McKool Smith has boosted its Houston office with the hire of Basil Umari. He joins the bankruptcy practice as a principal. Umari received his juris doctorate from The University of Texas School of Law with high honors.
Source: www.earthtimes.org
Jackson Walker has added Gary D. Compton in Austin. Compton joins as a partner in the Environmental & Legislative group. He has had more than 30 years of experience.
Source: www.pr.com
Lisa Blatt has a taken a position at Arnold & Porter as head of the appellate and Supreme Court practice. Blatt attended the University of Texas for undergrad and her juris doctorate. She spent the last 13 years as assistant to the attorney general.
Source: www.nylj.com
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith is picking up Adams & Herald, an insurance defense boutique. Adams has 11 attorneys in two office: Houston and Beaumont, which means two new offices for the former. Lewis Brisbois has 19 offices across the nation.
Source: www.nylj.com
Most of the big law firms in Texas have delayed start dates and decreased salaries for first year associates. Five big law firms refused to provide data on new associates in their Texas offices including: Baker & McKenzie; Brown McCarrol; Fulbright & Jaworski; Greenberg Traurig; and King & Spalding. The other firms offered this data: there are a combined 358 new associates scattered across these 21 firms. Last year there were 397 new associates. 125 associates, or one-third, will not start until January 1, 2010 or later.
Source: www.law.com
Bracewell & Giuliani has acquired nine attorneys in its Austin office from Fish & Richardson. The decision to leave was prompted by the fact that Fish & Richardson had announced that it planned to close its Austin office. The group of IP attorneys, led by partner Alan Alrbight, decided they should stick around in Austin. Mission achieved.
Source: www.nylj.com
Baker Botts has recently laid off lawyers in Texas due to declining demand. The last round of layoffs was in March of last year. The firm states that the incoming first years that were promised positions will still have those positions.
Source: www.nylj.com
Fish & Richardson has announced the decision to close its Austin, Texas office. The office houses 26 lawyers. The firm will also lay off most of its 14 corporate transactional attorneys firmwide. From Novermber through January, Fish & Richardson has had 49 attorneys and specialists leave the firm due to either lay-offs or their own volition.
Source: www.nylj.com
Katherine “Kit” Addleman is leaving her post as Atlanta regional director of the Securities and Exchange Commission to become a partner at Haynes & Boone, LLP. For the last 20 years, Addleman has worked in four different SEC regional offices. Addleman will join the Dallas office at the end of October.
Source: www.uk.sys-con.com
Texas Supreme Court Justice Scott Brister plans to join Andrews Kurth LLP. Brister was appointed in 2003 by Gov. Rick Perry. He will be a partner in the Austin office and will head the appellate practice. This is Brister’s second time at Andrews.
Source: www.bizjournals.com
Andrews Kurth LLP has gained a partner in Dallas. Marc D. Katz is joining as a partner in the Labor and Employment department. Katz brings with him, Cristina I. Torres as an associate to the Dallas office.
Source: www.prweb.com
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius has taken David Asmus from Baker Botts to boost its energy practice. Asmus will be in charge of the Morgan Lewis’ energy transactions practice. Another Baker Botts partner, Michael King, will join him.
Source: www.amlawdaily.typepad.com
