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Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by suoicerp » Thu Jul 22, 2021 11:06 pm

Leaving from the East Coast and lateraling into the Dallas market - and I'm curious where a litigation associate will get the most substantive experience (depositions, etc.), as well as quality and interesting work. Specifically looking for thoughts and information on Akin, Weil, V&E, and Bradley. Also interested in exit options. It's hard to tell what the pros and cons of each are, other than some cultural differences (and obviously Bradley is much smaller and newer in Dallas).

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Re: Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jul 22, 2021 11:40 pm

The Dallas Firms thread has a good summary of the top lit offices in the city.

None of these are particularly great spots for lit in Dallas. Within this list, though, V&E would be at the top. Bradley opened an office in Dallas by absorbing a smaller lit boutique (Sayles Werbner). So you might get some more substantive experience, but this is definitely not an "elite boutique"-type of place. Unlike Houston, the best lit offices in Dallas are biglaw, with the exception of McKool (which is a great spot if you're interested in patent litigation).

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Re: Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jul 22, 2021 11:52 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Thu Jul 22, 2021 11:40 pm
The Dallas Firms thread has a good summary of the top lit offices in the city.

None of these are particularly great spots for lit in Dallas. Within this list, though, V&E would be at the top. Bradley opened an office in Dallas by absorbing a smaller lit boutique (Sayles Werbner). So you might get some more substantive experience, but this is definitely not an "elite boutique"-type of place. Unlike Houston, the best lit offices in Dallas are biglaw, with the exception of McKool (which is a great spot if you're interested in patent litigation).
Even though I don’t generally care for a handful of their attorneys, I would say Lynn Pinker is an exception. Quality boutique with BigLaw comp. Tons of hands on experience.

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Re: Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jul 23, 2021 12:34 am

Here's a breakdown of the Dallas lit firms. Others feel free to chime in and correct.

Band 1:
-Gibson Dunn: one of GDC's most selective offices, along with DC. Has the highest number of federal clerks of any Dallas lit office, by a significant margin. Heavy hitters, including co-heads of Gibson's national litigation and appellate practices based there. Strong connections to government, especially Texas SG's office. Good culture but high hours.

Band 2:
-McKool: These people eat patents for breakfast. The quintessential Texas patent litigation firm. Great for substantive experience. Low-leverage, meaning probably better partnership prospects. Unclear what the impact has been of the Supreme Court's tightening of the Rocket Docket (E.D. TX), which had been McKool's bread and butter. There have been some major laterals out of McKool in the last couple years, especially to Sidley.
-Sidley: One of Sidley's highest revenue-generating offices. Sidley's Managing Partner is based there. Particularly strong in investigations work. Great for in-house exits, to the extent they are available for lit. Diverse partnership, but reports of bad culture in lit team.
-Winston Strawn: Newer office, also in the nicest office building in Dallas (the PwC building). Also strong in patent work (top talent from Dallas office of Fish moved over to Winston Strawn).
-Vinson & Elkins: The classic BigTex firm. The firm tends to be corporate-centric, though, and its litigation headcount in Dallas is much smaller than Sidley, Mckool, Winston, Gibson Dunn. Litigation known to have good culture, although tough personalities in corp. The V&E name will always take you far in Texas, so can't hurt for exits.
-Lynn Pinker: Good for substantive experience. Lots of talented partners. Doesn't take summers. Recently lost one of their name partners to Gibson and had to change their name. Strong Quinn Emanuel vibes (great experience, aggressive litigation strategies, a bit sweatshoppy and partnership prospects similar to biglaw).

Band 3:
-Kirkland: Still new office. Has been throwing money around to lure big-name litigators in town. Got one rainmaker from another firm, but not too much traction so far. A few other junior partner laterals. But still early. Recently hired Erin Nealy Cox, so could be a good spot for white collar in the near future. Houston office has been trying to build lit for several years now, and hasn't been too successful either if that's any indication (compared to the top lit shops in town). Obviously an amazing spot for corp, especially in Houston, where they dominate.
-Baker Botts: Another name that will take you far in Texas. Strong IP practice.
-Jones Day: They've been around for a while in Dallas. Stable office with talented roster of partners and associates. IIRC, a couple of former AUSAs in there as well.

Band 4:
-Akin Gump: Satellite office, bad culture. But "sophisticated work" that comes with being a part of a national firm.
-Locke Lord: Good regional firm. Probably better partnership prospects than many firms on this list. Has had some no offers of summers in recent years though.
-Fulbright: Used to be one of the biggest players in Texas litigation. Has been on the decline, just lost several partners to O'Melveny's new office.
-O'Melveny: New office with a solid crew of partners from Fulbright. Probably too early to tell.
-Haynes Boone: Great spot for mid-market transactions, but you hear that lit is slow (lit overall not as profitable as corp in Texas, especially as you get farther from the top tiers).
-Weil: Lost all their lit partners to Sidley when they left several years back. Just hired a junior partner from Lynn Pinker, so they may be looking to rebuild lit.

Band 5:
-Other regional, semi-regional firms like Jackson Walker, Winstead, Foley, Bracewell, Alston Bird, Bradley.

New mid-law/boutique firms:
-Not much info on these, but probably good for substantive experience. Some new boutiques popping up recently, including Reese Marketos, Burns Charest, Caldwell Cassady (a spin-off founded by former McKool partners).

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Re: Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:17 am

Anyone have more specific information about Jones Day? What are their main areas of focus in litigation? How is the culture?

