Thompson & Knight CDO honored

The international law firm of Thompson & Knight LLP is pleased to congratulate Partner and Chief Diversity Officer Pauline E. Higgins on being named the recipient of The Local Heroes Award by Bank of America.

This award recognizes five members of the Houston community who notably contribute to neighborhood vitality through their accomplishments and leadership. Bank of America provides $5,000 to each of the award recipients for them to donate to a charity organization of their choosing. Higgins will donate this money to the Jamaican Foundation of Houston’s Minority Scholarship Fund.

Higgins is a partner in Thompson & Knight’s Finance Practice Group and is the firm’s CDO. She focuses her practice on financial transactions and represents clients in banking, structured finance, asset securitizations, and asset backed securities transactions. She also represents clients in mergers and acquisitions. In her role as CDO, Higgins designs and implements initiatives that support the firm’s commitment to cultivate and maintain diversity.

The Local Heroes Award represents one of numerous honors given to Higgins. In 2004, The Minority Corporate Counsel Association conferred the Rainbow Maker Award on Higgins for her leadership in advocating diversity in the legal profession. Higgins was also given the Sarah T. Hughes Award in 2005 by The Women and the Law Section of the State Bar of Texas for her efforts in promoting the role of women attorneys. Most recently, in 2007, Minority Business News Texas named Higgins among the “Influential African American Leaders in Texas.” The Local Heroes Award was presented to Higgins at the Houston Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Awards Celebration Reception on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007. For more information on The Local Heroes Award, please visit www.bankofamerica.com/foundation.

Thompson & Knight LLP has approximately 420 attorneys, and has offices and alliances in North America, South America, Europe, and Africa. Thompson & Knight represents companies, government entities, and individuals in local, regional, and national markets around the world. For more information on the firm and its diversity initiative, visit www.tklaw.com.