Schiffer Odom Makes First Partner Promotions

© 2013 The Texas Lawbook.

By Brooks Igo
Staff Writer for The Texas Lawbook

(April 17) – Schiffer Odom Hicks & Johnson celebrated the promotions of Scott Upchurch and John Sheppard to the partnership April 1, which made it a big day for both the firm and the newly promoted lawyers. The Houston litigation boutique opened its doors six years ago and this marked the firm’s first batch of partner promotions.

Adam Schiffer, one of the firm’s founding partners, said Sheppard and Upchurch are exactly the kind of lawyers the firm is trying to cultivate.

“We bill ourselves as lawyers who know how to try lawsuits,” Schiffer said. “These two are first-rate trial lawyers.”

Upchurch joined the firm in 2009, reuniting with several of his former colleagues at Vinson & Elkins, where he began his law practice in 2000 after graduating from The University of Chicago Law School. After four years at V&E, he took a year off and ran with the bulls in Spain. After returning, he opened his own small firm before joining AZA (Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos), his last stop before Schiffer Odom.

Asked what was scarier, being promoted to partner or running with the bulls, he said the answer is easy.

“Running with the bulls is one of the scariest things you’ll do in your life,” he said.

Sheppard, a 2005 graduate of The University of Texas School of Law, joined Schiffer Odom in 2011 after starting his career at Fulbright & Jaworski. Schiffer called Sheppard the “pick of the litter” of Fulbright’s associate class.

Schiffer highlighted the quality work both lawyers have achieved for the firm:

Two summers ago, Upchurch and Schiffer served together as co-counsel on a $30 million construction contract case.

Sheppard recently argued and obtained a dismissal of a $180 million breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit, a case Schiffer said showed his mettle, brought against directors of an oil and gas exploration company. He argued the case on appeal, where the court affirmed the dismissal.

Despite the excitement of promoting its first partners, the firm doesn’t have any plans to grow to a certain size, according to Schiffer.

“We want to grow organically,” he said. “It’s more important for us to be more responsive with leaner teams where partners take an active role. We find this makes the overall bill for our clients a lot less.”

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