The first six months of 2021 ended in a flurry of lateral moves, as nearly a dozen partners were on the move this week.
Jackson Walker, Locke Lord and Kirkland beefed up their Austin offices. McGuireWoods added a partner in Houston.
All of this followed O’Melveny & Myers, Alston & Bird, Bailey Brauer and The Castañeda Firm announcing earlier in the week that a combined seven lateral partners were joining their Dallas offices.
Jackson Walker announced Arthur Gollwitzer, a former federal prosecutor and former partner at Michael Best and Friedrich, has joined the firm’s Austin office as part of its intellectual property and white-collar criminal practices. Gollwitzer served as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York.
“Arthur will be a valuable addition to our team,” said Jackson Walker IP practice group chair Raman N. Dewan. “His history as a lead prosecutor, including in federal intellectual property crimes, and as outside counsel to a broad range of clients will pair well with the great work our IP litigation team has been doing, winning jury trials and—when possible—resolving disputes before heading to trial.”
Locke Lord expanded its public finance group in Austin by adding former Norton Rose Fulbright partner Arnold Cantu. He is the fifth muni-bond lawyer to join Locke Lord during the past 18 months.
Cantu serves as bond counsel to state and local government entities, including cities, counties, school districts and municipal utility systems. He also serves as underwriter’s counsel for regional and national investment banks.
“We have built great momentum expanding our public finance capabilities in Texas, and Arnold’s arrival propels us even further ahead,” said Locke Lord public finance practice group co-chair Kevin Twining, who offices in Dallas. “He has an excellent reputation serving as bond counsel to clients in the Austin and San Antonio area and has strong ties within South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, solidifying Locke Lord’s presence in the region.”
McGuireWoods hired a new partner to its corporate bankruptcy and restructuring practice in Houston. Demetra Liggins, a former partner at Thompson & Knight, is McGuireWoods’ sixth new partner to join the firm in Houston this year.
Liggins advises healthcare systems, oil and gas companies, retail corporations, financial institutions, partnerships and private equity funds on in-court and out-of-court restructurings.
“Demetra is a dynamic lawyer whose track record of excellence and leadership on diversity and inclusion fits perfectly with our culture,” said Yasser Madriz, managing partner of the Houston office.
Kirkland & Ellis is relocating IP litigation partner Jeannie Heffernan from New York to its recently opened Austin office. Heffernan has been at Kirkland for 20 years and has won more than a dozen IP trials around the country, including several patent cases in the Eastern and Western Districts of Texas. She is the sixth partner to join Kirkland’s Austin office.
“Many of our IP clients are based in Texas or have significant operations in the state, including a number with a strong presence in Austin,” Heffernan said. “In addition, over the last five years, hundreds of tech-focused companies have either relocated their headquarters or expanded operations in Austin, creating more demand for a local IP presence. Given that the majority of my practice over the past 15 years has been either in Texas federal district courts or for Texas clients, launching the IP litigation practice in Austin makes perfect sense.”
Kirkland, in a written statement, said it plans to “initially expand the IP litigation practice in Austin with a team of relocated Kirkland associates and lateral hires, including new associate David Dyer, who recently joined the firm.”