Bell Nunnally's Christopher Trowbridge Selected to Communities Foundation of Texas Advisory Council

DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - Oct 4, 2016) - Bell Nunnally & Martin LLP Partner Christopher B. Trowbridge has been selected to the Communities Foundation of Texas 2016-2017 Advisory Council, joining a distinguished group of 90 business, governmental, community and philanthropic leaders throughout North Texas, including former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

"As a member of the North Texas community for more than 30 years, our roots run deep, and we have made community involvement a priority. Chris' devotion to giving back is a testament to this commitment and we are very proud to be a partner with the Communities Foundation of Texas, truly one of the signature foundations across the state," said Jim Skochdopole, managing partner of Bell Nunnally.

Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) is a Dallas-based foundation founded in 1963 dedicated to raising the quality of life for individuals, families and businesses in North Texas. CFT manages more than 950 philanthropic funds, totaling $1.1 billion in assets. In 2015, the Dallas Business Journal ranked it number two in terms of total assets for foundations in the D/FW region.

CFT's initiatives include:

• "North Texas Giving Day" - a one-day online giving event that has raised more than $119 million since 2009.
• "Educate Texas" - a public/private partnership dedicated to improving the public school system.
• "Entrepreneurs for North Texas" - an organization helping small- and medium-sized businesses to do good in the community.

The CFT Advisory Council is designed to help foster an understanding of the foundation as a trusted partner for philanthropic planning and giving, community knowledge and collaboration. Candidates for the council are nominated by current members, CFT Fund Holders, trustees and staff members. The vetting process considers: 1) business and community leadership and influence; 2) interest and/or existing connection to CFT; and 3) familiarity with estate planning, tax legislation and charitable giving. Council members serve three-year terms.

Trowbridge is a commercial litigator with a particular emphasis on complex business and intellectual property matters. In the past few years alone, he has represented his clients in multi-million dollar disputes in state, federal and appellate courts and arbitrations in California, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina and cities across Texas. Trowbridge's litigation docket routinely includes business torts, including theft of trade secrets; trademark, trade dress and patent infringement; non-compete matters; private equity, investment and securities litigation; pursuit of injunctive relief; FINRA and AAA arbitrations; and state and federal appeals. He routinely tries cases before judges, juries and arbitration panels across the country. In addition to litigation, Trowbridge also provides clients -- ranging from high-net-worth individuals to Fortune 500 companies -- with pre-litigation counseling and assistance with complex contract negotiations. He earned both his J.D. (1998) and his B.B.A. (1995) from Baylor University.

Active in the community, Trowbridge is past chairman and a long-time board member for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, recent chairman of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network PurpleStride DFW and member of the Dallas Regional Chamber's Southern Dallas Task Force.

About Communities Foundation of Texas (provided by CFT)

Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) works with families, companies and nonprofits to strengthen our community through a variety of charitable funds and strategic grant making initiatives. CFT is committed to serving and understanding donor needs, expertly handling complex gifts, wisely managing charitable funds, and leveraging its community knowledge to increase charitable impact. The foundation professionally manages more than 900 charitable funds and has awarded more than $1.5 billion in grants since its founding in 1953.

About Bell Nunnally & Martin LLP

With more than 50 attorneys and three decades of doing business, Bell Nunnally & Martin LLP is among the most respected business law firms in Texas, one of the 25 largest in North Texas and one of the state's fastest-growing firms. The depth of the firm's knowledge and breadth of its expertise sets Bell Nunnally apart. The firm, a member of the global law firm network Legalink, provides a full range of services, including litigation, appellate law, commercial finance, corporate and securities, creditors' rights, bankruptcy, intellectual property, labor and employment, healthcare, immigration, real estate, entertainment, mergers and acquisitions, estate planning, tax and white collar criminal defense. Bell Nunnally is ranked in Chambers USA 2016 by Chambers & Partners and is regularly singled out as a "Go-To" firm by America's largest companies each year in Corporate Counsel magazine.