Author: kevin@kevincullen.me

By Mark Curriden (Oct. 19) – As the best lawyers in the U.S. crowded into an East Texas courtroom to negotiate a multibillion-dollar global asbestos settlement known as the Fiberboard Corp. case, one lawyer had doubts about the legality of such a broad deal. The federal judge had appointed Jim Coleman in 1995 to represent…

By Mark Curriden (Oct. 19) – Eduardo Rodriguez weighed less than four pounds when he was born. When his older sisters spotted him in the hospital nursery for the first time, they called him Pee Wee and the name stuck. “No one ever called me anything other than Pee Wee,” he says. “When I was…

By General Motors General Counsel Craig Glidden HOUSTON (Oct. 12) – When your Irish Catholic mother suggests that you would make a good lawyer, it’s either a comment about how much you like to argue, a genuine career suggestion or both. In either case, given the source, it’s not to be taken lightly. Marty Beirne…

By Mark Curriden HOUSTON (Oct. 12) – The year was 1996. Shell Oil officials brought together a group of its senior executives and lawyers to discuss internal corporate policies and practices. No topic was off limits. Cathy Lamboley, a 46-year-old former schoolteacher and former insurance claims adjuster-turned-business lawyer, attended the retreat. For 17 years, Lamboley…

By Michelle Hartman (Oct. 12) – Judge Carolyn King celebrated her 36th year on the bench this year. President Jimmy Carter nominated her to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on April 30, 1979, based on the recommendation of Texas U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen. Aside from the countless awards that have…

By Mark Curriden (Oct. 5) – Lots of lawyers say they knew they wanted to practice law when they were kids, but I never met someone who claimed they dreamed of being a judge – until now. Tom Phillips’ grandmother was a deputy county clerk in Dallas’ Old Red Courthouse. “I spent a lot of…

By Janet Elliott (Oct. 6) – Ten years ago, when he turned 65, noted Houston trial lawyer Stephen Susman saw many of his contemporaries at law firms face mandatory retirement. Some took to the golf course and downsized their lifestyles. Not Susman, who loves being a trial lawyer rock star. “I didn’t want to retire,…

By Mark Curriden Fort Worth (Oct. 6) – For six decades, legendary oil and gas lawyer Dee Kelly was involved in the biggest deals and the most important lawsuits in Tarrant County. He was the chief legal adviser for the Bass family, American Airlines, the Texas Rangers, private equity firm TPG Capital, Kimbell Oil Company,…

By Justice Jeff Boyd AUSTIN (Oct. 1) – When Tom Reavley preached his first sermon in 1935, the 13-year-old tried to convince his East Texas church that racial prejudice and segregation are incompatible with the Christian faith. Although he continued to serve as a Methodist lay preacher for decades, his passion for equity, morality and…

By Mark Curriden (Dec. 6) – Harriet Miers is the epitome of what it means to be a lawyer. She zealously advocates for her clients. She cherishes the rule of law. She fought to preserve the sacrosanct relationship between lawyers and their clients. She championed the need for improved legal services for the poor. She…