Simmons’ firm advises financial service companies—and he has some experience to draw upon. President Bush was on the board of a Midland, Texas bank that Simmons headed in the ‘50s. Later, Simmons ran the United Bank of Arizona for 25 years. Simmons sold United Bank for $334 million in ‘87 to London-based Standard Charter. Shortly thereafter, several of United’s biggest borrowers defaulted, causing huge losses. Standard then sued United’s accounting firm, Price Waterhouse, for signing off on financial books that hid so many bad loans. Standard won a $341 million from a jury, but state judges overturned that verdict. Simmons headed the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the business booster group that incubated the career of Pioneer Joyce Haver.