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Three Partners Depart Gruber Hail to Open New Shop

© 2018 The Texas Lawbook.

By Mark Curriden and Brooks Igo

(Feb. 21) – Three partners at the 20-lawyer Dallas trial boutique Gruber Hail Johansen Shank are leaving the law firm to start their own practice.

Trey H. Crawford
Trey H. Crawford, Dave Wishnew and Michael J. Lang are launching Crawford, Wishnew & Lang.

Partners on both sides say the separation is amicable and that the lawyers from the two firms will continue to work together on various litigation matters.

Dave Wishnew
“Trey, Dave and Michael are all good lawyers, and they’re our very good friends,” Gruber Hail Managing Partner Mark Shank said Wednesday. “I personally want to thank them for their contributions and wish them the very best.”

Firm founder Mike Gruber, in an interview with The Texas Lawbook, compared the departures of Crawford, Wishnew and Lang to a father watching his children grow up, finish college and tackle the world on their own.

Michael J. Lang
In a written statement released by the law firm, Crawford said he has great respect for his partners at Gruber Hail and that he and his new firm plans to work with them on client matters in the future.

“All three of us have had goals of starting our own firm and building something great together,” Wishnew added. “We are ready.”

Last summer, Wishnew received tremendous media attention from publications including The New York Times, CBS News, The Washington Post, the Dallas Morning News, People Magazine and CNN after securing a $1.08 million jury verdict for a Dallas wedding photographer in a defamation case.

Also joining Crawford, Wishnew & Lang are associates Ali Ohlinger and T.J. Jones.

© 2018 The Texas Lawbook. Content of The Texas Lawbook is controlled and protected by specific licensing agreements with our subscribers and under federal copyright laws. Any distribution of this content without the consent of The Texas Lawbook is prohibited.

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Mark Curriden

Mark Curriden is a lawyer/journalist and founder of The Texas Lawbook. In addition, he is a contributing legal correspondent for The Dallas Morning News.

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