Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
The firm announced Monday the additions of veteran labor and employment partners Ann Marie Painter and April Goff from Perkins Coie and a private wealth team led by Bill Mureiko and Sarah Marks from Holland & Knight.
No one knows Chamberlain Hrdlicka, which turned 60 in October, better than Campagna, and so The Lawbook asked him to reflect on the firm's legacy, consider how the practice of law has changed, and elaborate on why being "mid-size" is just right for the firm.
Like many firms, Baker Botts is exploring how best to leverage AI — both for the benefit of our clients and for training our lawyers. This summer, the firm hosted an AI Learning Lab that immersed 70 summer associates in a simulated typical workflow for a trade secret dispute. What we learned was encouraging.
Cincinnati-based Frost Brown Todd, which has operations in Dallas and Houston, announced Wednesday that it is merging with the Newark-headquartered law firm Gibbons. The merged firm will be called FBT Gibbons and will have about 800 lawyers in 25 offices across the country.
The Texas Lawbook tracks promotions to partner by law firms in Texas. Promotions for the 2025/2026 class have started and are available to subscribers in a searchable database that will update as new Texas-based partners are announced.
Associates at AZA will see a bump of $10,000 to their annual compensation. “Our young lawyers aren’t stuck making other people’s outlines. They’re out trying cases, and we’ll pay them more for it,” AZA Hiring Partner Monica Uddin told The Lawbook in an interview.
Artificial intelligence has quickly worked its way into every corner of the hiring process, from resumes to job descriptions. In theory, that should make life easier for both candidates and employers. But when used as a crutch, it produces documents that are inaccurate, inflated or so vague that they mislead both sides of the hiring table. My diagnosis: Too much AI, not enough human oversight.
Dallas federal Judge Barbara Lynn has shattered many legal industry glass ceilings, impacted the careers of hundreds of Texas lawyers and handled some of the biggest and most important trials in North Texas over the past quarter century — the civil rights trial against former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger, the corruption trial of then-Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill and terrorist Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, who attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction in an effort to blow up the 60-story Fountain Place skyscraper.
Last week, Judge Lynn — the first woman in history to be the chief judge of the Northern District of Texas and widely praised as one of the best trial judges in the U.S. — stepped away from public service to join the litigation boutique founded by her husband, where she will focus on mediating complex and large-dollar disputes and advising lawyers involved in bet-the-company litigation.
As Judge Lynn enters her encore, legal experts agree that her career has had an historic impact on North Texas, the legal profession and the role of women in the law. (Illustration by William Pelic)
Husch Blackwell has hired veteran Texas legal marketing and business development professional Erin Banks to bolster the firm’s growth, innovation, and enhance brand visibility by “allowing lawyers to focus on lawyering.” The Texas Lawbook recently caught up with her about her new role.
President Donald Trump has issued executive orders targeting a half-dozen law firms, including Houston-based Susman Godfrey, accusing them of "spearheading efforts to weaponize the American legal system and degrading the quality of American elections" and "undermining the effectiveness of the United States military.” The EOs also accuse the firms of racially discriminatory practices via their diversity and inclusion programs. Here is a timeline of events tied to the EOs.
Brandon Meek has joined the 150-lawyer firm as chief marketing officer. The move is Gray Reed's second C-suite addition this summer.
Despite ever-higher standards, more corporate law firms in Texas achieved Texas Lawbook 50 elite financial status last year than ever before. Eighteen business law firms reported revenue per lawyer for their Texas offices of $1.5 million in 2024. Eighteen firms also scored profits per partner of $3 million or more — though not the same 18. Thanks to scores of senior corporate lawyers now billing at hourly rates exceeding $2,000, 15 law firms operating in Texas achieved both of those criteria — up from 11 in 2023.
© Copyright 2026 The Texas Lawbook
The content on this website is protected under federal Copyright laws. Any use without the consent of The Texas Lawbook is prohibited.
