Hunton & Williams has recruited Edward Fernandes from Akin Gump.  Fernades will continue to practice in Austin, but will also work out of the Houston office.  A major aim of his will be to grow Hunton’s litigation office, particularly in the Austin group. Fernades has much experience representing very large companies, such as Ernst & Young and Bank of America.

 

Source:  www.austin.bizjournals.com

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Pirkey Barber LLP has hired Shannon T. Vale. Vale worked with the firm’s co-founders, Lou Pirkey and Bill Barber at Austin firm, Arnold White & Durkee. Pirkey & Barber left in 2006 to start their own firm. Vale has over 25 years of experience in trademark law. Pirkey Barber has also hired Alison Davis Frey, who has over 10 years of trademark experience.

 

Source:  www.iptoday.com

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Baker Botts has added two notable attorneys to its intellectual property group. Ann Hurwitz and Will K. Wood are now partners in the firm’s Dallas office. They both join from DLA Piper where they were partners.

 

Source:  www.au.sys-con.com

 

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Jones Day has welcomed Karen Gren Johnson to its Dallas office as partner.  Johnson, a litigation attorney, was previously a state district judge for eight years.  She also has 18 years of experience in private practice in the field of civil litigation.

 

Source:  www.amlawydaliy.typepad.com

 

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Steven Tyndall has joined law firm Baker Botts today, January 1, 2009. Tyndall has vast experience in the following: corporate law, sercurities and mergers and acquisitions. He joins Baker’s Austin office from Fish & Richardson, where he was partner.

 

Source:  www.istockanaylst.com

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K&L Gates has announced the addition of attorneys Mary Schaerdel Dietz and Roderick (Rick) B. Williams. Both join the Austin office as partners. Dietz, previously at Fulbright & Jaworski LLP, is a commercial litigator. Williams, formerally with Vinson & Elkins LLP, joins the intellectual property litigation team.

 

Source:  www.lawfuel.com

 

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Baker Botts has added energy lawyer, Kevin Keenan, to its Global Projects group. Keenan was previously at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, in both London and Houston. At Baker Botts, he will remain in Houston as Partner. Keenan acquired his Juris Doctorate at Georgetown University Law Center.

www.prnewswire.com

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Hunton & Williams has been busy. The firm won over 8 employment lawyers from Akin Gump and is launching an office in San Francisco. Of the 8, four are partners, and four are associates. Laura Franze, joining co-chair of the employment group, will work out of Los Angeles and Dallas. Roland Juarez will also join the Los Angeles office. The San Francisco office will be led by poached partner, Fraser McAlpine, who will also be based out of Houston. Also in San Franisco, Brett Burns joins as partner, and Anna Suh as associate. Justin Smith, Richard Cortez and Jennifer Reith, all associates, will join the Dallas office.

Source: www.thelawyer.com

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The small litigation law firm of Eimer Stahl Klevorn & Solberg teams up with Houston firm of DeGuerin & Dickson to tackle white-collar criminal cases together with talks of merging in the future. Eimer Stahl’s new Houston office help strengthen the firm’s refining and petrochemical litigation business and will also help to establish their own white-collar criminal practice in Houston. With new back-up, DeGuerin & Dickson will also benefit from the collaboration and likely take on larger white-collar criminal cases.

Source: www.law.com

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Haynes and Boone has been honored for its pro bono work and has received the W. Frank Newton Award. The firm worked for 7 years to free Alberto Sifuentes and Jesus Ramirez, two wrongly accused Mexican nationals. The two were convicted of a 1996 murder of a convenience clerk in Texas, despite there being much evidence supporting their innocence. The Mexican Capital Legal Assistance Project, funded by the Government of Mexico, asked Haynes and Boone for their help. They agreed and in 2002, partners Sarah Teachout, Ron Breaux, and Berry McNeil got to work. These attorneys, plus others, would end up putting in 7,493 hours, which in firm terms, is equivalent to about $2.35 million. With the firm’s hard work, these innocent two men were freed after serving 12 years in prison.

Source: www.earthtimes.org

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While other cities’ legal markets are in a slump, Houston is booming, especially in the field of energy. Why Houston? Houston has strong roots in the energy field and the city’s economy is doing fairly well because of it. Many top firms have recently launched firms in the city, including: McDermott, Will & Emery; DLA Piper; Hunton & Williams; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius; Sutherland Asbill & Brennan; and Greenberg. The competition for Houston Energy attorneys, particularly those with books of business, is fierce. Firms are getting into bidding wars for those seemingly priceless energy attorneys.

Source: www.law.com

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Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP is given the honor (for the fifth year) as being one of the top law firms in Texas in the annual listing of “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” conducted by Chambers & Partners. Chambers USA guide recognizes 19 of Gardere’s partners were noted as being among the best in their respective fields.

Source: www.lawfuel.com

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