Free Speech, Due Process and Trial by Jury
David Baay, Jack Massey, Kelsey Machado, Ian Shelton and Matthew Rawlinson were announced as the newest members of the firm’s Houston office Wednesday. Colin Murray, the firm’s North America CEO, said in a statement that the additions were part of strategic growth plans based on the potential of the Houston market.
The firm adds Warner to its growing Dallas office amid “an environment of increased investigations and rising litigation.” Warner, a former assistant U.S. attorney and ex-assistant attorney general for the Texas Attorney General’s office, has represented Bass Pro Shops, Miller Brewing, and Primerica, as well as other Fortune 500 companies.
Longtime environmental enforcement attorney David Terry has left the Texas Attorney General’s office for a position at Hunton Andrews Kurth in Houston.
Erik Fountain, a former clerk of Judge Rodney Gilstrap’s, has represented high-profile clients including Ericsson, Halliburton and Freddie Mac.
With Clif Squibb, Munsch Hardt is adding depth to its middle-market energy transactions capabilities.
Craig Smyser, who cofounded SKV in 1995, said his firm had been approached several times over the years by national and international firms looking to expand into Texas. There’s one reason in particular why the negotiations with Steptoe, which began in May, ended with this merger: Steptoe was willing to take on every member of the SKV team.
“It’s an amazing law firm with a lot of magic,” Gwen Renigar, Steptoe's chair, said in an interview with The Lawbook. "The magic they had is magic I did not want to disturb."
The 55-lawyer Dallas-based law firm announced a combination with three-lawyer Orange County firm Stephens Friedland on Monday. FBFK CEO Kyle Ferguson said the firm has been eyeing expansion efforts in the region for several years. It is the firm’s first office outside of Texas.
In this Q&A, the Baker Botts Dallas office and finance section leader discusses remote work, encouraging trends he is seeing in the legal profession, and the law firm management issue most relevant to him.
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