Philip H. Hilder

Philip Harlan Hilder[3] (born July 2, 1955)[1] is an American criminal defense lawyer and founder of the Houston law firm Hilder & Associates, P.C.

Philip H. Hilder
Born
Philip Harlan Hilder

(1955-07-02) July 2, 1955
Highland Park, Illinois, U.S.[1]
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of Iowa (BA)
Boston College (JD)
OccupationLawyer
Political partyDemocratic[2]
SpouseMaura O'Dowd

He has represented whistle-blowers and other witnesses and defendants in several high-profile white-collar crime cases.[4][5] He represented Sherron Watkins, the former Enron vice president who helped shed light on details of the company's collapse in 2001.[6] Ms. Watkins was named one of Time magazine's three "Persons of the Year 2002."[7] Hilder was interviewed and featured in the 2005 Oscar-nominated Alex Gibney documentary, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.

In the lobbying scandal surrounding Jack Abramoff, Hilder represented Tom Rodgers, a Washington lobbyist for Indian tribes who leaked documents to the media about Abramoff's activities.[5]

Hilder represented the first whistle-blower in the Countrywide Financial scandal of 2008.[5][8] Another Hilder client was the whistle-blower who was sued by his former employer News America Marketing when he testified about the company's anticompetitive practices.[9] News America is a marketing subsidiary of News Corp.

Hilder and associate James Rytting also have worked with The Innocence Project and represented Texas death row inmate Larry Swearingen. Swearingen had long insisted he was innocent and his execution was stayed in 2013 through the efforts of Hilder and Rytting while he sought DNA testing of crime scene evidence.[10][11] He was ultimately executed on August 21, 2019. Before entering private law practice, Hilder was the attorney-in-charge of the Justice Department's Houston office of the Organized Crime Strike Force. He was also an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Texas with the Presidential Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.[4][5]

Education

Hilder holds a J.D. degree from Boston College Law School (J.D. 1981) and undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa (B.A. 1977).[4][12]

Politics

He volunteered, supported and served on the presidential campaigns of Ted Kennedy, Walter Mondale, and Barack Obama.[2]

Personal life

He is married to Maura O’Dowd Hilder of Ballymote, Ireland. He has six children: Elliot, Sydney, Lauren, Jordan, Ronnald, and Quentin.

Film

• Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room 2005. IMDB. Includes personal interviews with Philip Hilder.

References
  1. Hubbell, Martindale (March 2002). Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory: Texas, Utah (Volume 16 - 2002). Martindale-Hubbell. ISBN 9781561604913.
  2. Volunteering for the Vote
  3. Docket for 12A346
  4. "Hilder & Associates". Retrieved 10 October 2013.Hilder & Associates, P.C.
  5. Sweeney, Paul (27 September 2012). "The Whistleblowers Advocate". Texas Super Lawyers. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  6. Van Natta Jr., Don (15 January 2002). "Enron's Collapse: The Overview; Enron's Chairman Received Warning About Accounting". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  7. "Persons of the Year 2002". Time magazine. 30 December 2002. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  8. Stempel, Jonathan (29 January 2008). "Countrywide, KB Home Venture Sued by Fired VP". Reuters. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  9. Reingold, Jennifer (20 July 2007). "News Corp.'s trouble in aisle three". Fortune. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  10. Lee, Renee C. (30 January 2013). "Condemned Man Gets Another Reprieve". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  11. Dobbyn, Christine (31 January 2013). "Judge delays execution of man in Montgomery Co. murder case". KTRK-TV. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  12. "Law School Profile: Boston College Law School". Super Lawyers. 9 September 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
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