From the day Holly O’Neil took over as the chair of Gardere Wynne Sewell in June 2013, she faced one mountain of a task: save the 109-year-old Texas law firm.
From High Heels to High Success: Estes Thorne & Carr Turns 10
Estes said she anticipates the firm to grow even more in the next decade – particularly with Big Law continuing its exponential growth in Dallas
Texas Lawbook Exclusive: Gardere and Foley Reach Merger Agreement
The move had been anticipated for months, but an agreement has finally been reached. Dallas-based Gardere Wynne Sewell is combining with Milwaukee’s Foley & Lardner, effective April 1. The new firm will be known as Foley Gardere in Texas. The combined firm, with 1,100 lawyers, 24 offices and revenues of $850 million, will rank among the AmLaw 50. The Texas Lawbook has exclusive details on Gardere’s search for a national partner, Foley’s big Texas gambit, and in-depth interviews with the top lawyers at both firms.
Texas Law Leaders Predict More Mergers, More Competition from Nat’l Firms
A new survey by the legal industry consulting firm Zeughauser Group shows that Texas-based business law firms are facing extraordinary competitive pressures from out-of-state corporate legal operations and one-third predict they will need to merge with larger law firms in order to survive or thrive. The survey shows that younger partners are pushing firms to either consider merging or face losing young talent to competitors.
Sheppard Mullin to Open Office in Dallas
Los Angeles-based Sheppard Mullin, a 90-year-old law firm with more than 800 lawyers in 15 offices worldwide, is expected to announce in the couple weeks that it is opening an outpost in Dallas. The Texas Lawbook has learned that Sheppard Mullin will open its Texas operation with a mixture of lawyers that it is recruiting from existing Dallas law firms and lawyers it is relocating from other Sheppard Mullin offices.
Hunton Andrews Kurth Officially Announced
The long-expected merger between Virginia-based Hunton & Williams and Andrews Kurth Kenyon was announced publicly Wednesday. The combined firm will be called Hunton Andrews Kurth.
Analysis: Texas Corporate Law Market Sees Massive Shake-Up & Realignment of M&A Practice
The Texas corporate legal market is experiencing extraordinary turmoil in 2018 – and the year is only six weeks old. Three large Texas-based corporate law firms are in the final stages of merger negotiations with out-of-state law firms. Five national law firms have either opened or are opening new offices in the state before the end of March. Since Jan. 1, more than 100 business lawyers have quit the law firms in Austin, Dallas and Houston where they have worked for years or even decades to join competitors.
The Texas legal market, which has been a hotbed of activity since 2010, is in the midst of a frenzied transformation not witnessed in decades. The Texas Lawbook has details.
White & Case Officially Opens in Houston, Wants 50-Lawyer Office
After 36 years at V&E, Jay Cuclis has officially opened the Houston office of White & Case. Two Andrews Kurth Kenyon energy transactional partners in Houston – Christopher Richardson and Charlie Ofner – are joining Cuclis. Inan interview with The Texas Lawbook, Cuclis says the 2,100-lawyer global firm plans to be aggressive in building the office.
Katten Muchin Officially Opens in Dallas
Chicago-based Katten Muchin Rosenman announced Monday that they have officially opened an office in Dallas with seven partners – six corporate M&A lawyers and one commercial litigator – that previously practiced with Andrews Kurth Kenyon.
More AKK Lawyers go to DLA Piper, Orrick, Haynes and Boone, Shearman
The run on the bank of lawyers at Andrews Kurth Kenyon is continuing this week as three more law firms – Haynes and Boone, Orrick, Harrington & Sutcliffe and Shearman & Sterling – add to the list of law firms raiding the 115-year-old Houston corporate legal practice. DLA Piper made it official today that three AKK partners have joined its Dallas office today. The Texas Lawbook has full details.