Raised by a single mother of three in East Texas, Erin England dreamed big. Now, as a Haynes and Boone, LLP, corporate finance lawyer, she represents some of the world’s largest companies in major transactions. And her extensive volunteer work focuses on creating opportunities for children and women to reach their own dreams.
For her demonstrated commitment to improving her community, England has been accepted as a member of the Leadership Dallas Class of 2018.
She said she hopes that further developing her leadership skills can help her serve Dallas as a catalyst for positive change, particularly in addressing the impact that economic inequality has on low-income families in North Texas.
“I've been the beneficiary of many community outreach programs throughout my life, so I know first-hand how much of an impact the programs and volunteers can have on families and young children,” said England, the youngest member of her family and first to attend college. She called Leadership Dallas “part of a lifelong effort to pay it forward.”
Founded in 1975, Leadership Dallas is the Dallas Regional Chamber’s flagship program for developing new community leaders through 10 months of sessions and site visits examining critical issues in the region. Participants also complete a class project related to the areas they studied: such as human services, government and politics, regionalism, health care, criminal justice, education, and arts and culture.
“Erin is a terrific young leader within our firm, and she already has demonstrated how deeply she cares about Dallas,” Haynes and Boone Managing Partner Tim Powers said. “We strive for all of our lawyers to be involved in leadership in our communities, and Leadership Dallas provides the kind of training, connections and insights that helps them enlarge their role in making this a great place to live for all our residents.”
At Haynes and Boone, England advises her clients in domestic and international financing transactions, including capital commitment subscription financing, merger and acquisition financing and a variety of real estate-secured financings.
She also is a devoted advocate for diversity in the legal community, working through organizations including Haynes and Boone's Attorney Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Diversity Committee, which she co-chaired for two terms. She also is a board member of the Women's Finance Exchange of Dallas, and a member of the Leadership Council of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.
“She will be a valuable addition to the Leadership Dallas Class of 2018 and is exactly the kind of community leader that Leadership Dallas seeks out – someone who has a desire to better the quality of life in Dallas through creating positive change,” said Haynes and Boone Partner Sakina Rasheed Foster, who completed Leadership Dallas in 2016.
Foster called the program “incredibly rewarding, eye-opening and enriching.”
“It is an experience that helps create lifelong friendships and a deeper knowledge of our city,” she said. “I’m thankful to our firm for encouraging this kind of professional development and community involvement.”