Philip R. Segrest

Philip Segrest, born and reared in Waco, joined Beard Kultgen Brophy Bostwick & Dickson, PLLC in 2025. He attended Baylor University for both undergraduate and law school.  After graduating from law school, he was a special agent for the FBI in Oregon and California for a little over three years, before returning to Waco in 1972 to practice law with his father’s firm.  His father, Claude, as well as one of his five brothers, John, and his daughter, JaNelle, were all graduates of Baylor undergraduate and law school, and were/are Waco lawyers.  His father was a Trustee at Baylor University and at Hilcrest Hospital for a number of years.  His brother John was the McLennan County Criminal District Attorney for over 20 years.

Since 1972, Philip’s legal practice was primarily in representing Texas electric cooperatives, although he also represented other individual, corporate clients and other business entities.  He served as outside general counsel for the largest and oldest generation and transmission electric cooperative in Texas for a little over 25 years and also served as outside general counsel for several Texas distribution electric cooperatives.  Philip was President and the sole shareholder of his own law firm for 39 years.

Before joining Beard Kultgen, Philip’s practice included general business transactional law, including corporate governance, negotiating and drafting various complex business contracts and other transactional documents, overseeing and participating in business-related arbitrations, litigations, and regulatory proceedings, in collaboration with other national and international law firms with specialized expertise in various areas.

Philip’s practice has included drafting real estate documents and eminent domain to acquire property rights for his clients.  For a period of years he represented a fuel company that purchased natural gas for the generation of electric power, negotiating and drafting various gas purchase agreements and gas pipeline contracts.  In his representation of electric cooperatives, he has many years of experience negotiating and drafting various complex contracts related to their business and operations within the electric power industry in ERCOT, drafting corporate governance documents, and providing legal advice and services in connection with numerous and varied corporate business matters.

Philip is married to Gayle, and they have one son, Scott, and two daughters, JaNelle Cobb and Sherilyn Segrest.  Philip has served as the Chairman of the Waco branch of the American Red Cross, but more recently his community activity has primarily been with and through his church, First Woodway Baptist, where he previously served as Chairman of Deacons.  He has led several discipleship groups and has taught for several years and currently teaches an adult life group.