Oklahoma City firm Phillips Murrah has opened an office in Dallas led by Mark Golman, a former partner at Strasburger & Price who left the firm right before its merger in April with Clark Hill. The firm joins many other out-of-state firms that have launched offices in Dallas over the past year.

Golman, who does M&A work, negotiates long-term supply agreements and financing arrangements, and does corporate counseling and matters related to bankruptcy and restructuring, is now a director at Phillips Murrah.

The Dallas-based lawyer decided to make a move because he anticipated potential client conflicts once Strasburger merged with Clark Hill. That merger created a 650-lawyer firm with offices in 25 cities. Golman said he also wanted to practice at a firm that focused on the Texas/Oklahoma area.

“The sweet spot for me was a regional firm — Strasburger in its olden days was that type of firm — and Phillips Murrah has committed to that type of practice,” Golman said.

With his move to Phillips Murrah, Golman said he has lowered his rate structure “in the five percent range” and is working on projects for clients in conjunction with lawyers in Oklahoma whose billing rates are 15 to 20 percent lower than rates charged by lawyers at his previous firm.

Golman said he talked to a number of firms once he decided he would leave Strasburger, but decided Phillips Murrah was the best fit. He said he has known a number of its lawyers for many years.

Thomas Wolfe, Phillips Murrah's president and managing partner, said in a statement that expansion into Dallas fits the firm's growth strategy. Dawn Rahme, a member of the firm's executive committee, said the firm has significant clients in the Dallas area, including some mutual clients that Golman represents.

Golman declined to identify his clients.

Phillips Murrah expects to hire additional lawyers this year for the new Dallas office, Golman said. Meanwhile, some of the firm's Oklahoma lawyers who are also licensed in Texas are working part-time in Dallas. Golman was lateral hiring partner at Strasburger for 18 years and he expects to use that experience as he recruits lawyers to Phillips Murrah. The firm has 70 lawyers in its Oklahoma City office, according to its website.

In a statement, Clark Hill Strasburger executive committee member Dan Butcher said the firm understands that some lawyers prefer to work at a regional firm and in a smaller firm environment. “We have many friends at Phillips Murrah,” he said. “We wish them and Mark only the best in this new chapter of Mark's professional career.”