me to the significance of our legal system and how the system can change the lives of those who are touched by tragedy and loss,” said Old, now the general counsel at San Antonio-based Zachry Group.
Key Achievements of the Zachry Legal Team in 2024–2025
- Guided Zachry through a transformational corporate restructuring.
- Negotiated a historic contract with Duke Energy for a natural gas power plant.
- Formed a nuclear power construction partnership with Hyundai Engineering and Construction.
- Received the 2025 San Antonio Corporate Counsel Award for Corporate Legal Department of the Year.
Author's summary: Jay Old and the Zachry legal team have successfully navigated complex challenges in 2024–2025, securing groundbreaking contracts and earning prestigious recognition without compromising legal principles.
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