Andrews & Kurth Announces New Partners

HOUSTON -- Andrews & Kurth, one of the nation's leading law firms, announces 17 additions to the firm's partnership, effective January 1, 2003. "These individuals are great additions to our partnership. The size of the group is a reflection of its quality, as it also demonstrates the strength of the Firm," said Howard T. Ayers, managing partner of the firm.

Lawyers elected to the partnership in Andrews & Kurth's Houston office include William J. Cooper, John Wesley (Wes) Dorman, Jr., Alexis J. "Alex" Gomez, Kendall M. Gray, Charles B. Hampton, James Hernandez, Neil D. Kelly, Jeffrey D. Migit, Paul D. Moak, Meredith S. Mouer, Greg Waller, Hunter H. White and Elizabeth A. "Liz" Wiley. New Dallas partners are Jason S. Brookner and Ron Brown. Phillip G. Oldham is a new Austin partner, and David J. Hoyt is a new partner in the New York office.

Bill Cooper is in the Firm's corporate and securities practice group, where his practice focuses on all types of corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions and debt and equity offerings for corporations and publicly traded partnerships. He received his J.D. in 1995 from Emory University and his B.A., cum laude, in 1987 from Princeton University.

John Wesley (Wes) Dorman, Jr., is also in the corporate and securities practice group, where his practice focuses on negotiated mergers and acquisitions on buyer's and seller's side. He also handles all aspects of entity formation, operation, reorganization and dissolution, for all types of domestic and foreign entities . He received his J.D. in 1994 from the University of Texas School of Law in addition to receiving his M.B.A. from the University of Texas Graduate School of Business in the same year. He received his B.B.A., cum laude, in 1989 from Texas Tech University.

Alex Gomez is in the litigation practice group, where his practice focuses on civil litigation with an emphasis on toxic tort, product liability, personal injury and commercial litigation. He received his J.D. in 1994 from Baylor University School of Law and his B.B.A. in 1991 from Texas A&M University.

Kendall Gray is also a member of the litigation practice group, where his practice focuses on civil appellate matters, commonly involving employee benefits, managed care, health care, ERISA, and commercial disputes in both state and federal courts. He received his J.D., summa cum laude, in 1994 from Baylor University School of Law and his Bachelor of Music, with distinction, in 1989 from the University of Wisconsin.

Charles Hampton, also a member of the firm's litigation practice group, focuses his practice on a mixture of commercial litigation and product liability defense work. He received his J.D., with high honors, in 1995 from the University of Texas School of Law and received his B.A. in 1988 from Texas A&M University.

James Hernandez is in the public law practice group and also has experience in corporate and securities and real estate law. His public law practice primarily has been in public finance, serving as disclosure counsel, underwriters' counsel and bond counsel on a variety of public finance transactions for cities, counties and special authorities throughout Texas. Mr. Hernandez also has been involved in a number of public/private development projects, including the development and financing of Minute Maid Park, Reliant Stadium and the new basketball/hockey arena in downtown Houston. He received his J.D. in 1995 from Columbia University School of Law and his B.A. in 1991 from the University of Texas at Austin.

Neil Kelly is a member of the firm's litigation practice group. He has extensive complex business litigation experience in several jurisdictions. His practice includes trial and appellate representation in class action, qui tam, and individual party disputes involving energy issues, telecommunications, intellectual property, business torts, defamation, and creditors' rights. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, in 1992 from Tulane University School of Law and his B.S.M. in 1988 from Tulane University.

Jeff Migit is also a member of the firm's litigation practice group, where he focuses on general litigation with an emphasis on complex commercial and business litigation. Mr. Migit has represented corporate and individual clients in various matters involving business torts, securities fraud, oil and gas, employment, breach of contract, and professional malpractice. He also has experience in insurance-related litigation, including ERISA and managed care litigation. He received his J.D. in 1995 from South Texas College of Law and his B.S., summa cum laude, in 1995 from the University of Houston.

