Paul Weiss To Open Houston Office with Longtime M&A Dealmakers
Paul Weiss announced Tuesday that it has found the lawyers needed to open and run a new office in Houston, both from Kirkland & Ellis.
Melsheimer, Stodghill Lead Nine-Partner Litigation Team to King & Spalding
Prominent Dallas trial lawyer Tom Melsheimer, long-time law partner Steven Stodghill and seven other litigation partners from Winston & Strawn started their new positions as partners at King & Spalding in Dallas today. “I was on top of the mountain with Winston,” Melsheimer told The Texas Lawbook. “But then I saw another mountain. King & Spalding made an offer that I could not say no to, so I didn’t. King & Spalding understands that this is a war for the best talent because the best talent attracts the best clients. King & Spalding is in it to win this war.”
Groundhog Day: More Competition for Texas Talent
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and the first week of February has seen at least 20 business lawyers in Texas on the move, including a new Oil & Gas co-chair at Baker Botts.
Weil Opens New Austin Office as Firm Now Has Three in Texas
When Weil brought intellectual property trial veteran Jeff Homrig back to the firm in August, there was speculation that the notable summer lateral would be its opportunity to open an Austin office. Six months later to the day, it’s official: Weil has a new office in Central Texas, its third in the state, the firm announced early Monday morning in a news release.
The new office will offer commercial litigation and corporate practices, with IP litigation serving as its initial focus, according to the firm.
Brown Fox Jumps Over to The Quad, Nearly Doubles Footprint
Russ Brown, cofounder and managing partner of Brown Fox, said the full-service business boutique wanted to be in the “nerve center of the top economic center in the country.” It is the latest instance of Uptown landing a law firm’s Dallas digs.
Balch & Bingham Nearly Doubles Austin Presence with Duggins Wren Mann & Romero
Balch Managing Partner Stan Blanton said the firm “could not have found another group of lawyers who offer the expertise and talent” of Duggins Wren Mann & Romero, particularly in the electricity and gas sectors.
Texas Lawbook Law Firm of the Year
There were scores of multibillion-dollar corporate mergers and some landmark commercial trial verdicts in 2025. The year was filled with big stories.
But hands down, the biggest story of the year was the Trump administration’s executive orders against large corporate law firms, including a handful that have offices in Texas.
Texas Partnership Dreams Realized as Firms Roll Out 2025-2026 Promotions
Each year, as the weather turns (somewhat) colder in Texas, partnership season starts to reshape the legal landscape. Between October and February, law firms decide which experienced associates and seasoned counsel will make the leap to equity and nonequity partner, transforming years of late nights and high-stakes deals and trials into a career milestone, most of them announced this month.
Susman Godfrey Associate Bonuses Skyrocket
Lawyers at Susman Godfrey have had an extraordinary year — the “second-most successful year in the firm’s history,” according to Susman Godfrey leaders.
During 2025, Susman attorneys achieved a $1.5 billion copyright infringement settlement against Anthropic over its AI scraping of content. They defeated the Trump administration’s executive orders that targeted the Houston litigation powerhouse.
On Tuesday, firm leaders announced record high year-end bonuses for its associates and elected six new lawyers to its equity partnership, including one in Houston.
Winston & Strawn to Merge with Taylor Wessing UK to Form Global Business Firm
Winston & Strawn announced Monday that it has agreed to a trans-Atlantic merger with Taylor Wessing, the global business law firm ranked among the top 20 law firms in the United Kingdom.
Winston & Strawn's Dallas and Houston offices ranked 18th in combined Texas lawyer headcount and 15th in Texas-based revenue with $215 million for 2024.
K&L Gates Moves to New Dallas Digs in Uptown
The firm, which called Comerica Bank Tower home for close to four decades, is also consolidating its Fort Worth office with the relocation. The move coincides with a “very concerted” growth initiative in Texas.
Warm Texas Welcome: Arizona Firm Joins Forces With San Antonio’s Schmoyer Reinhard
Phoenix-based Fennemore is entering the Texas legal market by combining with a San Antonio-based litigation and labor and employment firm. The move to tie up with Schmoyer Reinhard gives Fennemore its first major presence in the Lone Star State. Home to some of the world’s largest public and private companies, Texas offers a mix of practice work that aligns with the firm’s existing client base, Fennemore announced Monday in a news release.