In the lateral hiring game, firms win some and lose some, a reality that Baker Botts just experienced both ways in Houston.

The Texas-born Am Law 100 firm picked up tax lawyer Barbara Spudis de Marigny as a partner in Houston on Wednesday, from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. But Baker Botts lost restructuring partner Luckey McDowell, who joined Shearman & Sterling as a partner in Houston.

“The movement of lawyers from one firm to another happens on a regular basis at firms around the world,” Baker Botts managing partner John Martin said in a written statement. “As an example, while we are sorry to see Luckey leave, and we wish him every success in the future, today we welcomed a new partner to our firm, Barbara Spudis de Marigny.”

De Marigny said she is “thrilled” to have opportunity to work with Baker Botts' tax group, because it is deep, and has “phenomenal” credentials and clients.

“I had worked across the table on some deals with members of the tax group here and observed their professionalism and the expertise that they had, and was very impressed with the quality of the tax work they were doing,” de Marigny said.

She does tax structuring in M&A transactions, IPOs, joint ventures, partnerships, alternative investment structures and strategic acquisitions. She declined to identify clients, but, according to Richard Husseini, chair of the firm's tax practice, she works in the oil and gas sector, and also in the alternative energy, wind, solar and biomass industries.

Martin, Baker Botts' managing partner, said in a press release that de Marigny has a depth of tax experience and her decision to join is “another sign of the firm's positive momentum.”

Baker Botts added another tax partner earlier this year—Jon Feldhammer in San Francisco.

De Marigny joined Orrick in February 2016, shortly after the California firm launched its Houston office. Asked about her departure, Orrick said in a statement: “We're grateful to Barbara for her contributions to our firm and wish her the best.”

McDowell, the new Shearman partner, could not be immediately reached for comment on his move.

He joins Shearman's quickly growing Houston office, which the Am Law 100 firm launched one year ago with lawyers from three other firms, including Baker Botts. Shearman now has more than 50 lawyers in Houston and Austin.

In a press release, Shearman senior partner David Beveridge said McDowell adds to the firm's U.S. and global restructuring and insolvency practice and “further supports our corporate and private equity practices in Texas.”

McDowell, according to the release, advises corporate debtors and creditors on financial restructurings in bankruptcy and outside of court. He also represents clients that acquire assets from insolvent companies in complex corporate reorganizations. Tulsa's New Gulf Resources is among his restructuring clients.

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