The Texas Lawbook has launched a new column that focuses on the charitable contributions of Texas lawyers in their communities. Natalie Posgate explains the new public service column, how to send submissions and includes a few inaugural items, including a Houston firm that made a donation that stemmed from longstanding litigation, a well-attended gala that raised $1 million and a Dallas legal power couple’s goals for one of Dallas’ oldest nonprofit organizations.
David Cole to Move from V&E to Kirkland
Cole, a nationally recognized expert on tax controversies and tax litigation, is expected to join K&E in October. His lateral hiring is the latest in a variety of moves by firms to beef up their energy practices. Mark Curriden has the details.
‘Can I Come Over and Hang Out?’: Behind the Scenes of Akin Gump’s Houston Office Refresh with Gensler
Individual workout and meditation rooms and Pelotons, plus an Icee machine and Houston Rockets Pop-A-Shot. Akin Gump’s revamped Houston office has them all. The Texas Lawbook sat down with Houston leaders at Akin Gump and Gensler to discuss what it takes to shepherd the “office of the next generation” and glean early reviews from attorneys and clients.
Publisher’s Note: This article is a sponsored partnership with Gensler.
Three GCs Provide a Peek into Their Companies’ Diversity Efforts
The top lawyers at Jacobs Engineering Group, Southwest Airlines and El Rancho Supermercado spent Tuesday’s lunch hour speaking about multiple aspects of diversity within the legal profession — what diversity means for them and their organizations, why it’s important in both the in-house and outside counsel context and how it could be improved. The Lawbook attended the event, which was organized by the Dallas Regional Chamber, hosted by UNT Dallas College of Law and sponsored by Munsch Hardt and Carrington Coleman.
Law Experts: Firms Need to Take TX Freedom Caucus Threats on Abortion Assistance Seriously
Corporate law firms should not ignore nor routinely dismiss threats made last week by Texas Republican legislators that they will punish law partners who fund travel for Texas employees who go to other states to have abortions. Leading academic experts who studied the Texas Freedom Caucus letter to Sidley say law firms “should treat this like any other legal challenge” and “throw all the resources and knowledge they have … to analyze any potential legal risk than a collection of legislators who don’t seem to understand what the law is or how the law works.”
Texas Law Firms Gird for Battle Against GOP Leaders’ Threats for Providing Abortion Options to Employees
A handful of conservative Republicans are threatening corporate law firms operating in Texas with criminal prosecution, civil sanctions and even disbarment if they play any role in their Texas employees going out of state to get abortions. Texas Freedom Caucus accuses the global law firm Sidley Austin of being “complicit in illegal abortions” and assert the “consequences that you and your colleagues will face for these actions.” But leaders at several law firms tell The Texas Lawbook that the threats are “extreme political debauchery and legally dubious.”
McDermott Opens in Austin
Chicago firm McDermott, Will & Emery has opened an Austin office with the hiring of eight intellectual property partners from Baker Botts. It’s the firm’s third office in Texas and 22nd worldwide.