Howard B. Keck, Junior did not initiate litigation involving the Keck family’s inter vivos trusts. The court records indicate that the litigation was initiated by his father, Howard B. Keck Senior.

A 1989 article in the Los Angeles Times is erroneous. That article states, “It all began when Howard and Libby Keck’s oldest child, Howard B Keck, Junior, or ‘Little Howard,’ filed a ‘friendly’ lawsuit in 1983 to clarify inheritance issues.”

This is demonstrably wrong. Court records indicate that the litigation began when Howard B. Keck, Senior tried to remove First City National Bank of Houston as trustee, in an attempt to invade several Keck family inter vivos trusts. The erroneous Times article appeared around the time of contentious divorce proceedings between Howard B. Keck, Sr., and Elizabeth A. Keck.

The court documents indicate that First City National Bank filed a complaint in response to Howard B. Keck Senior’s action. That complaint was filed in the District court of Harris County, Texas, on September 30, 1983.
Howard B. Keck, Junior was originally named as a defendant in the suit, along with his sisters Kerry C. Vaughan and Erin A. Keck. Howard B. Keck, Junior was therefore legally obligated to file an answer in the litigation prompted by his father. Records show that the same counsel represented both Howard B. Keck Junior and his sister Kerry. Erin A. Keck sought different representation because she was married to her father’s long-time attorney, James P. Lower. Erin and Jim Lower filed for divorce in April 1987.

On December 16, 1986, the Harris County District Court in Texas issued an order recognizing that Howard B. Keck, Senior, attempted to remove the trustee from five different Keck family inter vivous trusts, even though his power to remove the trustee was at issue and even though he had already admitted he did not have such power. The court also recognized that Howard B. Keck Senior and Erin Lower (Keck) attempted to destroy the Court’s jurisdiction by filing a suit concerning the Keck Family Trust in another jurisdiction.

The court further recognized that the trustee, First City National Bank, would continue to administer the Keck Family inter vivos trusts until all legal issues were resolved. It ordered Howard B. Keck Senior to halt any further attempts to remove or replace the trustee bank, or otherwise interfere with the administration of the trust, pending the conclusion of the case or further order of the Court.