A native of Argentina and a litigator of 25 plus years, Sofia Adrogué, P.C. is a trial partner with Diamond McCarthy LLP, a national business litigation and insolvency boutique. She represents clients in all industries, ranging from entrepreneurs to multinational conglomerates with worldwide business holdings. She serves as an advocate and a facilitator, resolving a litany of issues, for diverse parties. Having handled matters arising in Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Puerto Rico, and Texas, among other venues, she has obtained favorable judgments and settlements on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants in U.S. state and federal courts and in ADR proceedings.

A former University of Houston Law Center Adjunct Law Professor in Mass Torts Litigation, she is a frequent CLE Speaker and/or Chair (over 125 speeches) and publisher (over 120 publications). She created and is the Editor of ALM’s Texas Business Litigation treatise and is the Chair of the Texas Business Litigation CLEs.

She is a graduate of Rice University, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and the University of Houston Law Center, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif and Barons, both on full academic scholarships. She served as a law clerk to Hon. Jerre S. Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

An alumna of the Harvard Business School OPM, she served as the U.S. Keynote Graduation Speaker for HBS OPM 37, ostensibly the first woman, as well as U.S. Class Representative. Composed of three units, the OPM 37 curriculum included courses in the following areas: accounting and control; financial management; management and strategy; operations, information technology and innovation; leadership and organizational effectiveness (including ethics generally); marketing strategy; as well as negotiation and decision-making strategies.

She is a Greater Houston Women’s Chamber “Hall of Fame” Inductee; a Houston Chronicle Channel 11 “Texas Legend”; one of “The 25 U.S. Most Influential Hispanic Lawyers,” “Top Latino Partners in the U.S.,” and “Most Powerful Women in Law,” Latino Leaders Magazine; a Latino Learning Center, Inc. “Helping Hands” Humanitarian Award Honoree; a “Woman of Influence,” National Council of Jewish Women Greater Houston Section; a National Diversity Council “Most Powerful and Influential Woman of Texas” & one of the “Top 50 Women Lawyers”; a “Mujer Empresaria del Año,” Sucesos & Solo Mujeres Magazine; a “Texas Super Lawyer,” Texas Monthly  Magazine; a Texas Lawyer Top “40 Under 40”; a “TBOY Blazing Star,” Texas Women’s Chamber of Commerce; a Texas Executive Women “Woman on the Move”; a University of Houston Law Center Immigration Clinic “Arrival Awards Immigrant Achievement” Honoree; a Houston Jaycees “Outstanding Houstonian”; a Texas Jaycees “Outstanding Texan”; and a U.S. Jaycees “Outstanding Young American,” among other recognitions.

Sofia serves and/or has served on The Advocate Editorial Board, the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee, the CLE, Mentor and Professionalism Committees of the State Bar of Texas as well as the CLE, Houston Lawyer and the Professionalism Committees of the Houston Bar Association. Sofia has chaired numerous events for diverse non-profits, and serves and/or has served on the Board of Directors of, among other entities, the American Leadership Forum Houston; BARC Foundation (former Chair of Advisory Board); Girls Inc. of Greater Houston (former President and Board Chair); Houston Law Review Alumni Association (former President); Memorial Hermann Foundation; RICE-TMS; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Theatre Under The Stars; UH Law Center Immigration Clinic (Executive Committee); United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast; and the University of Texas Health Science Center Foundation.

She has served on the alumni boards of all her alma maters—St. Agnes, Rice University and the University of Houston Law Center. She serves the City of Houston, appointed by the Mayor of Houston and Houston City Council, on the Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Board where she serves as Chair of Appointments Subcommittee for Boards and Commissions, envisioning and chairing the Inaugural Boards and Commission Fair for the City of Houston. She also serves on the Houston First Corporation Board of Directors as a member of the Benefits, Compensation & Finance Committee as well as the Sales, Tourism &   Marketing Committee.

The Houston First Corporation manages more than 10 city-owned buildings and properties and underground and surface parking (the Hilton Americas-Houston hotel, George R. Brown Convention Center, Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, Wortham Theater Center, Talento Bilingüe de Houston, Miller Outdoor Theatre, Houston First Outdoors (which includes Jones Plaza and other small venues) and Theater District Parking).

Sofia is the Co-Founder & Co-Chair of the Youth Leadership Forum, held for the last 15 plus years at Rice University, with the motto and dedicated mission of Engage, Educate, Empower: By Service We Lead. Sofia is a Co-Host & Co-Producer of Latina Voices: Smart Talk. Sofia has been recognized for her public service by the City of Houston with a proclamation of July 10, 2004 and December 18, 2018 as “Sofia Adrogué Day.” Sofia is the mother of Sloane, Schuyler, and Stefan, and is married to fellow Rice graduate, Sten Gustafson.

Education:

Harvard Business School OPM Graduate, HBS Alumna (U.S. Keynote Graduation Speaker & U.S. Class Representative) (2006-08)

University of Houston Law Center (Competitive Full Scholarship) (magna cum laude, Order of the Coif) (1991)

Rice University (Board of Governors’ Scholarship) (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) (1988)

Professional Licenses & Certifications:

Texas

Supreme Court of the State of Texas

District of Columbia – Inactive

Honors & Awards:

