© 2015 The Texas Lawbook.
By Patricia Baldwin
(Nov. 24) – Even the super heroes du jour heeded the advice: Don’t look down. That’s concrete below.
Danger, dizziness and acrophobia aside, 20 lawyers and staff in the Houston and Dallas offices of Norton Rose Fulbright recently rappelled “Over the Edge” of local buildings, raising more than $36,000 to benefit Special Olympics Texas.
They were among more than 200 participants in the two cities, with total funds raised exceeding $225,000. Since the event’s inception in 2012, more than 7,325 different individual and corporate contributions in Texas have tallied more than $937,000.
Richard Brown, SOTX vice president of resource development, said, “Norton Rose Fulbright has really stepped up to the Over the Edge challenge with not only providing sponsorship support, but also providing rappeller support.
“Without their support, our events would have been much different and much less successful. Norton Rose Fulbright has enabled us to positively change the lives of the intellectually disabled athletes we serve.”
“Mr. Incredible” costume.
RIGHT – Houston Partner Mark Miller.
Fortunately, he noted, the costume did not have a cape to be caught in the swirling wind—a fact, he said, that became a running “sidebar joke” among his colleagues and friends.
“I thought it was a fun way to do something different for a good cause,” said the 51-year-old, who added that most of the participants seemed half his age.
Houston partner Mark Miller, 51, is an experienced mountain climber, with a goal of climbing the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. So far, he has summited two—Mount Kilamanjaro in Africa and Mount Elbrus in Europe.
Still, he said, the 20-story Embassy Suites building in downtown Houston provided an “adrenalin hit” on Nov. 14, and he noted it is easier going up than coming down.
A longtime spectator of Special Olympics, Miller “absolutely” was a willing volunteer for the event, but also acknowledged, “I do all kinds of crazy athletic things.”
“I just like competition,” he said.
And while his sports résumé includes long distance cycling and hiking, one of the 62-year-old’s sons commented, “Dad, you’ve got to stop doing these things.”
On the day he rappelled, Pecht arrived at George Bush Intercontinental Airport at 5:30 a.m. after a business trip to Brazil. A witness confirmed he not only was in good spirits, but “well caffeinated.”
But perhaps it was 57-year-old Jim Repass, global head of Intellectual Property in Houston, who really went above and beyond.
Repass is scared of heights.
Yes, most who know that fact about him, including his wife, asked the obvious question: “Are you crazy?”
Repass laughed and further admitted that the colleague who convinced him to do his part for charity did not himself participate.
But three members of the IP section signed up. And, after all, he said, it not only was for a good cause, but it was sort of a “bucket list thing.”
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