Publisher’s note: The following Q&A is the product of thought leadership series with Dallas legal recruiter Kate Cassidy of Lotus Legal Search. Cassidy started her career in Big Law with Weil Gotshal and Baker Botts before moving in-house to work for the Dallas Stars and later the Texas Rangers, where she was acting general counsel. In “The Corner Office” series, Cassidy will interview leaders in the Texas legal market.
In the four years since Nicole Williams helped launch Thompson Coburn’s Dallas office with a group of four lawyers from Thompson & Knight, the Dallas office managing partner has navigated the Covid-19 pandemic, established key community partnerships with the UNT Dallas College of Law and local nonprofits, and overseen local growth to nearly 30 attorneys. In this Q&A, Williams discusses Thompson Coburn’s record year in 2023, litigation trends, and career advice for young attorneys.
Kate Cassidy: How is Thompson Coburn doing nationally and in Dallas?
Nicole Williams: Our focus on strategic growth across the country has led to some great additions, including here in Texas. It’s been an amazing rate of growth considering we started with four of us in Dallas just four years ago! We’re approaching 30 lawyers in Dallas, and those joining us in the past couple of years have included more of our former Thompson & Knight colleagues and high-profile hires like state Sen. Nathan Johnson and former Texas appeals court Justice Douglas Lang.
Across the country, we are focused as a firm on growing strategically – we had great success opening a New York office in 2021, for example. But we are also focused on expanding talent in existing locations. At the start of 2024, we added two former federal prosecutors to our firmwide litigation team, which expands our already strong white-collar defense and investigations work, and we also have expanded our higher education practice.
In terms of revenue trends, 2023 saw record results in revenue, net income and revenue per lawyer across the firm. It was the third straight year of record gross revenue, topping $267 million. Our profits per equity partner were up nearly 5 percent as well. Overall, we were very pleased with those results, as we had strong levels of activity across a wide range of practice areas and offices. That diversification helped us reach and exceed our targets, despite the increasing cost pressures of inflation.
Cassidy: What is a trend you see in Texas litigation?
Williams: There is an increased use of our Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 202 pre-suit discovery procedures. Motions to dismiss under the Texas Citizens’ Participation Act also continue at a high rate, despite the amendments that sought to narrow its application and use.
Cassidy: Your Dallas partners have been committed to social justice and pro bono causes. Can you speak to that work?
Williams: This area was really important to us in deciding to join Thompson Coburn four years ago. Many of the attorneys in our Dallas office now work on the firm’s social justice litigation team, which is also led from Dallas by my partners Jenny Ecklund and Elizabeth Myers, and we are so proud of the work we’ve done in this area. This has included matters related to reproductive health, DEI initiatives, sexual assault civil actions, police brutality, health care access, and protections for survivors of violence, among others.
We’re experiencing a really rewarding development in this area now, with a documentary focused on one of these cases that just premiered at this year’s South by Southwest. “An Army of Women” tells the story of a group of sexual assault survivors who sued the Austin police department over its inaction in investigating their assaults. Jenny and Elizabeth represented the women and are part of the film. We are all so proud of the work they did in that case, and this important fight for justice is raising awareness and holding systems accountable. And even more exciting, the documentary is continuing to be selected for festival screenings across the country, including at the Dallas International Film Festival later this month.
Cassidy: You helped Thompson Coburn open their Dallas office in 2020. How was the process of opening a new AmLaw office, especially during the height of Covid times?
Williams: Interesting, for sure! We were one the few law firms to open a new office during the early days of the pandemic. We made the move in March 2020, days before the world shut down. We had to postpone all kinds of grand plans and pack up our brand-new temporary office space to work from our homes. For the next several months, we did everything from home, including recruiting new attorneys! The firm was very supportive, including with technology and planning many virtual events to still help integrate us into the firm and meet all of our new colleagues. And while the world was still largely shut down, we found our new permanent office space so we could start with construction and not skip a beat! That space opened in September 2021. The fact that we were able to grow and thrive during that first, challenging year was a great sign that this partnership was meant to be.
Cassidy: What are your thoughts on the debate on attorneys working remotely vs. in office?
Williams: We have a hybrid system, and I think that is where the profession will likely stay. In our system, we have core in-office days that get most people in at the same time each week, and we have planned events such as lunches, coffee, or meetings. I think that in-person contact goes a long way toward keeping a strong culture and building relationships (and I am GenX, of course). I also think that in-person participation on a litigation team, in particular, is important to the training and development of the next generation of talent. But we recognize flexibility is important, too, and we aren’t in the office just to be seen in the office. For any firm to stay relevant in recruiting and retention of top talent, there should be an understanding of that.
Cassidy: What do you enjoy most about the practice of law?
Williams: I’m a litigator, so the dynamic nature of that work fuels my passion for the practice of law. I find immense satisfaction in the type of complex problem-solving we do to advocate for our clients’ interests, and I also enjoy learning new areas of business and applying my legal expertise to them. But beyond the legal practice, the fact that we can use our profile and skills in the community to support charitable and pro bono work, and find the next generation of lawyers, is very fulfilling to me. I have been teaching and coaching at UNT Dallas College of Law since its opening. And our office has partnered with so many organizations in the area – including the Dallas Wings Community Foundation, Junior Players, Rainbow Days, and Café Momentum – as part of our commitment to making a difference.
Cassidy: Any career advice for young attorneys?
Williams: This is a profession, not just a job, and looking at it from that angle will help you get the most out of your experience as a young attorney. Seek out attorneys who will provide you with the opportunity to watch them handle cases, provide you useful feedback, and involve you in strategy discussions and court proceedings. Take ownership of those opportunities, ask for help when you need it, and ask for responsibility when you think you are ready for it. I know most of us were always high performers and aren’t necessarily used to asking for help, or getting constructive feedback (I sure wasn’t), but you absolutely need both help and feedback to grow as an attorney. And as you are going up, don’t forget to look back and help others as well. This profession can be very rewarding if you lean in to becoming a skilled attorney and a compassionate individual.
Cassidy: What’s your favorite travel destination?
Williams: Disney or Gatlinburg, if I’m staying close! Bora Bora if I’m going away (and have unlimited funds).
Cassidy: What are you reading for fun right now?
Williams: My most recent favorite book is The Seven ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. I am currently reading The Guest List.