Profile: Baker Botts LLP

Baker Botts LLP - Who's Who Legal '70'

What is the Who's Who Legal '70'?

From these origins, the firm has grown both nationally and internationally. In the 1940s an office was opened in Mexico City, which became the separate law firm of Santamarina y Steta in the 1970s. That decade also saw new offices in Austin and Washington DC, followed by an office in Dallas, the reopening of the New York office in 1992 and the establishment of a London office in 1998. Today the firm has approximately 750 lawyers in eleven cities around the globe, including offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Baker Botts’ presence in this book consists of 30 listings across four countries and 13 practice areas.

OIL & GAS
Baker Bott’s history is tied to the success of Houston’s oil companies, and it has worked for Humble Oil (the predecessor of Exxon), Gulf Oil (later merged into Chevron), Texas Co (later Texaco), and Howard Hughes’s drill-bit company (now Baker Hughes), among many others. Unsurprisingly, the firm performs extremely well in our oil and gas research, with eight partners featuring. David Asmus is partner in charge of the firm’s global oil and gas practice and is recognised as a “very skilled negotiator” who has represented BP, Occidental Petroleum, Marathon Oil and Japan Energy. George Goolsby is based in the Moscow and Houston offices and is head of the Russia and CIS practice group; he attracted high levels of praise. Michael Darden was lauded for his strong international credentials having worked on petroleum exploration and development and production projects in several regions.

The firm is also well represented in Washington, DC where Bruce Kiely and Thomas Eastment are both consistently recommended – Kiely for liquefied natural gas and Eastment for his Federal Energy Regulatory Commission work. Outside the US, David Renton appears in the Hong Kong section as a leader in the local market, and he has represented the likes of the Hong Kong and China Gas Company, Petronet LNG and Sumitomo Chemical Company in recent years. London-based Antony Higginson is recognised as “a class act” by his peers, and the firm’s profile in this area was strengthened by the June 2007 lateral hire of Sean Korney. Based in the firm’s Dubai office and described as “absolutely outstanding”, Korney is one of the most highly regarded individuals in the region, and in the research overall.

DISPUTES
Outside of the oil and gas chapter, the firm’s largest contingent is found in the business crime research. All four of the Baker Botts’ representatives are based in the DC office, where “the firm is very well known thanks to the excellence of their work”. Stan Mortenson is regarded as a “highly skilled and effective lawyer”, recognised in particular for his involvement in the representation of former President Nixon and his estate. Mary Spearing’s background as an assistant US attorney at the Department of Justice informs a “first-class practice”, while co-chair of the white-collar criminal defence group Randall Turk scored particularly highly. William Jeffress stood out in the research for this chapter and as one of the leading individuals in our commercial litigation research. He has tried over 30 complex civil and criminal cases before juries in nine states as well as his home district, and is “undeniably a top-notch litigator”. Alongside him in the litigation chapter are two partners from the Houston office. Daryl Bristow is regarded as an “exceedingly capable trial lawyer” who “shines in high-profile cases” such as the representation of George W Bush and Richard Cheney in the Florida state court election contests regarding balloting for the 2000 presidential election. Irvin Terrell is described as a “titan” with a “formidable reputation” in antitrust, contracts, fiduciary duty, election disputes, IP and securities matters.

Jay Alexander appears in the commercial arbitration chapter. He has represented clients in arbitrations conducted under the auspices of a number of arbitral institutions, including ICSID, the ICC and the LCIA and is a “well-known expert”. Baker Botts’ practice in this area was further strengthened by the February 2008 lateral hire of Alejandro Escobar, who is special counsel to the London office. Formerly a senior counsel at ICSID Escobar is widely recognised for his “quite exceptional” investment treaty arbitration expertise. The firm has a “great reputation” for pharmaceutical and chemical product defence as well as other consumer and industrial products, and earns two representatives in the product liability chapter. Stephen Scheve has over 25 years’ experience in the area and uses his “considered, insightful” approach to great effect in a trial and advisory capacity. Richard Josephson is a “star performer” who focuses on drug product liability and has tried over 80 cases, most of them jury trials, while defending clients in over 35 states.

CORPORATE and FINANCIAL
Baker Botts is also strong in financial and corporate law. Roderick Goyne is head of the finance section of the firm’s corporate department and received widespread compliments in the capital markets research for his “great all-round performance”. Benjamin Wells chairs the firm’s tax department and is particularly well known for his expertise relating to federal income tax, while James Doty in DC gives the firm a presence in the corporate governance chapter: “He is extremely knowledgeable on the full range of issues facing boards of directors,” according to one source.

REAL ESTATE AND ENVIRONMENT
Baker Botts was described as “a force to be reckoned with” in our real estate research for Texas, and three partners from the Houston office appear. Robert Wright was found “particularly impressive” by interviewees, while Fred Dunlop impressed his peers. Marley Lott is recognised for the quality of her structuring, development, leasing, and equity and debt financing practice. Baker Botts possesses “a well-reputed environmental group” and has a “broader practice base than any other firm” in the state, according to our sources. Sara Burgin is said to be an “excellent water lawyer” who emerges as one of the most respected environment attorneys in Texas. Pamela Giblin chairs the firm’s environmental department and was praised to researchers as the “senior stateswoman of environment law in the state” and a “guru” on air quality.

IP & REGULATORY
Baker Botts earns representation in both chapters relating to intellectual property, and both featured partners hail from New York. Robert Neuner is a senior counsel and an “outstanding patent litigator”, while Russell Falconer is widely respected in the trademark research. He has conducted litigation, clearance, opinion work and counselling on behalf of clients such as MasterCard International, Lancôme and L’Oréal. Rufus Oliver in Houston appears in the competition section. He is rated as “very skilled” and has experience of industries including steel, oil and gas, chemicals, automotive, electric, airlines and data processing.