King & Spalding swiped three litigation partners from Winston & Strawn, continuing its raid on the rival law firm to build its Dallas office, the firm said Tuesday.
Moving over is LeElle Slifer, who was co-chair of general litigation at Winston, John T. Sullivan who focuses on complex commercial litigation and white-collar defense, and Katrina Eash, who works on complex commercial disputes.
The new hires will reunite with prominent Texas litigator Tom Melsheimer and other Winston lawyers who jumped to King & Spalding’s Dallas office in February.
“These partners, together with their colleagues who joined us last month, bring the exceptional litigation talent, team-orientation, and focus on growth and excellence that has made our litigation practice one of the strongest in the world,” Robert Hays, King & Spalding’s chairman, said in the announcement.
King & Spalding nabbed nine litigation partners from Winston last month. The majority of the hires, including Melsheimer and Steven Stodghill, went to Dallas.
Melsheimer, known for defending billionaire Mark Cuban on insider trading charges, was the managing partner of Winston’s Dallas office and co-chair of its global litigation practice. He is now King & Spalding’s global head of trial and leads the firm’s office in the city.
Big Law firms have rushed to open offices and build out their presence in Dallas, seeking to win clients in the rapidly growing metro’s diverse economy—including technology, finances services, and energy sectors.
Simpson Thacher & Barlett and Latham & Watkins each poached partners from Kirkland & Ellis to open Dallas offices last month. The moves come amid a rise in corporate relocations, private capital, and artificial intelligence data center development in the North Texas region.
The newcomers also are luring lawyers from Baker Botts, Vinson & Elkins, Haynes Boone, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
King & Spalding entered the Lone Star State’s legal market in 1995 when it opened its Houston office. The firm extended into Austin in 2008, before launching its Dallas post in 2024.
“We are thrilled to be joining this pre-eminent practice and to contribute to the firm’s continuing upward trajectory in Dallas and beyond,” Slifer said in the statement.
King & Spalding said this year it has added 27 new partners firmwide, including 10 in Dallas.
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