Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe has expanded its beachhead in the increasingly competitive Houston legal market, opening an office with 20 partners. The Houston outpost will specialize in transactions in the energy, infrastructure, finance, and technology sectors. Orrick has long been active in Houston, for example when the firm’s renewable energy lawyers in California and elsewhere have worked with Texas law firms on deals requiring Texas counsel, and Orrick reportedly came to see an opportunity to take over a good part of the local work.
In opening a Houston branch, Orrick follows other global firms such as Winston & Strawn, which opened there in March 2011, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, which set up shop in Houston in April 2011, and Paul Hastings, which opened an office in the city in April 2012. Other global firms have had “boots on the ground” in Houston for considerably longer. Morgan Lewis & Bockius opened there in 2007, and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom in 1993.
In an exclusive interview with IFLR1000, Orrick partner Matthew Williams elaborated on the strategy that the firm will pursue in Houston.
“We are conscious that people might the question the timing on basis of where the oil price is, but we’ve taken a very close look at the market in Houston. The way the market is developing there suits Orrick, and one example would be the growth of renewables in Texas."
Texas is now the number one state for wind farm development, and among the top ten for solar, Williams noted.
“We’ve been thinking about Houston as somewhere to have a renewable energy capability for some time. We’ve also got a high-profile public finance practice on the West Coast and the East Coast. Houston is yet another center for public finance work. The initial push for opening the new office came from our public finance guys,” Williams added.
Acknowledging the city’s strong focus on the resources sectors, Williams emphasized the multifaceted transactional practice of Orrick’s new outpost.
“It isn’t the case that the Houston plan is solely being driven by an oil and gas play, although that’s an important part of it. I differentiate us from other firms in Houston whose strategy, four or five years ago, was very much a pure oil and gas play. This is a consolidated play across practice areas,” Williams commented.
“Clearly you don’t open in Houston unless you are serious about having an oil and gas practice, but it doesn’t have to be the only driver for doing it. Our other strong practice areas in the firm are also active for the Houston market – intellectual property, litigation, and public finance. They fit neatly alongside oil and gas as well. If twenty partners are launching a bid, that means you’re really going for it. We feel that if you’re going to be in Houston, you need to show bench strength,” Williams added.