Pauline Higgins

An accomplished corporate lawyer specializing in structured finance and asset securitizations, Pauline Higgins received her Juris Doctor from Tulane University Law School. Subsequently, she enrolled at the University of Houston Law Center, earning her Masters of Law after becoming an Associate Attorney at the law firm of Bracewell & Patterson LLP. Higgins left Bracewell to accept a transactional and tax litigation position in the legal department of Exxon Mobil Corporation, representing the company in federal and state tax matters in 25 states. After five years with Exxon, Pauline Higgins joined JPMorgan Chase & Co., where she held a number of executive positions during her 10-year tenure, including Vice President, Associate General Counsel, and Assistant Corporate Secretary for the State of Texas. Higgins also functioned as Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Texas Commerce Bank, N.A. and Chase Bank of Texas, N.A. In 2006, Pauline Higgins became a Partner at the law firm of Thompson & Knight LLP, where she served as Chief Diversity Officer as well as a member of the Audit Letter Committee and the Houston’s office’s Executive Committee. Pauline Higgins subsequently accepted a position as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), overseeing the operations of four business units (legal, real estate, small business, and procurement), Board of Directors meetings, and a staff of 155. Recognizing that involvement in the legal community is paramount in developing business relationships and staying abreast of changes in the law, Pauline Higgins is a member of the American Bar Association (ABA), State Bar of Texas, and Houston Bar Association, and Representative and Co-Chair of the Women’s Leadership Forum. In 2008, Higgins served as President of the Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals. A longtime resident of Houston, Higgins is a current fellow and member of the American Law Institute. She actively participates in several management consulting group committees addressing legal areas such as restatement of trust, restatement of employment law, ethics in government, and unjust enrichment.