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Texan draw: Baker Botts latest to make major play with nine partner NRF hire

In yet another significant Texan transfer, Baker Botts has expanded its Houston offering bringing in a nine partner team from Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF).

The move comes as NRF announced earlier today (21 February) it had agreed to merge with 400-lawyer Chadbourne & Parke. The merger will see Chadbourne’s $250m practice bolted on to NRF’s US arm under the verein structure, giving the combined firm a potential global turnover of around $2bn. Houston is the home of NRF’s 2013 merger partner Fulbright & Jaworski.

Among those joining Baker Botts is NRF’s former head of US M&A and securities practice David Peterman, the former head of its Houston corporate and M&A practice Efren Acosta and the former head of NRF’s US tax practice Robert Phillpott. Corporate partners Edward Rhyne, Natasha Khan and Dan Tristan, global projects partners Ned Crady and Daniel Mark and tax partner Ron Scharnberg also join the firm.

Baker Botts managing partner Andrew Baker said: ‘These new additions dramatically enhance our strength in the areas of private equity, mergers and acquisitions, tax, finance and projects in the upstream, midstream and downstream energy markets.’

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Winston & Strawn and Dorsey & Whitney all announced new offices in Texas earlier this month. Gibson Dunn confirmed it had opened a new Houston office with eight partners, while Winston & Strawn has taken on 23 new partners from eight different firms and has launched an office in Dallas. NRF head of US business law Tom Hughes was among the team that made the move. Dorsey also opened an office in Dallas with five partners from Schiff Hardin bringing its office count to 14 offices.

madeleine.farman@legalease.co.uk