Highlights from the 19th Annual Superconference

The Superconference Planning Committee created a very high bar for next year's Committee. How do you top a special appearance by Vice President Al Gore? Tap dancing (literally) by Jeff Civins? A segwaying centurion? Over 520 registrants? The Superconference was held on August 1-3, 2007 in Austin, Texas, at the Four Seasons hotel located on the shores of Town Lake. This year's theme was "An Oscar Winning Performance." See Photo Gallery>>

(Right - A donut-munching Al Gore (aka Houston attorney Tim Weltin, with the Weltin Law Firm) makes a surprise appearance at the 19th Annual Superconference. Attendees got to learn a little bit more about their former Vice President, including the fact that he invented CLE).

Playing to a capacity audience, the speakers entertained as well as educated. The audience learned how to properly quantify quadrillions (i.e., "heck of a lot"), the similarities between U.S. v. Atlantic Research and Sophia Loren's performance in the foreign film "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," and details of endocrine disruptors from Betty Jordan, whose vivid and frank speaking style was reminiscent of the late Ann Richards. Jim Marston gave the inside story on EDF's negotiations with the buyers of TXU. Steve Susman spoke of tackling global warming through litigation, while Bill Bumpers predicted the enactment of major climate change legislation before November 2009.

The Superconference is the first, at least to our knowledge, to have its own conference theme song, "There's No Conference Like Our Conference" (to the tune of "There's No Business Like Show Business"). Planning Committee member Debra Baker composed the lyrics and led the audience in a sing-along.

The audience heard the latest in agency developments from TCEQ Chair Kathleen White, Commisioner Buddy Garcia, and EPA Headquarter's Granta Nakayama, Scott Sherman, Jason Burnett and Howard Hoffman, in addition to many other high level representatives from TCEQ and EPA Region 6.

Attendees vied for prizes by matching characters and lines with movies. Many were knocked from the competition when they learned that "Make my day!" is not from Dirty Harry. (The correct answer is "Sudden Impact") Congratulations to the winners: Ed Strenkowski, Heather Corken, Linda Aldrich, Roberta Lewis, Gregg Newman, Susan White, Rochelle Jozwiak, Donna Carvalho, Jason Van Loo, and Brad Patterson.

There were also skits to solve throughout the conference. For those who missed it, the skit answers were: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Casablanca, The Sting, Chariots of Fire, Dancing with Wolves, Silence of the Lambs, and Driving Miss Daisy.

(One of the skits. Can you guess which one? Left to right: James Dean and Leila Lord Johnson, both with Haynes & Boone, and Mike Nasi, Jackson Walker, with his daugher. Thanks for being such good sports!)

Have an idea for next year's theme? Comments on the Superconference? Please e-mail Jeff Civins at Jeff.Civins@haynesboone.com.