When Thompson Coburn opened its Dallas office at the beginning of March, the firm could not have anticipated trying to execute its growth strategy amidst a global pandemic and nationwide lockdowns.
Yet the firm doubled its headcount in the new office in April with four more hires from Thompson & Knight – Dawn Wright, Jasmine Wynton, Mackenzie Salenger and John Atkins. The additions bring more litigation depth to the St. Louis firm’s Dallas outpost.
It is a poetic reunion for office managing partner Nicole Williams, hiring partner Jennifer Ecklund and Katharine Clark. Wright actually recruited the three to Thompson & Knight in the early aughts. Now they got to woo her to join them at Thompson Coburn.
“We’ve needed some products liability lawyers in this office and [Wright] gives us a great start,” Williams says. “Her book of business fits very well with what Thompson Coburn is doing.”
At TK, Wright chaired the industry group covering general torts, toxic torts, products liability, transportation, chemicals and manufacturing. She advises Ford Motor Co. on product liability litigation and is representing more health care companies in litigation, which aligns well with Thompson Coburn’s “strong” health care practices in St. Louis and Chicago.
“It’s exciting to help a firm build a presence in a new market, even if we are doing so remotely for the time being,” Wright says.
Wynton was also attracted to the possibility of “laying the foundation” for Thompson Coburn’s entrance into the market alongside a group of women she admires greatly. But equally important to Wynton, who was a senior associate at TK, was being promoted to partner.
“Not only was I ready to take my career to the next level, but I also saw this as an opportunity to be the representation that I wanted to see at major law firms,” says Wynton, whose litigation practice includes high-stakes business disputes, employment law matters and white-collar criminal defense.
“Let’s be frank: there has been and (continues to be) a dearth of African-American women partners in Big Law today. As such, I take very seriously this opportunity that I have been afforded. I feel that it is my duty to not only be the very best lawyer that I can be for the benefit of TC and our clients, but also for women attorneys of color, to show them that there is a path to success for them in the law firm environment.”
Salenger and Atkins – who were also associates at TK – have joined Thompson Coburn as of counsel.
Hiring and onboarding during the COVID-19 crisis has been “very unusual,” Williams said, but “no one skipped a beat” thanks to Thompson Coburn’s technology and IT team. The firm conducted online video interviews and reached agreements virtually rather than in person.
Williams then coordinated all of the technology needs, hand-delivering computer hardware (which happened to be the same brand and model laptop the attorneys used at TK) and files – while maintaining social distance best practices – to the lawyers’ homes. She also organized weekly video calls and individual virtual happy hours to welcome the new additions. Williams even made a pharmacy trip for one of the hires.
Wynton praised the firm’s efforts to make it an easy transition.
“Virtual happy hours and coffee breaks have been a great way to stay connected in this remote work environment,” she says. “Although I started at Thompson Coburn remotely, I have not felt isolated or disconnected.”
Clockwise from top left: Nicole Williams, Jennifer Ecklund, Katie Clark and Jasmine Wynton
One of the most difficult things for Williams was not being able to celebrate Wynton’s promotion to partner in person.
“We would have loved to celebrate that with more than a virtual happy hour, but we will be able to go back and do what we wanted to do [when we can],” she added.
Williams said the firm is busy scheduling WebEX interviews and keeping the recruiting pipeline filled.
“We need more attorneys in Dallas and that isn’t expected to change,” she said.