HayBoo Expands to Europe in Merger Deal with London-based Curtis Davis Garrard

© 2016 The Texas Lawbook.

By Mark Curriden

(June 30) – Dallas-based Haynes and Boone announced Thursday that it is seeking to merge with or acquire Curtis Davis Garrard, a highly respected 20-lawyer boutique firm based in London.

CDG is a 20-year-old law firm whose lawyers have a strong reputation in the shipbuilding and offshore oil and gas industries, which Haynes and Boone believes will be attractive to Texas energy clients.

With the addition of CDG, Haynes and Boone, the fifth largest law firm in Texas with 585 lawyers and more than $362 million in annual revenues, significantly expands its international presence and enhances its capabilities in the vital midstream energy sector. It also provides Haynes and Boone with a London office that it has desired for many years.

Partners at both law firms voted to approve the merger during the past few days, but the Solicitors Regulation Authority in the U.K. must still approve the trans-Atlantic combination. Leaders at the two firms do not believe that their combination will be impacted by the U.K.’s vote to exit the European Union.

If approved, the joint firm will be called Haynes and Boone CDG in Europe, but will remain Haynes and Boone in the U.S. and other markets.

“Our clients will continue to seek out accomplished London practitioners for English law advice on their global business transactions,” said Haynes and Boone Managing Partner Tim Powers. “In CDG, we found a supremely talented group of lawyers who will help us establish a premier London practice capable of providing a full range of services to companies in the industries we serve.”

Haynes and Boone partner Brad Richards in Houston, who specializes in cross-border transactions, is relocating to London to lead the integration and development of CDG into the Dallas-based firm.

“We see distinct advantages for our clients in joining a full-service, U.S.-based law firm, particularly one with a robust energy practice and a strong Houston office,” said CDG’s Senior Partner Simon Curtis. “Haynes and Boone is an ideal fit, both in terms of its practice strengths and its like-minded culture. Happily for all of us, timing and opportunity aligned.”

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