Working with small business owners and helping them grow their business excites John Dapper more than any other aspect of his work. A graduate of both the business and law schools at the University of Texas, he certainly has the background to put clients at ease.

"I think they have a certain comfort level with me since I'm not a lawyer who doesn't understand the issues they face running a business day-to-day," he says. Dapper previously worked as corporate and general counsel for Luminex Corporation, where he helped the company transition from private to publicly-traded in March of 2000.

"The very reason I pursued the dual program in business and law at UT was that I hoped to one day work in-house. And I got that opportunity at Luminex, but after four years I was ready for more variety in clients and type of work." In June 2001 he joined De Leon, Boggins & Icenogle. Besides his transactional work, he dabbles in wills and estates and courtroom litigation. "Most transactional attorneys have never been in the courtroom and are scared to do so. But I like to think I'm still drawing on my Southwestern education so I can learn new tricks."

Dapper grew up in Austin and says his interests in law and business were sparked at an early age by a fascination with politics. An avid reader of US News and World Report by age eight, he viewed politics, business and law as the three bases of power in society. He graduated from high school a National Merit Scholar and his college choice ultimately came down to Southwestern and UT's Plan II program. "The Brown Scholarship was the deciding factor for me. It would have put a burden on my parents if I had attended Southwestern without it. I believe the scholarship is an invaluable asset to Southwestern as it competes for top students."

He majored in political science and spent a semester in Washington, D.C., but ultimately an internship with an Austin law firm hooked him on law over politics. "I'm still interested in politics, but I found that if you get too close, it's like watching sausage being made. I love what I'm doing now. I wouldn't change a thing."

Dapper is a member of the Travis County, Texas and American Bar Associations, the Westlake Rotary Club and the Young Men's Business League, which runs Sunshine Camps for underprivileged children in Austin. He married Jessica Dupont Dapper '91 in 1998, whom he met during their first year at Southwestern. Dapper enjoys boating on Lake Travis, reading and running. He recently completed his first half-marathon.