Winstead has acquired 12 more Jenkens & Gilchrist lawyers, adding to the 18 they already hired from the San Antonio and Austin offices. Six of the new additions come from Winston’s Dallas headquarters; the other half are leaving the Austin office. Jenkens’ numbers have dropped to under 200 attorneys in recent weeks; it is rumored that most of the remaining Dallas lawyers will move to Hunton & Williams.

Source: www.law.com

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On Jan. 17, San Francisco’s Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold opened in Houston with the arrival of four new attorneys. Carrie Weitinger, Julia Adams, and associate Monica Fendler are leaving Houston’s Westmoreland Hall to join the new office; former Germer Gertz associate Shannon Thorne is also coming aboard. Sedgwick’s TX managing partner reported that the firm wanted to open an office in Houston because the city is one of the country’s major litigation centers. Opened in 2001, Dallas was the firm’s first Texas office, and Austin was second in 2006. In total, Sedgwick has 370 attorneys in 13 offices worldwide.

Source: www.nylawyer.com

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Texas firm Winstead Sechrest & Minick has gained several new lawyers in three offices around the state. The Austin office welcomed Scott Rhodes; Dallas gained eight new attorneys; and three new lawyers joined the Houston office.

Source: www.nylawyer.com

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Fish & Richardson has snared 8 business and litigation attorneys from Texas giant Andrews Kurth. Citing Fish & Richardson’s exceptional IP practice as the main appeal in the move, the new attorneys will bring the Austin office’s total to twenty. On the other side, Andrews Kurth managing partner Rex VanMiddlesworth is disappointed and notes that “…business is strong and our struggle is to just get enough folks to do what we need to do.”
Source: www.texaslawyer.com

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275-lawyer Dallas-based firm Jenkens & Gilchrist has increased salaries nationwide, with first-year associates now earning $140,000, The firm’s Texas offices are located in Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Also announcing raises is Houston firm Porter & Hedges, with first-years making $135,000 plus $5,000 in bonuses. Source: www.law.com

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San Francisco-based firm Sedgwick, Detert, Moran & Arnold has opened a new office in Austin, the firm’s twelfth in total. Sedgwick has snagged Jackson Walker partner Laura Lee Prather to head the new office. The firm will look to add additional associates immediately. Sedgwick employs a total of 351 attorneys.
Source:www.law.com

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Dallas firms Munsch, Hardt, Kopf, & Harr and Gardere, Wynne, Sewell have raised associate salaries. Both firms maintain offices in Dallas, Houston, and Austin. Gardere Wynne, who employs 278 attorneys, will now pay first-years $140,000. Munsch Hardt employs over 100 attorneys and has set first-year pay at $135,000.

Source: www.law.com

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Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has raised salaries for Texas associates at all levels. The firm’s first-years will now earn a base of $135,000 with an additional $5,000 bonus. Akin Gump employs 900 attorneys worldwide and has Texas offices in Austin, Dallas, and Houston.

Source:www.law.com

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Locke Liddell & Sapp has joined the Texas raise bandwagon, bumping first-year salaries in its Austin, Dallas, and Houston offices to $140,000. Associates in its New Orleans and D.C. offices will see the same increase.

Source: www.law.com

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Baker Botts has increased its Texas associate salaries at all levels to meet the current market trend. First-years will now earn $140,000 with a potential $10,000 bonus, slightly bettering the recent moves by V&E and Andrews Kurth. Baker Botts is based in Houston and has offices in both Dallas and Austin.

Source:Texas Lawyer

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Houston-based Andrews Kurth has followed Vinson & Elkins lead in raising associate salaries. Details of the changes are as yet unreleased, but will be retroactive to January 1. Andrews Kurth’s Texas offices are located in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and The Woodlands.

Source: Texas Lawyer

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Reed Smith will look to expand into Austin, Dallas, and Houston, adding to its current U.S. presence on the East Coast and in California. The expansion would likely come as a merger with an existing firm already established in these markets, following the method of their 2003 move into California. Reed Smith currently
Source:www.nylawyer.com

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