Law firms are busy enough these days with COVID-19. The folks at Lynn Pinker recently crossed off another task on their growing to-do list: update their marketing materials.
The Dallas-based litigation boutique announced Monday that it has made Chris Schwegmann its newest name partner. The firm’s new name is Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann.
A graduate of New York University School of Law, Schwegmann has been with Lynn Pinker since 2005. He tries trademark and copyright infringement, false advertising, antitrust and other business cases.
“I can’t imagine a better place to practice law than with this firm,” Schwegmann said. “Every day I get to work with some of the most creative, talented and intelligent lawyers out there. We’re not just litigators, we’re trial lawyers who try big and important cases. It’s a dream job, and I’m honored to have my name on the door.”
Schwegmann has successfully represented Mary Kay in a series of state and federal lawsuit involving trademark infringement, copyright infringement and false advertising claims against unauthorized cosmetic retailers.
Currently, he is hip-deep in a massive antitrust lawsuit against eight major hotel chains on behalf of an online travel agency. His client alleges the hotels monopolized the online hotel booking process through a conspiracy that hurt the plaintiff and consumers at the same time. Schwegmann recently defeated the hotels’ attempt to dismiss the federal lawsuit, which is currently set for trial next spring in Texarkana federal court.
Schwegmann currently serves as Lynn Pinker’s general counsel, and at one time served as the firm’s recruiting coordinator. Lynn Pinker founding partner Mike Lynn said firm leadership has been considering Schwegmann to serve as its future managing partner, which makes his new position a particularly good fit.
“He is a bridge in the firm between some of the older partners … and the younger ones coming up,” Lynn said. “I think he has the trust of everybody between and among those groups. It’s sort of a way for us to create a level of participation from a lot of the younger parents that are really what the firm’s future is based on.”
Schwegmann’s promotion comes a week after Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher nabbed former name partner Trey Cox. Now at 39 lawyers, Lynn Pinker has 16 partners, 19 associates and four staff attorneys or of counsel.
Lynn Pinker is not known for aggressively pursuing lateral partner hires. The last major lateral was in 2016, when a group led by Michael Hurst and Shonn Brown joined the firm from the now disbanded Gruber Hurst Johansen Hail Shank.
Asked if the firm is thinking of pursuing more laterals, Lynn indicated it wasn’t a priority because the firm’s revenues are more results-based than bodies-based.
“If the right lateral came along with the right business and right cultural fit, we won’t say never. But if you ask me what my predisposition is, it’s unlikely,” Lynn told The Texas Lawbook.
“The incentive structure at our firm is, ‘Is this person ultimately going to be somebody who will help us win?’ We like to say that the last person hired has to be the smartest person at the firm, that’s how it works,” Lynn said.