Page 38 - Briefcase Volume 36 Number 2
P. 38

FAMILY LEGACY:






                                 THE  KINGS






             After completing his undergraduate education at Rice   an everyday setting.”
             University in 2011, Gregory King, Jr., returned to San Antonio   Though King, Jr.’s tenure as a student added a special chapter
             to work for a private equity firm.                 in the family’s relationship with the school, the Kings have long
               About halfway through his tenure with Silver Ventures, King,   been committed to the Law Center’s ability to produce capable
             Jr., began to consider long-term career plans. He thought about   and elite attorneys.
             law school, and consulted with two people he was quite close to   Greg and Leigh Ann made a recent generous donation to the
             who have legal educations — his mother, Leigh Ann King, and   Law Building Campaign and have been longtime supporters of
             father, Greg King, 1985 alumnus of the University of Houston   the Annual Law Gala & Auction and members of the Leadership
             Law Center.                                        Council of the Dean’s Society. Greg King was the recipient of the
               He decided on a career in the law and was accepted into the   Corporate Sector Achievement Award at the UH Law Alumni
             Law Center Class of 2016. His parents still become emotional   Association Awards in 2017 and sits on the board of directors
             when recalling what it was like to watch their son follow in   of the University of Houston Law Foundation. They also
             their footsteps.                                   previously sponsored the King Family Foundation Scholarship,
               “It brought back a lot of great memories I had from my law   given to first-year students based on academic excellence,
             school days,” Leigh Ann said. “I was excited for him that he   academic activities and leadership.
             would have the opportunity to make great memories, learn from   “I still feel an allegiance to our school even though it’s been
             some of the same professors I enjoyed, and be in the carrels   over 30 years,” Leigh Ann King said. “When you go to law
             with his classmates. It made me more grateful to be a part of the   school, you feel a strong sense of responsibility to make the
             Law Center.”                                                                  next generation of lawyers
               “I was really glad                                                          be at least as good as
             that he took a couple   “Law school teaches you how to                        your generation.”
             of years off after Rice                                                         “It’s a small thing to give
             and went to work and   think and gives you a unique way                       back to our school and
             then chose to go to law                                                       to help others to attend
             school and ultimately   of looking at problems in life.”                      the Law Center and add
             chose UH,” Greg King                                                          to the legal community
             added. “It just made me                                                       in Houston and around
             feel a closer connection                                                      the country,” Greg King
             than I already had to the school. It was a very proud moment   added. “We want the school to be better, and we feel connected
             when he was accepted.”                             that way.”
               Family history gave King, Jr. perspective on the Law Center,   Leigh Ann uses her legal background through volunteer
             but his choice to return to Houston was also because of the   work and a number of philanthropic endeavors. She currently
             vision he had for the kind of attorney he wanted to be.  volunteers with Court Appointed Special Advocates in San
               “I knew of the Law Center through my parents, which helped   Antonio, a group that assists children who have been separated
             me become comfortable with the school, but the school’s record   from their parents by Child Protective Services.
             and credentials speak for themselves,” King, Jr. said, “I always   Greg King’s career began at Bracewell in 1985, where he
             knew that I wanted to do transactional work as opposed to   became a partner in 1993. He is currently managing partner at
             litigation. Having gone to Rice in Houston and with the Law   EnCap Flatock Midstream. King previously spent 15 years at
             Center being the best law school in the city, it was a natural fit.”  Valero Energy, beginning as an associate general counsel in 1993
               King, Jr. currently works as an associate at KreagerMitchell   and eventually serving as president from 2002–2007.
             in San Antonio, a firm that specializes in corporate and health   “I owe a great deal of credit for my career to the professors
             care law.                                          that taught me at the Law Center,” Greg King said. “I learned
               “In terms of course work at the Law Center, I was always   how to work hard and how to think about solving problems.
             drawn to classes that were more transactional-based,” he said.   All of the history of my career was set up with the combination
             “That helped confirm the suspicion I had going into law school.  of a finance degree from The University of Texas and my
               “Law school teaches you how to think and gives you a unique   J.D. from the Law Center. I couldn’t ask for a better set of
             way of looking at problems in life. It’s fun to now apply that in   circumstances.” ■


          38 UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON LAW CENTER
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