Baker Botts, one of the oldest, largest and most successful corporate law firms in Texas, has chosen its first non-Texas-based partner as its next leader.
The partnership at Houston-headquartered Baker Botts on Wednesday elected John Martin, a corporate transactional lawyer based in the firm’s Palo Alto office, to be its managing partner starting April 1.
A 1984 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Martin has represented business clients in mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and capital markets for 35 years – all at Baker Botts.
Before relocating to Northern California to lead Baker Botts’ Silicon Valley office in 2013, Martin was a partner in the firm’s Dallas office.
Martin replaces Andrew Baker, who also was a corporate partner in Baker Botts’ Dallas office when he was elected eight years ago and then moved to Houston to be the firm’s full-time leader. Baker Botts limits lawyers to serving two four-year terms as managing partner.
Robb Voyles, a long-time partner in Baker Botts’ litigation section, was widely viewed as the firm’s next managing partner, but he left Baker Botts in 2014 to be the general counsel of Halliburton.
Baker Botts, which has 725 lawyers in 14 offices worldwide, reported $731.8 million in revenues in 2017. The Texas Lawbook estimates that 55 percent of the firm’s revenues were generated by lawyers based in Texas.