Woodruff, Judson S.

English

University of Oklahoma College of Law

Oklahoma Law Review Volume 34 Number 1 1-1-1981 Eugene Kuntz and Private Practice Judson S. Woodruff Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.ou.edu/olr  Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Judson S. Woodruff, Eugene Kuntz and Private Practice, 34 OKLA. L. REV. 22 (1981), https://digitalcommons.law.ou.edu/olr/vol34/iss1/7 This Comment is brought to you for free and open access by University of Oklahoma College of Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Oklahoma Law Review by an authorized editor of University of Oklahoma College of Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact darinfox@ou.edu. EUGENE KUNTZ AND PRIVATE PRACTICEJUDSON S. WOODRUFF*When I first entered private practice in 1963, my initialOklahoma City interview was conducted by Gene Kuntz, a senior part-ner in what was then McAfee, Taft, Cates, Kuntz & Mark, which Ilater joined. The interview had been arranged some weeks earlier whenmy letter to the law school from out of state was answered by Pro-fessor Gene Kuntz. It was a little like an old Alec Guinness movie,with Guinness playing all the parts.After I joined the law firm, I learned that Gene had for someyears neatly divided his week, spending Monday through Wednesdayin the law office handling with evident zest and uncommon skillenough work to fill an ordinary lawyer's total week, and on Thursday,Friday, and Saturday conducting a full class load at Norman. At thesame time, I also learned, Gene was hard at work on his multi-volumetreatise on oil and gas law; was serving as one of the two Oklahomaeditors for the Oil and Gas Reporter; was an elder in his church; andplayed zither (so help me) in the OU Faculty Orchestra. That anyonecould operate at any level of competence in so many demanding anddiverse areas all at once would be impressive enough. For two reasons,I will always remember Gene's performance during this period, whichended when he was named Dean of the Law School in 1965, as daz-zling.In the first place, everything Gene did in the law office was doneat a consistently high level of excellence, in every way comparable tothe standards that he set in the law school, to which others will addressthemselves in this issue. Gene's academic background was a strongasset in his practice in those years. His broad and current knowledgeof the law and his awesome power of recall were reflected in everyaspect of his counselling and draftsmanship. Despite his renown in theoil and gas field, moreover, Gene's expertise extended to other areas,including taxation and estate planning. Equally important were hispractical bent and his inventiveness. Although fully appreciating thelimitations imposed by the relevant statutes and decisions, Gene wasprimarily concerned with his client's goals; he loved nothing more thanfinding a way-and it was often a brilliant new way-to "wire aroundthe problem." Added to these formidable strengths were Gene's in-* Attorney, McAfee & Taft, Oklahoma City.-Ed.Published by University of Oklahoma College of Law Digital Commons, 1981KUNTZ: PRIVATE PRACTICEvaluable personality assets: his empathy and patience with clients, andhis persuasiveness in the administrative and judicial cockpits where hispractice often took him, to his personal delight. In the litigation arena,Gene was universally respected by both bench and bar (including hislaw partners) for his vigorous and effective advocacy. Gene was, inshort, a Compleat Lawyer.In the second place, and most impressive to me, although Geneoperated under what must surely have been severe pressures caused byhis compartmented life (I shudder to think of the problems involved inmerely having to arrange with opposing counsel and courts to scheduleall litigation conferedces, hearings, and trials during the first threedays of the week, just to mention one aspect of Gene's double life),Gene never appeared to be anything but calm and cheerful. His doorwas always open to even the youngest lawyer in the firm; he neverseemed hurried; he never, not even once, lost his sense of humor.Whatever fires may have raged within, to all the world Gene remainedoutwardly and incredibly serene.After Gene left the Dean's office in 1970, he rejoined our firm ascounsel, and has been with us on every Monday since. The inevitablerestrictions imposed by a one-day-a-week appearance have alteredGene's role but not lessened its value. Although we have been surprisedat the significant number of client counselling and drafting jobs thatcan be accomplished within a single day each week, at least by GeneKuntz, by far his most significant contribution has been his serving asthe firm's guru (I wish we could list him that way on our letterhead).Like a file of ants, firm lawyers stream in and out of Gene's officeevery Monday seeking his knowledge and ideas on matters as disparateas the tax complications encountered in a large-scale acquisition, orthe interpretation of an oil and gas lease provision, or the best way to"wire around" the Rule Against Perpetuities in a will, or a minor lawfirm administrative matter. Whoever the supplicant, and however in-volved or trivial his problem, Gene's reaction has remained constant:invariably friendly and invariably helpful.Gene retires as a law teacher at the end of this school year. Otherswho write for this issue might understandably adopt a somber "end ofan era" tone, perhaps even tinged with sadness. Not I. The lawyers inwhat is now known as McAfee & Taft are dancing in the corridorsbecause upon his law school retirement, Gene begins a four-day-a-week law practice with us-easily the equivalent of any two ordinary(and good) lawyers, full time. I'll warn him, though; the line is already,forming outside his office.1981]https://digitalcommons.law.ou.edu/olr/vol34/iss1/7

Eugene Kuntz and Private Practice

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Eugene Kuntz and Private Practice

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