“What I do is represent the powerless against the powerful. I’ve been blessed with talent, and I’ve got commitment and passion,” O’Quinn told Texas Monthly in June 2000.
Philanthropist and prominent attorney John O’Quinn passed away this morning after a car accident in his home town of Houston, Texas. He was 68 years old.
On the O’Quinn Law Firm website, a company John founded, it states he graduated from Rice University and the University of Houston College of Law.
Mr. O’Quinn was the first student ever to obtain all three of the top University of Houston law student achievements – he graduated valedictorian of his class (J.D., magna cum laude), served as Editor-in-Chief of the Houston Law Review, and was state champion of moot court. Since graduating, O’Quinn was selected as the 1993 Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Houston, the 1996 Distingued Alumnus of the Year (UH College of Law) and served as a Member of the UH Board of Regents.
Mr. O’Quinn has been recognized as one of the 100 “Most Influential Lawyers in the United States”, one of the “Top Five Lawyers in the State of Texas”, among both present and past lawyers of the 20th century. He has been named one of the “100 Legal Legends of Texas” by Texas Lawyer, and was recognized in Harvard Law’s Best Lawyers in America. Mr. O’Quinn has also served as Director for the Texas Trial Lawyers Association.
Mr. O’Quinn shared his success through philanthropy and donates to many charitable causes, such as the Children’s Museum, Feed the Hungry, and Women’s Center, Child Abuse Prevention and the University of Houston. He also established The John M. O’Quinn Foundation in 1986, which focuses on helping children, public education and the environment.
He donated to the Houston Council on Alcohol and Drugs and various Texas Medical Center institutions including St. Luke’s Hospital, which has a tower bearing his name..
The football field at the University of Houston’s Robertson Stadium also is named for O’Quinn.
Mr O’Quinn has most recently demonstrated his generosity by representing Virgie Arthur, the mother of Anna Nicole Smith in her quest for justice in the deaths of her daughter and grandson Daniel Wayne Smith.
Mr O’Quinn will be fondly remembered and his death mourned by many who admired him for his wisdom and good works.
Representatives for Mr. O’Quinn will hold an afternoon press conference at his law firm. I am told 3:00 PM Central time.
JMO
JMO
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OMG….I am at a loss for words. So sad.
Terribly sad news.
Thank you for QV for sharing all the wonderful things this man has done for the community.
He is a legend and his name will live on forever.
RIP John
I can’t stop crying! OMG, my heart goes out to all who knew and loved him. I think he was such a great and generous man, and I’ll be forever grateful that he came into Virgie’s life. I can’t even comprehend the terrible loss yet; it’s beyond what I can understand.
This is just heart breaking. So many will mourn the loss of this great man. What other attorney in this story did so much for so many? I have seen none. Its hard to comprehend. I feel so sorry for Virgie and the devastation she must feel.
God Bless O’Q and his family. I will always admire this great man and his Big Texas Heart!
My condolence to Mr. O”Quinn family and to the driver’s family.
My heart goes out to Mrs. Arthur. She has had way more loss to deal with than most have in a life time.
I sure hope there’s a better place.
“The Accident” reminded me of a 4-way street, and then I came up with this (after searching for a tune)…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfycUkxbnlk
Just my way of coping, trying to find some silver lining, I guess.
Condolences to his family and friends.
What a tragic loss.
My condolences to the families and friends of both victims.
Also deepest condolences to his family and his friends including Neil McCabe, Wilma Vice, Don Clark, Virgie Arthur and family and all other associates of the O’Quinn law firm.
He sure was blessed with talent.
I thank God he knew talent and surrounded himself with like minded people.
Thank God for his talents and thank John for being the man he was and fulfilling his duties while here on earth.
Rest in peace John O’Quinn, you lived a brave life.
To all who depended on John, I pray for you today and hope our prayers bring your hearts some comfort.
OMG! I’m at a loss for words.:(