Texas Pulse


  • Akerman Adds AI Development Director From Munck Wilson

    Akerman LLP announced Wednesday that it has rounded out its artificial intelligence leadership team by bringing on a former Munck Wilson Mandala LLP litigator to serve as the firm's first director of AI development.

  • Watchdog Defends Standing In Jackson Walker Fees Case

    A Texas bankruptcy judge will make a finding on the U.S. Trustee's Office's authority to seek to have attorney fees clawed back from Jackson Walker LLP, after hearing the watchdog argue Wednesday that its public service mission grounds the effort.

  • What's Next As Law Firms Go Quiet On Diversity Data

    Law firms may be less public about their diversity, but legal industry advisers and diversity experts say much of the underlying work around recruiting, retaining and advancing talent continues.

  • The 2026 Diversity Snapshot: By The Numbers

    Law360 Pulse's latest Diversity Snapshot showed that law firms continued to make incremental gains in diversity, though attorneys of color remained less represented in the partnership ranks. Here's our data dive into representation at law firms in the U.S.

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    The 2026 Diversity Snapshot: Explore The Data

    Law360's Diversity Snapshot report explores firms' demographics across the hierarchy of private practice, and how those numbers compare to the available talent pool. Dig into the data to see a detailed look at every rung of the ladder.

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    Polsinelli Leader On Dallas Office Market's Evolution

    As the Dallas office market experiences a renaissance, law firms are giving more thought to their office needs. Brian Bullard, managing partner of Polsinelli's Dallas office and chair of its investment strategies and capital solutions division, discusses the dramatic changes he's seen as the firm's own office strategy has evolved.

  • Energy Boutique Hogan Thompson Doubles Houston Space

    Hogan Thompson Schuelke LLP is doubling the space it occupies on the top floor of a downtown Houston office tower to accommodate a roster growing with increased client demand.

  • 5th Circ. Backs Ax Of $125M Judgment Over Judge Friendship

    A split Fifth Circuit panel Tuesday affirmed the vacatur of a trial by a magistrate judge that resulted in a $125 million judgment against Port of Lake Charles, finding the district court correctly found that the magistrate judge didn't fully disclose her 40-year, "close, multifaceted, and personal friendship" with IFG Port Holdings LLC's attorney.

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    Boards Boost AI Risk Oversight Fourfold, But Gaps Remain

    Companies are taking notice of the increased peril that artificial intelligence is inflicting on them, with 4.3 times as many boards putting a committee in charge of AI risks in 2025 as a year before.

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    ABA Law School Accrediting Arm Repeals Diversity Standard

    The American Bar Association council responsible for law school accreditation voted Tuesday to eliminate its diversity and inclusion standard, the final step in a process that the council hopes will ensure it remains an accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

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    Insurance Defense Law Firms Draw Interest From PE Investors

    The high-volume business and institutional clients at insurance defense law firms are attracting interest from private equity outfits looking for more avenues into the legal sector.

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    Baker Botts Names New Energy, Infrastructure Leaders

    Baker Botts LLP announced Tuesday that it has appointed a group of longtime partners to leadership roles across practices central to the firm's energy and infrastructure work.

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    Associate Rates Hit $2,500 Per Hour, Outpacing Partner Hikes

    The ceiling on law firm associate billing rates is approaching $2,500 per hour, increasing at a faster pace than partner rates, particularly at the industry's largest law firms, according to a report released Monday by LexisNexis' CounselLink.

  • Trial Dates Vacated In Former Albright Cases, Schedules Stay

    The chief judge of the Western District of Texas has vacated the trial dates and hearings for cases that had been overseen by now-departed U.S. District Judge Alan Albright while the court works to reassign them, but said all other schedules and deadlines remain in effect.

  • Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Morgan Verkamp LLC and Sparacino PLLC lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Eleventh Circuit held that the False Claims Act's qui tam provisions do not violate the appointments clause of the U.S. Constitution.

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    Quinn Emanuel DQ'd In Defamation Case Over Stock Reports

    A Texas federal court on Friday booted Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP from representing a Hong Kong manufacturing company in its defamation lawsuit against investment research service Muddy Waters LLC after finding that the law firm had received relevant confidential information when it represented Muddy Waters in a related government probe.

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    Legal Sector Hiring Grows For 5th Month, But At Slower Pace

    The legal sector saw 600 more jobs in August, growing for the fifth consecutive month, according to seasonally adjusted data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

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    GC Stock Sales In August: Amphenol, Merck And More

    The general counsel of Amphenol made one of the biggest stock sales of August by a legal chief, pulling in $16 million. Also high on the list were the general counsel of Merck with $10.7 million, along with the top lawyer of online travel helper Booking Holdings, with $10.39 million.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry kicked off September with a busy week of attorney moves and law firm real estate trends. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

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    Quinn Emanuel, McDermott Hit By Data Breaches

    Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP and McDermott Will & Schulte LLP both recently suffered data breaches, adding to the dozens of cybersecurity incidents law firms in the U.S. have suffered in 2026.

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    Jackson Walker, Watchdog To Argue Standing Despite Deal

    The U.S. Trustee's Office and Texas law firm Jackson Walker LLP are heading for a fight next week about whether the bankruptcy watchdog has standing to claw back attorney fees after a scandal touched some of the firm's cases — but it's a battle that both sides no longer want.

