Well-known attorney, quarterback's mother dies in Colorado

Austin American Statesman ^ | 8-9-09 | Kevin Robbins and Joshunda Sanders

[Snickering Hound]

Mina Brees, a prominent Austin attorney and former president of the Austin Bar Association who was recently subpoenaed by the Texas attorney general's office, died Friday in Colorado, a family member said. She was 59.

Marty Akins, Brees' brother who is also a lawyer and former University of Texas quarterback, said he was told Friday morning that Brees died in Colorado, where she was visiting her son Reid. Akins said he did not know the cause of her death.

"It's my understanding that she was at her girlfriend's house," Akins said. "That's all I know. I just know that she passed away, and I loved her very much."

Brees, the mother of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, a former Westlake High School standout, had her business records subpoenaed Tuesday after she sent letters informing a number of prominent Austin and Houston restaurants that they had lost the legal right to use their business names but could get them back for up to $25,000 each.

The mailings, bearing the letterhead of Brees' law office and dated July 20, said Brees represented a company, Chicksports Inc., that had assumed ownership of the restaurant names because the current owners neglected to reserve them or failed to renew them under Texas business codes.

The letters did not mention that Brees was the president of Chicksports or that the corporation shared her law office's address and phone number.

The Texas Restaurant Association, however, alerted its members to Brees' activity, saying there was no reason for restaurants to pay Chicksports for continuing to use their names.

Brees received the Austin Bar Association's 2005 professionalism award for legal ethics and professionalism. In 2006, she came within 22,168 votes of being elected to the state 3rd Court of Appeals in 2006, losing to Republican incumbent David Puryear by 4.5 percentage points. Brees ran as a Democrat.

Brees' campaign was hurt when Drew Brees asked his mother to stop using his likeness in campaign ads. He said his relationship with his mother had soured and was nonexistent.

Drew Brees, who could not be reached for comment, left training camp with the New Orleans Saints on Saturday and did not participate in the team's annual Black and Gold scrimmage.

Coach Sean Payton said he was unsure when he would return to practice.

News of Brees' death was met with shock and sadness within Austin's legal and political communities Saturday. "She was one of those lawyers everyone in the local bar (association) knew about because she was someone who gave so much to the community," said former Austin City Councilmember Brewster McCracken. "She organized other lawyers in volunteer efforts and played a big role in getting people to volunteer."

Martha Dickie, a past president of the Texas Bar Association, said Brees was a popular figure in Austin's legal community. "She was viewed as a high-energy advocate," she said. "She was an interesting person."

On Tuesday, the attorney general's office issued a subpoena indicating that Brees was being investigated for possible violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act.

Travis County records show Chicksports reserved the name of 34 restaurants in January, including Threadgill's, Fonda San Miguel, Stubb's barbecue, Chez Nous, Hyde Park Bar & Grill, Eastside Cafe, Shady Grove and Matt's El Rancho.

Such "assumed name" filings cost about $14 each and are valid for 10 years.

It was not known whether all 34 establishments received a letter from Brees, a lawyer for nearly 30 years.

But records show that Chicksports abandoned its claim on all 34 restaurant names July 28 — the same day the Houston Chronicle reported that scores of similar letters had been sent to Harris County restaurants, generating a spate of negative publicity.

Two days later, Brees dissolved Chicksports' incorporation in a filing to the Texas secretary of state.

[trumandogz]

The woman was a nutcase, my guess is that she checked out on her own accord.

[nascarnation]

Interesting.

Drew Brees is a legend here in Indiana from his Purdue exploits.

Did not know his mom was a whack job.

[OldDeckHand]

Color me shocked - you have to continue reading until you reach the 8th paragraph to find the word “Democrat”.

[Lancey Howard]

...after she sent letters informing a number of prominent Austin and Houston restaurants that they had lost the legal right to use their business names but could get them back for up to $25,000 each.

The mailings, bearing the letterhead of Brees' law office and dated July 20, said Brees represented a company, Chicksports Inc., that had assumed ownership of the restaurant names because the current owners neglected to reserve them or failed to renew them under Texas business codes.

The letters did not mention that Brees was the president of Chicksports or that the corporation shared her law office's address and phone number.

Apparently she was a crook... just a lawyer doing what lawyers do.
My guess is suicide.

[kcvl]

11/08/06 - Mina Brees, an Austin attorney, lost her election bid, and it s speculated that her flap with son Drew Brees was a contributing factor.

New Orleans Saints' quarterback Drew Brees has asked his mother to stop using his picture in TV commercials touting her candidacy for a Texas appeals court.

In commercials running on Austin stations, Mina Brees had been using a picture of her son in the uniform of his former team, the San Diego Chargers, to emphasize her ties to football.

"I think the major point here is that my mother is using me in a campaign, and I've made it known many times I don't want to be involved," Drew Brees said Monday.

[Jo Nuvark]

[... (Democrat) Brees, had her business records
subpoenaed Tuesday after she sent letters informing
a number of prominent Austin and Houston restaurants
that they had lost the legal right to use their business
names but could get them back for up to $25,000 each....]

