Jackson Walker partner Wade Cooper is the recipient of the Downtown Austin Alliance's (DAA) "2008 Individual IMPACT Award." He will be honored at a luncheon on October 31 at the Sheraton Downtown in Austin, Texas.

The IMPACT Awards are given to individuals, organizations, projects, and designs that are "larger than themselves" and have had a positive impact on the Downtown Austin community and surrounding region.

Mr. Cooper has served two terms as chair of the DAA's Board of Directors. During his term as board chair, he led the DAA's support of the 2004 Rail Referendum. He has also served as co-chair of the DAA's Streetscapes and Transportation Committee since November of 2006, leading efforts to improve access to and mobility within downtown Austin.

Mr. Cooper began his practice with Jackson Walker in the Dallas office in 1981. In 1997, he moved to Austin to establish a new office for Jackson Walker. He remains managing partner of the Austin office and chairs the firm's committee of practice group leaders. Mr. Cooper is listed in the 2008 edition of The Best Lawyers in America under Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law. He has been named a "Texas Super Lawyer" by Texas Monthly magazine.

Mr. Cooper has handled substantial commercial litigation, arbitration, and bankruptcy matters in Texas and in federal and bankruptcy courts in a number of other states. His clients include telecommunications carriers, national banks and other financial institutions, equipment manufacturers, and technology companies. Mr. Cooper received his B.S. degree, summa cum laude, in Economics and his B.A. degree, summa cum laude, in Political Science from Southern Methodist University. He received his J.D. degree, with honors, from the University of Texas.