Hartline Barger has a new logo after shortening its name.

In an effort to refresh its brand, Texas trial firm Hartline Dacus Barger Dreyer has shortened its name to Hartline Barger, a change eased by the retirement of two name partners.

Managing partner Larry Grayson said the firm decided to adopt the national trend of shorter firm names after partners John Dacus and Kyle Dreyer retired from the partnership. Dacus is still of counsel with the firm.

“As we looked at our 25th anniversary coming up in about a month, it was the time to do it,” Grayson said. “The old name was a bit long and a bit of a tongue twister, in particular with email.”

The firm was founded in 1994 by a group of 10 products liability lawyers from Dallas' Strasburger & Price—the latter firm was acquired last year by Clark Hill. Since 1994, Hartline Barger has expanded to 75 lawyers in Dallas, Houston, Corpus Christi and Waco.

Grayson, a founding partner, took the helm of the firm in January after partner Jeffrey Patterson stepped down at the end of 2018. The role is familiar to Grayson, since he served as managing partner from 1994 through 2011.

During Grayson's break from the managing partner role, the firm has grown significantly. It had 41 lawyers in 2012, according to Texas Lawyer's 2013 The Texas 100 list.

Most recently, Hartline Barger opened an two-lawyer office in Waco because partner J. Reid Simpson, a Baylor Law School graduate, wanted to move there, Grayson said.  A number of firms have opened offices in Waco recently because Alan Albright, a highly regarded intellectual property lawyer, took the federal bench last fall in Waco, but Grayson said that was not the motivation for Hartline Barger's new office,

While the firm has grown, bringing on good lawyers remains a challenge, Grayson said.

“It is still difficult to find and recruit and retain talented lawyers and it seems that is more difficult than in the past,” he said.

The trial practice remains strong, he said. The firm represents insurance carriers and automotive, trucking, heavy equipment, medical equipment and pharmaceutical manufacturers, among other clients. He declined to identify specific clients.

“We were founded initially largely as a products liability practice. We still do a large part of that, but other areas of practice in terms of insurance defense have grown,” he said.

“But as you know, most trial lawyers feel like they can try most anything,” he added.

Hartline Barger is one of many midsize law firms that have shortened their names in recent years as industry trends move toward more concise brands.

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