 | |
| Headquarters | 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C., U.S. |
|---|---|
| No. of offices | 18 |
| No. of attorneys | 900+ |
| Major practice areas | General practice |
| Date founded | November 1, 1901 |
| Founders |
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| Company type | Limited liability partnership |
| Website | www |
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, formerly known as Hunton & Williams LLP, is an American law firm. The firm adopted its current name on April 2, 2018, when it merged with Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP.[1][2]
Andrews Kurth Kenyon played a pivotal role in representing Texas railroad firms in the early 1900s, and brings a prominent reputation in the global energy industry to the combined firm. They represented both the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and Federal National Mortgage Corporation as part of FDR's New Deal.[3] Famous clients include Howard Hughes. Andrews Kurth litigated his inheritance, IRS, and Spruce Goose cases. They also oversaw the public sale of Hughes shares in TWA.
The combined firm has offices in 18 cities, primarily in the United States.
History
Hunton & Williams (formerly Munford, Hunton, Williams & Anderson) was founded on November 1, 1901 in Richmond, Virginia, by Henry W. Anderson, Eppa Hunton Jr., Beverley B. Munford, and E. Randolph Williams.[4] The firm is focused on litigation, business, and finance law. The firm changed names many times over the years; its seventh name, in 1976, was Hunton & Williams; it became Hunton & Williams LLP in 2003. The firm's most notable member, a name partner from 1954 until 1972, was Lewis F. Powell Jr., who focused on corporate law and representing clients such as the Tobacco Institute until he became a member of the U.S. Supreme Court in 1971.[5]
The firm's initial hire of a woman was Elizabeth Tompkins, the first woman graduate of the University of Virginia Law School, who worked as a summer clerk at Hunton & Williams in 1921 and 1922. In 1943, during the Second World War, two women lawyers were hired to work at Hunton & Williams: Sarah Geer Dale and Nan Ross McConnell. Dale's first case involved a labor-law issue for Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock. She left the firm in 1945 to get married and retired from the practice of law. McConnell stayed on until 1948, when she married.
Hunton & Williams was the first law firm in the United States to open an office solely for the practice of law pro bono.[6] The firm has a Centre for Information Policy Leadership, which focuses on privacy and data protection work. The managing partner, Samuel A. Danon , has held that position since April 2023.[7]
Offices
| Atlanta
Office Managing Partner: Douglass P. Selby Opened: November 1988 |
Austin
Office Managing Partner: Jarrett L. Hale Opened: May 1993 |
Bangkok
Office Managing Partner: Edward B. Koehler Opened: November 1997 |
| Beijing
Office Managing Partner: Edward B. Koehler Opened: June 2001 |
Boston
Office Managing Partner: Martin F. Gaynor III Opened: April 2018 |
Brussels
Office Managing Partner: Opened: October 1989 |
| Charlotte
Office Managing Partner: A. Todd Brown, Sr. Opened: August 1995 |
Dallas
Office Managing Partner: Jarrett L. Hale Opened: 1982 |
Dubai
Office Managing Partner: Patricia Tiller Opened: October 2013 |
| Houston
Office Managing Partner: Tammy W. Brennig Opened: September 1902 |
London
Office Managing Partner: Ferdinand Calice Opened: March 1999 |
Los Angeles
Office Managing Partner: Ann Marie Mortimer Opened: September 2006 |
| Miami
Office Managing Partner: Juan C. Enjamio Opened: March 1999 |
New York
Office Managing Partner: Lisa J. Sotto Opened: August 1984 |
Richmond
Office Managing Partner: Douglas S. Granger Opened: November 1901 |
| San Francisco
Office Managing Partner: Shannon S. Broome Opened: July 2008 |
Tokyo
Office Managing Partner: Sean Conaty Opened: November 2020 |
Washington, DC
Office Managing Partner: Wendell L. Taylor Opened: November 1967 |
Reputation
Hunton Andrews Kurth is an American "white shoe" law firm and according to the Am Law 100 is one of the highest-grossing law firms worldwide.[8][9]
Controversies
The firm, when operating as Hunton & Williams, employed William "Bill" Wehrum as a partner. Wehrum, who as a Hunton attorney represented oil and gas corporations, left his partner role when he was appointed to a top position in the Trump Administration Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Wehrum's confirmation hearings resulted in controversy, when Wehrum was asked "Are you familiar with the increasing acidity of the ocean?" Wehrum said this was merely an 'allegation.' Wehrum's answers at the confirmation hearing attracted critical coverage.[10] Wehrum was confirmed by a party-line vote[11] and moved from Hunton to the EPA, where he has been described as "delivering for ex-clients." Wehrum's private meetings with oil and gas industry ex-clients, many from his time working at Hunton, have attracted criticism "despite federal ethics rules intended to limit such interactions."[12]
References
- ↑ "Hunton & Williams and Andrews Kurth Kenyon Vote to Combine Firms". Hunton & Williams LLP. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
- ↑ Times-Dispatch, JOHN REID BLACKWELL Richmond. "Hunton & Williams law firm to merge with Texas firm, creating a top 50 practice". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
- ↑ Group, Career Communications (2009). Women of Color. Career Communications Group.
- ↑ Gay, Thomas B. (1971). The Hunton Williams Firm and Its Predecessors, 1877–1954. Vol. 1. Richmond: Lewis Printing Company. pp. 51–52.
- ↑ "Lewis F. Powell, Jr. | Supreme Court Justice, Civil Rights Advocate | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
- ↑ Kira (2021-11-30). "Wind of change". Virginia Business. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
- ↑ "Hunton Andrews Kurth Announces Leadership Expansion to Support Firm's Strategic Vision". huntonak.com. March 13, 2023. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
- ↑ "Hunton Andrews Kurth". ALM. ALM Media Properties, LLC. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ↑ https://www.huntonak.com/en/news/legal-500-us-recognizes-hunton-andrews-kurth-among-top-law-firms-in-2023-guide.html
- ↑ "Watch a Top EPA Nominee Embarrass Himself with Feigned Ignorance of Basic Facts". 6 October 2017.
- ↑ Siegel, Josh (2017-11-09). "Donald Trump". Washington Examiner. Archived from the original on 2018-08-20. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
- ↑ Lipton, Eric (2018-08-19). "As Trump Dismantles Clean Air Rules, an Industry Lawyer Delivers for Ex-Clients". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-08-20.