• “Texas Super Lawyer,” Texas Monthly Magazine (2007-09; 2014-19) (Ten Year Anniversary)
• “Top Latino Lawyers,” Latino Leaders Magazine (2019)
• “Top 50 Women Lawyers,” National Diversity Council (2019)
• “2019 Yolanda Black Navarro Leadership Legacy Award,” POWER On Heels Inc., Houston (2019)
• Texas Super Lawyers Blue Ribbon Panel, Super Lawyers (2019)
• “Top Latino Lawyers of 2018” & “Most Powerful Women in Law,” Latino Leaders Magazine (2018)
• City of Houston Proclamation, “Sofia Adrogué Day” (July 10, 2004 & December 18, 2018)
• Latino Learning Center, Inc. “Helping Hands” Humanitarian Award (2018)
• Meritorious Service Award, Rice University, Laureates Recognition, Houston (2017)
• “Top Latino Partners in the U.S.” & “The 25 Most Influential Hispanic Lawyers,” Latino Leaders Magazine (2015-17)
• ALM & Martindale-Hubbell Top Rated Lawyer, Litigation (2014-16)
• ALM & Martindale-Hubbell Top Rated Lawyer, Appellate (2013-18)
• “Texas Super Lawyer,” Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition (2008-10; 2014-19)
• “Houston’s Top Lawyer,” H Texas Magazine (2006-16)
• 2014 Arrival Awards, Immigrant Achievement Honoree, UH Law Center Immigration Clinic (2014)
• Hats Off to Mothers Luncheon, Easter Seals Greater Houston, Honoree, Houston (March 2014)
• City Art Works, The Art of Conversation, Conversationalist & Honoree, Houston (November 2013)
• Texas Women’s Empowerment Foundation “International Award Recipient” (2013)
• “Mujer Empresaria del Año,” Sucesos Newspaper & Solo Mujeres Magazine (2013)
• “Women of Influence,” National Council of Jewish Women Greater Houston Section (2012)
• National Diversity Council, “Most Powerful and Influential Woman of Texas”  (2011)
• Greater Houston Women’s Chamber “Hall of Fame” Inductee (2010)
• “The Justice Professionals,” Latino Leaders Magazine (2009)
• TBOY “Blazing Star” Women’s Chamber of Commerce Texas (2009)
• “Executive Woman of the Year,” Talento Bilingue de Houston (2009)
• “Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women,” Houston Women Magazine (2008)
• Texas Executive Women, “Woman on the Move” (2008)
• “Texas Spirit/Legend,” The Houston Chronicle & KHOU-TV (2007)
• Top 20 “Elite” Women, Hispanic Business Magazine (2007)
• “Houston’s Professional on the Fast Track,” H Texas Magazine (2005)
• “Texas Rising Star,” Texas Monthly Magazine (2005)
• “10 Outstanding Young Americans,” U.S. Jaycees (2005)
• YWCA “Woman of Achievement” (2005)
• Neuhaus Education Center “Icon” (2005)
• “Women of Distinction,” ABC Channel 13 (2005)
• Barbara Jordan Legacy Award, National Council of Negro Women, Barbara Jordan Houston Section (2004)
• “Five Outstanding Young Houstonians,” Texas Jaycees (2002)
• “Five Outstanding Young Texans,” Texas Jaycees (2002)
• Texas’ Top “40 Under 40,” Texas Lawyer (2001)
• Houston’s Lawyers are Houston’s Leaders, The Houston Lawyer (2001)
• Houston Bar Foundation & Texas Bar Foundation Fellow
• Leadership Houston (Class XVIII); Leadership Texas (1999) & American Leadership Forum (Class XX)
• Marquis’ Who’s Who in American Law & Who’s Who of American Women (1999)
• Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent ®Peer Review Rated

Community Leadership:

• A. White Dispute Resolution Center, Mediation Training Certificate
• Alumni Association of Rice University, Former Board of Directors
• American Leadership Forum, Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter, Former Member, Board of Directors, Chair, Selection Committee & Fellow
• Girls, Inc. of Greater Houston,  Former Advisory Board Member & Former President & Chair & Gala Chair
• Holocaust Museum Houston Hispanic Leadership, Former Advisory Member
• Houston BARC Foundation  Former Board of Directors
• Houston Downtown Alliance’s Heart of the City Gala, Co-Chair
• Houston First Corporation, Board Member &  Member—Benefits, Compensation & Finance and Sales, Tourism & Marketing Committees
• Houston Law Review Alumni, Former President & Member, Board of Directors
• Houston Symphony Hispanic Leadership Council, Former Member
• Latina Voices: Smart Talk, Co-Host & Co-Producer (100+ Shows) (Cable TV & internet streamed talk show airing on  Houston PBS Channel 8; KHOU Channel 11; and HTV/COMCAST CABLE Channel 16 as well as streamed on https://www.houstontx.gov/htv/latinavoices.html.
• Leadership Houston (Class XVIII)
• Leadership Texas (Class of 1999)
• Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Board Member, City of Houston
• Memorial Hermann Healthcare System Foundation, Former Member, Board of Directors
• Merit Selection Panel for U.S. Magistrate,  Former Member
• Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Former Member, Board of Trustees &  Chair, Inaugural MFA Latin American Arts Gala
• RICE-TMS, Former Member, Board of Directors
• Rice University Tapia Center for Excellence and Equity, Member, Steering Committee
• Agnes Academy, Former Board of Directors
• Texas Lyceum, Former Board of Directors
• Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee, Former Member
• Theatre Under The Stars, Former Advisory Board Member & Former Board of Trustee & Gala Chair
• The Chinquapin School, Member, Advisory Board of Directors
• United Way of Greater Houston, Former Member, Board of Trustees & Current Audit Committee Member
• UH Law Center Alumni, Former Member, Board of Directors
• UH Law Center Immigration Clinic, Advisory Board Member
• University of Texas Health Science Center, Former Member, Foundation Board
• Youth Leadership Forum, Rice University, Co-Founder, & Co-Chair