Corporate Counsel
by Catherine Deyarmond
When he was in his third year at the St. Mary’s University School of Law, Stephen Hebert (J.D. ’14) started working for a San Antonio personal injury firm.
After receiving his Supervised Practice Card, Hebert spent his last semester of law school serving as an attorney under the oversight of a licensed Texas attorney.
“I enjoyed being a personal injury plaintiff attorney,” he said. “It gave me the opportunity to help people and see that side of the coin.”
A new path
Hebert said his career trajectory changed the day he received his bar exam results.
“After I got my results, an insurance defense firm made me a job offer,” Hebert said. “I went from plaintiff to defense.”
When he made the change, Hebert said he kept in mind advice from experienced attorneys who shared the value of working in both defense and prosecution roles.
After three years at the insurance defense firm, Hebert moved to Houston when the firm where his wife, Lariza Pruneda Hebert (J.D. ’15), worked closed its San Antonio office. They both found jobs in Houston. Stephen Hebert worked at a defense litigation firm for three years before moving to his current role in 2022 as corporate counsel for litigation at Landry’s Inc.’s headquarters.
Nationwide docket
“I manage a nationwide litigation docket for all locations,” he said. “If something happens at one of our 600 locations nationwide, it ends up on my desk. I have to go to that particular jurisdiction and find an attorney. That gives me the opportunity to network with attorneys all over the country and see all the nuances in the law.”
Hebert said he enjoys being a part of a team and having the opportunity to build relationships within the company.
With another in-house attorney, Hebert shares the legal work involving Landry’s properties, which includes restaurants, casinos, hotels and theme parks.
“St. Mary’s was the best thing that ever happened to me. I set myself up for success for the rest of my life.”
— Stephen Hebert (J.D. ’14)
He handles general liability lawsuits encompassing premises, personal injury and contract work.
For students or new attorneys interested in working as an in-house attorney, Hebert recommends first working at a private firm.
“Companies value attorneys who have done one thing a thousand times instead of doing a thousand things one time,” he said. “If you want to be an in-house attorney from the beginning, it’s not really realistic. You need to figure out how the legal system works, whether it is trying cases or another area of legal work. Real-world private practice experience is very important.”
Giving credit
Hebert, who was named a 2024 10 Under 10 Honoree by the School of Law Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Council, credited the School of Law for preparing him for a fulfilling career.
Although he grew up in Louisiana, his father, Joseph “J.P.” P. Hebert, J.D. (B.B.A. ’77), grew up in San Antonio and attended St. Mary’s before becoming a tax and bankruptcy attorney in Lafayette, Louisiana. “St. Mary’s was the best thing that ever happened to me. I set myself up for success for the rest of my life,” he said. “I met my wife there. I still have a bunch of lifelong friends who live in San Antonio, and I couldn’t have hoped for a better experience.”
