The new partnership class of 2023-24 in Texas is big on litigation and trial lawyers, leans heavily toward Houston offices and is overwhelmingly male-dominated.
Business law firms have voted 143 Texas lawyers into their partnerships during this partner promotion season — down slightly from the 146 the same firms boosted into their elite ranks a year ago, according to data collected by The Texas Lawbook.
Fifty-two law firms have announced their new partnership classes during this cycle. Half of the 52 firms promoted more attorneys than they did last year, while 17 firms named fewer new partners and nine named exactly the same number as a year ago.
Texas Lawbook data shows that 69 of the newly-minted partners are based in Houston, 59 are in Dallas/Fort Worth and 15 are in Austin and San Antonio.
Lawyers in litigation and trial practices accounted for 78 of the 143 new partners, while 55 on the new partnership lists are in corporate transactional practices. There are seven regulatory and white-collar criminal attorneys, two bankruptcy lawyers and one environmental associate among the new partner ranks.
But the most stunning number in the Texas Lawbook new partner data is the gender breakdown: Law firms promoted 95 men compared to only 48 women.
Editor’s note: Click here for a searchable table of the newly-promoted partners. This chart is being updated as additional firms announce their promotions.
The partner promotions numbers for firms in Texas are even more disturbing considering data released last week by the National Association of Law Placement showing that women are now 50.3 percent of associates at U.S. law firms.
So far, 52 law firms — some large full-service operations, others smaller boutiques and many of them the Texas outposts of national or global firms — have announced their new partnership classes. A few large firms, including Baker Botts, Baker McKenzie, Hunton AK, Foley Lardner, Jackson Walker and Winstead, have not yet announced their partner promotions. In their new partner announcements, most law firms do not separate equity from non-equity partners.
Here are some key facts, according to Lawbook data:
- Kirkland & Ellis promoted 22 of its Texas lawyers to partner this year — more than twice as many as any other firm but three less than Kirkland had last year.
- Norton Rose Fulbright is second with nine new Texas partners, which is more than double the four promoted last year.
- Bracewell and Clark Hill each promoted five new partners — up from four a year ago.
- Vinson & Elkins and Haynes Boone each promoted five, both firms down from 13 a year ago.
- Four law firms — Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing, Husch Blackwell, Polsinelli and Sidley — each voted four new Texas lawyers into their partnerships.
