Andrews & Kurth Celebrates 100 Year Anniversary September 1, 2002

HOUSTON -- On September 1, 1902, the law firm of Andrews & Kurth was founded in Houston and today celebrates 100 years of excellence as one of the nation’s largest and most successful law firms.

In the firm’s earliest days it became a leader in the development of the city of Houston. Its founding partners, Frank Andrews and U.S. Representative Col. Thomas Ball worked to represent the railroad industry and to secure the funding needed to build the Port of Houston. In fact, to honor Ball’s work on behalf of their industry, the Trinity & Brazos Valley Railroad changed the name of their Peck Freight Station, located 32 miles north of Houston to Tom Ball, and eventually Tomball, Texas.

Throughout the first half of the century, the firm continued to promote the development and infrastructure of the Houston region. Based on the reputation of their work, numerous companies and corporations such as Anderson & Clayton, Standard Oil, Kirby Lumber Company and the Houston Land Corporation, developers of the Montrose Addition, began to demand more work from the firm.

In 1904, Andrews was able to convince an old college friend, Judge Sam Streetman, formerly an Associate Justice of the Court of Civil Appeals in Austin, to join the firm. Known then as Andrews, Ball & Streetman from 1904 through 1913, the firm grew rapidly, adding many new members including one Melvin E. Kurth.

In 1936, upon the death of Frank Andrews, Kurth, who by this time had been practicing at the firm for over 20 years, became the firm’s first administrative partner and served in that capacity for 27 years. For the next several decades, the firm continued to be heavily involved in the legal representation of its flagship client, Howard Hughes, Jr. and the Hughes Tool Company, but also branched out into the fields of natural gas pipeline construction and regulatory work and obtaining certifications from the Federal Power Commission in Washington, D.C.

During the 1960's, the firm further diversified into the area of bankruptcy and was able to secure many of the largest filings based on their reputation and experience. From that time, the bankruptcy practice of the firm has grown exponentially -- today ranked as one of the largest in the nation. In the decades that followed, the firm experienced rapid growth, increasing to over 120 lawyers, and prospered in such areas as energy and financial corporate experience. With the addition of Transcontinental Pipeline Company (Transco) as a client in 1977, the firm opened its first regional office in Washington, D.C. to handle the large amount of regulatory work. Shortly thereafter, the firm introduced to the national business community the Master Limited Partnership, or MLP, and continued to develop a nationally-recognized corporate securities practice.

In 1982, the firm moved its principal office to the JP Morgan Chase Tower and adopted the shortened firm name of Andrews & Kurth L.L.P. When the economic bust hit Houston, the firm once again adapted and prospered through its work on energy client’s take-or-pay litigation, its nationally recognized bankruptcy practice and their work for the FSLIC. Even more significant during the 1980’s was the firm’s handling of the battles over Howard Hughes, Jr.’s estate, which lasted for more than 17 years.

The later part of the 1980’s saw the proliferation of mergers amongst law firms of varying sizes. Andrews & Kurth was not immune to such overtures. Rather than follow the trend, the firm set out to become bigger and stronger through the additions of offices in Los Angeles in 1987, New York in 1990, The Woodlands in 1993, and London in 1995. By the end of the 1990’s the firm had grown to over 300 attorneys throughout all of its offices.

In early 2001, A&K Managing Partner Howard Ayers began discussions with Jonathan Day, the Managing Partner of Mayor, Day, Caldwell & Keeton regarding the possibility of merging the two firms. On October 1, 2001, the deal was consummated. Today, the firm celebrates its centennial anniversary with 360 lawyers serving national and international clients from its eight offices on two continents.