John Maurice O'Quinn (September 4, 1941 – October 29, 2009) was a
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
trial lawyer and founding partner of The O'Quinn Law Firm (formerly known as O'Quinn & Laminack). His firm made its business handling plaintiff's
litigation
-
A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...
, including representing clients suing
breast implant manufacturers, medical facilities, and
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
companies. In 2009, O'Quinn, along with his passenger, died in a single car crash in
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
.
Biography
Early life
Born to Leonard and Jean Wilkes O’Quinn, John Maurice O'Quinn spent his early years in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The family moved to Houston when O’Quinn was a toddler, but his mother, an alcoholic, left the family when he was 4, not to return. O'Quinn was raised in a post-war era bungalow in Houston's West University Place and worked in his father's
car garage. He was a top student at Houston's Lamar High School, showing an aptitude in math and science, and enrolled at Rice University, majoring in engineering; however, after being placed on academic probation for "three of the six semesters there", he spoke with a vocational counselor who recommended career testing to determine the best bet for his future. Q'Quinn reflected, "After the test, I was told I was a people person, I liked to help people, fight for beliefs, punish bullies and that I should be a trial lawyer." At the time, the fledgling University of Houston law school did not require a college degree for admission; 90 hours of credit would suffice, so after receiving his father's blessing, he enrolled that fall.
O'Quinn graduated first in his class from the
University of Houston Law Center
The University of Houston Law Center is the law school of the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1947, the Law Center is one of 12 colleges of the University of Houston, a state university. It is accredited by the American Bar A ...
in 1967, served as editor of the ''
Houston Law Review
The ''Houston Law Review'' is a law review published by the University of Houston Law Center. The journal is edited and published by students in one volume, divided into five issues, each academic year. The journal was founded in 1963.
In addit ...
'', and won a state moot court championship. O'Quinn was such an intellectual powerhouse that he was the first attorney hired from U of H by the law firm Baker Botts. O'Quinn was divorced and had no children. In 1999, the playing field at
Robertson Stadium
John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium (often referred to as simply Robertson Stadium) was a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It was the home of the Houston Cougars football and wom ...
was named O'Quinn Field in honor of his generosity and support of the stadium renovations. After the demolition of that stadium, the "O'Quinn Field" name was subsequently used for its successor,
John O'Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium
John O'Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium is an American football stadium on the campus of the University of Houston. The stadium serves as the home of the Houston Cougars football team, which represents the University of Houston in collegiate ...
.
Legal career
Making his name in handling plaintiff's
litigation
-
A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...
, among O'Quinn's biggest wins were a $1 billion verdict in 2006 against
Wyeth Laboratory for its diet drugs,
fen-phen
The drug combination fenfluramine/phentermine, usually called fen-phen, was an anti-obesity treatment in the early 1990s that utilized two anorectics. Fenfluramine was marketed by American Home Products (later known as Wyeth) as ''Pondimin'', bu ...
, $17.3 billion tobacco settlement for the state of Texas, and $100 million for
silicone
A silicone or polysiloxane is a polymer made up of siloxane (−R2Si−O−SiR2−, where R = organic group). They are typically colorless oils or rubber-like substances. Silicones are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medicine, cooking ...
breast implants
A breast implant is a prosthesis used to change the size, shape, and contour of a person's breast. In reconstructive plastic surgery, breast implants can be placed to restore a natural looking breast following a mastectomy, to correct congenita ...
made by
Dow Corning
Dow Corning Corporation, was an American multinational corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. Originally established as a joint venture between The Dow Chemical Company and Corning Incorporated, Dow bought out Corning and ...
.
In total, O'Quinn is estimated to have won $1.5 billion for his firm. The firm went through several names during the 1990s, among them O’Quinn, Kerensky & McAninch; O’Quinn, Kerensky, McAninch & Laminack; and O’Quinn & Laminack. Pirtle became a name partner in September 2001, and the firm name became O’Quinn, Laminack & Pirtle. According to a 2006 article in ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'', O'Quinn's firm had pending cases against
stock broker
A stockbroker is a regulated broker, broker-dealer, or registered investment adviser (in the United States) who may provide financial advisory and investment management services and execute transactions such as the purchase or sale of stocks an ...
s and
hedge fund
A hedge fund is a pooled investment fund that trades in relatively liquid assets and is able to make extensive use of more complex trading, portfolio-construction, and risk management techniques in an attempt to improve performance, such as sho ...
s for
shorting
In finance, being short in an asset means investing in such a way that the investor will profit if the value of the asset falls. This is the opposite of a more conventional " long" position, where the investor will profit if the value of t ...
the shares of weak companies, and against
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
for rollover accidents caused by the
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a range of SUVs manufactured by Ford Motor Company since the 1991 model year. The first four-door SUV produced by Ford, the Explorer was introduced as a replacement for the two-door Bronco II. Within the current Ford light ...
.
In the past decade, O'Quinn won, through settlement and/or verdicts, more than $20 billion for his clients.
