O’Melveny announced Monday that it is opening an office in Austin.
The Los Angeles-founded law firm, which reported $835 million in 2020 revenues, is stealing four energy lawyers from Thompson & Knight, which is in merger talks with Holland & Knight.
The four lawyers include partner Phillip Oldham, who was head of the Austin office, and senior counsel Rex VanMiddlesworth.
O’Melveny officials say TK partners Benjamin Hallmark and Katie Coleman, who led TK’s government and regulatory practice, will join “shortly.”
“Our strategy has always been to support our clients wherever they need us, and we’ve come to know Texas well,” said O’Melveny chair Bradley J. Butwin. “Many of our most significant matters over the past 10 years have been for Texas-based companies with global footprints. And today, much of the demand for legal services in Texas aligns with O’Melveny’s core strengths. The time is right for us to establish a Texas presence.”
The law firm said that it plans to rotate lawyers from its other offices, especially those specializing in intellectual property and technology.