Dallas legal market draws more law firms as Seyfarth joins the club

Aecom

19/09/2023 21:32

By Sara Merken
       Sept 19 (Reuters) - Seyfarth Shaw said on Tuesday that
it has opened an office in Dallas, joining a wave of
out-of-state law firms expanding or setting up shop in Texas. 
   Chicago-founded Seyfarth hired a team from rival firm Bryan
Cave Leighton Paisner as part of the Dallas launch. The firm is
building on its existing presence in Texas, where it has had a
Houston office since 1995. 
    Former BCLP lawyers Amy Simpson and Tricia Macaluso join the
new office as partners and Randa Barton joins as counsel. Jibril
Greene is also joining as counsel from Quilling, Selander,
Lownds, Winslett, & Moser. 
    The firm said it also hired Katie Schwarting, another former
BCLP lawyer, as a partner based in Charlotte. 
    Seyfarth has more than 900 lawyers in its now 18 global
offices. It is the latest firm to expand in Texas, as more large
U.S. law firms look to cities including Austin, Dallas and
Houston for growth opportunities.
    Blank Rome opened a Dallas office in July. Quinn Emanuel
Urquhart & Sullivan; Snell & Wilmer; O’Melveny & Myers; and
Duane Morris are among other firms that have launched Dallas
locations in the last two years.
    Simpson, a real estate finance lawyer, will be managing
partner of the Dallas office and lead its real estate team
there. She said Seyfarth's real estate group fits well with her
own practice focusing on loan origination and servicing. 
    She said law firms are turning to the Dallas legal market as
more companies establish footprints in the area. 
    Telecommunications company Frontier Communications said last
week that it will relocate its headquarters from Norwalk,
Connecticut, to Dallas. Construction equipment maker Caterpillar
and construction and engineering firm AECOM are among other
companies that have said they will move headquarters to the
Dallas-Fort Worth area in recent years. 
    Lorie Almon, a New York-based partner who will become firm's
new chair on Thursday, said in a statement the firm has "long
supported" clients in North Texas. Almon will also become
managing partner on Jan 1. 
    Schwarting and Barton will also be part of Seyfarth's real
estate group, while Macaluso joins the litigation department and
Greene expands its labor and employment department, the firm
said.
    A BCLP spokesperson said the firm wishes the lawyers well.
Quilling Selander did not immediately respond to a request for
comment. 

 (Reporting by Sara Merken)