Corporate law firms headquartered in Texas saw revenues increase in 2018 despite the fact that there are fewer such law firms and employed a shrinking number of lawyers. Texas Lawbook data shows there are now only 17 Texas-based firms ranked in the 50 largest revenue-generating firms in Texas – down from 43 in 2010. Research also shows that Texas firms – with a few exceptions – are struggling to grow their operations on the East and West coasts.
Kirkland, V&E, Latham Lead in Q1 M&A
New data from Mergermarket shows that Kirkland & Ellis, Vinson & Elkins and Latham & Watkins represented the most Texas businesses involved in mergers and acquisitions during the first quarter of 2019. Inside are the top 20 firms by deal count for January through March 2019.
Fluor Promotes CLO Carlos Hernandez to Interim CEO
Fluor Corp’s long-time chief legal officer Carlos Hernandez is now the company’s interim CEO. While Fluor has not announced who will replace Hernandez as CLO, it lists two lawyers , Dawn Stout and Kevin Hammonds, as holding the general counsel title. This article looks back at Hernandez’ extraordinary life and career.
Texas Bar Elects New President Opposing Joe Longley’s Reform Efforts
For the second straight year, members of the State Bar of Texas have elected presidents that oppose radical reforms and favor continued mandatory membership dues for the 100,000 attorney organization. Texas lawyers chose Richmond criminal defense attorney Larry P. McDougal to be its leader in 2020.
The 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards – A ‘Spectacular Evening’ in Words and Pictures
Halliburton GC Robb Voyles stepped to the podium to accept his award for General Counsel of the Year and saw a photo of himself on the ballroom’s big screen. “I’m not getting this award for picture of the year obviously,” Voyles told the audience at the 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards. ACC Houston and The Texas Lawbook honored 14 corporate legal departments and their lawyers. The Lawbook has exclusive details and photos from the event.
Buc-ee’s & Tracy Richardson – Business Litigation of the Year
In a trademark lawsuit that began with a coffee cup plopped on his desk, Tracy Richardson led the charge to protect the distinctive Buc-ee’s beaver grin from corporate copycats and poachers. Now, he and Buc-ee’s are winners in the Business Litigation of the Year category of the 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards. Read Mark Curriden’s account of this award-winning litigation.
CenterPoint’s $6B Acquisition of Vectren is the 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Award’s M&A Transaction of the Year
Monica Karuturi, an associate GC at CenterPoint Energy was visiting relatives in India when she first got word that CenterPoint was interested in acquiring Vectren, an Indiana-based utility. Within days she was on a flight to New York City to begin fleshing out the agreement. In the next few months Karuturi’s team put together a $6 billion deal that has been named M&A Transaction of the Year in the 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards. Mark Curriden has the background on the remarkable, award-winning transaction.
Buc-ee’s, CenterPoint, Precision Drilling, Peak Completion, LyondellBasell & Superior Energy Win Big at 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards
The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Houston Chapter and The Texas Lawbook announced Thursday night that Buc-ee’s Deputy General Counsel Tracy Richardson is the winner of the 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards’ Business Litigation of the Year.
CenterPoint Energy Associate General Counsel Monica Karuturi and her outside lawyers at Akin Gump and Baker Botts are the winners of the 2019 M&A Transaction of the Year.
More than 300 leaders of Houston corporate legal departments and the most prominent business lawyers in Texas celebrated the annual 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel awards Thursday evening at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Houston.
We have exclusive coverage of the event and a list of winners in The Texas Lawbook.
Carriage’s Mike Elliott & Shook Hardy – Creative Partnering
Legal Counsel Mike Elliott of Carriage Services, a $300 million funeral operations company, has a distinctive approach to litigation: he likes his company to avoid it. To do so he has formed a creative alliance with law firm Shook Hardy Bacon that involves a shared vision of legal needs and something close to absolute professional trust. Their relationship is the sole finalist and thus the winner of the 2019 ACC Houston Corporate Counsel Award for Creative Partnership. Mark Curriden describes that award-winning relationship.
Elizabeth Hawkins – From Contract Lawyer to Senior Legal Advisor for Targa Executives
During the past decade, Elizabeth Hawkins has gone from a part-time contract lawyer at Targa to being a critical legal counselor to the company’s executives. So critical that she is a finalist for Senior Counselor of the Year for a Large Legal Department in the 2019 Houston Corporate Counsel Awards.
