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

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

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

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

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

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