Patterson and Williams: Tobacco Lawyers

At some point, we'll get tired of Googling things. But not yet. Part-owners Cary Patterson and John Eddie Williams made a ton of money suing tobacco companies.

Thanks to Forbes, we see this, on John Eddie Williams:
A member of the team of Texas tobacco lawyers, Williams, 46, also represented the family of a man killed in a Phillips Petroleum plant explosion and last year won a $117 million verdict. Aside from his firm's annual take of the tobacco fees (19% of Texas' $3.3 billion fee award), Williams recovered more than $150 million in asbestos litigation last year. Raised in a union family-his father and grandfather were both longshoremen-he's a staunch Democrat; he gave $1.6 million to candidates in the last election.

And Cary Patterson (while talking about his equal partner, and not in that sense, Harold Nix:
Five years ago Nix pocketed $27 million from companies he alleged infected 3,300 Texas factory workers with "chemical AIDS." The cases petered out in time for Nix, 62, to take on tobacco, bolstering a liability and negligence legal franchise in the plaintiff-friendly east Texas town of Daingerfield. Nix's firm, Nix Patterson & Roach, contributed $850,000 to Democratic candidates last year. He and equal partner Cary Patterson shared 80% of $20 million more in nontobacco fees last year.

Other owners coming into focus

(Note: This post has been revamped, following today's press conference)

The official Astros press release has the partners listed in buying the Astros. If you run into them, make them buy you a drink:

John Havens, Bill Morgan, Doug Bauer, John Hauck & TSI Holding Company, Greg Allen & family, Neil Kelley & Partners, Will Galtney & Jeff Hines, John Eddie Williams & Cary Patterson and Milton Carroll & Partners.

Who are these guys (from a quick search)?

John Havens

John Havens is the President of Seismic Exchange, a company that provides seismic data to oil and gas companies.

John Hauck (& TSI Holding)

Hauck is the President/CEO of TSI Holding, an investment group, with revenues over $500m.

Neil Kelley

Neil Kelley is a founding partner of Genesis Park, and was the founding partner/CEO of Saracen Park, a group of hedge funds specializing in a lot of things that sound boring, but probably make you richer than God.

Will Galtney and Jeff Hines

Galtney could be a few guys. Hold, please.

Jeff Hines is the President/CEO of Hines Real Estate group and went to Williams College.

John Eddie Williams

Williams is the Managing Partner of the Williams Kherkher law firm, and is a Baylor grad.

Cary Patterson and Milton Carroll (and partners)

Patterson is an attorney from Texarakana, and Milton Carroll is the chairman of Centerpoint Energy, and is a director at Halliburton.