Publisher’s note: The following Q&A is the second in a new thought leadership series with Dallas legal recruiter Kate Cassidy of Lotus Legal Search. Cassidy started her career in Big Law with Weil Gotshal and Baker Botts before moving in-house to work for the Dallas Stars and later the Texas Rangers, where she was acting general counsel. In “The Corner Office” series, Cassidy will interview leaders in the Texas legal market.
Luke Weedon is a career Baker Botts lawyer who has been leading the Dallas office for coming up on two years. His relationship with the firm began with an internship while he was at Texas A&M. He also has chaired the firm’s finance section since 2017. In this Q&A, Weedon discusses his tenure at Baker Botts, encouraging trends he is seeing in the legal profession, and the law firm management issue most relevant to him.
Kate Cassidy: How is Baker Botts doing in Dallas and nationally?
Luke Weedon: We’re doing really well, leveraging our historical strength in TX to lean into our core focus areas of energy, technology, intellectual property, targeted disputes, and private capital. We’re continuing to represent energy companies with their traditional E&P activities while also transitioning to renewables, carbon capture, battery storage and other clean tech. We’re growing in these areas, making strategic hires such as our recent announcement of hiring Mona Dajani, a superstar lawyer in NY.
Cassidy: What is a trend you see (either in firm management or in your finance practice)?
Weedon: The legal profession is starting to better reflect society and our clients. Within firm management we have a new generation of up-and-coming diverse leaders who are focused on growth. A majority of our departments are now led by women. Within my practice area (debt finance) we’re seeing a shift away from traditional sources of capital (banks) to private credit. Some of these private credit sources have been around for decades, but there are many new entrants as private equity firms have developed private credit funds. These funds do not have the same regulatory constraints as banks.
Cassidy: You’ve been with Baker Botts your whole career (since receiving your JD from SMU in 2001). What has led you to stay, especially in a market where there are so many lateral moves?
Weedon: I actually started in the Houston office of Baker Botts with an internship while I was still an undergrad at Texas A&M. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do (nor did I even know a lawyer), but working as a paralegal clerk gave me the opportunity to see firsthand what lawyers do on a day-to-day basis. After the internship I decided to apply to law school, and I leaned on Baker Botts lawyers and staff for law school recommendations and advice. As you know, the legal profession has changed a lot during my career, and of course there are many opportunities to make lateral moves. When you thoroughly enjoy the work you do, the folks you do it with, and the clients that you have the privilege of working for, there is no reason to change any of that for potentially more money.
Cassidy: What has led to your career success?
Weedon: The training and opportunities I received from my mentors at Baker Botts, plus a desire to learn. If you just want a paycheck I think this job could get old pretty quick – it can be all-consuming, but it can also be quite fulfilling to help clients achieve their strategic goals.
Cassidy: What are your thoughts on the debate on attorneys working remotely vs. in office?
Weedon: If the debate is whether attorneys can effectively work remotely, that’s settled: We can do it, and arguably I can bill more hours at home than in the office. But that’s not all we do. This is a profession that is dependent on training and building relationships, both with clients and colleagues (many of whom later become clients or referral sources). And from my perspective the most effective training and relationship building is done in person.
Cassidy: As the Dallas office managing partner, what is the law firm management issues most relevant to you right now?
Weedon: Engagement. In some ways it’s too easy for folks to get their job done remotely, but training can suffer and that doesn’t build relationships or the next generation of leaders.
Cassidy: What do you enjoy most about the practice of law?
Weedon: I’m always learning, and every day brings a new challenge. I can’t necessarily tell you exactly what I’ll be doing next month, but I’ve never had a slow day in 20+ years of practice.
Cassidy: Any career advice for young attorneys?
Weedon: Find something you love to do, and work with folks that you actually like to spend time with — that includes clients, some of which I’ve worked with since I was a paralegal 25+ years ago.
Cassidy: What’s your favorite travel destination?
Weedon: Colorado. My wife (also a lawyer) and I have two young boys and two dogs, and we love to escape the Dallas heat to hike, bike and fish in Colorado. It’s actually where I learned (pre-Covid) that you can effectively work remotely given the technology we have today. We also try to go skiing once a year, and that tends to be in Colorado as well. The problem with skiing is that my boys (9 and 11) have now surpassed my skill level.
Cassidy: What are you reading for fun right now?
Weedon: Based on a recommendation from my Pilates instructor, Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker (apparently I don’t get nearly enough sleep). For the last several years I’ve also been reading the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan — I think I’m on volume 12 of that series. I’m proud of the fact that my oldest son now reads my weekly Economist magazine while eating breakfast — the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.