Publisher’s note: The following Q&A is the product of a 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 interviews leaders in the Texas legal market.
One of Dallas’ most prominent dealmakers, Holt Foster’s arrival at Willkie in the summer of 2024 helped propel the firm into what The Texas Lawbook dubbed last year “The Magnificent Seven,” a group of out-of-state law firms that experienced extraordinary year-over-year revenue and headcount growth. The momentum carried into 2025, a year in which Foster brought some of the old Thompson & Knight band back together, Willkie hired Ian Ribald (who sits in Dallas) as its chief business development and marketing officer, and the Dallas office moved into new digs at The QUAD in Uptown.
In this Q&A, Foster discusses the challenges of talent attraction and integration in the super competitive Texas legal market, offers a glimpse into what he is seeing in his private equity practice, and shares career advice for young lawyers.
Kate Cassidy: You joined Willkie and helped open the Dallas office in 2024. How was the process of opening a new office for an AmLaw 50 firm?
Holt Foster: Helping launch Willkie’s Dallas office has been an honor and an absolute blast, if not somewhat all-encompassing. The process required me to step into many different roles — managing partner, strategist, recruiter and practitioner — often simultaneously. However, our success has made the extra effort all worthwhile. It’s so exciting to see the strong team we have been able to assemble in one of the most competitive legal markets in the country. We are already at 30 lawyers, which is very impressive considering we were at zero less than two years ago. To be clear, we are just getting started. We expect to continue our successful expansion in 2026. We are really focusing on top talent that will be a good fit for us both professionally and culturally. We will continue to grow in our core areas, including PE, M&A, Real Estate and Energy, while also expanding with complementary practices to our transactional platform in Dallas, including Finance, Fund Formation, Trial, ERISA/Benefits and more.
We are also preparing for our continued expansion in terms of office space. We moved into our new, state-of-the-art office space in The QUAD in Uptown in September 2025. In January 2026, we took possession of our second floor and have commenced the build-out process. Our second floor should be completed by Q4 2026, resulting in space for more than 90 lawyers in total. And what can we say about The QUAD? This brand-new building is amazing and Willkie’s space itself is just beautiful! Our office has been thoughtfully and strategically designed. The space is open and bright, and built intentionally to support and promote collaboration. You should come check it out.
Cassidy: How is Willkie doing nationally and in Texas?
Foster: We are blessed. The firm has been doing very well–nationally, internationally and in Texas. On a global scale, we continue to focus on the growth of our core practice areas with high-quality attorneys to serve our clients’ needs and blend in with our culture.
In terms of Texas, we have offices in both Houston and Dallas. We’ve been in Houston since 2014 and have really established first class-Energy and PE practices, built from the ground up. Our Houston office is led by my partner Archie Fallon and they’ve been doing great. Similar to Dallas, they have had growth in 2025 and are a key part of Willkie’s Texas platform strategy.
In Dallas, objectively, we have been doing tremendously well. As I mentioned before, we’re up to 30 lawyers. I’m incredibly proud of the quality of people who make up the Willkie Dallas office. Our team is steeped in the Dallas market, bringing together market-leading attorneys with many different strengths within the same platform, so that we can best meet our clients’ needs. Many of our partners have strong local and national practices, giving them unique insight into the most current industry terms and trends that our clients find invaluable. We appreciate the different skills and strengths our lawyers bring to Willkie–and their true dedication to their clients.
As I’m sure you are well aware, Texas is an incredibly competitive legal market. We have been very fortunate to welcome some of the best talent in the state and beyond. We’ve added high-profile laterals across numerous practice areas and continue to attract top talent. But we are also growing from within. Willkie recently welcomed our newest partner class to the partnership at the beginning of this year. Of the 30 new partners across the firm, four of them are part of the Texas platform: Erin Kaufman, Joe Laurel, Omar Shariff and Christian Truman.
When it comes to the quality work, we’ve advised on many major deals and cases across our core practices and even had an IPO recently originate out of the Dallas office, which was very exciting. I’m very proud of what we’ve built in Dallas, and I’m enthusiastic for what’s to come.
Cassidy: What’s a trend you see in your energy and private equity practices?
