by Sarah-Michelle Stearns
September, 2020

London Ryynanen England is this month’s “One to Watch” because she exemplifies DAYL’s two goals of improving the quality of life for young lawyers and serving the Dallas community.

Born in Texas and raised in Seattle, London received her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington.  She then used her business acumen to create a successful career in retail management for several years, routinely increasing sales for companies such as Target and Big Lots.  Fast forward a few years and London returned to Texas to put her husband through law school at Baylor University in Waco.  After watching her husband survive, London’s competitive streak emerged, and she decided to attend law school at the SMU Dedman School of Law.  During law school she was not only devoted to her studies, but made time to participate in numerous mock trial competitions.  She graduated with highest honors as a member of the Order of the Coif and went on to work as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Kimberly Priest Johnson in the Eastern District of Texas.  Today, London is a trial attorney at Gray Reed where she loves to “dig in” and craft legal arguments for her clients, in litigation and bankruptcy matters.  A self-proclaimed “legal procedure nerd,” she is constantly working with clients in the pharmaceutical industry to ensure each one gets a fair day in court.

When you catch London out of the office, you can find her in Oak Cliff exploring new restaurants, spending time with her dog Rudolf, tending to her tomato garden, or sewing her own clothes (yes, you read that correctly).  In fact, London sews almost all of the clothes that she wears.  This comes as no surprise because London is someone who loves to invest for the long haul and see results.

Within the DAYL, London has invested her time and energy in future young lawyers through her work on the Judicial Internship committee.  She has been an integral team member this past year especially, helping the committee, the interns, and local judges navigate the contours of internships during an unprecedented era of COVID.  She is proud to see the expanded the number of federal judges participating, and she took the lead in crafting a remote curriculum for the summer interns.  London’s passion for reaching back and helping future young lawyers is simply undeniable.  In part due to her extensive service, London is also a part of the 2020 DAYL Leadership Class.

Outside of the DAYL, London invests in her community and has a particular love and appreciation for the Oak Cliff Women in Business community organization, which works to support and highlight local businesses and provide mentorship to business owners.  She also volunteers her time to assistant coach mock trial teams at SMU.

All in all, London is one of those people who loves to lift others up and help them succeed, whether a friend, client, or mentee.  She has quickly garnered a reputation as someone who is always happy to help out with any task, big or small. London truly epitomizes DAYL’s dual mission to serve young lawyers and to serve the Dallas community.

Congratulations, London Ryynanen England!