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Duane Morris Opens in Dallas with Four Partners

February 9, 2021 Natalie Posgate

Philadelphia firm Duane Morris said Tuesday that they opened an office in Dallas with the lateral hires of four partners from Barnes & Thornburg. 

The four Barnes & Thornburg partners are all litigators, and they include Rob Castle, Randy 

Gordon, Jamie Welton and Lucas “Luke” Wohlford. 

The Dallas opening marks Duane Morris’ third office in Texas and will further align with the firm’s domestic operations in the high-technology and energy sectors in the state.

“For more than 20 years, we have focused on and invested in Texas. With our new Dallas location and team, our commitment is clear,” Duane Morris CEO and Chairman Matthew A. Taylor said in a statement. “Duane Morris now has a critical mass of legal talent and a footprint in key markets, including Houston and Austin, and we expect to expand our presence in Texas in the years to come. We look forward to supporting our broad client base with high quality and cost-efficient legal services.”

Castle’s practice largely focuses on healthcare clients, whom he represents in qui tam defense, civil and criminal government investigations, internal investigations, internal compliance review, billing audits, white collar criminal defense and several other matters. He represents all types of healthcare clients, including providers, compounding pharmacies, reference laboratories, pharmaceutical companies and medical equipment/device manufacturers and distributors. 

In a statement, Castle said that Duane Morris “offers a unique and collegial culture that will enable me to better serve my healthcare client base.

“Matt Taylor’s vision for Texas is exciting, and the firm’s industry-focus groups represented a great opportunity to collaborate in new ways,” he said. 

Gordon specializes in complex commercial litigation and represents clients in more than two dozen industries in matters ranging from antitrust, RICO, class action, university-related, securities law and intellectual property. He also advises clients on the business and legal analysis of proposed transactions.

Welton, also a complex commercial litigator, has secured some of the nation’s largest commercial jury verdicts, including several defense wins in which the damages sought exceeded $100 million. He represents financial institutions, asset managers, healthcare providers advertising and media companies, high net worth individuals, bankruptcy trustees and receivers. He also represents clients in government investigations, qui tam actions, class actions and derivative suits. 

Wohlford represents individuals, family-owned businesses and publicly and privately held companies in a wide range of commercial disputes. His practice encompasses corporate and fiduciary litigation, complex contract litigation, product liability, antitrust and class action litigation. He also handles post-trial proceedings and appeals in state and federal courts. Beyond his litigation practice, Wohlford represents clients in contract negotiation, risk avoidance, mitigation, regulatory compliance and investigations. 

Natalie Posgate

Natalie Posgate covers pro bono work, public service and diversity within the Texas legal community.

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