Professionals

Bill Porter is chairman emeritus and a retired partner of the firm's corporate and securities law section. Having been in practice since 1966, Mr. Porter is a nationally recognized corporate and securities law practitioner. He has comprehensive experience in the representation of publicly-held companies in all phases of the petroleum industry and in a variety of manufacturing, mining, distribution and service companies ranging from steel processing to internet technologies, as well as financial institutions and investment banks serving those industries.

Mr. Porter was named in 2009 as one of the "preeminent lawyers in the United States" by The Best Lawyers in America, and has been listed in their publication as a "Best Lawyer" in Corporate Law, Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, and Securities Law since 1983. He was named one of the top five securities lawyers in the State of Texas by Texas Lawyer in 2002, and as a Texas Super Lawyer in surveys conducted by Texas Monthly since 2003. Mr. Porter has been named in Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition in the area of Securities and Corporate Finance since 2008. In 2006, Corporate Counsel magazine named him as a "Best Lawyer in Corporate Law." He has been listed in Who's Who in America and several other Who's Who publications, including Who's Who in American Law since 1985.

• More than 100 primary, secondary and follow-on public offerings, either as issuer or underwriter counsel.
• More than 100 merger, acquisition and reorganization transactions, as counsel for acquirors, sellers, bankers or principal stockholders.
• Board representation covering a broad spectrum of corporate governance issues.
• Prosecution and defense of tender offers, proxy contests and other change of control transactions.
• Going-private transactions.
• Substantive law advice in connection with securities and corporate litigation matters and administrative proceedings before the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• Martindale Hubbell AV Rated Attorney
• Served on the State Bar of Texas committees on Securities and Investment Banking, Corporate Law, Tender Offer Regulation, Securities Legislation and Corporate Legal Opinions, several of which he has also chaired.
• Has been a member of the American Bar Association committees on Securities Law, Proxy Regulation and Law Firms.
• Trustee, Texas Heart Institute, 2002-present
• Director, Alley Theatre, Houston, since 1988; Member, Executive Committee, since 1989; President, 1991-1993; Chairman of the Board, 1993-1995; Endowment Committee chairman since 1998
• Director, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 2006-present
• Director, River Oaks Property Owners Association
• Director, Coronado Club; President, 2009 
• Life Member, Board of Visitors, Duke University Law School
• Director, U.S. Concrete, Inc. (NASDAQ), 2001-2010.
• Director, Helix Energy Services Group, Inc. (NYSE), since 2004; chairman, governance committee; member, audit committee.
• Director, Copano Energy LLC (NASDAQ), since 2004; chairman, governance committee; member compensation committee.
• Director, Gundle/SLT Environmental, Inc. (NYSE), 1988-2004; lead director 2003-2004.
• Director, Metals USA (NYSE), 1997-2002; lead director, 2001-2002.
• Director, Southwestern Institute for the Study of Hospital and Health Care Systems, Houston, 1989-1991
• Director, Houston Business Arts Fund, 1989
• Adjunct Instructor, Duke University Law School, 1985-1989
• Trustee, St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Houston, 1975-1978
• Adjunct Instructor in Finance, Southern Methodist University, 1967-1968