Baker Botts Explained

Baker Botts L.L.P.
Headquarters:One Shell Plaza
Downtown Houston, Texas, United States
Num Offices:12[1]
Num Attorneys:725
Practice Areas:Antitrust, bankruptcy and restructuring, and real estate
Key People:Danny David (Managing Partner)[2]
Company Type:Limited liability partnership

Baker Botts L.L.P. is an American law firm headquartered in Houston, Texas, at One Shell Plaza.[3] [4] It has approximately 725 lawyers and primarily handles matters involving technology and energy companies.[5] [6] It is the second-oldest law firm west of the Mississippi.[7]

History

19th century

The firm was originally founded as Gray and Botts in 1865, by Peter W. Gray and Walter Browne Botts.[8] In 1872, James Addison Baker joined the firm, and the name was changed to Gray, Botts & Baker. Gray left the partnership in 1874 to join the Supreme Court of Texas, and the two remaining partners, Walter Browne Botts and Judge Baker, renamed the firm Baker & Botts. Judge Baker's son, Captain Baker, joined the firm as a clerk in 1877, a lawyer in 1881, and became a partner in 1887, at which time the name became Baker, Botts, and Baker. In 1896, Captain Baker, personal attorney for Texas millionaire William Marsh Rice, drew up a new will for Rice and was the will's executor.

20th century

In 1900, Rice was poisoned in his bed by his valet, Charles F. Jones, and his New York City lawyer, Albert T. Patrick. Captain Baker was a witness and helped investigate the murder after Patrick produced a will that gave him control of $5 million in 1904. Baker got the will as evidence in the case, and it was subsequently proved that Patrick had forged Rice's signature on the will he submitted. The case was not settled until 1910, and by that time the estate had grown to almost $10 million. When the intent of Rice's will was finally executed, it led to the establishment of the William Marsh Rice Institute, which is now called Rice University.[9]

Captain Baker's son also joined the firm in 1919, and his classmate and friend, Henry Malcolm Lovett, joined in 1924. Walter H. Walne served as managing partner from 1926 to 1933. James Addison Baker, III, former Chief of Staff in President Ronald Reagan's first administration and United States Secretary of State (a.k.a. James Baker) joined the firm as a senior partner in 1993 after leaving public service. He maintained two offices in Washington, being also affiliated as a partner at the Carlyle Group.[10]

In 1997, the firm acquired Brumbaugh, Graves, Donohue & Raymond, a New York City law firm specializing in intellectual property disputes.[11]

21st century

Merger with Miller, Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin

Miller, Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin (formerly Miller, Cassidy & Evans) was a Washington, D.C.-based boutique law firm specializing in litigation, particularly criminal defense. Among the firm's founding partners and namesakes were Herbert J. "Jack" Miller and John Cassidy, both former United States Department of Justice officials. Miller had led the Criminal Division under Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.[12] The firm's prominent clients included President Richard Nixon, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Michael Deaver, NASCAR, and the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in its litigation with Food Lion grocery stores. The firm merged with Baker Botts in 2001.[13]

Renaming as Baker Botts and recent history (2000-present)

In 2000, the firm renamed itself Baker Botts.[14] In 2002, Walter J. Smith was elected managing partner of the firm. In 2012, Andrew M. Baker was elected managing partner of the firm.[15] In 2019, John W. Martin, a corporate transactional lawyer based in Palo Alto, became the first non-Texas-based partner to be elected managing partner of the firm.[16] In 2023, Danny David was elected managing partner of the firm.[17] In 2024, two individuals in Baker Botts' antitrust practice, including Maureen Ohlhausen, left the firm to join Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.[18]

Baker Botts is active in community service and pro bono efforts. The firm provided legal support for victims of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and responded to the COVID crisis with the publication of a COVID-19 Community Resource Guide.[19]

Rosneft controversy

Dutch quality newspaper NRC investigated Baker Botts's representation of Russian energy company Rosneft in a Dutch court case dealing with the Russian state's appropriation of Yukos. The two company were embroiled in a bitter feud between Vladimir Putin and an opponent of his, Khodorkovsky, the controlling shareholder of Yukos. Khodorkovsky was subsequently jailed, and Rosneft picked up the pieces of Yukos' bankruptcy.

Journalist Joep Dohmen of NRC[20] wrote that Baker Botts helped its client Rosneft forge Armenian court rulings to shore up Rosneft's claims in Dutch courts. NRC, claiming possession of the actual court papers, found that Baker Botts partner Ryan Bull and his Moscow associate Izabella Sarkisyan were co-authors of the verdict in Case 1494, which, according to NRC, was handed to Armenian judge Dremeyan on a USB drive. According to NRC, the text included the Armenian coat of arms. The NRC article has been translated into English.[21] The article stated that Rosneft and Baker Botts denied NRC's allegations. The article also stated that Yukos settled out of court after the Dutch court admitted the proof of these actions.

