Dallas trial lawyer Richard “Dick”” Sayles

 

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, which opened an office in Houston in 2016, has expanded in Texas with a new office in Dallas and a nine-lawyer team led by Richard “Dick” Sayles.

Sayles and other eight lawyers have joined the firm from Sayles Werbner.

“We could not have asked for a better attorney to help introduce Bradley to North Texas,” Jonathan Skeeters, Bradley's chairman and managing partner, said in a statement. “Dick Sayles is a legendary trial attorney with impeccable courtroom skills. We are excited to add him and his team of experienced trial lawyers and look forward to a collaboration that will greatly benefit our clients.”

The Dallas office is the tenth for Birmingham, Alabama-based Bradley Arant.

Sayles said that after 25 years of running litigation boutique Sayles Werbner, it was time to move to a firm with a diverse range of practices and offices in nine “strategic locations” throughout the southeast and in Washington, D.C. Sayles is the managing partner of the Dallas office.

Sayles said he was also attracted by Bradley's young leadership. He noted that Skeeters is a 20-year lawyer heading a firm of about 515 lawyers, and the heads of other offices are also young. “I'm probably the oldest leader of one of their offices,” he said.

The eight lawyers from Sayles Werbner joining with Sayles are partners William Snyder, Mark Torian, Shawn Long, Robert Sayles and Sawyer Neely, counsel Mark Strachan, and senior attorneys Samuel Acker and Stacy Simon.

In addition, two lawyers—Wendi Campbell Rogaliner and Scott Schardt—have joined Bradley Arant from health care boutique Rogaliner Law Firm as partner and counsel, respectively.

No one from Rogaliner could immediately be reached for comment.

Sayles declined to identify clients he and his litigation team brought to Bradley Arant, but he said they have brought their complete caseload. “We are not losing any clients and we expect that we are going to gain clients because now we have practice areas we've never had before,” he said.

All but two of the lawyers at Sayles Werbner made the move to Bradley. Name partner Mark Werbner could not immediately be reached for comment.

The other attorney not joining Sayles is Darren Nicholson, who has joined Dallas trial firm Burns Charest. He said he has been good friends with partner Warren Burns for years and simply could not pass up the opportunity. He said he had practiced with Sayles for 11 years and it was a “tough choice.”

Bradley Arant's opening in Dallas with the nine-lawyer group from Sayles Werbner mirrors the strategy the Birmingham, Alabama, firm used to open its Houston office. It opened with nine lawyers, including eight from Houston firm Coats Rose.

Sayles said Bradley Arant first approached him several years ago, but he started talking seriously with the firm last August.

“My first conversation was six years ago, but it was brief. It was 'Gee, I'm flattered. Thank you but no thank you.'” Sayles recalled. He said that was his answer for years when firms approached him about opening an office in Dallas, but he decided last summer to engage in negotiations with Bradley Arant because of what the firm has to offer.

Further Reading:

Bradley Arant Opens in Houston With Coats Rose Team