Having no heart, it’s certain she didn’t die of heart failure.

[kcvl]

He called his relationship with his mother “nonexistent” after it crumbled six years ago when he refused to hire her as his agent.

Mina Brees said her son’s allegations were a mischaracterization and that she had no intention of becoming his agent.

[Ditter]

Sounds like a sleazy democrat lawyer but that’s redundant.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[Paleo Conservative]

The woman was a nutcase, my guess is that she checked out on her own accord.

Three years ago her son told her to stop using his name in her political advertizing for a run at an appellate judgeship.

Drew says he called his mother and asked her to stop running the ads, and when she did not return his calls or stop using his image, his agent sent her a letter threatening legal action. According to Drew, the commercials were sending a message of, " 'If you don't know much about the election, vote for me because I know Drew' . . . and that is a shame because the political process should be decided on your credentials." But according to Mina, "everything in the ad was true" and she did not anticipate it upsetting her son. She said the connection to football is relevant to her campaign because through sports, her father, Ray Akins, taught her a strong work ethic that she would bring to a career as a judge. Mina says a version of the spot that omits references of Drew was taped last week and sent to TV stations last Friday.

http://sports-law.blogspot.com/2006/11/drew-brees-wants-no-part-in-his.html

Her father Ray Akins used to be the head football coach of Gregory-Portland high school near Corpus Christi and created quite a football dynasty there.

[MarkBsnr]

***Mina Brees, a prominent Austin attorney and former president of the Austin Bar Association who was recently subpoenaed by the Texas attorney general’s office, died Friday in Colorado, a family member said. She was 59.

Marty Akins, Brees’ brother who is also a lawyer and former University of Texas quarterback, said he was told Friday morning that Brees died in Colorado, where she was visiting her son Reid. Akins said he did not know the cause of her death.

“It’s my understanding that she was at her girlfriend’s house,” Akins said.***

Ruh, roh. I also like the surname differences in the sons. Sounds like Ms. Brees had had quite an active life.

[Paleo Conservative]

Ruh, roh. I also like the surname differences in the sons. Sounds like Ms. Brees had had quite an active life.

Where did you see Reid's last name in the article?

[leilani]

That's my guess too.

She'd have to be pretty nuts if she thought her professional and personal reputation could survive her attempt to go after the particular restauraunts she targeted with her nufty little extortion. She might have gotten away with targeting a taqueria here & there, but the ones she tried to scam are veritable instututions in Austin. How many other lawyers do you s'pose lunch at El Rancho or Threadgill's or Stubb's everyday? I'd venture quite a few & not many of those places' customers were going to let her get away with putting the squeeze on Austin landmarks. Surely she knew her cred in the community was now kaput, and she'd obviously already lost it with her son.

Very sad.

[Cyman]

“Did not know his mom was a whack job.”

As a lady, I don’t know anything about her. As to her being a lawyer, is anyone surprised that she tried to extort money from unsuspecting persons? Is it a wonder that attorneys are rated by the public as one of the least trusted and least respected of all the professions?

[MamaTexan]

"She organized other lawyers in volunteer efforts and played a big role in getting people to volunteer."

Democrat..... community..... organizing.....lawyer.

[The remainder of this post has been censored to prevent me from being banned]

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

A “TRU LUV” match gone sour?

[leilani]

There was an ironic development concerning the scam she tried to pull on domainnamewire a couple of days ago:

_____________________________________________________

“Assumed Name Squatter” Gets Squatted Herself
Friday, August 7th, 2009
Texas lawyer threatens others but forgets to register her own domain name.

Yesterday we wrote about Mina Brees, a Texas lawyer who registered assumed names of Texas restaurants that had let their D.B.A.s lapse. She then sent letters (acting as a lawyer on behalf of a client) to the restaurants offering to sell them back their assumed names for $20,000. The letters apparently didn’t mention that Brees is the president of the company making the offer. (Mina Brees is the estranged mother of New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees.)

Well, there’s a bit of irony in the story. While Brees concocted her plan to swipe these “expired” assumed names and sell them to their owners, similar to how a cybersquatter might snap up a trademark domain name, she neglected to register her own domain name MinaBrees.com.

Yesterday Austin resident Don Cruse registered the domain name and posted information about Brees’ tactic. At the bottom of the page a notice reads:

This website is not owned by or affiliated with Mina Brees. The irony is not lost on us.

Touche.
________________________________

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Brees received the Austin Bar Association's 2005 professionalism award for legal ethics and professionalism. In 2006, she came within 22,168 votes of being elected to the state 3rd Court of Appeals in 2006, losing to Republican incumbent David Puryear by 4.5 percentage points. Brees ran as a Democrat.

Considering her latest exploits, had she lived she would probably have been able to retire the award for "legal ethics and professionalism" from the American Bar Association. At least she'll be able to remain active Democratic politics. The Democratic Party supports full civil rights for Necro-Americans.

Of course, before I accept the news of her death, I'd want a DNA test on the corpse and a pin stuck in her folded hands.

[trumandogz]

Yeah, you are right, she did target not only big name restaurants but also those who are Austin institutions and whose owners are active and well liked.