Issue Number 1, 2008

On January 13, 2008, Texas Lawyers’ Insurance Exchange and the legal community suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of Mr. Robert C. Sneed.  For those who may not know or recall the history of TLIE, Mr. Sneed was a guiding force in the creation and organization of TLIE long before the first policy was issued in 1979.

Until the time of his death Mr. Sneed continued to serve TLIE and the attorneys of Texas as our General Counsel.  But that title does begin to convey his contribution to TLIE.  His knowledge of insurance law and his reputation for honesty and integrity was of critical importance in our dealings with the Department of Insurance and the legislature.  His wise counsel was often sought on a variety of critical issues particularly during the Savings and Loan Crisis of the 1980’s.

Mr. Sneed was not just a lawyer.  He was a devoted husband to Anna, a father, grandfather, rancher and mentor to many, including those in public life.  He served his country during World War II as a bombardier and flew on 36 missions.  He continued his public service as a U.S. Commissioner (now federal magistrate) from 1949-1960 and was a member of the Travis County and American Bar Associations, and the State Bar of Texas.  In 1998 the Travis County Bar Association named him its distinguished lawyer.  On his 70^th birthday, he was honored by a legislative resolution recognizing his many contributions to state government.

I had the honor and pleasure of working with Mr. Sneed for 22 years.  His sense of honesty, integrity and sense of fair-play were always evident in every difficult decision that had to be made at important moments in TLIE’s almost 30 year history.  I might also add that he never requested a fee for his services.  He viewed his work for TLIE as work for the benefit of the entire Bar and it was his way of giving something back to the profession.  I always knew when I was about to receive some sage advice when he began a sentence with “As my old daddy use to say,” which was often followed by his distinctive laugh.

He will be missed by us all.