Notable partners and employees

Miller Cassidy

Notable attorneys who worked at Miller Cassidy before its merger with Baker Botts included:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Baker Botts Firm Profile . Chambers & Partners.
  2. https://www.law.com/texaslawyer/2023/06/16/houston-litigator-elected-next-managing-partner-of-baker-botts/?slreturn=20231016200102#:~:text=Danny%20David%2C%20the%20Houston%20litigator,Law%20100%20firm's%20key%20practices Houston Litigator Elected Next Managing Partner of Baker Botts
  3. "Baker Botts hires corporate partner." Austin Business Journal. Wednesday January 21, 2004. Retrieved on August 25, 2010.
  4. "Houston, Texas ." Baker Botts. Retrieved on August 25, 2010. "One Shell Plaza 910 Louisiana Street | Houston | Texas..."
  5. News: Baker Botts LLP - The Inside View . Chambers Associate.
  6. News: Sapino Jeffreys . Brenda . Despite Revenue, Profit Declines, Baker Botts Cashed in on Technology, Energy Sectors in 2020 . Texas Lawyer . 5 March 2021.
  7. Williams, Marjorie. "Jim Baker is smooth, shrewd, tough and coolly ambitious. That's why Washington loves him", The Washington Post, January 29, 1989.
  8. Web site: 2020-08-27 . Baker Botts History: Founding, Timeline, and Milestones - Zippia . 2023-03-10 . www.zippia.com . en-US.
  9. Web site: The Life of William Marsh Rice. Rice.edu. 30 May 2022.
  10. Vise, David A.. "Former Secretary of State Baker Joins Carlyle Group", The Washington Post, March 11, 1993.
  11. News: Chen . David . October 7, 1997 . Metro Business Briefs; Law Firm Bought . The New York Times.
  12. News: Grimes . William . 2009-11-21 . Herbert J. Miller Jr., Justice Dept. Leader, Dies at 85 . 2022-02-08 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  13. News: Reinhard . Beth and Tom Hamburger . 2020-10-10 . How Amy Coney Barrett played a role in Bush v. Gore — and helped the Republican Party defend mail ballots . Washington Post.
  14. https://web.archive.org/web/20150206154519/https://www.bakerbotts.com/about/history History
  15. Web site: L.L.P . Baker Botts . Andrew M. Baker Elected Managing Partner at Baker Botts L.L.P. . 2024-02-05 . www.prnewswire.com . en.
  16. Web site: Curriden . Mark . 2019-02-14 . Baker Botts Elects Non-Texas Partner to Lead Firm . 2024-02-05 . The Texas Lawbook . en-US.
  17. https://www.law.com/texaslawyer/2023/06/16/houston-litigator-elected-next-managing-partner-of-baker-botts/?slreturn=20231016200102#:~:text=Danny%20David%2C%20the%20Houston%20litigator,Law%20100%20firm's%20key%20practices Houston Litigator Elected Next Managing Partner of Baker Botts
  18. Web site: Clough . Craig . 2024-01-28 . Baker Botts Bond Took Antitrust Pros To Wilson Sonsini - Law360 . 2024-01-29 . Law360 . en.
  19. News: Bagley . Allison . Baker Botts' Keri Brown responds to COVID crisis with community resource guide . Houston Chronicle . 13 July 2020.
  20. http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2016/11/24/rosneft-manipuleerde-de-rechtsgang-in-nederland-5470557-a1533486 Rosneft manipuleerde de rechtsgang in Nederland
  21. Web site: Rosneft had the verdict delivered on a usb-stick : Russian fraud : Revealing emails show how Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft manipulated the rule of law in The Netherlands and Armenia.. PDF. G8fip1kplr33r3krz5b97d1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com. 30 May 2022.
  22. Web site: Personnel Announcement. Georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov. 30 May 2022.
  23. News: Tomazin. Farrah. September 27, 2020. Five things you should know about Trump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. The Sydney Morning Herald. live. September 27, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20210214231620/https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/five-things-you-should-know-about-trump-s-supreme-court-nominee-amy-coney-barrett-20200927-p55zlk.html. February 14, 2021.
  24. Bryce, Robert. – "It's a Baker Botts World". – The Nation. – September 23, 2004.
  25. https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Christopher-Cooper-Senate-Questionnaire-Final.pdf Christopher R. Cooper Final Senate Questionnaire
  26. Web site: Vetting Ted Cruz's Presidential Resumé. Houstonia Magazine. 2016-02-09.
  27. News: Retired Supreme Court Justice Joe Greenhill dies in Austin. Austin-American Statesman. February 11, 2011.
  28. News: Lovelace . Ryan . FTC's Ohlhausen to Join Baker Botts, Bypassing Judicial Nomination . 21 December 2018 . National Law Journal . December 6, 2018.
  29. Web site: Svitek . Patrick . 2021-11-01 . Evan Young, former clerk to conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, appointed to Texas Supreme Court . 2023-11-26 . The Texas Tribune . en.
  30. Web site: 2001-05-01. The Perfect Lawyer Washingtonian (DC). 2022-02-08. Washingtonian. en-US.
  31. Web site: Questionnaire for judicial nominees. 2017-03-16. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

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