(L-to-R) Trey Crawford, Michael Lang, and Dave Wishnew. |

Three partners at Dallas-based Gruber Hail Johansen Shank will leave the firm to open a litigation boutique.

Trey Crawford, Dave Wishnew and Michael Lang, who have practiced law together since 2010, will launch their new firm—Crawford, Wishnew & Lang—on Feb, 26. Associates Ali Ohlinger and TJ Jones are also moving to Crawford Wishnew.

Crawford said he has wanted to own his own firm ever since he started law school. His partners, he said, also had longed to own their own firm. “The timing was just right in our careers,” Crawford said.

Mark Shank, managing partner of Gruber Hail, said in a written statement that Crawford, Wishnew and Lang are good lawyers and very good friends. “I personally want to thank them for their contributions and wish them the very best,” Shank wrote.

Crawford Wishnew also issued its own press statement announcing the new firm.

Crawford said he and his new partners have nothing but admiration and respect for the lawyers at Gruber Hail, and the firms will work together on litigation matters in the future. He said his clients include Safe Harbor Marinas and several private business jet owners.

The new firm will handle litigation but also serve as outside general counsel for businesses.

Gruber Hail represents clients in complex commercial litigation in and outside of Texas, focusing on probate, trust and fiduciary matters, employment, securities, intellectual property, and oil and gas. The firm lost another group of lawyers two years ago when partner Michael Hurst left with six other lawyers to join Mike Lynn's civil litigation firm in Dallas—Lynn Pinker Cox & Hurst. But a year earlier, in 2015, Gruber Hail had expanded when it merged with trial firm Elrod PC.

Crawford said he and his partners will remain at Gruber Hail until the end of this week.

“It will be a sad day when we leave, but also a very exciting day,” he said. “It's bittersweet.”