E. William “Bill” Barnett ’58, a revered alumnus, distinguished legal mind, and steadfast supporter of both Texas Law and the community in his hometown of Houston, passed away on June 15. He was 92.
Barnett’s legal practice focused on commercial and antitrust litigation, areas in which he became nationally recognized. He served as managing partner of Baker Botts from 1984 to 1998 and as senior counsel until his retirement in 2004. His professional affiliations included serving as chair of the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Section and being named a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. His was the recipient of numerous accolades, including the Law Alumni Association’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.
“Bill Barnett was an extraordinary lawyer and an outstanding alumnus in every way,” said Dean Bobby Chesney. “We will miss him dearly.”
Barnett was closely connected to Texas Law. In 1991, he joined the Board of Trustees of the Law School Foundation and was elected Life Trustee in 1994. Even after stepping down from that role in 2016, he continued to serve as a Senior Life Trustee until his death, marking 34 years of service. His contributions helped guide the Foundation’s mission to support legal education, student success, and faculty excellence. Today, his daughter, Ann Stern ’82, serves as a member of the Board.
His impact on the Law School Foundation extended beyond governance. Barnett was a generous benefactor and a mentor to countless alumni and young attorneys.
A Life Devoted to the Law
Born in 1933, Barnett earned his undergraduate degree from Rice University in 1955 before enrolling at the University of Texas School of Law, where he graduated with honors in 1958. During his time at Texas Law, he served as comment editor of the Texas Law Review. After graduation, he joined the Houston law firm Baker Botts, embarking on a legal career that would span nearly five decades.
As managing partner at Baker Botts, he helped shape Houston’s civic and business landscape. Alongside fellow community leaders such as banker Ben Love, he co-founded the Greater Houston Partnership in the late 1980s, aligning the city’s diffuse business interests into a unified force for economic development.
He also served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards, including Enterprise Products, Westlake Chemical, Reliant Energy, and the Houston Zoo, where he was the founding chairman. At Rice University, Barnett’s alma mater, he served as chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1996 to 2005, guiding the university through an era of transformational growth and helping elevate its national profile.
Barnett was instrumental in the founding and growth of the Baker Institute for Public Policy, a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank based at Rice, to honor the work of former Secretary of State James A. Baker III ’58, Barnett’s close friend and law school classmate. Barnett served on the Baker Institute’s Board of Advisors from its inception in 1993 until his passing.
“Few played a bigger role shaping Houston during the past half century than Bill Barnett,” said Baker, in a statement shared through the Baker Institute, adding, “Bill was my close, personal friend since our law school days and he was responsible for making me a partner in the law firm of my great-grandfather, grandfather, father and son.”
Barnett was preceded in death by just six weeks by wife Peggy, his college sweetheart. Married the day after their graduation, the couple raised two children, Ann and her brother and Ned, both of whom followed their father into the legal profession and survive him, along with their families.