Gibbs Bruns Forum

[Anonymous User]

Seems Susman Godfrey draws most of the attention when it comes to Houston boutiques but I’ve heard Gibbs is on the same tier if not right below. Wanted some insight.

[Anonymous User]

Interested in this as well. Additionally, how does Gibbs compare to the other “elite” lit boutiques in Houston, i.e. Yetter Coleman, AZA, Beck Redden, SKV etc. Do y’all think these firms will follow the new 205k Milbank/DPW/Biglaw scale?

[Anonymous User]

bump

[Anonymous User]

Susman and Gibbs are the two best litigation shops in Houston. If you compare the credentials of the associates and partners, they are very comparable. They're very different firms, however, with different pros and cons. Susman is more aggressive and bro-y, eat-what-you-kill (for partners), better name recognition if you want to leave Houston. Gibbs & Bruns I think is lockstep for partners, they intentionally keep their firm small, and probably has more of a cerebral vibe.

Others can chime in, but I would rank the boutiques in Houston in tiers
1. Susman
2. Gibbs a very close second
3. Yetter, SKV, Reynolds Frizzell, Beck
4. AZA and the rest

AZA isn't like a typical Houston elite boutique. You'll get great substantive experience there but it's highly leveraged with partnership prospects comparable to biglaw. Think Quinn Emanuel or Lynn Pinker in Dallas.

[Anonymous User]

Susman and Gibbs are the two best litigation shops in Houston. If you compare the credentials of the associates and partners, they are very comparable. They're very different firms, however, with different pros and cons. Susman is more aggressive and bro-y, eat-what-you-kill (for partners), better name recognition if you want to leave Houston. Gibbs & Bruns I think is lockstep for partners, they intentionally keep their firm small, and probably has more of a cerebral vibe.

Others can chime in, but I would rank the boutiques in Houston in tiers
1. Susman
2. Gibbs a very close second
3. Yetter, SKV, Reynolds Frizzell, Beck
4. AZA and the rest

AZA isn't like a typical Houston elite boutique. You'll get great substantive experience there but it's highly leveraged with partnership prospects comparable to biglaw. Think Quinn Emanuel or Lynn Pinker in Dallas.

How's the brand/name recognition of the firms listed in #3 if I wanted to lateral to Austin as a mid-level? Specifically, Yetter and/or Beck?

Also, is it correct to assume that if I wanted to do litigation and really wanted great experience, it would be wise to choose any of the firms listed above (AZA to Susman) over V&E or Baker Botts? I'm starting as a junior after a D.Ct. + COA clerkship btw.

Thanks for your insight!

[bruinfan10]

Gibbs is phenomenal and almost certainly a better place to work than Susman. But it has less name recognition outside really elite legal circles.

[Anonymous User]

Susman and Gibbs are the two best litigation shops in Houston. If you compare the credentials of the associates and partners, they are very comparable. They're very different firms, however, with different pros and cons. Susman is more aggressive and bro-y, eat-what-you-kill (for partners), better name recognition if you want to leave Houston. Gibbs & Bruns I think is lockstep for partners, they intentionally keep their firm small, and probably has more of a cerebral vibe.

Others can chime in, but I would rank the boutiques in Houston in tiers
1. Susman
2. Gibbs a very close second
3. Yetter, SKV, Reynolds Frizzell, Beck
4. AZA and the rest

AZA isn't like a typical Houston elite boutique. You'll get great substantive experience there but it's highly leveraged with partnership prospects comparable to biglaw. Think Quinn Emanuel or Lynn Pinker in Dallas.

How's the brand/name recognition of the firms listed in #3 if I wanted to lateral to Austin as a mid-level? Specifically, Yetter and/or Beck?

Also, is it correct to assume that if I wanted to do litigation and really wanted great experience, it would be wise to choose any of the firms listed above (AZA to Susman) over V&E or Baker Botts? I'm starting as a junior after a D.Ct. + COA clerkship btw.

Thanks for your insight!

Susman and Gibbs are miles ahead of a V&E or BB and getting an offer at one of these shops is incomparably more difficult. If you are gunning for Houston and have the credentials for it, you should go to one of the top boutiques. Houston biglaw has been shedding their litigation practices for years and all of the top talent goes to the boutiques. At a V&E or BB, you'll play second fiddle to corp and never even be in conversation for partnership. Houston is a very unique market in this regard.

Name recognition is more complicated. Lawyers outside of Houston are less familiar (even in Texas) of the non-Susman firms. However, the elite litigators "in the know" should mostly have heard of at least Gibbs, Yetter, and maybe AZA.

[Anonymous User]

Reviving this thread rather than duplicating it. Does anyone know

1. What the hours average / expectation is
2. How much plaintiffs / contingency they take on
3. Compensation - does it match Cravath all the way thru (some "elite Houston boutiques" do not), and is that true after 2022 raises
4. What the timeline and realistic chances of partnership are
5. How difficult it is to get an interview if you did not summer there (assume you otherwise have credentials in-line with their roster).

Thanks ya'll!

[Anonymous User]

Reviving this thread rather than duplicating it. Does anyone know

1. What the hours average / expectation is
2. How much plaintiffs / contingency they take on
3. Compensation - does it match Cravath all the way thru (some "elite Houston boutiques" do not), and is that true after 2022 raises
4. What the timeline and realistic chances of partnership are
5. How difficult it is to get an interview if you did not summer there (assume you otherwise have credentials in-line with their roster).

Thanks ya'll!

Same questions for AZA and SKV.

[Anonymous User]

Re AZA, think of this as an educated guess: they dont can people often so you can make "partner" if you stay on long enough, but the named folks keep all or most all of the equity. Compensation lags Cravath at upper levels. Hours are not crazy (average for Biglaw? Not as bad as Susman at any rate). Cant speak to difficulty of getting an interview. They do take laterals.