Kirkland & Ellis, the world’s most profitable law firm, is expanding its footprint in Texas again.
Since it opened its first office in Houston seven years ago, Kirkland has been the fastest growing corporate legal operation in Texas. Now, the Chicago-founded law firm is tripling down on its bet on the Lone Star State.
Kirkland, which has about 200 lawyers in Houston and 70 lawyers in Dallas, plans to launch an office in Austin before the end of May, The Texas Lawbook has learned.
In the next three months, Kirkland is expected to relocate a handful of lawyers from the firm’s California and Houston offices to the Texas capitol. In addition, the firm will simultaneously announce the hiring of multiple lateral partners and associates from corporate firms currently operating in Austin.
According to lawyers familiar with Kirkland’s strategic goals in Texas, the firm plans for its Austin office to focus heavily on renewable and alternative energy and technology.
Kirkland leaders in Texas contacted this past weekend declined to comment on the firm’s expansion plans.
When its Austin outpost opens, Kirkland will have more offices in Texas than in any other state. Nearly 10% of Kirkland’s $4.1 billion in revenue in 2019 was generated by lawyers who office in Dallas and Houston, according to the 2019 The Texas Lawbook 50.
By opening an office in Austin, Kirkland leaders also believe they will have better access to recruiting top tier talent from the University of Texas School of Law. Kirkland opened its first Texas office in 2014 in Houston. It opened a Dallas office in 2018.
“Law firms follow the money, and more and more technology and other companies are relocating to Austin and Texas because of the regulatory scheme and no state income taxes.” Kent Zimmermann, a legal industry analyst with the Zeughauser Group, told The Texas Lawbook in an interview Sunday. “Several national law firms are looking to make Texas a priority.”
“Kirkland has the resources and scale to invest where they want to and they don’t have a history of doing halfway,” Zimmermann said.