Four more lawyers from Hiersche, Hayward, Drakeley & Urbach have found a new home one week after the nearly 40-year-old Dallas law firm announced it is shuttering at the end of the year.
After discussions with four different law firms, the medical malpractice group including William D. Wiles, M. Kenneth Patterson, Heather A. Kanny and Kevin J. Keith decided to join the burgeoning Dallas-based firm Mayer LLP. They will officially start at the beginning of January.
“This is a powerhouse of great litigators that truly specialize in the healthcare field both with practical and courtroom experience,” Zach Mayer, founder and managing partner of Mayer LLP, said.
Mayer recruited another former Hiersche Hayward attorney, Victoria Yarkho, to join his firm in February. He credits Yarkho for being an “exceptional fit” and helping grow the firm’s corporate practice, so he jumped at her suggestion to look at these old colleagues of hers when they found out Hiersche Hayward was splitting up.
“With baby boomers and the aging population, healthcare law will continue to be a focus at our firm,” Mayer added.
Wiles and Patterson are both members of the American Board of Trial Advocates who have tried more than 100 cases between them. Kanny, in addition to her litigation practice, advises doctors and hospitals on risk management issues. And Keith, who has argued cases at the U.S. Supreme Court and Texas Supreme Court, will lead Mayer LLP’s appellate practice.
With the new additions, Mayer LLP – which opened for business on Jan. 2 – grows to 39 lawyers. Mayer says four more hires are in the pipeline for January.
“2020 is going to be a very exciting year of growth for us,” Mayer said. “There is still more opportunity for regional firms that provide solid legal services at a more reasonable price.”
Mayer wants to build on the firm’s litigation foundation and invest more in its real estate transactional, construction, corporate and labor and employment practices. He also noted that the firm’s New Mexico office, which has grown from one lawyer to three lawyers and a paralegal, has been important to serving several of the firm’s Fortune 500 clients.