Rusty Hardin
Encyclopedia
Russell Hardin, Jr. (born on October 6, 1941, in Durham, North Carolina) is an American attorney
and head of the Houston law firm Rusty Hardin & Associates, P.C. which he established in 1996.
Hardin is a 1965 graduate of Wesleyan University
in Middletown, Connecticut
. He went on to earn his law degree
in 1975 at Southern Methodist University
in Dallas, Texas
.
During the Enron scandal
, Hardin represented the accounting firm of Arthur Andersen
. His efforts resulted in the US Supreme Court unanimously overturning the firm's conviction of obstruction of justice
in 2005.
Hardin has represented and won favorable verdicts for athletes such as Rudy Tomjanovich
, Warren Moon
, Wade Boggs
, Rafer Alston
, Scottie Pippen
, Steve Francis
, and Calvin Murphy. A current client is Roger Clemens
, who has been embroiled in accusations of steroid use.
Hardin successfully represented Victoria Osteen
, wife of TV evangelist and bestselling author Joel Osteen
, in a civil lawsuit filed by a Continental Airlines
flight attendant. The flight attendant claimed that she had been pushed by Osteen, and sought civil damages, but a Houston, TX jury acquitted her in 2008. Hardin also won a favorable verdict for his client the estate of Texas millionaire J. Howard Marshall
. A jury found that the estate owed nothing to Marshall's widow, former Playboy bunny and stripper Anna Nicole Smith
, who married Marshall when he was 89 years old.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and head of the Houston law firm Rusty Hardin & Associates, P.C. which he established in 1996.
Hardin is a 1965 graduate of Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
. He went on to earn his law degree
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1975 at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
.
During the Enron scandal
Enron scandal
The Enron scandal, revealed in October 2001, eventually led to the bankruptcy of the Enron Corporation, an American energy company based in Houston, Texas, and the dissolution of Arthur Andersen, which was one of the five largest audit and accountancy partnerships in the world...
, Hardin represented the accounting firm of Arthur Andersen
Arthur Andersen
Arthur Andersen LLP, based in Chicago, was once one of the "Big Five" accounting firms among PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young and KPMG, providing auditing, tax, and consulting services to large corporations...
. His efforts resulted in the US Supreme Court unanimously overturning the firm's conviction of obstruction of justice
Arthur Andersen LLP v. United States
Arthur Andersen LLP v. United States, 544 U.S. 696 was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court unanimously overturned accounting firm Arthur Andersen's conviction of obstruction of justice on the basis that the jury instructions did not properly portray the law Andersen was charged...
in 2005.
Hardin has represented and won favorable verdicts for athletes such as Rudy Tomjanovich
Rudy Tomjanovich
Rudolph Tomjanovich, Jr. , nicknamed Rudy T., is an American retired basketball player and coach who coached the Houston Rockets to two consecutive NBA championships. He is currently a scout for the Los Angeles Lakers.-Early life:...
, Warren Moon
Warren Moon
Harold Warren Moon is a former American professional gridiron football quarterback who played for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and the National Football League's Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs...
, Wade Boggs
Wade Boggs
Wade Anthony Boggs is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent his 18-year baseball career primarily with the Boston Red Sox, but also played for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays...
, Rafer Alston
Rafer Alston
Rafer Jamel Alston is an American former professional basketball player who last played with Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association. He previously played for six NBA teams...
, Scottie Pippen
Scottie Pippen
Scottie Maurice Pippen is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association . He is most remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, with whom he was instrumental in six NBA Championships and their record 1995–96 season of 72 wins...
, Steve Francis
Steve Francis
Steven D'Shawn Francis is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association. He had also played for the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, and New York Knicks...
, and Calvin Murphy. A current client is Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
, who has been embroiled in accusations of steroid use.
Hardin successfully represented Victoria Osteen
Victoria Osteen
Victoria Iloff Osteen born March 28, 1961 in Huntsville, Alabama is the French American co-pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, Author, the wife of Joel Osteen, and the daughter-in-law of the late John Osteen.- History :...
, wife of TV evangelist and bestselling author Joel Osteen
Joel Osteen
Joel Scott Osteen is an American author, televangelist, and the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. His ministry reaches over seven million broadcast media viewers weekly in over 100 nations around the world.-Biography:...
, in a civil lawsuit filed by a Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
flight attendant. The flight attendant claimed that she had been pushed by Osteen, and sought civil damages, but a Houston, TX jury acquitted her in 2008. Hardin also won a favorable verdict for his client the estate of Texas millionaire J. Howard Marshall
J. Howard Marshall
James Howard Marshall II was an American business magnate, university professor, attorney, and federal government official...
. A jury found that the estate owed nothing to Marshall's widow, former Playboy bunny and stripper Anna Nicole Smith
Anna Nicole Smith
In 1992 Smith was chosen by Hugh Hefner to appear on the cover of the March issue of Playboy, where she was listed as Vickie Smith, wearing a low-cut evening gown. The centerfold was photographed by Stephen Wayda. Smith said she planned to be "the next Marilyn Monroe". Becoming one of Playboys...
, who married Marshall when he was 89 years old.