Firm Profiles
IN-DEPTH RESEARCH REPORT
on Locke Lord
- - Financial Information
- - Compensation
- - Billing Rates
- - Lateral Partner Moves
- - Pro bono
- - Key Contacts
Locke Lord
- Designation: Dallas
- Head Count: 516
- Gross Revenues: $428,500,000
- Revenue Per Lawyer: $830,000
- Profits Per Partner: $1,065,000
- Year Over Year Change: no change
The October 2007 merger between Dallas–based Locke, Liddell & Sapp and Chicago’s Lord, Bissell & Brook didn’t just create a legal powerhouse with hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue, it also created one tongue–twister of a name. Four years later, the firm would do something about that, changing Locke, Lord, Bissell & Liddell to, simply, Locke Lord. No doubt this was a relief to the firm’s receptionists. But its name isn’t the only thing Locke Lord has tweaked.
Recent years have seen Locke Lord embrace an ambitious growth strategy. In 2010 it opened a San Francisco office and expanded its New York office, both moves designed to grow the firm’s intellectual property practice (a full–service firm, Locke Lord handles transactional, regulatory, and litigation assignments, with energy, insurance, and real estate among its core practice areas). In 2011 the firm set its sights on Asia, opening an office in Hong Kong. In early 2012 it put down stakes in London, boosted by the addition of seven partners from the European megafirm Salans. The London office is Locke Lord’s first in Europe (its 11 other offices are located within the United States).
What hasn’t gotten a boost, however, is the firm’s pro bono commitment: Locke Lord placed 141st (of 200 firms) on The American Lawyer’s 2011 Pro Bono Report, with attorneys compiling an average annual workload of just 23 hours. Nor is the firm a chart–topper in diversity: Minorities composed less than 10 percent of Locke Lord’s U.S.based attorneys, and just 6 percent of its partnership, in 2011—figures that placed it 131st of 194 firms the magazine surveyed. Junior lawyers have seen some of their perks dry up, too: To cut costs during the recession, Locke Lord stopped paying for associates’ parking.
—Updated as of 1/1/12
Firm Rankings
| Survey | Rank | Year Over Year Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Am Law 100 | 69 | no change | Gross revenue |
| Am Law 200 | 69 | no change | Gross revenue |
| NLJ 250 | 74 | 2 | Lawyer head count |
| The A-List | NR | N/A | Overall excellence |
| Pro Bono Scorecard | 141 | 12 | Pro-bono commitment |
| Diversity Scorecard | 95 | 36 | Minority head count |
| Midlevel Associates Survey | NR | N/A | Job satisfaction |
| Summer Associates Survey | 71 | 3 | Summer programs |
In the News
Neeraj "Neil" Verma
: Texas Lawyer : March 25, 2013
MOVERS
: The National Law Journal : March 25, 2013
Karen Spilka joins Day Pitney's corporate and business law department as of counsel to the Boston office. Plus more law firm movers in this week's column.
D.C. MOVES
: The National Law Journal : March 25, 2013
Newsmakers
: Texas Lawyer : March 18, 2013
Locke Lord Hires Five Partners in Hong Kong
Jessica Seah : The Asian Lawyer : March 14, 2013
Locke Lord is expanding in Hong Kong through an association with local firm Cheung & Lee, which counts five partners: Balbir Bindra, Wing Cheung, Alfred Lee, Tejinder Mahil and Matthew Wong. Previously little known internationally, Dallas-based Locke Lord recruited several Salans partners last year to launch a London office as part of a push to expand overseas.
Texas' Locke Lord Hires Five Partners in Hong Kong
Jessica Seah : The Asian Lawyer : March 13, 2013
The Dallas firm is seeking to establish itself as an international player.
Am Law 100 trio takes lead in Falcons stadium deal
Brian Baxter : The Am Law Daily : March 12, 2013
A trio of Am Law 100 firms have landed lead roles on the accord between the Atlanta Falcons and the city of Atlanta regarding financing for a new $1 billion retractable-roof stadium that will replace the 71,200-seat Georgia Dome.
The Score: Proskauer Reigns Supreme Atop Pro Sports
Brian Baxter : The Am Law Daily : March 8, 2013
The same week that Sports Illustrated named Proskauer Rose the most powerful law firm in sports, a Proskauer squad and team representing Kaye Scholer, Skadden and Stikeman Elliott squared off in the sixth annual Ice Hockey in Harlem charity tournament. Meanwhile, a trio of Am Law 100 firms are advising on a $1 billion financing deal to build a new stadium for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.
On the Move
: The Recorder : March 8, 2013
A weekly report of lawyer moves and law firm changes. Keep abreast of where movers and shakers are going and what they're doing.
So Long, Shughart: Polsinelli Adopts Snappy New Moniker
Sara Randazzo : The Am Law Daily : March 7, 2013
Kansas City-based Polsinelli Shughart has become the latest Am Law 200 firm to adopt a shortened name, a decision the firm says will help create a unified front following a series of mergers.
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- Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor
