John O’Quinn; lawyer brought landmark breast implant suits
HOUSTON - Flamboyant lawyer John O’Quinn, who won billions in verdicts against makers of breast implants, pharmaceuticals, and tobacco products, died Thursday in a traffic wreck. He was 68.
Mr. O’Quinn and a passenger were killed after the sport utility vehicle O’Quinn was driving skidded across the median of a rain-slicked parkway outside downtown Houston, went airborne, and slammed into a tree, police said.
His law firm said that Mr. O’Quinn’s passenger, Johnny Cutliff, 56, was the attorney’s personal assistant and had worked there for 26 years.
Police spokesman Kese Smith said neither Mr. O’Quinn nor the passenger was wearing a seat belt.
The 6-foot-4 Mr. O’Quinn was known as a Texas-sized lawyer with a Texas-sized ego and a wallet to match, lavishly spending on himself, philanthropic causes, and Democratic campaigns.
His John M. O’Quinn Foundation donated tens of millions of dollars to the University of Houston, Baylor College of Medicine, and other institutions.
Four years ago, he was the single largest contributor in the Texas governor’s race, giving Democrat Chris Bell $1 million and loaning him another $1.7 million. Bell lost.
In September 2006, Mr. O’Quinn celebrated his 65th birthday with a party a society columnist said ranked among Houston’s most legendary. Ballrooms featured multitiered crystal chandeliers above Monte Carlo-style casino tables, crystal wall sconces, 56 vintage cars, and three musical acts - including Don Henley of The Eagles.
Mr. O’Quinn made his money and his reputation taking on wealthy corporations. He was one of five lawyers who shared a $3.3 billion fee for helping the State of Texas settle its lawsuit against the tobacco industry.
His first big win was in 1986, when a jury found that Monsanto negligently exposed an employee to benzene at a Houston-area plant and ordered the company to pay $100 million. The award was later vacated, and the case settled out of court, but Mr. O’Quinn’s fame was cemented.
By 1992, he began a long and profitable run of silicone breast implant lawsuits with a $25 million verdict against 