Updated — Baker Botts’ Next MP: ‘Merger May Be in Our Future’ But Priority Is Strategic Growth in Texas and Beyond

For the first time in more than four decades, Baker Botts has elected a litigation partner to lead the 600-attorney, Houston-headquartered corporate law firm. The firm’s partners have chosen corporate securities litigation partner Danny David to replace John Martin, who has been managing partner since 2019 but faces mandatory retirement later this year. In a Friday morning interview, David told The Texas Lawbook that his top priority is to “grow smart to the strengths of our leading practices.”

June 16, 2023 Mark Curriden

Three Law Firms, Extraordinary Growth — The LA Connection

Three of the five fastest growing law firms in Texas today were founded or headquartered in Los Angeles. Gibson Dunn, Latham and O’Melveny added many times more lawyers and revenues in 2022 than the average corporate law firm operating in Texas, according to The Texas Lawbook 50. The three firms with California roots employed 368 lawyers who generated $595 million in their Texas offices in 2022 — up from 140 Texas attorneys in 2016 who brought in $179 million in business.

This is the story of three global corporate law firms and their extraordinary growth in Texas, as well as their strategies for the next two years. Spoiler alert: All three have deep pockets and big plans for Austin, Houston and Dallas.

June 12, 2023 Mark Curriden

Talen Energy GC Moves Up, New GC Moves In, V&E Gets New GC

Three weeks after exiting bankruptcy, Talen Energy announced that GC Andrew Wright will be the company's next chief administrative officer and V&E partner John Wander will be the energy firm’s next GC effective June 19. Wander also served as V&E’s internal GC. With his departure, the firm announced that partner Vanessa Griffith will be the Houston-based law firm’s new GC.

June 11, 2023 Mark Curriden

Clifford Chance Officially Hangs Shingle in Houston

The Texas Lawbook exclusively reported on Friday that Jonathan Castelan joined the Magic Circle firm from Latham & Watkins' Houston office. Trevor Lavelle, a partner at Latham, will also be accompanying him.

June 5, 2023 Claire Poole

Meaningful Change Requires Personal Investment

As female attorneys who have worked in-house and in various firm environments, we have seen firsthand the challenges that women and marginalized communities face in the legal profession.

While there has been progress in recent years, there are still far too few female partners and other underrepresented leaders in the field, such that we can’t rely on structural and institutional change alone. More progress cannot occur without lawyers across the spectrum investing in the next generation of lawyers from underrepresented communities.

May 25, 2023 Meyling Ly-Ortiz & Britta Stanton

Will Shearman’s Merger with A&O Impact the Texas Legal Market?

London-based Allen & Overy has coveted a presence in Texas to boost its global energy practice. On Sunday, the Magic Circle firm got it. A&O and Shearman & Sterling, a New York-headquartered corporate law firm with 60 lawyers in Austin, Dallas and Houston, announced Sunday that they are merging. The Texas Lawbook looks at Shearman's operations in Texas and what the merger might mean.

May 21, 2023 Mark Curriden

Updated — ‘Very Emotional’ McKool Smith Co-Founder Leaves Firm After Three Decades

Legendary Dallas trial lawyer Mike McKool announced Thursday that he has left the 130-lawyer firm that he co-founded 32 years ago in order to take on an assignment that he sees as the final big case of his career.

McKool, who has tried more than 100 cases to juries resulting in verdicts exceeding $1 billion, told The Texas Lawbook that he has shed many tears today because he is leaving McKool Smith to take on a case for a client that presents a conflict with other clients at the law firm that bears his name.

May 18, 2023 Mark Curriden

Another Record for Texas Revenues in 2022

The top 50 firms in Texas corporate law continued to thrive in 2022, generating more than $8 billion for the first time. The Texas Lawbook 50 raked in a record $8.6 billion in 2022 — 7.6 percent more than the prior year.

Thirty-eight of the Lawbook 50 firms scored higher revenues in their Texas offices last year than in 2021. Thirty-five of them achieved record revenues in 2022. Texas corporate law roared to new heights because of strong demand across the board, with work generated by headline events like the Winter Storm Uri litigation, the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act, which spurred a considerable amount of transactional work in the energy industry and a steady flow of M&A activity, including a handful of mega-transactions. The Texas Lawbook has the exclusive data and analysis.

May 15, 2023 Richard Alm & Mark Curriden

Texas Law Schools Make Jumps in 2024 U.S. News Rankings

U.S. News & World Report had to delay its release of the 2024 rankings after some institutions raised questions about the data. The new list shows the University of Texas at Austin School of Law still leads the state, but Texas A&M University School of Law is rising rapidly.

May 12, 2023 Michelle Casady

How to Thrive as a Summer Associate

Whether you are embarking on a summer associate position at a firm, a summer clerkship at the courthouse or an internship at a legal aid clinic, there are three universal truths that can make or break the summer.

April 27, 2023 Megan Schmid

From Boom with Little Hiring To Boom with a Lot More Hiring

From 2010 to 2018, the Texas economy boomed and dozens of national law firms opened offices in the state. But the total number of corporate lawyers working at the firms stayed flat. In 2019, that changed. The 50 largest corporate firms in Texas have grown lawyer count in record numbers the past four years, including in 2022. While Big Law has returned to pre-pandemic scrutiny of underperforming attorneys, most of the larger firms are still planning for record-sized summer associate classes and fall hiring of first-year lawyers.

April 21, 2023 Richard Alm & Mark Curriden

In Texas, Firms Add Corporate Lawyers at Near-Record Pace

The 50 largest corporate law firms operating in Texas continued to add new lawyers at a near-record pace in 2022, according to the new Texas Lawbook 50 headcount rankings. The top 50 firms now employ nearly 8,000 lawyers in their Texas offices. The only year when the 50 law firms added more attorneys was 2021. More than two-thirds of law firms grew their lawyer headcount in 2022. The out-of-state firms expanded the most, especially firms founded in California. Three perennial top Lawbook 50 firms dropped off the list, replaced by firms growing faster. There are now only 20 Texas-based firms in the top 50.

April 19, 2023 Richard Alm & Mark Curriden