Paul Moak is a member of the Firm's bankruptcy group, where his practice includes participation in a variety of litigation and corporate matters in complex Chapter 11 cases. He has represented debtors, secured lenders, creditor committees, and equity committees in bankruptcy reorganization proceedings, most extensively in the energy, chemicals, healthcare, and aviation industries. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, in 1995 from the University of Houston Law Center and his B.B.A., summa cum laude, in 1992 from the University of Houston.

Meredith Mouer is a member of the firm's corporate and securities practice group, where she advises clients on matters of corporate and federal/state securities law. Ms. Mouer also regularly represents clients in mergers and acquisitions and public and private offerings. She received her J.D. in 1995 from the University of Texas School of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, in 1991 from Vanderbilt University, where she also was elected Phi Beta Kappa.

Greg Waller is a member of the firm's litigation section, practicing both civil and white collar criminal defense litigation at the trial and appellate levels. In his civil practice, Mr. Waller has represented a variety of individual and corporate clients in commercial disputes and in products liability lawsuits in both federal and state courts. In his criminal practice, he has represented both individuals and companies in white collar criminal cases and investigations by federal and state authorities. He received his J.D., cum laude, in 1995 from Harvard Law School and his B.A., summa cum laude, in 1992 from Vanderbilt University.

Hunter White is a member of the firm's business transactions practice, where his practice involves a broad spectrum of commercial and energy-related transactions, including the negotiation and structuring of asset and stock acquisitions; the negotiation and structuring of strategic alliances, service agreements and commercial sales documents; and general corporate, business and real estate transactions. He received his J.D., magna cum laude, in 1989 from the University of Houston Law Center and his B.A., with high honors, in 1985 from the University of Texas at Austin.

A member of the firm's litigation practice, Liz Wiley's experience includes state and federal appellate work in products liability, premises liability, probate, oil and gas, and other general tort and commercial litigation matters. Her practice at the trial court level includes original proceedings (petitions for writ of mandamus), summary judgments, and post-verdict motions. She received her J.D., cum laude, in 1993 from St. Mary's University School of Law. She received her M.A. in Latin American Studies in 1989 from the University of Texas at Austin and her B.A., magna cum laude, in 1987 from Sweet Briar College.

Located in the firm's Dallas office, Jason Brookner is a member of the firm's bankruptcy practice group, where his practice includes participation in a variety of litigation and corporate matters in Chapter 11 cases, including the representation of debtors, creditors and committees. He received his J.D. in 1994 from Hofstra University School of Law and his B.A. in 1991 from State University of New York at Binghamton.

Ron Brown, also in the Dallas office, is a member of the firm's corporate and securities practice group. His practice focuses on securities matters as well as mergers and acquisitions. He received his J.D. in 1975 from Southern Methodist University School of Law and his B.A. in 1968 from Texas Tech University.

In the firm's Austin office, Phillip Oldham is a member of the firm's public law practice group, where he focuses on helping clients maximize their commercial opportunities through the legislative and regulatory process. His experience includes lobbying, regulatory and legislative negotiations, cogeneration development, contract negotiations and administrative and general litigation on numerous regulatory matters that impact electricity service and rates for large industrial power consumers. He received his J.D., with honors, in 1995 from the University of Chicago School of Law and his B.A., with honors, in 1992 from the University of Texas at Austin.

Located in the firm's New York office, David Hoyt is a member of the firm's bankruptcy practice group, where he focuses on the purchase and sale of claims against and securities of distressed and bankrupt companies, including accounts receivable, trade claims, bank debt and bankruptcy triggered agreements. He received his J.D. in 1992 from St. John's University School of Law and his B.A. in 1988 from Hobart College.

Andrews & Kurth L.L.P., founded in 1902, has 375 lawyers and, in addition to its principal office in Houston, has offices in Austin, Dallas, The Woodlands, Los Angeles, London, New York and Washington D.C. The firm's practice areas include appellate, bankruptcy, business transactions, energy, environmental, corporate and securities, labor and employment, litigation, intellectual property, public law, project finance, real estate, structured finance, asset securitization, technology and tax law for U.S. and international clients.