Texas Lawyer newspaper Names Three A&K Partners as Best in Their Field

HOUSTON -- Three Andrews & Kurth partners have been named as best in their field in the Texas Lawyer's "GO-TO Guide" for 2002. This special edition magazine lists Texas' top lawyers in 27 practice areas in addition to four other attorneys in each respective area who are considered "Top-Notch". Kathleen Wu, a partner in the real estate section of the firm's Dallas office and William Miller, a partner in the trusts and estates section of the firm's Houston office, have been designated as "Top-Notch" in their respective fields while Hugh Ray has been named "The GO-TO Lawyer" for bankruptcy issues.

Ray heads the firm's nationally-recognized bankruptcy practice. A member of the firm since 1968 and a partner since 1977, he is Board Certified as a Business Bankruptcy Specialist by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and the American Board of Bankruptcy Certification. Ray has presented positions before congressional committees by testifying several times before the U.S. House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee and the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee concerning proposed amendments to the Federal Bankruptcy Code. "It is an honor just to be nominated to this list," said Ray. "There are so many outstanding lawyers in their respective fields, to be chosen by my peers as the top lawyer in the bankruptcy field is one of the highest accolades anyone can receive."

Wu is a member of the firm's real estate section and her practice includes the representation of sellers and purchasers of improved and unimproved real property and the financings involved in such transactions. A member of the firm since 1988 and a partner since 1993, she has also had significant experience in representing originators of secured loans and in all aspects of the securitization process. Over the course of her tenure with the firm, she has handled the acquisition and disposition of office buildings, hotels, shopping centers, industrial facilities and multi-use properties.

Miller is a member of the firm's litigation practice where he handles wills and probate litigation as well as insurance coverage and bad faith litigation. Starting with the firm as an associate in 1969, he became a partner in 1977. Among his many legal affiliations, he is a member of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and a member of the Texas Academy of Probate and Trust Lawyers. Miller has been a frequent speaker and author on various issues related to the practice of probate, trusts and estates law.

Andrews & Kurth L.L.P., founded in 1902, is based in Houston, has 375 lawyers and, in addition to its Houston office has offices in Austin, Dallas, Los Angeles, London, New York, The Woodlands, 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.