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Firm Management

White & Case Has ‘Vastly Exceeded Expectations’ in Texas

In February 2018, the global law firm White & Case opened its Houston office with four lawyers, no associates, no support staff and sublet space in Two Allen Center. The goal, firm leaders announced at the time, was to grow the office to 50 attorneys. Nearly six years later, White & Case now has more than 100 attorneys in its Houston office and occupies three floors in 609 Main Street. The firm has seen revenues double over two years and expects even more growth ahead.

Mark Curriden

‘Nobody Gave Us a Chance’ — Lynn Pinker Turns 30

Mike Lynn left the comforts of national corporate firm Akin Gump in 1993 to start a trial-focused shop with two other lawyers. They used a wooden door on cement blocks as a desk. The paralegal was also the office manager, who worked at a table in the hallway. Thirty years later, Lynn Pinker is one of the largest and most prominent litigation boutiques in Texas, boasting 47 lawyers and blue-chip clients such as IBM, Energy Transfer, Neiman Marcus and Xerox — and even a Saudi prince. In three decades, the firm’s lawyers have scored multiple nine-digit courtroom victories for plaintiffs and defendants.

“This is a story that could only happen in Texas,” said Lynn, who is now 73. The stories of nearly all law firms are defined by critical or business-threatening events, enormous courtroom victories, lawyers joining and leaving and strategic decisions on practice groups or business sector focuses. Almost all successful firms in Texas have stories that revolve around one or two legal stars — be they Leon Jaworski or Steve Susman, John Zavitsanos or David Beck, Mike McKool or Paul Yetter. Lynn Pinker is no exception.

Mark Curriden

The Corner Office: Q&A with Trey Cox

In this new thought leadership series, Dallas legal recruiter Kate Cassidy talks with Gibson Dunn's Trey Cox about litigation trends in Texas, career advice for young attorneys, what he's reading right now and more.

Kate Cassidy

‘Think Like an In-House Lawyer’

Porter Hedges founder Bill Porter must have seen something special when he recruited Vanderbilt University second-year law student Joyce Soliman in 1996. Twenty-seven years later, the Houston-based, 125-attorney, full-service law firm has named Soliman, a corporate finance lawyer and the past chair of the Asian American Bar Association’s board of trustees, as its new co-managing partner.

Mark Curriden

Bill Munck’s Silver Jubilee: ‘Finding Larry and Mike’

When Bill Munck started his law firm in 1998, he made three decisions that proved critical for success. The firm would be technology-focused. It would be based in DFW. And the partners he chose to join him would be make or break. During the past 25 years, Munck Wilson Mandala has jumped from six to 94 lawyers, has expanded to eight offices, has increased firm revenues and revenue per lawyer each year and developed a national reputation as a leading technology firm. Munck, Wilson, Mandala and several more deserve the credit.

Mark Curriden

Harry Reasoner, the ‘Quintessential Advocate,’ Retires

Six decades ago, a rookie Vinson & Elkins lawyer named Harry Reasoner tried his first case in court. Hundreds of jury and bench trials and 59 years later, Reasoner, now 84, tells The Texas Lawbook that he has decided to retire on Dec. 31.

Reasoner has won billion-dollar courtroom victories for plaintiffs and corporate defendants. His service of pro bono is unparalleled. He guided V&E through a time of tremendous growth, adopted progressive workplace policies in the 1990s such as same sex benefits and helped the Houston firm survive the Enron financial scandal.

Mark Curriden

Citi’s Legal Industry Experts: Texas Firms ‘Outperforming’ Lawyers in Most Other Regions

Texas-based corporate law firms are billing more hours, growing revenues faster and collecting money from clients better and faster in 2023 than most of their counterparts throughout the U.S., according to new data from Citi Private Bank's Law Firm Group. Demand by business clients for legal work in Texas is also up and leaders at Texas law firms are “slightly more optimistic” about growth for the rest of 2023 and 2024 than corporate lawyers in other regions of the country. But there are negative signs that some corporate clients are taking longer to pay invoices. The Texas Lawbook has the exclusive report.

Mark Curriden

Texas Legal Market: Soft Landing, New Take-Offs or Just More of the Same?

The Texas legal market — just like the national economy — seems to be moving forward but at a considerably slower and more cautious pace. Lateral hiring of associates, especially transactional practitioners, is rare and six-digit signing bonuses are history. Partners with strong books of business, however, remain in demand.

Litigation partners, senior associates and counsel are more sought-after than those in the transactional practices. The DFW lateral hiring legal market is a tad stronger than Houston right now. Austin’s legal hiring has cooled considerably.

The Texas Lawbook interviewed four Texas legal industry insiders to get their insights on the Texas legal market and what they expect for the rest of 2023 and 2024.

Mark Curriden

Texas Lawyers Hit $2,000 an Hour

Just a dozen years ago, a handful of lawyers in Texas breached the $1,000 hourly rate barrier. The $1K lawyers were the best of the best in their practice areas: trial lawyers Steve Susman, Tom Melsheimer, Charles Schwartz and Harry Reasoner for bet-the-company litigation, or deal lawyers like Jeff Chapman, Andy Calder, Tom Roberts or Michael Dillard to lead mega-billion-dollar transactions. This year, a handful of Texas lawyers broke through another billing barrier: $2,000 an hour. Dozens more are expected to start charging clients $2K next year.

Mark Curriden

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