What's going on with Andrews Kurth Forum

[Anonymous User]

Looks like they lost a few partners in Houston recently, and there has been attrition each year. Will they be able to survive going forward? How is their status within the TX hierarchy as of late?

[Anonymous User]

They lost some huge corporate partners last month. Only a big merger can save them now.

[Anonymous User]

What are your other options? They're slowly becoming on par with TK and below Bracewell imo. Lost a lot of people and capital markets heavy, which is killer when a down market hits again

[gaddockteeg]

I thought they were merging with hunton and williams?

[Anonymous User]

They've still get O'Leary but they lost the rest of the CapM partners to Sidley. This is just the way it's going. The national firms can just pay more. AK has a great culture and everyone I have ever known who works for AK just absolutely loves it there. VE is the only legacy Texas firm that seems to be hanging in there. Bracewell, AK, BB, NRF have all really taken it on the chin here. Similar deal going on up in Dallas. Times are a-changing.

[Anonymous User]

They've still get O'Leary but they lost the rest of the CapM partners to Sidley. This is just the way it's going. The national firms can just pay more. AK has a great culture and everyone I have ever known who works for AK just absolutely loves it there. VE is the only legacy Texas firm that seems to be hanging in there. Bracewell, AK, BB, NRF have all really taken it on the chin here. Similar deal going on up in Dallas. Times are a-changing.

Even then, V&E doesn't seem like the V&E of old. Haven't they lost partners to Latham in Houston and GDC in Dallas in the last decade?

[Anonymous User]

Yeah and K&E.

[Anonymous User]

Hell, Latham's even an old face now as they lose Darden to GDC.

[Anonymous User]

They've still get O'Leary but they lost the rest of the CapM partners to Sidley. This is just the way it's going. The national firms can just pay more. AK has a great culture and everyone I have ever known who works for AK just absolutely loves it there. VE is the only legacy Texas firm that seems to be hanging in there. Bracewell, AK, BB, NRF have all really taken it on the chin here. Similar deal going on up in Dallas. Times are a-changing.

Even then, V&E doesn't seem like the V&E of old. Haven't they lost partners to Latham in Houston and GDC in Dallas in the last decade?

Lost a lot of people, but most the good ones have stuck around. Firms are constantly changing because of attrition, but V&E feels more or less the same. Who knows what will happen in the coming years as more NY firms flood into Houston.

[Anonymous User]

They've still get O'Leary but they lost the rest of the CapM partners to Sidley. This is just the way it's going. The national firms can just pay more. AK has a great culture and everyone I have ever known who works for AK just absolutely loves it there. VE is the only legacy Texas firm that seems to be hanging in there. Bracewell, AK, BB, NRF have all really taken it on the chin here. Similar deal going on up in Dallas. Times are a-changing.

Even then, V&E doesn't seem like the V&E of old. Haven't they lost partners to Latham in Houston and GDC in Dallas in the last decade?

Lost a lot of people, but most the good ones have stuck around. Firms are constantly changing because of attrition, but V&E feels more or less the same. Who knows what will happen in the coming years as more NY firms flood into Houston.

Agreed, although V&E's lit department looks like it has shrunk significantly.

[Anonymous User]

They've still get O'Leary but they lost the rest of the CapM partners to Sidley. This is just the way it's going. The national firms can just pay more. AK has a great culture and everyone I have ever known who works for AK just absolutely loves it there. VE is the only legacy Texas firm that seems to be hanging in there. Bracewell, AK, BB, NRF have all really taken it on the chin here. Similar deal going on up in Dallas. Times are a-changing.

Even then, V&E doesn't seem like the V&E of old. Haven't they lost partners to Latham in Houston and GDC in Dallas in the last decade?

Lost a lot of people, but most the good ones have stuck around. Firms are constantly changing because of attrition, but V&E feels more or less the same. Who knows what will happen in the coming years as more NY firms flood into Houston.

Agreed, although V&E's lit department looks like it has shrunk significantly.

What is Lit? Most firms who move into town don't even waste their time. Smaller fees, creates more conflicts, etc. If you want to do lit, go to a boutique.

[Anonymous User]

What is the Houston transactional practice hierarchy now?

[Anonymous User]

Overall general corp?

VE
KE/LW
BB
BG/Sidley
AK/TK

GDC too new to put anywhere

[Anonymous User]

What is the Houston transactional practice hierarchy now?

Also curious. Who has the best outlook for the future in HTX?

[Anonymous User]

Overall general corp?

VE
KE/LW
BB
BG/Sidley
AK/TK

GDC too new to put anywhere

I am a midlevel in Houston transactional. I would agree with this generally. With slightly more credit to KE than LW only because they do so much more M&A, but capital markets probably even. Would include Willkie with Sidley, feel like they are the same. No clue about GDC have not heard one word about them since they opened. They did it wrong and will probably be with the likes of Skadden (which no one ever hears about either).

[Anonymous User]

Senior associate in Dallas who works with a lot of Houston firms. I'd say my rankings would be:

VE/KE/LW
then a huge drop
BB/Sidley
Bracewell/AK
Akin Gump/TK/LL
then another big drop
NRF/HB

[Anonymous User]

Overall general corp?

VE
KE/LW
BB
BG/Sidley
AK/TK

GDC too new to put anywhere

I am a midlevel in Houston transactional. I would agree with this generally. With slightly more credit to KE than LW only because they do so much more M&A, but capital markets probably even. Would include Willkie with Sidley, feel like they are the same. No clue about GDC have not heard one word about them since they opened. They did it wrong and will probably be with the likes of Skadden (which no one ever hears about either).

Would you mind elaborating on this? I'm going to br summering in Houston and I heard from other attorneys during my callbacks that GDC followed in Latham's footsteps by poaching partners and building corporate rather than lit.

[Anonymous User]

Overall general corp?

VE
KE/LW
BB
BG/Sidley
AK/TK

GDC too new to put anywhere

I am a midlevel in Houston transactional. I would agree with this generally. With slightly more credit to KE than LW only because they do so much more M&A, but capital markets probably even. Would include Willkie with Sidley, feel like they are the same. No clue about GDC have not heard one word about them since they opened. They did it wrong and will probably be with the likes of Skadden (which no one ever hears about either).

Would you mind elaborating on this? I'm going to br summering in Houston and I heard from other attorneys during my callbacks that GDC followed in Latham's footsteps by poaching partners and building corporate rather than lit.

GDC did but they didn't offer signing bonuses. So they pulled exactly 0 good associates from Houston firms. They took a couple from BB I guess, but not the good ones. No idea what their "pull" was except an early sign that they were not going to compensate associates well. That office is not going to get to the level of LW or KE who offered huge incentives to make the move.