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    Federal Judge Warns Threats Imperil Judicial Independence

    U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom of the Southern District of Florida told Law360 that judges and members of the bar need to educate the public on the judiciary's important role in American democracy to combat increasing threats, speaking following the release of two reports this week that warn of safety concerns for judges and that defiance of court orders is undermining the federal judiciary's independence.

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    Sheppard Adds To Corporate Bench In Dallas, London

    Sheppard announced Thursday it has added a corporate partner in Dallas from McDermott Will & Schulte and a corporate partner in London from Simmons & Simmons LLP.

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    Civitech Names Ex-Uber Legal Leader As General Counsel

    Civitech, an Austin, Texas-based public benefit corporation focused on advancing progressive candidates and causes, has bulked up its executive leadership team with a new general counsel who has served as chief of staff at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and as a senior legal director at Uber.

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    Winstead Adds Former GC To Houston Real Estate Team

    Winstead PC said it has added a Houston-based shareholder in its real estate development and investments practice group with experience in both private practice transactional work and in-house leadership.

Expert Analysis

  • How Firms Adopting AI Can Learn From CRM Rollout Mistakes Author Photo

    Law firms should learn from the challenges that have plagued client relationship management system adoption for over 30 years as they evaluate whether and how to implement artificial intelligence tools, says consultant Paul Manuele.

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    RFP Reset: Start With Client Service Author Photo

    As clients increasingly expect the sophistication that artificial intelligence makes possible, law firms can use the proposal to adopt a client service mindset that delivers practical guidance the in-house legal team can use without translation, say attorneys at Stinson.

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    Legal Tech Talks: Notorio Co-Founder On Measuring Value Author Photo

    Leonardo Lupiano, co-founder at Notorio, discusses the importance of establishing performance metrics, analyzing product usage and calculating the return on investment when considering whether to adopt a new technology.

  • How BigLaw Can Build Infrastructure For Plaintiff-Side Work Author Photo

    Traditionally defense-oriented Am Law 100 firms are increasingly expanding their plaintiff-side dockets through a mix of contingency arrangements and litigation finance, but firms must consider how on-risk work interacts with their existing capital structure and business practices, says Brendan Dyer at Rocade Capital.

  • Teaching Associates To Write Well With Responsible AI Aid Author Photo

    Firms can help their new associates become strong writers and responsible AI users by employing a framework that ensures that use of artificial intelligence tools strengthens, rather than replaces, associates' thinking processes, say Julie Schrager at Faegre Drinker and Dawn Anderson at the University of Iowa.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Play The Long Game Author Photo

    Lawyers who consistently maintain early-career and personal relationships, track contacts, and make thoughtful outreach over time will be better positioned to generate future client work, referrals and leadership opportunities, says Deborah Farone at Farone Advisors.

  • 5 Due Diligence Steps For A Successful Succession Plan Author Photo

    Instead of relying on abstract policies, firm leadership should develop concrete succession plans before rainmakers announce retirement that track which tasks intended successors are assuming, how the outgoing member is transferring their knowledge and whether clients are yet relying on the replacement, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

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    The GC's 1st 90 Days: How To Build A Strong GC Network Author Photo

    Taking time to build a network of general counsel thought partners is useful in the early days of the role because the value of relationships compounds over time, and approaching the process with a spirit of curiosity and generosity can be especially helpful, says Heather Stevenson, general counsel at Red Cell.

  • 5 Ways Law Firms Can Build Lasting AI Visibility Author Photo

    As generative artificial intelligence tools become embedded across the entire digital ecosystem, law firm leaders can build an enduring footprint with five factors that ensure their firms remain visible no matter how underlying models evolve, says Melanie Trudeau at Reputation Ink.

  • Nonequity Partner Boom Forces Lawyers To Pick A Lane Author Photo

    With firms increasingly offering the nonequity partnership tier, the position can become either a parking spot to help build a book of business or a permanent landing zone, and for those who want to become equity partners, business development matters more than ever, says Kate Reder Sheikh at Major Lindsey.

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    RFP Reset: Focus On Execution, Not Just Expertise Author Photo

    Law firms that treat responses to requests for proposal as concrete evidence of staffing, budgeting, communication and project management discipline will be better positioned to win business from legal departments than firms that tout generic credentials alone, says LaResa Young at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

  • 3 Ways Firm Leaders Can Nurture AI Fluency Author Photo

    Lawyers can’t develop artificial intelligence fluency from continuing legal education courses, webinars or email updates, so firm leaders must foster conditions that are conducive to attorney learning if they want AI investments to deliver their promised return, says Adrienne Prentice at Keep Company.

  • The GC's 1st 90 Days: How To Build Trust With The CEO Author Photo

    During the early days in the general counsel role, establishing a CEO relationship that holds under pressure is dependent on earning access, communicating in business terms and advising candidly — all before a crisis arises, says Chaka Patterson, former general counsel at Adtalem Global Education.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Harness Client Trust Author Photo

    Clients stay with counsel not simply because their lawyers follow the rules, but because they feel safe, respected and heard, making trust essential to business development, especially in high-stakes matters where reputational risk runs high, says Derrelle Janey at Olshan Frome.

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    Legal Tech Talks: Summize GC On Operating Strategically Author Photo

    Lexi Lutz, general counsel of Summize, discusses how legal tech can make lawyers more proactive and less tied up in repetitive process work, so that they can spend more time acting as real business partners.

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