After Finding a ‘Port in a Storm’ in Lawyers, Lyondell Basell’s Dave Louie Now Serves as One for Others Through Pro Bono Work

When Dave Louie was 17, he caused a car wreck. His father feared the family could lose everything in a resulting lawsuit, a possibility that weighed heavily on Louie. 

But his nerves eased after he met with the legal team hired by the family’s insurance company.

“They were like a port in a storm,” Louie said. He later drew on that experience when considering a career in law, inspired by the lawyers who helped his family navigate the crisis. 

Now a lead counsel at LyondellBasell, Louie strives to provide that same sense of reassurance to the families he serves through his pro bono work. 

“That is who he is,” said Michelle Tewal, a supervising attorney with Houston Volunteer Lawyers, the nonprofit legal aid arm of the Houston Bar Association. “I’ve seen him when a family comes to him and needs help, and he has a calm, gentle demeanor about him. He is there because he wants to do this work for people.”

The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook are honoring Louie, along with Shell USA Senior Litigation Counsel Sara Keith, with the Harry Reasoner Pro Bono Advocacy Award at the 2026 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards on May 28.

Louie was born in Stockton, California, to a USDA inspector and an elementary school teacher, who instilled a foundation of service in their children. He said one of his most formative childhood memories is of his father taking him and his sister to the Salvation Army to serve lunch on Thanksgiving. 

Louie’s first thought that law could be a good career came from the board game Life. In the game, the two highest-paying jobs were doctor and lawyer. But he didn’t seriously consider pursuing law until his early 20s, when he realized his initial career aspiration of becoming an engineer was unlikely due to his struggles with math and science. His strengths, instead, were in writing and communicating, which he figured would suit him well in a legal career. 

He did some pro bono work as an intern while attending South Texas College of Law. He enjoyed it but rarely made time for it in private practice. 

“I naively wanted to wait until I felt more established and assumed I’d eventually have more time,” he said.

Louie interned in a few in-house legal departments while in law school and liked the idea of being a part of something bigger than a law firm.

“A partner at a firm I worked for once said lawyers don’t create anything of value. That’s a very cynical view, and not entirely true, but I understood his point,” Louie said. “Being in-house for a company means that I see tangible products that our business helps make, and I get to feel like a small part of that, which is rewarding.” 

The initial role LyondellBasell offered Louie was a hybrid — half litigation, half transactional — due to competing needs in the department. He wasn’t enthusiastic about branching into transactional work, but he saw it as a way to get his foot in the door for a competitive in-house role.

Louie spent about two and a half years in that position before his then-manager told him he should choose one path. By then, Louie had come to enjoy both, but he recognized the rare opportunity to switch practice areas. 

“I decided I should probably seize the opportunity and give it a shot, because I could always go back to litigation,” he said. 

Today, he is lead counsel for the team supporting the company’s Olefins & Polyolefins and Intermediates & Derivatives – Americas businesses and related joint ventures. His role centers on negotiating complex, high-value commercial agreements, managing risk and ensuring contracts align with business goals, said Vinson & Elkins partner Quentin L. Smith, who nominated Louie for the award. Louie also handles product liability matters, advises on real estate and manufacturing operations and supports joint venture governance — helping the company stay compliant, protect its reputation and maintain strong partnerships, Smith said.  

Louie is often the first person that clients call with their problems. 

“That happens because we have built a relationship of trust,” Louie said. “I don’t always know how to solve their issue, but I usually know who can help. I get to be a gateway to legal, and that often lets our team be proactive about issues rather than reactive. I take pride in that because I’ve earned their confidence.” 

Louie has earned such trust that at least one colleague, Vasquez Waite partner Mark Waite, thinks he should run for public office. 

“We need more smart and kind people like Dave serving the community. I’d vote for him, and I don’t even know his political leanings,” Waite said. 

Colleagues describe Louie as a steady, thoughtful leader who leads by example in both his pro bono work and other professional roles, Smith said. 

A few years ago, Louie reflected on his life and felt compelled to focus more on what brought him joy. 

“Volunteering was something I identified that made me happy,” Louie said.

He began participating with Houston Volunteer Lawyers Veterans’ Clinics and then expanded from there. HVL records show Louie has assisted with at least 38 cases since 2019, which is a significant number for one volunteer, Tewal said. Often the last to leave a clinic, Louie encourages HVL to send him cases that come in outside of clinics, which he then handles on his own time, she said. 

Likewise, LyondellBasell’s legal department consistently exceeds its annual pledge with HVL. In its current Equal Access to Justice Champions Program year, the company pledged to take seven cases and has, so far, taken 44, Tewal said. 

“Under Louie’s guidance, LyondellBasell’s legal department has become a model for corporate pro bono engagement,” Smith said. “This growth reflects more than increased participation, it represents families gaining stability, individuals receiving life‐changing legal support, and communities gaining access to services they otherwise could not afford. Louie has been the driving force behind this expansion, ensuring that pro bono work is not an afterthought but a core part of the department’s identity.” 

Louie was initially intimidated to take a pro bono case, knowing it would likely fall outside his practice area. He handled his first few cases with a partner, which helped put him at ease. After taking over as co-chair of LyondellBasell’s pro bono program in 2024, he introduced a system that pairs team members on cases. 

“It’s given opportunities to involve others who have a passion for service or might not otherwise have taken a case,” he said. “It helped me take my first cases, so I want to share that opportunity with others.”

A friend, Andrea Melton, had encouraged him to take on alternatives-to-guardianship cases. Under any other circumstance, Louie would have been reluctant. But Melton thoroughly prepared draft documents until he got his footing, and those cases eventually became a major focus for him. 

“I got to help several families through that process, and it felt meaningful — and it only happened because Andrea dragged me along and inspired me to keep doing the work,” Louie said. 

More recently, he has focused on supporting HVL’s Family Preparedness Clinics, which help families at risk of separation from their children and property. 

“I cannot imagine how gutted I would be if my wife and I were separated from our son, so I really want to help ensure these families have a plan for the children to be cared for if that happens,” he said. “I have met a lot of wonderful, hardworking, loving families through these clinics. It’s been a very sobering reminder of the very real, life-altering circumstances people are facing.”

Those who spoke of Louie said he treats clients with dignity and empowers people who are often marginalized in the legal system. 

“Dave Louie deserves this award because he represents the very best of the legal profession,” Smith said. “His work has changed lives, strengthened communities, and set a new standard for corporate pro bono leadership.”