The 10 biggest Texas-based firms posted an eye-popping 13 percent revenue gain in 2023, good enough to earn the top spot among the 11 regions in Michael McKenney’s latest review of the U.S. corporate law business.
Willkie Adds Dallas Office, with Three Laterals from Haynes Boone
The new laterals at Willkie — Tom Tippetts, Brandon McCoy and Chase Proctor — will be joined/supported by a few other familiar names from Willkie’s New York and Texas offices.
Texas Lawbook 50: A New No. 1 for Headcounts and a Three-way Tie for 2nd
On an FTE basis, the Texas Lawbook 50 firms increased lawyer employment by 2.6 percent. The new Lawbook 50 extends a winning streak that began with a net-hiring rush in 2019, took a year off for the pandemic in 2020, then roared back even stronger in the past two years. From 2010 to 2018, the annual headcount was essentially flat, with five up years offset by four down ones. However, the new data may point to a downshifting in the law firm labor market after record gains of 301 lawyers in 2021 and 287 in 2022.
In 2023, 29 firms increased headcounts, 20 firms employed fewer lawyers and one firm stayed even. A shakeup at the top of the Lawbook 50 rankings is the result of shifting the way the Lawbook 50 calculates headcounts to a method used by other legal publications.
Texas Lawbook 50 Report: Lateral Partner Moves Cooled in 2023
Some big names in Texas corporate law changed addresses in 2023. Sean Gorman, Mary-Olga Lovett, Rakhee Patel, David Sweeney, Greg Nelson and Paul Genender, to name a few. In all, 229 partners jumped to new firms — down 13 percent from 2022. Even so, Lotus Legal Search founder Kate Cassidy said the “Texas lateral market is strong compared to other markets.” The Texas Lawbook breaks down Texas lateral partner moves by law firm, practice area, metro and gender.
From Lawyer to Counselor: Building Trust with Credibility, Reliability and Connection
Of the many qualities that help young lawyers build a productive, fulfilling career, self-awareness ranks among the most important.
10 Years of Kirkland: A Bold Vision Transformed Texas Corporate Law and Generated Record Revenues and Profits
A decade later, Kirkland has 414 lawyers in Houston, Dallas and Austin. The firm last year made $200 million more than any law firm in Texas has ever made in one year. Through the eyes of those who were there at the beginning, this is the story of how Kirkland became the highest revenue generating and most profitable corporate law firm in Texas history. And firm leaders are promising they are not finished growing.