The Texas Lawbook

Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury

Firm Management

Jackson Walker Shines in Otherwise Dismal Women Partner Promotions Trends

Statistics show that a small cadre of law firms have experienced extraordinary success promoting women to partner, while a large majority of Texas firms continue to lag way behind, according to an analysis conducted by The Texas Lawbook of 40 of the state’s largest and most prominent law firms.

Eighteen of the law firms in the study elected zero or one woman into the partnership from 2012 to 2014. By contrast, a small handful of law firms promoted as many or more women to partner as they have men during the same three-year period.

But no law firm in the state has a better record in recent years of promoting women to partner in Texas than Jackson Walker. The Dallas-based firm elevated nearly double the number of any other law firm during the time period.

Partner Promotions Hit Three-Year High

Top law firms promoted more Texas lawyers to partner and shareholder positions in 2014 than each of the two years prior, according to a statistical analysis by The Texas Lawbook of 41 firms with a significant presence in the state. Bracewell & Giuliani and Locke Lord saw the greatest increase in the number of partners promoted from last year to this year, while Jackson Walker, Baker Botts and Haynes and Boone had new partner classes of 10 or more.

Five Firms Experiment With Alternative Fee Arrangements

To some corporate general counsel, such as AT&T’s Wayne Watts and CenterPoint’s Scott Rozzell, the billable hour is a deplorable beast needing to be slain. Other GCs, such as Stephen Coats at Riverstone Holdings, are okay with the billable hour structure but seek flexibility depending upon outcome.

Here are five law firms – Ross Joyner, Schiffer Odom, The Willis Law Group, Skiermont Puckett and Munsch Hardt – that are catering to the growing demand for alternative fee arrangements.

Musical Chairs in Texas Legal Community

As large national law firms continue to move into Texas to create a foothold in Dallas’ diverse business climate and Houston’s energy sector, a separate but related shift is occurring within the real estate markets. Availability for ideal law office space is shrinking and leasing rates are rising. Law firm management needs to stay attuned as the legal industry continues to be a key driver of two of the hottest real estate markets in the country.

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