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Firm Management

The Death of a Lion: Dee Kelly (1929-2015)

Legendary oil and gas lawyer Dee Kelly passed away Friday. He was widely viewed as one of the most influential business and political leaders in the history of Fort Worth. He was 86. He was the founding partner of Kelly, Hart & Hallman and his clients included the Bass family, American Airlines, the Texas Rangers, private equity firm TPG Capital, Kimbell Oil Company and boot manufacturer John Justin.

“I have loved every minute of being a lawyer,” Kelly told The Texas Lawbook in an interview two weeks ago. “I practiced both transactional law and litigation. No lawyers today do both. Litigation was always my favorite.”

K&L Gates’ Ambassador to Partners and Clients

Craig Budner has represented corporate giants such as Xerox, J.P. Morgan Chase, Hewlett-Packard and VarTec Telecom. He defended Olympic athlete Marion Jones in the BALCO steroids scandal and played a key role in getting Ross Perot on the presidential ballot in all 50 states in 1992.

The Dallas trial lawyer now has a new job: global integration partner at K&L Gates, which has more than 2,000 lawyers in 47 cities worldwide. “I work with lateral partners to make sure they integrate quickly and seamlessly,” he says. “My job is essentially connecting the dots across our platform.”

K&L Gates' Ambassador to Partners and Clients

Craig Budner has represented corporate giants such as Xerox, J.P. Morgan Chase, Hewlett-Packard and VarTec Telecom. He defended Olympic athlete Marion Jones in the BALCO steroids scandal and played a key role in getting Ross Perot on the presidential ballot in all 50 states in 1992.
The Dallas trial lawyer now has a new job: global integration partner at K&L Gates, which has more than 2,000 lawyers in 47 cities worldwide. “I work with lateral partners to make sure they integrate quickly and seamlessly,” he says. “My job is essentially connecting the dots across our platform.”

Bill Brewer Moves Forward without Bickel

For three decades, Bickel & Brewer were the bad boys of the legal profession. Then, John Bickel retired last year. On Monday, the firm unveils its new name: Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors. “New branding and new name, still great lawyers and same great results for clients,” Brewer said. At 63, Brewer has no plans to retire anytime soon. The has six lawyers joining before the end July and is seriously looking to open offices in London and California.

Lawyer Rates in Texas Rocket Up – $1,000 an Hour is in the Rear-view Mirror

Hundreds of Texas corporations received notices this year from their outside lawyers that their hourly rates were going up. Dozens of Texas lawyers who handle the most complex, bet-the-company legal matters now charge their business clients in excess of $1,000 an hour – a rate that was unheard of only a few years ago. There are more than 200 other Texas business lawyers who tout an hourly rate between $900 and $995. Who are these $1,000 an hour lawyers and how do they justify their rates? Click and find out.

Munsch Hardt Turns 30 and has a Story to Tell

In March 1985, six fourth year associates at Winstead decided to start their own firm. They had no clients, no management experience and minimal business development training. “Just about any law firm consultant would say that’s crazy and stupid,” says Dallas business litigator Steven Harr.

At a time when most smaller middle market full service law firms are struggling for survival or seeking a merger, Munsch Hardt has witnessed steady growth by creating a niche in the Texas legal market.

Texas Law Firms Fight for Talent, Revenues and Survival

Despite record revenues and profits, the Texas legal market is in turmoil. Even as elite law firms experience phenomenal growth in revenues and profits, many large, full service Texas law firms struggle to tread water and could face major restructuring or even extinction.

There’s a fierce battle over talent. Law firms that pay the most get the best lawyers. The best talent gets the best clients. The best clients pay the highest rates, which leads to greater revenues and profits.

“The deck has been completely reshuffled in Texas,” said Kent Zimmerman with Zeughauser Group. “In a short amount of time, the leaderboard has changed significantly.”

The Texas Lawbook interviewed more than two-dozen legal industry insiders in an in-depth examination of the state’s business law marketplace.

Texas Legal Market Expands and Fragments as Rich Firms get Richer

Texas lawyers who representing businesses generated a record amount of revenues in 2014. A new survey by The Texas Lawbook shows that business lawyers saw their workload increase significantly for the first time in years.

The biggest revenue jumps were recorded by elite and specialty law firms, while upper middle market legal shops face stagnation and uncertainty. Legal experts say that the Texas legal market is increasingly becoming a world of the “haves” and the “have nots.”

Nearly 80 percent of Texas law firm leaders said they believe 2015 financials will be as good, or even better than 2014, despite obvious challenges in the oil patch. Read the extensive article for all the details.

Cox Smith Merges with Dykema

After a yearlong business romance, the law firms from San Antonio and Detroit announced Monday they are combining to become Dykema Cox Smith, a 450-lawyer firm that has 140 attorneys in Texas. “This merger was purely driven by the firms and our people, not by consultants,” Cox Smith Managing Counsel Deborah Williamson said.

The Texas Lawbook has full details about how merger talks started and progressed. Hint: Dallas partner Bill Finklestein played a key role.

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