The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.
Albert Einstein

The late attorney and philanthropist John O’Quinn may have lived by those words until his untimely death. Although some say he was merely lining his own pockets, O’Quinn was a hero to many for his good works and charitable contributions to those who were victimized, hurt and in need.

His unexpected death October 29th, 2009 in a car accident, shocked the Texas legal community and signaled the end of an empire. O’Quinn’s will directed co-trustees of the O’Quinn Law Firm Trust  to “provide for the orderly winding up and dissolution” of the firm.

One by one, lawyers and other employees of the firm quietly found positions at other companies and in spite of statements professing a five year dissolution plan, the firm’s website went offline in late 2010.

Those who follow the Anna Nicole Smith story can only imagine how much of a hero Mr. O’Quinn was to her mother Virgie Arthur. O’Quinn undertook representation of Mrs. Arthur when Smith died and stood behind her until his own death.

Smith’s lawyer Howard K. Stern, sued O’Quinn for libel and the representation of Mrs. Arthur was eventually passed to law scholar and author*, attorney Neil McCabe.

McCabe, a full time law professor for twenty years taught criminal and constitutional law.  Mr. McCabe joined The O’Quinn Law Firm in 2003 and served as lead appellate lawyer, as well as a trial lawyer and senior counsel for Mr. O’Quinn.

McCabe was most recently involved in the successful representation of the Jerry Carswell case, along with Houston Texas attorneys Carl D. Shaw and Michael O’Brien. Defendant, Christus St. Catherine Hospital in Harris County Texas must pay $2 million dollars to the Carswell family for fraud.

Mr. McCabe expected to have “post-verdict matters” of the Carswell case wrapped up by 2010 years end, and is joining “The Leigh Law Firm” of Woodlands, Texas. McCabe actually taught both Leigh and his father at South Texas College of Law. Teaching two generations of law students from the same family is something he has done more than once. He also taught a mother and her daughter, at the same time.

In addition to the types of plaintiff cases that the Leigh Law Firm website talks about, McCabe expects to be handling other matters like wills, trusts, and estate issues. He also anticipates being involved again in the defense of persons who have been accused of crimes, something he had done for 20 years before joining the O’Quinn firm. He is also considering opening an additional office. The new firm would be his company separate from the Leigh firm and located on the 25th floor of the Lyric Center near his old office. However he would remain “of counsel” to the Leigh firm.

They say change is good but all good things must come to an end… Wishing the very best for success to Neil McCabe in his new ventures. His name and many others will be forever ingrained in the minds of those of us who followed the tragic deaths of Anna Nicole Smith and her son Daniel, and all that the story has produced…

*Books published by Neil McCabe; State Constitutional Criminal Procedure: Cases and Materials (with Catherine Greene Burnett), 1994; and Comparative Federalism in the Devolution Era, 2002.

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