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Re: Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:52 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:17 am
Anyone have more specific information about Jones Day? What are their main areas of focus in litigation? How is the culture?
Like most Jones Day offices, it depends heavily on your group. Life is very different in I&A than in BATL, for example.

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Re: Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jul 23, 2021 12:40 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:52 am
Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:17 am
Anyone have more specific information about Jones Day? What are their main areas of focus in litigation? How is the culture?
Like most Jones Day offices, it depends heavily on your group. Life is very different in I&A than in BATL, for example.
I’ve heard from a former associate that it is pretty brutal with a few very toxic partners.

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Re: Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jul 23, 2021 2:50 pm

Can anyone else speak to the bad culture at Akin Dallas? That's something I've seen in a few different places, but haven't heard any specifics.

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Re: Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Jul 27, 2021 10:20 pm

I would probably drop V&E down a tier. It's pretty clear that litigation isn't a priority for the firm. Dallas hasn't made a lit partner since 2016. They've made the strategic decision to become an energy transactions firm first and foremost (and it's paid off for them, but doesn't mean it's a good place for litigators).

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Re: Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Oct 01, 2021 10:40 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jul 23, 2021 12:40 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:52 am
Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:17 am
Anyone have more specific information about Jones Day? What are their main areas of focus in litigation? How is the culture?
Like most Jones Day offices, it depends heavily on your group. Life is very different in I&A than in BATL, for example.
I’ve heard from a former associate that it is pretty brutal with a few very toxic partners.
Any idea which groups or toxic out of BATL/I&A/Securities Lit? Does it really matter if associates kind of overlap in the groups?

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Re: Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Oct 01, 2021 12:31 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Oct 01, 2021 10:40 am
Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jul 23, 2021 12:40 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:52 am
Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:17 am
Anyone have more specific information about Jones Day? What are their main areas of focus in litigation? How is the culture?
Like most Jones Day offices, it depends heavily on your group. Life is very different in I&A than in BATL, for example.
I’ve heard from a former associate that it is pretty brutal with a few very toxic partners.
Any idea which groups or toxic out of BATL/I&A/Securities Lit? Does it really matter if associates kind of overlap in the groups?
I&A is excellent everywhere. Worth considering over any firm in the Dallas market. BATL doesn't have a toxic reputation but it's not nearly as elite as I&A. Not as familiar with the Dallas securities litigators.

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Re: Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Oct 19, 2021 2:33 pm

As compared to their big counterparts, where do Lynn Pinker, McKool Smith, and Reid Collins fall in terms of exit options and connections since they are smaller? I'm also curious if anybody can speak to the lifestyle at these three firms.

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Re: Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Feb 14, 2022 1:55 pm

Sean Royall, the centerpiece of Kirkland's efforts to build a competitive lit practice in Dallas, is moving to Sidley. Kirkland has been trying to pierce the top 1-2 tiers of lit firms in Dallas for several years now, but it's not looking like they'll be able to pull it off. Royall was the only real rainmaker at Kirkland Dallas, the other lit partners left there are the JV team.

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Re: Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Feb 14, 2022 2:06 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Mon Feb 14, 2022 1:55 pm
Sean Royall, the centerpiece of Kirkland's efforts to build a competitive lit practice in Dallas, is moving to Sidley. Kirkland has been trying to pierce the top 1-2 tiers of lit firms in Dallas for several years now, but it's not looking like they'll be able to pull it off. Royall was the only real rainmaker at Kirkland Dallas, the other lit partners left there are the JV team.
I thought Royall was more of an antitrust guy and not commercial lit. Isn't Jeremy Fielding the gen lit partner in Dallas (who KE poached from Lynn Pinker in order to start building out the lit group)? And Taj Clayton as well, although I am less familiar with him.

Losing Royall to Sidley is evidence of the Dallas pecking order but I didn't perceive it to materially affect Kirkland's litigation standing in the market outside of the antitrust space.

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Re: Firms in Dallas - Litigation

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Feb 14, 2022 2:20 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Mon Feb 14, 2022 2:06 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Mon Feb 14, 2022 1:55 pm
Sean Royall, the centerpiece of Kirkland's efforts to build a competitive lit practice in Dallas, is moving to Sidley. Kirkland has been trying to pierce the top 1-2 tiers of lit firms in Dallas for several years now, but it's not looking like they'll be able to pull it off. Royall was the only real rainmaker at Kirkland Dallas, the other lit partners left there are the JV team.
I thought Royall was more of an antitrust guy and not commercial lit. Isn't Jeremy Fielding the gen lit partner in Dallas (who KE poached from Lynn Pinker in order to start building out the lit group)? And Taj Clayton as well, although I am less familiar with him.

Losing Royall to Sidley is evidence of the Dallas pecking order but I didn't perceive it to materially affect Kirkland's litigation standing in the market outside of the antitrust space.
This is all accurate. But it's also true that Royall was the only one at Kirkland-Dallas with a book of business that was capable of competing with the other big players in the Dallas lit market (whether antitrust or general commercial lit). He was counsel on one of the biggest antitrust cases in US history, for example. Fielding and Clayton aren't comparable. Without Royall, Kirkland-Dallas is just another Haynes Boone, Baker Botts, Akin Gump-type of place. Solid spot, but not competitive with the top litigation practices in Dallas. Even V&E still has Michael Holmes (who almost left to start the Dallas office of Quinn Emanuel but was convinced to stay).

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