Thompson & Knight has built up its 170-lawyer Trial Practice group by hiring three laterals. Robert F. Brodegaard joined the firm’s New York office as a partner, Richard J. Zook is a partner in Houston, and Jennifer Rudenick has joined the Firm’s Dallas office as an associate. Brodegaard’s practice focuses on international dispute resolution and U.S. commercial litigation. Zook is a trial lawyer who specializes in handling complex business lawsuits in state and federal courts and in arbitration. Rudenick deals especially with litigation and dispute resolution.
Source: www.newyork.dbusinessnews.com

Houston-based Susman Godfrey has joined the ranks of Texas firms raising associate salaries. The firm raised salaries to $160,000 for first-years, $170,000 for second-years, $175,000 for third-years, $180,000 for fourth-years and $190,000 for fifth years. Unlike other firms, Susman’s pay hikes have no hour requirements attached. For example, starting in their third year, Vinson & Elkins associates must bill 2,000 hours in order to be eligible for the full raise.
Source: www.law.com

Locke Liddell & Sapp is the third Texas-based firm to raise associates’ salaries in Texas and Washington, D.C. Following Vinson & Elkins and Andrews Kurth, Locke Liddell has also raised first years’ pay to $160,000 and second years’ pay to $170,000. Additional raises for other associate classes are still under discussion. Locke Liddell is based in Houston and Dallas.
Source: www.law.com

In response to Vinson & Elkins’ Wednesday salary hike, Houston-based Andrews Kurth has announced pay raises of its own. First-year associates in Texas and D.C. will now receive $160,000, and second-years will earn $170,000. The firm has not decided on the compensation structure for higher-level associates.
Source: www.nylawyer.com

Texas lawyers are making lateral moves. Gary Short left Vinson & Elkins to join Jones Day in Dallas as a partner in the employee benefits & executive compensation practice. Nancy Furney and Lori Oliphant have joined Winstead in Dallas as shareholders. Formerly with Jenkens & Gilchrist, Francis Munchinski has joined Cox Smith Matthews in Dallas as of counsel in the firm’s energy department. Bracewell & Giuliani has gained public law attorney, William King, as of counsel in Houston. Litigation attorney Noelle M. Reed has become a partner in the Houston office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
Source: www.nylawyer.com

International law firm, Haynes & Boone, welcomed a new attorney to its Houston office. Jill Groff, who specializes in complex business litigation, has joined as an of counsel. She mostly handles antitrust, securities, and white collar criminal defense matters. Haynes & Boone employs over 450 lawyers in its offices in Texas, New York, Washington, D.C., Mexico City and Moscow.
Source: www.lawfuel.com

Duane Morris has added three partners to its Pittsburgh construction litigation team. Albert Bates and Edward Gentilcore joined mid-April from Reed Smith, and John Tedder recently followed. Duane Morris’ construction practice has 43 attorneys firmwide, compared to Reed Smith’s 23. The practice will be particularly focused on nuclear power and international arbitration; the group’s lawyers will represent the builders, designers, and owners of nuclear power plants. Duane Morris recently formed a nuclear power group by combining its construction and energy practices. The firm is looking to expand this new group in Houston especially, as well as New York and Miami.
Source: www.law.com

Fulbright & Jaworski has gained four litigation partners from fallen Texas firm Jenkens & Gilchrist. Rodney Acker, Theodore Daniel, Ellen Bush Sessions and Guy Wade will all join Fulbright’s Dallas office as partners. This is the second group of Jenkens partners that Fulbright has recruited. In January, the entire Houston tax team joined Fulbright.
Source: www.thelawyer.com

Jones Day has hired former Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, Bruce McDonald. McDonald will work in the firm’s Houston and Washington, DC offices. He began his legal career at Jones Day in 1988, and has worked in the DOJ doing civil antitrust enforcement since 2003. McDonald has experience in a variety of areas including telecommunications, aviation, electricity, and healthcare industries. With over 2,200 lawyers practicing in 30 locations worldwide, Jones Day is one of the world’s largest firms.
Source: www.home.businesswire.com

Texas lawyers have been on the move recently. Jeremy Gaston has joined Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw as a partner in Houston, while Jeffery Oldham has joined the firm as a litigation associate. Nickolas G. Spiliotis has joined Winstead’s Houston office as an associate with the labor and employment section. Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr’s Dallas office has hired three new attorneys: D. Ronald Reneker, shareholder, litigation; John L. Thompson, associate, litigation; and Brian P. DeVoss, senior associate, real estate.
Source: www.nylawyer.com