A Primer on Austin’s Legal System
Austin, Texas, affectionately known as the "Live Music Capital of the World," has long been a city on the rise, and its legal landscape is no exception. With a combination of a vibrant economy, a flourishing tech industry, and an influx of educated professionals from all over the country, it’s no wonder that Austin has become home to a large number of law firms. Over the past few decades, Texas has experienced tremendous growth and development, and Austin has proven to be a key player in that expansion. Within the wide range of services provided by law firms in the area, the largest law firms in Austin demonstrate the city’s capacity to attract influential legal work and highly regarded legal professionals. Considered the state capital and home to The University of Texas at Austin (one of the largest student bodies in the U.S.), Austin is characterized by a growing international community, particularly in the field of technology. Recognizing that growth potential , large law firms have steadily established themselves in the city to leverage the increasing business opportunities. As the state’s largest city by land area and the governmental epicenter of Texas, Austin has also seen a proclivity for the pursuit of legal work in governmental and legislative affairs, further solidifying the position of Austin as a prominent legal hub in Texas.
Perhaps the most effective way to measure the extent of a city’s legal resources is to review its law firm talent. To this end, we’ve ranked the largest law firms in Austin by attorney count. Each firm is canvassed for their full-time attorney headcounts, as well as for the share of attorneys in Austin compared to their statewide tally. The outcome is a snapshot of the legal prowess located in Austin, and the results to which they amount statewide. With its thriving legal community, including some of the state’s top-ranking law firms, it’s plain to see that Austin is not only the "Live Music Capital of the World," but it has also established itself as a legal powerhouse in the Lone Star State.
Biggest Law Firms
Following Baker Botts LLP are Portner & Shure, P.C., in second place with 71 attorneys and an office in Houston, Baker McKenzie (with offices in over 46 countries, including Atlanta) in third with 57 attorneys, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP in fourth with 55 attorneys, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, in fifth with 45 attorneys, Goehring, Rutter & Boetcher, PC in sixth with 38 attorneys, Latham & Watkins LLP, in seventh with 34, Winstead PC in eighth with 31 attorneys, Cofer & Connelly, PLLC in ninth with 27 attorneys, and Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, PC rounds out the top ten largest law firms in Austin at tenth place with 26 attorneys. Of the top ten firms, only Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP include an office in Austin, while the rest have offices in Dallas or Houston.
Practice Area Concentrations
Austin’s largest law firms encompass a diverse range of practice areas and specializations, which helps them effectively serve the needs of the city’s business community and residents. Common practice areas include corporate and business law, employment and labor law, intellectual property law, real estate law, transactions and litigation, tax law, and compliance. Understanding these practice areas can be beneficial for businesses seeking legal counsel for their specific needs.
Corporate and business law is one of the most common specializations among the largest law firms in Austin, Texas. Attorneys in this field work with a wide spectrum of clients ranging from small startups to large companies, providing guidance on corporate structures, governance, mergers and acquisitions, and a variety of other business-related matters. Employment and labor law is another prevalent area, with lawyers specializing in advising clients on employment policies and practices, HR-related legal issues, workplace safety, and compliance with state and federal employment regulations.
Intellectual property law is a popular specialty amongst Austin’s largest law firms as well, especially given the city’s burgeoning technology sector. Many of these firms assist clients in protecting their intellectual property through patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Other services in this area include licensing, IP litigation, and portfolio management.
Real estate law is another prominent practice area for these firms, as Austin has a growing population and a robust real estate market. Lawyers in real estate law handle transactions, development projects, financing arrangements, leases, and a variety of other real estate-related legal issues for both buyers and sellers of property.
Transactional and litigation services make up another common practice area that most of Austin’s largest firms offer, providing legal representation to clients in matters such as contract drafting and negotiation, general counsel services, and litigation in state and federal courts.
Tax law is also a significant specialization for many of the largest law firms in Austin, as Texas businesses and individuals rely on knowledgeable tax lawyers for advice on tax planning, compliance, audits, and disputes.
