W&J Honors Lawyer, Banker, School Founder Larry Makel ’75 at Annual Entrepreneurial Leadership Dinner

Created: February 20, 2018  |  Last Updated: January 14, 2020  |  Category:   |  Tagged:

WASHINGTON, PA (Feb. 22, 2018) – Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) honored lawyer, bank director, and school founder Larry A. Makel, Esq. ’75 at its Thirty-First Annual Entrepreneurial Leadership Dinner on Feb. 22.

“The thing I will start with is gratitude. I am a lucky person,” Makel said during his speech at the dinner. “At the end of the day you look back on what makes you who you are, and I thank God every day for what I’ve been given.”

A partner at Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Makel concentrates his practice in the structured finance, venture capital, and financial services areas, as well as in the formation of small businesses, investment corporations, and private investment funds. He is adept at planning and structuring all aspects of financing, from preparing documentation and agreements to meeting the complex compliance challenges associated with raising capital to finance corporate expansion.

After his graduation from law school at West Virginia University (WVU), and later receiving his LL.M. from New York University School of Law in 1980, Makel’s law career led him to an appointment as assistant attorney general of Pennsylvania and then into private practice. In 1997, he started the Dallas, Texas, office of Patton Boggs LLP, an international law firm concentrating in global business that is also recognized as the nation’s leading public policy firm.

In addition, Makel was a founding partner of Texas Capital Bank Incorporated, one of the largest independent banks in Dallas, Texas; Capital Point Partners, a $300-million mezzanine fund; and, Highlands Bankshares, Inc. Now a founder of Dallas Capital Bank, an $800 million bank that was founded in 2014.

Makel was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2018 in the area of Equipment Finance Law. In the community, he is a member of the Alliance Hockey Association Board, Washington & Jefferson College Board of Trustees, Dallas Citizens Council, and numerous education-focused organizations.

About the Entrepreneurial Studies Program

Washington & Jefferson College established its Entrepreneurial Studies Program in 1986 with the generous support of Joseph A. Hardy III, LL.D.

A rigorous academic experience within the liberal arts tradition, the Entrepreneurial Studies Program cultivates the entrepreneurial spirit and vision that are vital in our free enterprise system. The program has received national recognition for innovation and excellence.

Exemplary students in the Entrepreneurial Studies Program are designated as Hardy Scholars. They serve as an excellent example of how Washington & Jefferson College fulfills its mission of graduating people of uncommon integrity, competence, and maturity who are effective lifelong learners and responsible citizens, and who are prepared to contribute substantially to the world in which they live.

About Washington & Jefferson College

Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.