Two Firms Race to the Top of the Texas Legal Market

One is a storied Houston-based firm with deep connections in the Oil Patch that has been a powerhouse in law, policy, energy and politics for more than a century. The other is a Chicago-founded firm that came to Texas just eight years ago with deep pockets, high profits and an aggressive strategic growth plan.

Lawyers for the two corporate law giants often sit across the table on some of the biggest mergers and acquisitions involving energy companies and private equity firms. Kirkland lawyers in Texas ranked No. 1 in the Texas Lawbook’s Corporate Deal Tracker 2021 M&A rankings, working on 144 M&A transactions valued at $61.3 billion. V&E ranked third, handling 113 deals with a combined value of $97 billion.