This is the latest update on lateral partner and counsel moves in Texas. Included are all moves at AmLaw 200 firms; data in these reports is primarily derived from Firm Prospects LLC. For more details and analysis, including a list of laterals for the month, please contact Saadia Sultan.
TMG’s monthly study of lateral moves in Texas revealed 50 partner and counsel moves in May 2024, only a little down from the 56 reported in April. With the particularly strong activity in the past two months, the number of lateral moves for 2024 is now almost 30 percent ahead of the 2023 pace.
Twenty-one of May’s moves occurred in Houston, 20 in the Dallas area, 7 in Austin, and 2 in San Antonio. All but two of the movers came from private practice; the others came from in-house positions.
Three separate firms reported group moves during the month: A Litigation group joined Phelps Dunbar from Faegre Drinker in Dallas/Southlake; a Litigation group joined Spencer Fane from Pappas Grubbs Price in Houston; and a Corporate Group which joined Willkie Farr from Haynes and Boone.
Eighteen of the 50 lawyers (36%) were women, with seven entering as partners. That compared to 20 of the 32 men who joined their new firms as partners.
Litigation was the leading practice area represented, with fifteen practitioners. Other practice areas included:
- Corporate (9)
- Energy (6)
- Banking (4)
- Labor & Employment (3)
- Public Finance (2)
- Bankruptcy (1)
- Construction (1)
- Data Privacy (1)
- Environmental (1)
- ERISA (1)
- Government Relations (1)
- Intellectual Property (1)
- Investment Management (1)
- Real Estate (1)
- Tax (1)
- Trusts & Estates (1)
The McCormick Group’s consulting offering, TMG Competitive Intelligence, provides critical insights concerning lateral partner hiring across the nation. Under that program, TMG analyzes lateral movement in a particular geography, practice area, or industry to determine critical trends, including:
- Amount of movement, not just in raw numbers, but in comparison to the number of lateral targets.
- Competitor performance, both in terms of lateral entries and departures.
- Information based on gender, race, and ethnicity.
- Breakdowns by practice area and industry.
- Movement of groups vs. individuals.
For more information on TMG Competitive Intelligence, firm representatives should call TMG’s Executive Principal, Steve Nelson.
