The Texas Lawbook

Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury

Firm Management

Susman Godfrey’s 2023: The Best Financial Year Ever for a Texas Law Firm

Susman Godfrey co-managing partner Vineet Bhatia told The Texas Lawbook that the Houston-based firm “had a pretty good year in 2023.” In fact, it was the single best financial year for any law firm’s Texas operations in history. Texas Lawbook 50 data research shows that the 110 lawyers for Susman Godfrey in Texas doubled their revenue and nearly doubled their profits per partner over 2022. Keep in mind, 2022 was also a record financial year for the firm.

The firm’s Texas lawyers scored some monumental courtroom victories — most of them coming with hefty contingency fee paydays. Bhatia called it “an alignment of the stars” and added, “We had a lot of happy partners.”

Three Partners Named to Lead Simpson Houston Office

There’s a change coming in the Houston office of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. The firm announced this morning that Houston managing partner David Lieberman is stepping down and will be succeeded by a trio of partners: Matthew Einbinder, Breen Haire and Christopher May.

Munsch Hardt Begins Transition to New CEO

The Dallas-based firm announced key leadership changes this week. Phil Appenzeller, the longest serving CEO in Munsch Hardt’s history, informed the firm of his decision to transition out of leadership at its annual management meeting at the end of January.

Paul Hastings Chair: ‘A Ton of Opportunity for Us in Texas’

As eight new corporate finance partners settle into their new Houston and Dallas digs at Paul Hastings this week, the law firm’s leader told The Texas Lawbook that “we are not going to stop there.”

“There are other practice areas we are exploring,” Paul Hastings chair Frank Lopez said in an interview. “There’s a ton of opportunity in Texas. Texas may be our No. 1 priority. It is fertile ground for us.” Just six months ago, Paul Hastings operated a sleepy Houston outpost of 22 lawyers. Since September 2023, however, the law firm has been on a hiring spree in Texas, nearly doubling their numbers in the state with lateral hires from Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Akin Gump and Vinson & Elkins. And firm leaders believe they could be at 60 lawyers in Texas by summer and possibly 100 attorneys within a year.

Q&A with John Polzer of Duane Morris

In this Q&A, Polzer dishes on transitioning from a regional firm like Cantey Hanger to an AmLaw 100 firm, describes the uniqueness of the Fort Worth market, encourages resilience in networking, and talks Buc-ee’s and specialized business courts.

The Corner Office: Q&A with Michael Holmes

In this Q&A, the V&E lifer and securities litigation pro shares his observations on which areas of litigation are busy, reflects on the rewards of staying at one firm for your career, and offers encouragement for young attorneys.

What to Publish on Your LinkedIn Page: A Guide for Small and Mid-Size Law Firms

While large firms — with their hundreds of lawyers and hefty marketing departments — can churn out news on the regular, small and mid-size firms often struggle with keeping their LinkedIn pages populated. This article offers a roadmap to humanize your brand, connect with your audience, and establish credibility in the legal landscape. Publisher’s Note: This content is premium subscriber thought leadership and is published outside of our paywall.

Steptoe Acquires Smyser Kaplan & Veselka ‘Lock, Stock and Barrel’

Craig Smyser, who cofounded SKV in 1995, said his firm had been approached several times over the years by national and international firms looking to expand into Texas. There’s one reason in particular why the negotiations with Steptoe, which began in May, ended with this merger: Steptoe was willing to take on every member of the SKV team.

“It’s an amazing law firm with a lot of magic,” Gwen Renigar, Steptoe’s chair, said in an interview with The Lawbook. “The magic they had is magic I did not want to disturb.”

© Copyright 2025 The Texas Lawbook
The content on this website is protected under federal Copyright laws. Any use without the consent of The Texas Lawbook is prohibited.