Dallas law firms traveling a softer road than many national offices
SMU Law School Dean John Attanasio talks about how while the recession has forced many big law firms nationwide to downsize, Dallas' law practices have dodged most of the bullets and are changing their tactics.
By ERIC TORBENSON
The Dallas Morning News
While a painful recession has forced many big law firms nationwide to downsize, Dallas' law practices have dodged most of the bullets and are changing their tactics to fire back when the economy rebounds.
The region's firms have held up better because of North Texas' relative economic strength and because the kind of law specialties that dominate here, such as energy and intellectual property, are somewhat recession-proof.
"The Dallas firms have been very conservative with their financial commitments, and they've been farsighted in picking up promising trends in the law," said John Attanasio, dean of Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law.
"Everybody's suffering out there, but by comparison we're doing a lot better," he said.
Attanasio said more than 70 percent of Dedman's most recent graduates found jobs, the second-highest percentage ever, in part because of strong local demand for new lawyers.
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