Death
Around 8:00 a.m. on October 29, 2009, O'Quinn was driving his
Chevrolet Suburban on
Allen Parkway
Allen Parkway is an arterial road west of Downtown Houston, Texas. It has a distance of approximately 2.3 miles (3.7 km), running from Interstate 45 west to Shepherd Drive, where it becomes Kirby Drive. Originally known as Buffalo Parkway, ...
in Houston, Texas in rainy weather when the vehicle struck a curb, crossed a grassy median and three lanes of oncoming traffic, and crashed into a tree. Both O'Quinn and the other occupant, his assistant, Johnny Lee Cutliff, died instantly of blunt force injuries. Neither man was wearing a seat belt. According to Capt. Bill Staney of the
Houston Police Department's Vehicular Crimes Division, the Suburban's
crash data computer showed the vehicle traveling at 76 mph just before impact, and that O'Quinn never applied his brakes. The posted speed limit on that section of Allen Parkway was 40 mph.
Car collector
O'Quinn attended an exhibition of
Duesenberg
Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company, Inc. was an American race car, racing and luxury car, luxury automobile manufacturer founded in Indianapolis, Indiana, by brothers Fred Duesenberg, Fred and August Duesenberg in 1920. The company is ...
s as a child at the
Sam Houston Coliseum
Sam Houston Coliseum was an indoor arena located in Houston, Texas.
Early years
Located at 801 Bagby Street in Downtown Houston, the Coliseum and Music Hall complex replaced the Sam Houston Hall, which was a wooden structure that had been erected ...
, to see what his father called "the greatest car ever built." In 2003, O'Quinn saw a 1932
Duesenberg Derham Tourister
Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company, Inc. was an American racing and luxury automobile manufacturer founded in Indianapolis, Indiana, by brothers Fred and August Duesenberg in 1920. The company is known for popularizing the straight-e ...
for sale at a Houston auction, at which he bought 14 cars that day including the Duesenberg for $405,000.
O'Quinn maintained an extensive collection of cars. The collection had a total value of over $100 million and included at least 618 cars in 2006, and by the time of his death in 2009 he had collected about 800 cars. The collection included: seven
Duesenberg
Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company, Inc. was an American race car, racing and luxury car, luxury automobile manufacturer founded in Indianapolis, Indiana, by brothers Fred Duesenberg, Fred and August Duesenberg in 1920. The company is ...
s; the 1911
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost name refers both to a car model and one specific car from that series.
Originally named the " 40/50 h.p." the chassis was first made at Royce's Manchester works, with production moving to Derby in July 1908, ...
featured in the film ''
Titanic
RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...
;''
John F Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
's 1962
Lincoln Continental
The Lincoln Continental is a series of mid-sized and full-sized luxury cars produced by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. The model line was introduced following the construction of a personal vehicle for Edse ...
Bubble Top limo, and a 1937
Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic.
In September 2006, he bought: a 2005
Lamborghini Gallardo
The Lamborghini Gallardo (; ) is a sports car built by the Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini from 2003 to 2013. It is Lamborghini's second car released under parent company Audi, and best-selling model with 14,022 built throughout its ...
covered with 33 celebrity autographs ($500,000); the
Batmobile
The Batmobile is the fictional car driven by the superhero Batman. Housed in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is both a heavily armored tactical assault vehicle and a personalized custom-built pursuit a ...
used in the filming of
Batman Forever
''Batman Forever'' (on-screen title is simply ''Forever'') is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The third installment o ...
($335,000), a 1941
Packard
Packard or Packard Motor Car Company was an American luxury automobile company located in Detroit, Michigan. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last Packards were built in South Bend, Indiana in 1958.
One of the "Thr ...
limousine used by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
($290,000), a 1938
Talbot-Lago
Talbot-Lago was a French automobile manufacturer based in Suresnes, Hauts de Seine, outside Paris. The company was owned and managed by Antonio Lago, an Italian engineer that acquired rights to the Talbot brand name after the demise of Darracq L ...
($3,350,000); and a 1938 Town Car used by
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
($250,000).
The centerpiece of the collection is a plain grey 1975
Ford Escort GL, once owned by
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
priest
Karol Wojtyla
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
– before he went on to become
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
. Bought at the
Kruse auction at
SEMA
Sama ( tr, Sema, Persian, Urdu and ar, سَمَاع - ''samā‘un'') is a Sufi ceremony performed as part of the meditation and prayer practice dhikr. Sama means "listening", while dhikr means "remembrance".During, J., and R. Sellheim. "Sam ...
, the car was sold by the Pope at auction for charity to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
restaurateur
Jim Rich in 1995, who paid $102,000 for the car.
O'Quinn paid $690,000 for the car October 2005.
In late 2006 O'Quinn discovered that several cars were missing from his collection, including a
Ferrari 575M and a 1965
Ford Shelby Mustang GT350. O'Quinn tried to get in touch with Zev Isgur, a 32-year-old ex-con whom he'd befriended and entrusted with the management of his collection of classic cars. Isgur was later convicted of
embezzlement
Embezzlement is a crime that consists of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes. Embezzlement is a type ...
.
On October 10, 2011 a car from O'Quinn's collection which is said to be the world’s oldest running motor car, a historic 1884 De Dion Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos Steam Runabout,
sold at auction
''Sold at Auction'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Sherwood MacDonald and starring Lois Meredith, William Conklin, and Marguerite Nichols.
Cast
* Lois Meredith as Nan
* William Conklin as Richard Stanley
* Marguerite Nic ...
for $4.62 million in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
References
External links
The O'Quinn Law Firm Homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oquinn, John M.
1941 births
2009 deaths
Road incident deaths in Texas
People from Houston
University of Houston alumni
University of Houston Law Center alumni
University of Houston System regents
Texas lawyers
American car collectors
People associated with Baker Botts
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American academics