Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Announces Its Sixth Chairman Since 1919 / Former International Department Head Steven B. Pfeiffer becomes Chairman
Houston, TX (ots)
The international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. announced today the election of Steven B. Pfeiffer as the new Chairman of the Executive Committee to succeed outgoing Chairman A.T. Blackshear, Jr., who has served since January 1, 1992. After Mr. Blackshear announced his preference to step down, the partners of this 835-attorney firm selected the new Chairman, effective January 1, 2003.
As only the sixth Chairman since Fulbright's founding in 1919, Steve Pfeiffer has been the Partner-in-Charge of the firm's Washington, D.C., and London offices and Head of the International Department.
"Steve Pfeiffer is well-positioned to be the future leader of Fulbright & Jaworski," said outgoing Chairman Gus Blackshear. "He's a brilliant lawyer whose strength is in directing complex international transactions around the globe. Under Steve's direction, our international practice expanded into Asia with the opening of our Hong Kong office and broadened our European reach with our newest office in Munich. In today's world of globalization, skills in directing cross-border activities are critical. With Steve's excellent talent as a lawyer and his experience as a strong leader, the firm will be in good hands."
After serving as Chairman for over a decade, Gus Blackshear will continue practicing law as a tax partner in Fulbright's Houston office. He will also continue in his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, a non-profit healthcare organization. Incoming Chairman Steve Pfeiffer commented, "I am highly honored to follow Gus Blackshear as Chairman of our firm. Gus has been a superb leader. During his tenure, he has strengthened existing offices and practice groups by expanding our range of services provided to clients by developing and recruiting talented lawyers. His long-time goal of providing superior service to clients was recognized this year in a BTI 'Client Service' survey of FORTUNE 1000 general counsel where Fulbright now ranks 7th in the nation. I plan to continue Gus's strong commitment to the highest standards of professional ethics, integrity and client service."
Steven B. Pfeiffer's Background
A Fulbright partner since 1983, Steve Pfeiffer was formerly the Partner-in-Charge of both the Washington, D.C., (1998 - 2002) and London (1989 - 2002) offices. Additionally, he was Head of the firm's International Department (1989 - 2002). After an initial training period in Fulbright's Houston office, he served for over seven years in the firm's London office before joining the Washington, D.C., office in 1986. While overseas, Mr. Pfeiffer had principal responsibility for a wide variety of corporate and commercial transactions involving British, European, Middle Eastern, and African-based clients.
Mr. Pfeiffer is a former Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Section on Energy and Natural Resources Law of the International Bar Association. Mr. Pfeiffer served for many years on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Wesleyan University (Connecticut), including as Chairman of the Board from 1987 to 1992. He is currently Chairman Emeritus. Mr. Pfeiffer serves as a director of Riggs National Corporation (largest D.C.-based bank holding company) and Riggs Bank Europe Limited (London). He is also a director of Barloworld Limited, a publicly owned South African company; The Africa-America Institute in New York; and Project HOPE, based in Virginia. Included in Who's Who in America, he is also a member of the State Bar of New Jersey, the District of Columbia Bar, and the American Bar Association.
Mr. Pfeiffer received a B.A., cum laude, from Wesleyan University in 1969. He then studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, receiving a B.A. and M.A. in Jurisprudence at Oxford and an M.A. in Area Studies (Africa) at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London. He earned a J.D. in 1976 from Yale University.
A.T. Blackshear, Jr.'s Background
A.T. Blackshear, Jr., has been a Fulbright partner since 1975 and is a tax attorney with extensive general business and healthcare experience. He is a former Partner-in-Charge of the Dallas office (1989 - 1991). He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Memorial Hermann Healthcare System (current Chairman), Baylor College of Medicine, the Spiritual Leadership Institute, and VHA Southwest, Inc. He is an Eagle Scout and will begin serving on the Board of Directors of Boy Scouts of America of the Sam Houston Council (Houston) in 2003.
A certified public accountant, Mr. Blackshear received a B.B.A., cum laude, in 1964 and a J.D., cum laude, in 1968 from Baylor University, where he was Editor in Chief of the Baylor Law Review. He was admitted to practice law in Texas in 1968 and has been with the firm since 1969. At present, Mr. Blackshear is a member of the Houston and American Bar Associations and the State Bar of Texas, where he was Chair of the Section on Taxation. Included in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Law and The Best Lawyers in America, he is a Fellow in the American, Houston and Texas Bar Foundations.
Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
Founded in 1919, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. is a leading full- service international law firm, with over 835 attorneys in 11 offices in Houston, New York, Washington, D.C., Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, San Antonio, Hong Kong, London, and Munich. Fulbright provides a full range of legal services to both domestic and foreign clients worldwide.
In the 2003 BTI survey of FORTUNE 1000 general counsel, Fulbright ranked 7th in the nation in client service and was chosen as a "Top 30 Best A-Team Law Firm." In 2002 Corporate Board Member magazine named Fulbright among the nation's top 21 corporate law firms in their survey of the boardmembers of U.S. public companies. An international lawyers survey published in the Global Counsel 2002 Dispute Resolution Handbook picked Fulbright as one of the five best U.S. dispute resolution firms. Additionally, the firm was named one of the American Lawyer's international "Arbitration Elite." In IP Worldwide's November 2002 issue, intellectual property counsel ranked Fulbright second among U.S. law firms for trademark counseling and litigation.
Contact:
Steven B. Pfeiffer
Chairman of the Executive Committee
Phone: +1/713/651-5691 or
+1/202/662-4585
Leigh Ann Nicas
Public Relations Manager
Phone: +1/713/651-5582 or
mailto:lnicas@fulbright.com
Internet: http://www.fulbright.com