MehaffyWeber, a civil litigation firm with offices in Austin, Beaumont and Houston, is adding a fourth office in Texas by expanding into San Antonio after absorbing five lawyers from local litigation boutique O'Connell & Avery.

Keith O'Connell and Ernest “Frank” Avery joined MehaffyWeber as shareholders in San Antonio, where David Coates, James Goldsmith Jr. and Elizabeth O'Connell Perez have come aboard as associates. The merger boosts MehaffyWeber's head count to 40 lawyers.

“We see San Antonio as a fast-growing market for the type of services our firm provides,” said MehaffyWeber managing shareholder Robert Black of Beaumont. He added that San Antonio is also a great location to do work in Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley.