Powell Goldstein LLP has announced that it has hired four lateral hires for three of its offices. One hire was that of B.T. Atkinson, a partner in the Financial Institutions practice. Barney Stewart III joins as counsel in the Business and Finance practice. Both join Powell’s Charlotte office. The Dallas office adds Bruce Howell as counse in the Health Care practice. Roy Hadley has been hired by the Atlanta office as counsel in the Business and Finance practice.

Source: www.prnewswire.com

Bracewell & Giuliani has announced the addition of Jeffrey J. Ansley and William C. McMurrey as partners to its White Collar Criminal Defense and Special Investigations practice. Both Ansley and McMurrey served as Assistant United States Attorneys in Dallas. Ansley was lead prosecutor for securities fraud cases in the Fraud and Public Corruption/White Collar Section, while McMurry was the Assistant U.S. Attorney in charge of healthcare and financial institution fraud prosecutions.
Source: www.pr-inside.com

Baker Botts has announced the addition of tax attorney Felicia Finston to its Dallas office. Finston brings her 20 years of experience to the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation team. Bakers Botts representatives stated that they look forward to utilizing her long record of excellence.

Dallas firm Gwinn & Roby has closed its doors. The defense firm once housed 200 attorneys in three offices throughout Texas. Source blame HB 4, a tort reform measure set in 2003, for the downfall of the firm.
Source: www.texaslawyer.com

Locke Liddell & Sapp and Lord Bissell & Brook LLP have announced that two firms will merge in early October. The new firm, which will be called Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP, will house over 700 attorneys and will have around $400 million is gross revenue. Current Dallas managing partner Jerry Clements of Liddell & Sapp will head the new firm.
Source: www.bizjournals.com

Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP has announced that litigation partner Bretton C. Gerard will join the firm’s Dallas office. Gerard specializes in business litigation, focusing on real estate, partnership and property disputes. He is also very skill in mediation and arbitration.
Source: lawfuel.com

Dykema Gosset P.L.L.C., a law firm based out of Detroit, announced this Wednesday that it will be opening a Dallas office. The new branch will be composed of commercial litigators, although Dykema hopes to expand to corporate, real estate and financial practices over the next few years. Darrell Jordan, the attorney who ran for mayor of Dallas last year, will head the new office.
Source: crainsdetroit.com

Meckler, Bulger & Tilson will open a Dallas office September 1st. The Chicago based office has recruit six attorneys from Baker & MacKenzie LLP’s Dallas office to begin the new insurance practice. This new office is part of a Southwestern expansion; Meckler Bulger & Tilson also has plans to open a Phoenix office. The firm’s major clients include Geico and Travelers Insurance.
Source: news.google.com

Two more Texas firms have announced first-year salary increases. Dallas-based firms Jackson Walker and Gardere Wynne Sewell are matching the new TX market rate of $160,000. Gardere’s new starting salary will be effective Sept. 1, but there is no bonus associated with it. Jackson Walker’s raise will not be effective until Jan. 1, 2008; it includes a base salary of $140,000 plus a $20,000 bonus, $15,000 of which the new associates will receive immediately. Neither firm has decided on a new compensation structure for more senior associates.
Source: www.nylawyer.com

Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal is rapidly adding partners (20 this year) and offices (three this year), yet its total headcount is growing slowly. The total number of attorneys has only grown by five, reaching 650, because some lawyers have left as the firm sharpens its strategic focus. The firm’s new offices are located in Dallas, Charlotte, and Menlo Park. Sonnenschein aims to expand its litigation, corporate, and real estate groups, and hopes to grow to 1,000 attorneys by 2009. Along the way the firm has lost lawyers due to its increasing emphasis on profitability and productivity standards.
Source: www.law.com