Foster: There’s so much going on right now in energy, it’s hard to pick one thing. Financing and building data centers are major focus areas because the rapid expansion of AI, cloud computing and other digital services is driving unprecedented growth in electricity demand. Willkie has a premier digital infrastructure practice. Unlike many other firms, Willkie has true market-leading capability that touches every aspect of the data center value chain—from real estate to commercial contracts, to energy expertise, to the complicated JV structuring and sophisticated tax planning and everything in between. We really check every box when it comes to this rapidly emerging area. This is one industry where Willkie’s market-leading Private Equity and Energy practices perfectly merge to provide our clients with a strong competitive advantage.
On the PE side, private equity tends to be one of the most active areas—everyone is trying to get a bigger foothold. We expect to see continued activity in 2026, especially in the middle-market space, driven by better financing, strong sponsor confidence, and compelling opportunities to deploy capital. One of the distinguishing things Willkie has compared to our peers is that we are a middle-market private equity platform juggernaut and that is custom made for the Dallas market.
Willkie Dallas is truly a destination practice for both PE and Energy attorneys and clients.
Cassidy: As Managing Partner of the Dallas office, what’s a current topic on your desk?
Foster: Ongoing talent attraction and integration as we continue to grow and expand the Dallas office. Attracting top-tier talent is critical because it directly affects both the firm’s cohesion and its long-term performance. Well-integrated partners are in a better position to collaborate, cross-sell and align with the firm’s culture and strategic goals, which strengthens client relationships and drives growth. Of course, integration is easier when you find the right people that will be a cultural and professional fit to the firm and the office. That is a big part of why Willkie has been so curated and strategic with our hiring decisions. But the integration needs to go beyond just regular on-boarding. It’s a long-term process, directly tied to success, and it is working at Willkie.
Cassidy: What do you enjoy most about the practice of law?
Foster: Having practiced law for 30 years, I have experienced a lot. I can honestly say that this is one of the most exciting times in my career. Not only do I get to see many of my clients having continued growth and great success, but I am also blessed with the opportunity to help build one of Dallas’ premier law firms. With our private equity clients, I get to work with founders, management teams, and sponsors at pivotal moments, working shoulder to shoulder with them as their businesses scale, mature and ultimately succeed. I find real satisfaction in advising some of the smartest business leaders in the city, seeing their long-term strategies come to fruition and knowing you played a role in helping shape that trajectory. How cool is that?!
Additionally, I have the privilege of launching and building out the Dallas office of one of the most elite law firms in the country. Working side-by-side with my Dallas partners, I truly believe we have built the top PE practice in the city, attracting top legal talent and serving clients at the highest level. That is why I chose this profession in the first place—it combines intellectual skills with relationship-building and the chance to help create something enduring. It really doesn’t get any better than that.
Cassidy: Any career advice for young attorneys?
Foster: That’s a great question. My advice to young attorneys is to focus first and foremost on mastering your craft. Technical excellence and sound judgment are the foundation of credibility, and there is nothing more important as a lawyer. Invest the time to truly understand the law and the business context behind it—make it a goal to know your client’s business as well as they do. At the same time, be thoughtful now about setting yourself up for success in the long run. Start thinking early about how you differentiate yourself—whether through a particular industry focus, a reputation for responsiveness, or an ability to translate complex issues into practical advice. Raise your profile in authentic ways by writing, speaking and building relationships internally and externally. It’s not going to happen overnight, but it’s so important to focus on developing the skills that make you a go-to resource for your clients and the senior partners with whom you work. When clients and partners see you as indispensable, you put yourself in the strongest possible position to attract, retain, and grow lasting client relationships. That is critical for success as you work toward climbing the professional ladder—whether you want to become a partner or go in-house.
Cassidy: What’s your favorite travel destination?
Foster: Anywhere I can go scuba diving with my family. My two sons were recently certified, and we had the opportunity to dive in the Galápagos Islands last year. It was an extraordinary experience. We find scuba diving both calming and exhilarating—the combination of the amazing and exotic marine life and dramatic underwater landscapes is pretty spectacular. Being able to share those memorable experiences with my family is truly one of my greatest pleasures.
Cassidy: What are you reading for fun right now?
Foster: Texas Lawbook of course! But really, I do read Texas Lawbook and other legal and industry publications. Unfortunately, with all the reading mandated by my chosen profession, reading for fun has become more aspirational for me. Most of my “reading for fun” these days happens via audiobooks as I’m winding down before bed. I’m always up to listen to a good biography or a true crime story.