New law firm boutiques created from dust usually start slow with a few lawyers, an existing client or two and prayers for survival.
Zach Mayer quietly opened shop in downtown Dallas only six weeks ago, but he’s already adding partners, opening new offices and has a client list that most larger full service firms would envy.
“It has been a fast, furious and chaotic couple of weeks,” Mayer told The Texas Lawbook in an interview. “We had to find a home for about 20 lawyers and get support staff and IT support in about six weeks. It has been exciting – crazy, but still exciting.”
Officially called Mayer LLP, the firm opened the first week of January with a dozen and a half lawyers from Mayer’s old firm, Kane Russell Coleman & Logan. They leased the seventh floor of the D Magazine building at 750 St. Paul Street. Then more lawyers started calling.
“Other law firm split offs say it, but we had a truly amicable and professional departure,” said Mayer, a 1999 graduate of Texas Tech University School of Law and a 12-year veteran of Kane Russell. “I witnessed fantastic growth in our group – from one lawyer to 17 over a few years.”
Mayer now has 24 attorneys – 14 partners and 10 associates – including four lawyers in Houston and one in Albuquerque, and interviews with others are underway. While the firm’s strength is litigation, as its lawyers handled four trials, three appeals and a handful of arbitrations in 2018, it also has employment and real estate practices.
“Our next play will likely be in corporate and tax,” he said. “We have some really good folks we are looking at right now.”
National law firms talked with Mayer and some of the lawyers who joined him from Kane Russell, but they decided to start their own shop.
“With so many lawyers charging $1,000 or more per hour, we are flexible on rates because we are a leaner shop,” he said. “Not every case or client matter needs a partner from Kirkland, and that is where a firm like ours comes in. We currently have cases in California, New Jersey, South Carolina and Florida.”
Mayer said the firm’s clients, which include Darden Restaurants, Tyson Foods, Albertson’s, CVS, Dollar Tree, Texas Farm Bureau, J.C. Penney, Hobby Lobby and Rent-A-Center, have responded favorably to the move.
“The uniqueness we have as a firm is our relationships to our clients,” Mayer said. “We are batting 1.000 with our clients. Every one of them stayed with us.”
Other partners joining Mayer include:
· Rob Rickman, who is widely considered a leading lawyer in Texas for handling employment disputes for businesses over the past two decades;
· Brian Fisher, who represents trucking companies, food processors, health care providers, retailers, hotels, restaurants and landlords in various types of complex commercial litigation from the firm’s New Mexico office;
· Robin Gant, who has specialized in labor and employment law and landlord/tenant and premises liability litigation since 1994;
· William “BJ” Jones, a seasoned construction litigator who represents general contractors and homebuilders in complex disputes;
· Jack Luckett, who represents companies and insurance carriers in high-risk, catastrophic loss claims;
· Wade McClure, who represents companies and individuals in complex commercial litigation, including business divorce cases, fiduciary duty litigation and fraud litigation;
· Alan Rucker, who advises clients in complex business and commercial disputes, construction matters, transportation and logistics, personal injury defense, products liability and property disputes;
· Brian Stork, who specializes in business litigation, construction disputes and contract formation, labor and employment law and catastrophic personal injury losses;
· Aaron Speer, who heads the firm’s transportation practice and handles trucking and transportation accidents, work site and commercial explosions, premises liability claims and dram shop actions; and
· Victoria Yarkho, a native Russian, focuses her law practice on commercial real estate, corporate and business transactions.
Mayer also has two partners in its Houston office. Kevin Riley has led more than 70 jury and bench trials along the Gulf Coast. Bill Pilat specializes in labor and employment litigation and construction law disputes.
“For the most part, we are a bunch of lawyers in our 40s who love practicing law and have a client-centric approach,” Mayer said.