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Lawyer Brent Coon is on a high-profile mission
[October 16, 2006]

Lawyer Brent Coon is on a high-profile mission


(Beaumont Enterprise, The (Texas) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Oct. 16--BEAUMONT -- Brent Coon is a man with an obsession.

Once he gets started talking about the 2005 Texas City refinery explosion, he hardly pauses to take a breath.

One might even call the 46-year-old Beaumont lawyer possessed.

With his roots deep in the Southeast Texas soil, where generations of ordinary folk have toiled in refineries to put bread on the table for their families, the case strikes a deep chord in him.

"I grew up blue collar," he said. "My dad was an electrician; my mom was a secretary. My friends were working class. I'm not a jet setter -- I've done well, but my friends are still guys who work in the plants."

Coon sees his role as protecting these workers who risk their lives daily for huge corporations that see them not as people but as expendable cogs in the machine, considered only in bloodless, bottom-line terms.

The really amazing thing is where he finds the time to steep himself so thoroughly in the litigation of this complex case, which has taken him all over the country and across the pond to London.

Coon, who represents 150 clients in the high-profile case against British Petroleum -- including the 22-year-old Hornbeck, La., woman who lost both parents in the disaster -is a busy boy.

No. "Busy" doesn't quite cover it.

Coon, who began his law career doing asbestos litigation for Provost Umphrey, has built a sizable practice, Brent Coon and Associates, with 14 satellite offices across the nation.

Man of many talents

For some, that might be enough.

But Coon dabbles also in real estate development and an entertainment production company booking bands such as ZZ Top, Hank Williams Jr., Nelly and Gretchen Wilson. He owns an oil and gas company in Houston and even bought, redesigned and rebuilt his own golf course -- which he named after himself: Brentwood.



Among other projects.

"I get up early and stay up late and try to pack in as much as I can," Coon said.


Then twice a week, when he's done with work for the day, he heads off to band practice. He plays guitar for local band Image 6.

Image 6 has played on the same bill as Candlebox, Ra, Loverboy and .38 Special.

Mostly, though, the band has played gigs locally at bars and clubs, with frequent appearances at Cactus Canyon and Antone's, according to the band's Web site.

In addition to all this, he is the proud father of a 14-year-old daughter.

Michelle Coon, a straight A student at Cathedral, has recently developed an interest in twirling, and her doting dad didn't pass up an opportunity to brag on her.

Recently she performed before an audience by herself, because two other twirlers chickened out. She didn't drop the baton once.

"I can't believe my little girl had that much talent," he said. "Her dad's all thumbs!"

Despite his entrepreneurial bent and limelight ambitions, Coon relishes practicing law.

He said intellectual stimulation and constant challenges keep him interested.

In what other field would he be called on to study engineering, medicine, science or the oil industry, for that matter?

But he admitted that the profession also suits his competitive nature.

Coon's brief "bio" on the Image 6 Web site bears this out.

"Brent will argue with a wall if he thinks he can win," the bio's caption reads.

"I like to win," he admitted. "I'm usually a graceful loser -- but not always. It's very frustrating to me if I feel like I've lost a cause I should have won."

With the forceful eloquence of his arguments, Coon appears well-equipped to win against more formidable foes than mere walls.

Getting prepared

When he goes up against BP in the trial involving the deaths of Eva Rowe's parents, set for November, he'll be well rehearsed.

The case, the most high-profile Coon has litigated so far, has drawn attention from national media and even beyond.

Coon has been interviewed by "60 Minutes," National Geographic and British media giant BBC for segments to air at a future date.

Coon said someone from his office has a cousin in China who saw him on TV there.

Bloomberg and Court TV likely will cover the trial.

Coon feels his background as a trial lawyer, public speaker and entertainer has prepared him for his debut on the world's stage.

One advantage to the dimensions of the high-profile case has been that it has allowed him to spend more time and money than he could normally do to investigate a case.

Additionally, scrutiny from regulatory agencies has brought him data and documents not normally available in litigating smaller cases.

Fifteen people died in the Texas City refinery explosion March 23, 2005, and 170 were injured.

In his preparations for trial, Coon steeped himself in the operation and daily workings of the refinery.

"I could probably run that unit now," he said.

Coon said there were "systemic infrastructure" problems with BP's Texas City operation.

BP used antiquated machinery that should have been replaced long ago, Coon said, citing BP's use of old "blow down drums" as opposed to a flare system.

"This unit blew up because it didn't have a flare."

Coon also took issue with BP's decision to have trailers close by the unit -- he said the theory was that if there was an explosion, the trailers would simply roll.

He said they have the "worst safety practices" of any company in the petrochemical industry.

The company is on OSHA's enhanced enforcement list, which is a tally of employers with the worst safety records.

Over the past 30 years, BP has had one to two worker fatalities per year, which Coon called "tremendous" and "unprecedented."

BP spokesman Neil Chapman said the oil company has "accepted responsibility for what happened," and has "deep regret" for the deaths and injuries.

However, BP defended the machinery Coon blamed for the explosion and blamed operator error for the malfunction.

"The equipment, while old, was still safe as long as it was operated in the manner in which it was intended," Chapman said, adding that this did not happen the day of the explosion.

"What we found is the underlying reasons for the behaviors and actions by people during the incident are complex," Chapman said. "But what is clear is that procedures weren't followed by people on the plant."

However, he said, BP has learned from the tragedy and made significant changes in its daily operations.

"We deeply regret what occurred," Chapman said. "The Texas City refinery is a very different place from the day of the explosion ... We want to ensure that the whole industry benefits from the lessons we learned."

Chapman said BP has settled with all the relatives of those killed except for Rowe.

"We've settled with many people who were injured when they were onsite, and we've reached settlements with many others as well," he said. "And we've tried to make that as easy as possible to do."

According to a Houston Chronicle story Friday, BP has settled 950 explosion-related lawsuits.

Beaumont lawyer David Bernsen called Coon a "formidable" adversary and said his chances at prevailing against BP are excellent.

"He was successful against me," he said. "I've rarely given up million dollar verdicts and I gave up a million dollar verdict to Brent Coon."

Bernsen, who has tried hundreds of cases in his 30 year career, said Coon's $1 million verdict against him was one of only two that high he's given up.

That one (Coon's), I shouldn't have lost," he said. "The other one I probably should have."

It wasn't just dumb luck.

"I think he organized and prepared his case well and I think the jury identified with him," Bernsen said.

From what Bernsen knows about Coon's skills and what he's read about the BP case, their lawyers will have their hands full.

BP's defense is being handled by three law firms, Fulbright & Jaworski's Houston office; Galveston firm McCloud, Alexander and Apffel and Tekell, Book, Matthews & Limmer.

"Those are good lawyers," Bernsen said. "The law firms have good people, very competent, intelligent and talented. They are formidable foes.

"But I think they got a mountain to climb."

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