Wake Up Call: Out-of-State Law Firms Drive Growth in Texas

Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel.

• Law firms in Texas saw exponential growth last year, with much of the increase driven by out-of-state firms expanding their presence to capitalize on the state’s strong economy. The top 100 firms in the state collectively grew their lawyer count by 2.3%, with 21 firms posting double-digit growth. Notable expansions came from Paul Hastings and Nelson Mullins, both of which opened new offices and more than doubled their Texas head counts. (Law.com)
• A Massachusetts lawyer agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud charges for allegedly bilking clients out of more than $2 million. Patrick Dolan used the funds for personal expenses including relatives’ tuition and student loan payments, the purchase of a Jeep Wrangler, mortgage payments, landscaping and HVAC services, and at least $5,000 to cover “cosmetic surgery” for a family member. (The Boston Globe)
• Roger Dennis, former dean of Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law, died at 75. Before joining Drexel, he was an associate at Skadden and a trial attorney in the Justice Department’s antitrust division. He oversaw the launch of the Kline School of Law at Drexel in 2007, served as its first dean until 2017, and taught classes until about two years ago. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Kyle Brehm joined Jones Walker as a partner in its tax practice group in Minneapolis.
• Peter Hays joined Paul Hastings as a partner in its corporate department in Houston. He joins from King & Spalding.