Ohio-based law firm Dinsmore & Shohl is planning further expansion in Texas, following the establishment of its Houston office earlier this year. As Joshua Lorentz, Dinsmore managing partner emphasizes, situating operations closer to where clients operate can improve firms’ ability to solve clients’ problems and leverage arising opportunities, citing Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin as prospective locations for Dinsmore’s Texas expansion. The firm aims to have 30-50 attorneys concentrated in one region to create a significant presence and is in the process of recruiting approximately 25 more lawyers to fulfill this requirement.
While a considerable number of prominent law firms have targeted Texas in a bid to secure profitable energy deals, Dinsmore’s strategy deviates somewhat. The firm intends to explore alternative avenues within the state’s thriving legal sector, particularly in the areas of litigation, labor and employment, and insurance work. Its successful entry into the Texan market began with the opening of its Houston office, which was staffed primarily with defectors from Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, including office managing partner Sarah Smith and partners David Talbot and Allison Griswold. The team’s main focus revolves around handling matters relating to insurance and commercial disputes.
Recalling Dinsmore’s entry into the Florida legal market where it established its first office in Tampa in 2020, Lorentz believes the firm’s Florida experience will serve as a valuable guide to its further expansion in Texas. The firm also absorbed litigation firm Mateer & Harbert specializing in healthcare and real estate matters to inaugurate an office in Orlando in August 2023, following which, several insurance and other litigators joined the Miami office three months later.
Dinsmore’s impressive growth over the past three years can be partially attributed to its strategic geographic expansion and the depth of practice it has added organically and via mergers. For instance, Dinsmore acquisitively grew its presence in California by absorbing the team from drama-ridden boutique firm Daughtery Lordan and combining with San Diego-based Mulvaney Barry Beatty Linn & Mayers.
Last year, Dinsmore’s gross revenue exceeded $365 million, with profits per equity partner reaching over $645,000. The firm’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, as it has steadily climbed the list of the 200 largest law firms in the country by revenue, ranking 147th in 2014 with a gross revenue of $187.5 million, it moved up to the 114th position by last year. The firm’s ambitious goals do not stop there, as Lorentz confidently anticipates Dinsmore’s revenue reaching $400 million this year.
The concentration of law firms in the Houston area has intensified over the past few years, with top tier law firms, including Kirkland & Ellis, Gibson Dunn, Latham & Watkins, and Clifford Chance setting up offices to maximize the booming energy work in the region. Despite the stiff competition, Dinsmore remains undeterred, aspiring to rival corporate legal matters alongside gas and oil affairs in the Texan market. The firm’s clientele in Texas includes solar loan provider Dividend Solar Finance and coal mining company Mountain Coal Co LLC.