Frost Brown Todd. Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM

Frost Brown Todd has expanded in Dallas by adding five lawyers from Rose Walker, including trial lawyer Martin Rose.

Rose Walker, which Rose founded in 1999 with the late Harold Walker, is winding down as its  lawyers move to Frost Brown.

Rose joined Frost Brown on Monday as a partner, as did his son, trial lawyer Bryan Rose, and business lawyer Holly Clarke. Litigators Faith Eaton and Ben West joined Frost Brown as associates.

Rose and his team bring much-needed litigation strength to the Dallas office, said Daniel Novakov, the partner in charge of the Dallas office. While litigation accounts for 40 percent to 50 percent of the firm's work, he said, the Dallas office, now at 18 lawyers, didn't have trial lawyers.

“We got together with Marty and Bryan and Holly and we hit it off from the get-go. We loved their experience and their practice. They fit our culture and I think they likewise viewed it as a good fit,” Novakov said.

Rose said it makes sense to move to the large, full-service firm because of client needs and because some large businesses prefer to be represented by a full-service firm. He also likes the  entrepreneurial culture at the Am Law Second Hundred firm.

Rose said two things were troublesome about practicing at a small trial boutique.

“No. 1, we were having to refer out a lot of the important work, for example, the appellate work. No. 2, clients wanted advice in areas we couldn't help them with,” he said.

Novakov said the deal came together quickly—they first talked in December. Rose said his group had been approached by another firm not too long ago, and while that wasn't a good fit, it got them thinking about the possibility of joining a larger operation.

“When Frost Brown called, the affinity was almost instantaneous. It sounds corny, but it's true,” Rose said.

Rose Walker's clients included Amerijet International and Teledyne, Rose said.

Rose Walker had an office in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, Rose said, because he has a house there. But with the move to Frost Brown, he said, the firm closed that office. James Garrett, who had been of counsel with the firm in Pagosa Springs, will practice as a solo practitioner.

Frost Brown, which opened its Dallas office in 2015, has added eight lawyers since December. In January, the firm added bankruptcy and restructuring partner Mark Platt and commercial trial partner Todd Harlow. It also brought on franchise partner Carlos White in December.

The firm, which has more than 500 lawyers in 12 offices in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia, focuses on clients in the energy, financial services, health care, mobility and transportation and manufacturing industries.

Further Reading:

11 Lawyers Leave Rose Walker, Launch Own Dallas Firm