Former University of Texas President William Powers, Jr. Joins Jackson Walker

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 3, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jackson Walker L.L.P. is pleased to announce that former University of Texas at Austin president William Powers, Jr. will join the firm's Austin office as of counsel. A widely published legal scholar, nationally renowned academic leader, respected corporate governance authority, and sought-after consultant to domestic and foreign governments, Mr. Powers brings a wealth of experience to his new role with the firm.

"We are excited to welcome Bill Powers to the firm," said Jackson Walker managing partner Wade Cooper. "He would top just about anyone's list of the most influential attorneys in the State of Texas. We believe he will be an invaluable resource to our clients and the firm."

Mr. Powers will consult with the firm's clients on a broad array of matters, particularly those involving appellate work, corporate governance, and special investigations. He will also play a key role in the development of legal talent and leadership skills among attorneys across the firm.

"Jackson Walker is a firm with deep Texas roots, a strong commitment to excellence, and an outstanding culture," said Mr. Powers. "I am pleased to have the opportunity to practice with such an extraordinary group of attorneys." Mr. Powers also noted that he is looking forward to working with his longtime friends and colleagues at the firm, including Mr. Cooper, Austin corporate and securities attorney Cale McDowell, and Houston real estate partner Alfie Meyerson, who recently joined the firm from Thompson & Knight.

"This is incredible news for our firm and, more importantly, our clients," said Mr. Meyerson. "Very few lawyers, if any, have his combination of intellect, experience, personality, and standing. I am thrilled and honored to be able to practice law with Bill Powers."

Mr. Powers' extensive experience and knowledge adds further depth to Jackson Walker's distinguished Litigation practice group, which is known for its expertise in bet-the-company and high-profile cases in Texas, nationally, and internationally. The strength of Jackson Walker's trial team and track record of results for clients have earned the firm numerous accolades, including repeat rankings in Chambers USA, designation as a "Texas Powerhouse" by Law360 in 2014 and 2015, and recognition by Texas Lawyer as "Litigation Department of the Year" in 2013.

As 28th president of The University of Texas at Austin, Mr. Powers served from 2006 to 2015 as chief executive officer of an institution that teaches some 50,000 students, employs more than 24,000 faculty and staff members, and manages an annual budget of more than $2.6 billion. As president, Mr. Powers oversaw an ambitious project to reform the undergraduate curriculum, the creation of the Dell Medical School and the School of Undergraduate Studies, an expansion of blended and online learning and an historic $3.1 billion capital campaign. In 2013, he was elected chairman of the prestigious Association of American Universities, an organization of the 62 leading public and private universities in the United States and Canada.

Prior to assuming the role of UT president, Mr. Powers served for five years as Dean of The University of Texas School of Law. He returned to the faculty of the UT School of Law on June 3, 2015, and will continue to teach both undergraduate and law school courses.

One of the country's most respected legal scholars, Mr. Powers is the author of dozens of articles on tort law and legal philosophy and of several books. He is a member of the American Law Institute, where he was co-reporter for the Restatement (Third) of Torts: Apportionment of Liability and the Restatement (Third) of Torts: Liability for Physical Harm.

Mr. Powers has worked as a legal consultant with the U.S. Congress, the Brazilian legislature and the Texas legislature. In 2001, he chaired a special investigation committee that examined the financial transactions of Enron Corp. The resulting report, which has come to be known as the "Powers Report," and his subsequent testimony before Congress gained national recognition. Mr. Powers is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including being named the University of California at Berkeley's Alumnus of the Year for 2014 and being appointed Chevalier (Knight) of the Order of the Légion d'Honneur on the proposal of President Nicolas Sarkozy of France.

Prior to joining the faculty of The University of Texas School of Law in 1977, Mr. Powers received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley and, after serving in the U.S. Navy on Bahrain Island in the Persian Gulf, graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was managing editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Jackson Walker L.L.P. has 125 years of experience in providing legal counsel to clients throughout Texas, the United States and internationally. The firm provides a strong regional base of more than 350 attorneys in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Angelo, San Antonio and Texarkana.