Finally, many larger firms in Austin provide compliance services for businesses and individuals, helping to ensure that they meet their legal obligations under state and federal law. This includes compliance with government regulations in a wide array of industries, as well as professional licenses and certifications.
Each of these practice areas is important in ensuring that Austin’s businesses and residents have the legal representation necessary to navigate the state’s business-friendly legal environment and thrive in the local and regional economy.
Prestige and Honors
Maintaining a strong professional reputation is essential for lawyers, providing further evidence of their competence and reliability. This reputation is often reinforced by the awards and recognitions that lawyers and law firms earn. Several of Austin’s largest law firms are further distinguished by being among the few firms nationwide to achieve approval under the Legal Services Corporation’s (LSC) requirement for large-scale litigation. Again, only a small number of all law firms in the nation have been so distinguished.
These law firms were selected by the LSC after an intensive review process based on their outstanding reputation, its partners’ experiences in business development, the documentation of the law firm’s financials, and its internal policies. Furthermore, both firms have been recognized by The American Lawyer among the top one hundred law firms in the country. In addition, according to a survey by BCG Attorney Search, two Austin law firms are ranked as the organizations that pay their associates the most in Texas. Granting this award each year, it was no surprise to Grant Thornton to recognize Austin law firms again in 2015. There is no doubt that their reputation in the legal community is extraordinary for their size as well as their service.
Legal Innovation and Technology Adoption
In an era where technology is ubiquitous, the largest law firms in Austin are no exception. Law firms such as DLA Piper, Haynes and Boone LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, Bracewell LLP, Jackson Lewis LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, Sidley Austin LLP, and Vinson & Elkins LLP are just a few examples of firms that utilize innovative approaches and cutting-edge technologies to streamline their operations and enhance the quality of legal services they provide to their clients.
For instance, firms like DLA Piper have heavily invested in Legal Project Management (LPM), a methodology commonly utilized by businesses in other sectors to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget. The firm has also implemented data analytics to predict and manage client budgets, preventing cost overruns. In a similar vein, Haynes and Boone LLP utilizes technology to perform due diligence reviews through its online Haynestack® solution, and offers a world-class billing system that presents clients with options such as electronic submissions, e-billing vendor integration, and a web-based client portal.
Jackson Lewis LLP, a prominent labor and employment firm, uses Artificial Intelligence to support its attorneys in performing tasks like document review and initial drafting. Given the potentially sensitive nature of this information, technology has also enabled the firm to keep abreast of privacy issues, like the General Data Protection Regulation and California Consumer Privacy Act, to ensure that they are following appropriate protocols. Such protocols are fundamental for maintaining the level of security expected by clients in the wake of increasing data privacy concerns.
A sophisticated technological infrastructure not only helps these large firms in preventing internal cost overruns and protecting client data , it also facilitates the provision of enhanced client service delivery. For example, firms such as Sidley Austin LLP and Vinson & Elkins LLP leverage technology to improve their projects by allowing clients seamless access to their records and time-entry information. DLA Piper also has an app for iOS and Android that keeps clients current on all their legal matters and schedules meetings directly from their mobile device.
However, it is important to note that law firms should take care to maintain data security as they innovate and adopt the latest technologies. Data breaches can be costly both financially and in terms of the damage done to a firm’s reputation. Research shows that perceived trustworthiness increased with the use of innovative technology, and customers were willing to pay more when the technology was used to further enhance the customer experience. To further strengthen trust with their clients, innovative technologies should comply with industry standards and regulations such as data protection and intellectual property laws.
As these examples demonstrate, large law firms are incorporating innovative technologies not only to increase their efficiency and reduce operating costs, but also to improve or create services that meet the evolving needs of their clients. To keep pace, smaller law firms can also adopt these processes and tools in a way that is affordable and meets their specific needs. We expect to see this trend continue of legal departments and law firms leveraging technologies and innovative processes in creative and novel ways to respond to the ever-changing realities of our tech-driven landscape.
