Sidley Austin Opens Houston Office

By Mark Curriden, Senior Legal Affairs Writer
mark.curriden@texaslawbook.net

February 14, 2012 – Chicago-based Sidley Austin became the latest global law firm to hang a shingle in Houston. The new office opens with seven partners – all prominent Texas lawyers lured away from different law firms.

The seven partners joining Sidley’s new Houston operation include five transactional lawyers and two litigators. They are banking and finance lawyer Kenneth Anderson from Locke Lord; Baker Botts energy litigator Mark Glasser; Jones Day M&A and securities lawyer J. Mark Metts; Vinson & Elkins M&A and project finance lawyer Glenn Pinkerton; McDermott M&A lawyer Sergio Pozzerle; Akin Gump energy transactions lawyer James Rice; and Mayer Brown business litigator Steven Selsberg.

Even though it had been rumored for months that Sidley was looking to open in Houston (numerous lawyers not listed above also were contacted about their interest), the firm’s ability to pull together such prominent partners from seven different law firms was a surprise.

Sidley Austin is the sixth largest law firm in the U.S. with more than 1,600 lawyers and $1.3 billion in revenues. It has an office in Dallas with two-dozen lawyers. Houston is Sidley’s 18th office globally.

“This new office represents the next phase in executing our strategic plan to have a substantial presence in all key commercial, financial and regulatory centers of the world,” said Thomas A. Cole, chair of the firm’s Executive Committee.

“Houston is not only a critical center for the energy industry—it is third only to New York and Chicago as the headquarters for Fortune 500 companies,” Cole said in a written statement. “Houston is also an important gateway to Mexico and Latin America.”

Sidley traces its roots to 1866 and boasts former first lady Mary Todd Lincoln as one of its clients.

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