The Churn: Lateral Moves in The Am Law 200

Correction, 8/20/13, 11:30 a.m. EDT: An earlier version of this story misidentified the locations of two lawyers joining Thompson & Knight. J. Thomas Gilbert is based in Los Angeles, and John Vacalis is based in Austin. The information has been corrected in the second paragraph below. We regret the error.

Thompson & Knight has added four attorneys from Patton Boggs, a partner and three counsel, to its trial practice group.

Partner PATRICK MCMANEMIN and counsel MICHAEL TRISTAN will be based in Thompson & Knight's Dallas office. Counsel J. THOMAS GILBERT is joining the firm's Los Angeles office, and counsel JOHN VACALIS will be based in Austin.

Asked why the group chose to leave Patton Boggs for Thompson & Knight, McManemin says, "It was a difficult decision based on the needs of clients, and the opportunities a national footprint provides. Having offices in Houston, Austin, Los Angeles and San Francisco is good for our clients." McManemin adds that the team is bringing its clients along to Thompson & Knight.

Thompson & Knight managing partner Emily Parker said in a previously released statement, "McManemin and this team bring impressive litigation experience spanning a broad range of industries, including real estate and construction, energy, securities, finance, and banking….the synergies they bring to our strong real estate capital markets practice and oil and gas practice will enable us to increase our market share in these spaces."

In heading to a new firm, the four lawyers follow a wave of other Patton Boggs attorneys who have left that Washington, D.C.–based firm lately. In mid-July, two real estate attorneys, a partner and an of counsel, departed for Arent Fox's Washington, D.C. office. Also last month, Jackson Lewis picked up six Patton Boggs partners, while Holland & Knight hired 23 former Patton Boggs lawyers, including 12 partners, according to a report by sibling publication The Blog of Legal Times.

McManemin says he and the three former Patton Boggs lawyers joining him at Thompson & Knight were not motivated to make the move by the other departures their former firm has suffered recently.

Contacted for comment, Patton Boggs spokesman Elliot Frieder said, "We thank these attorneys for their service to the firm and wish them well in their new endeavors."