Community Engagement and Pro Bono Work
Law firms in Austin are more than just places where legal matters get resolved; they are active and responsible members of the community. Pro bono work is a point of pride for many large firms, with scores of lawyers volunteering their skills and time. This commitment to giving back is bolstered by policies like the Austin Bar Association Rule of 6, under which Austin firms agree to devote 6 percent of their total billable hours or financial resources to pro bono work.
The goal of this initiative is to increase the quality of legal assistance available to people unable to afford a lawyer. Personal injury cases are often cited as helping to give back to the local community, along with family law divisions and cases dedicated to economic justice. Many pro bono efforts focus on the individuals who contribute to the overall social fabric, as well as the public interest organizations and charities they have helped fund. The campaign is not a strict quota; rather, the number is a goal to inspire the legal community to aim as high as possible.
How to Select Your Austin Law Firm
When choosing a law firm in Austin, you have a lot to think about. These decisions made for your business or personal matters are big, and you shouldn’t choose just any lawyer for them. The first thing you should consider is expertise. Is an attorney competent to really handle your case? When someone finds a lawyer on the internet, he or she may send an email with minimal information about the matter. We can receive emails starting with "Hi, I got your website from google (or BING or other searches) and was hoping you could help me on my case." We get that a lot. But it is not helpful to us to really understand what the case is about. So we will usually respond to learn more about the matter, and tell them it may be a consultation fee to learn about their case in more detail. Most people are unwilling to pay a 1 hour attorney consultation fee to go over their matter, especially if they don’t know if a lawsuit is going to be part of the matter. Normally, if you have a business matter dispute, and there is an attorney involved at an early stage, the attorney will be paid for his or her time. If the person contacting the law firm on the internet was unwilling to pay the consultation fee, then without knowing very much about the case, our attorneys will know that the person is probably not a good fit for us. So if you contact a lawyer, please do yourself a favor (and the lawyer) and provide the lawyer with enough details to understand the matter more thoroughly instead of sending out an email that says "ibm fired me." Maybe a little detail about how long the person worked there and if there is any type of severance package is important so that the lawyer can understand the case more thoroughly before being retained.
Another thing to look at is the law firm culture. Law firms today require people from different backgrounds and diverse perspectives to work together to solve complex problems. Some law firms are too rigid. You may want to decide if you would feel comfortable there. For example, if you want to go into an office with lawyers with tailored suits and ties, who are wearing black, gray or white, maybe that’s not the place for you. The Law Offices of Trent Schieber, PLLC has a culture of diversity, with women and men of all different backgrounds, working together and have fun while solving complex problems for our clients.
The next thing to look at is what do other clients say about the law firm. Yelp.com and Google reviews are a good place to look. More reviews are better. The law offices of Trent Schieber, PLLC has received five star reviews on Google for multiple lawyers in the firm. We take the client feedback seriously in order to try to provide a better experience for our clients.
Prospects for Austin’s Largest Law Firms
As we look to the future, it is clear that while new law firms continue to make inroads into the Austin market, the largest firms by revenue seem on course to remain well positioned within the landscape of Texas law firms. An examination of the factors that give rise to the largest law firms in the region demonstrates that a firm’s success is defined not only by current levels of revenue but also by the ability to adapt to the evolving needs of its clients .
Among these factors are: focus on major practice areas important to Austin’s economy and legal landscape; the ability to offer Pittsburgh lawyers to clients in areas such as tax, litigation, intellectual property, labor and employment; the development of a strong regional footprint through the creation of Austin offices or mergers; industry focus; and the ability to leverage these factors through international and national reach.
As Austin cements its status as a technology hub with the support of the University of Texas, the state capital and a major center for healthcare and biotechnology, law firms with strong technology and healthcare practices will be seen favorably by Austin clients. By focusing on these areas, they will be able to capitalize on Austin’s future as a global player in these areas.