Daryl Bailey, with Gray Reed & McGraw.

Daryl W. Bailey, partner/director, Gray Reed & McGraw

Daryl W. Bailey has extensive experience in resolving complex commercial disputes with challenging issues, multiple parties and substantial dollars at stake. His clients range from Fortune 500 companies to mid-size business owners, entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses primarily in the real estate, construction and steel industries, including developers, general contractors, subcontractors, landlords, tenants, steel mills, steel distributors, title insurance companies and their insureds.

Who was one of your most important mentors, and what the relationship like?

Lew W. Harpold. My relationship with Lew began as a law clerk at his Houston law firm known then as Harpold, McDonald & Fitzgerald. Being the managing partner of this firm, very few people realized how approachable Lew was. He carried the aura of managing partner—THE boss—but he was consummate gentleman when one broke that aura boundary. Lew provided me unbelievable responsibility to handle litigation matters from an early part of my career. He “red-penned” many of my pleadings and briefs and from that I learned a great deal even though he was not one to sit with one and provide oral critique. We went to lunch together, probably at least twice a week over 25 plus years. Lew was raised in Houston, graduated from Lamar High School and played football and graduated from Rice University. Consequently, wherever we went people knew Lew. Lew taught me the ropes at the courthouse and to review the files and be kind to the court personnel. Lew became my best friend, although many years senior to me and I was honored to be a part of his life. He taught me about life by watching him and being in his company.

What is the biggest challenge to maintaining a mentor-mentee relationship?

The fact that we live in a fast-paced, throw-away society causes people, without them realizing it, to have relationships in the same way. We must guard against that with all of our being.