The Texas Lawbook

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Mark Curriden & Christi Trammell

Five Firms Lead Pack on H1 Lateral Hiring

Despite seven business-focused law firms in Texas boosting their ranks significantly through new hires, new data shows that lateral partner movement slowed during the first six months of 2025 — though the decline looks steeper than it really was because the first half of 2024 was a record-setting year for partner moves. The Texas offices of three law firms — Dykema, Greenberg Traurig and Jackson Walker — led the pack by each hiring nine partners from competitors during H1 2025.

Mark Curriden & Christi Trammell

Texas Legal Market Free Agency Continues with $5M to $13M Annual Comp Offers

The number of Texas law partners who moved their practice to a new firm during 2024 hit record highs and the trend seems to be continuing in 2025. And for a growing percentage of the lateral moves, this was their second or third jump in recent years. Texas Lawbook data shows that 20 percent more partners at business and litigation practices in Texas jumped to a competitor last year. Three law firms added 10 or more lateral partners in 2024. Twenty-two firms hired five or more lateral partners. Three law firms lost 10 or more partners to competitors in 2024. The Lawbook examines the data and the individual specific lateral moves for trends.

Mark Curriden & Christi Trammell

CDT Exclusive Data: 2024 Top M&A Dealmakers in Texas

There are some new leaders atop the 2024 M&A scoreboard. Most of the regulars are there, as well as some fresh faces, according to The Texas Lawbook’s exclusive Corporate Deal Tracker. The CDT has two separate rankings for Texas-led transactions — deal count and deal value. Lawyers on both lists had an extraordinary 2024.

Mark Curriden & Christi Trammell

Exclusive CDT Data — Kirkland, Gibson, V&E, Haynes Boone and Latham Top 2024 Texas-Led M&A Rankings

Mergers and acquisitions practices at nearly all law firms operating in Texas thrived in 2024. Eight law firms in Texas saw their M&A lawyers lead buyers, sellers and targets in 50 percent more M&A deals last year than they did in 2023, according to exclusive new data from The Texas Lawbook’s Corporate Deal Tracker. Nine other law firms witnessed a 10 percent or more increase in leading the principals in M&A activity in 2024, CDT data shows. But no law firm’s Texas deal lawyers were busier in 2024 than those at Kirkland & Ellis.

Mark Curriden & Christi Trammell

Update: Texas Lateral Partner Hiring Boomed in H1 2024

The lateral partner market in Texas hit a fevered pitch during the first six months of 2024 — especially in Houston and among litigation practices, according to exclusive Texas Lawbook data. Some big-name lawyers changed locations during H1 2024. Dozens of the lateral partner moves are the result of a few law firms opening new offices in Texas. Four law firms took their first plunge into the Texas legal market by hiring lateral partners. Lawbook database manager Christi Trammell and reporter Mark Curriden provide the inside numbers and Lotus Legal Search Founder Kate Cassidy offers the analysis.

Mark Curriden & Christi Trammell

Texas Lawbook 50 Report: Lateral Partner Moves Cooled in 2023 

Some big names in Texas corporate law changed addresses in 2023. Sean Gorman, Mary-Olga Lovett, Rakhee Patel, David Sweeney, Greg Nelson and Paul Genender, to name a few. In all, 229 partners jumped to new firms — down 13 percent from 2022. Even so, Lotus Legal Search founder Kate Cassidy said the "Texas lateral market is strong compared to other markets.” The Texas Lawbook breaks down Texas lateral partner moves by law firm, practice area, metro and gender.

Mark Curriden & Christi Trammell

One Guess on Which Firm Led the Most Billion-Dollar M&A Deals in Texas in 2023

Texas lawyers for 29 law firms worked on 130 M&A deals in 2023 that had deal values of $1 billion or more. Twenty-two of those firms were the lead legal advisors for the buyers, sellers or targets, according to new data from The Texas Lawbook's exclusive Corporate Deal Tracker. A handful of Texas lawyers — Sean Wheeler, Debbie Yee, Ryan Maierson and Steve Gill — led or co-led more billion-dollar-plus transactions than any other lawyers. In fact, the four deal lawyers — all partners in Houston —led more transactions than 25 of the 29 firms on the list. But it was Dallas lawyer Jeff Chapman who landed the biggest deal of 2023. The Lawbook has the details.

Mark Curriden & Christi Trammell

Law Firms Promote Twice as Many Men as Women in 2023-24 Partnership Class

The new partnership class of 2023-24 in Texas is big on litigation and trial lawyers, leans heavily toward Houston offices and is overwhelmingly male-dominated. Business law firms have voted 143 Texas lawyers into their partnerships during this partner promotion season — down slightly from the 146 the same firms boosted into their elite ranks a year ago, according to data collected by The Texas Lawbook. Fifty-two law firms have announced their new partnership classes during this cycle. Half of the 52 firms promoted more attorneys than they did last year, while 17 firms named fewer new partners and nine named exactly the same number as a year ago. The Lawbook has the details.

Mark Curriden & Christi Trammell

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