Guy Babcok T. Ray Guy (left) and Robert "Bobby" Babcok (right).

Lateral hiring activity in Texas is ramping up in the normal course of a new year. Significant moves include Frost Brown Todd's addition of a longtime trial lawyer, and Clark Hill's expansion of its government and regulatory affairs practice.

Facing mandatory retirement at Weil Gotshal & Manges, veteran Dallas trial partner T. Ray Guy moved down the hall at The Crescent, joining Frost Brown as a member Jan. 1. On the same day, Robert Babcock joined Clark Hill as managing director of government and regulatory affairs in the firm's Dallas office, coming from the General Services Administration.

The two moves are among several announced so far this month, a common time for lawyers to jump to new positions. Another Jan. 1 development was Houston executive compensation partner Rob Fowler's move to Kirkland & Ellis from Baker Botts.

Guy, who had practiced at Weil Gotshal since 1995, said he was not ready to retire even though his former firm required him to do so at the end of 2019. He is 68.

"I still enjoy the give and take of trial practice. I enjoy being in court. I enjoy working with young lawyers and training them," he said.

Guy's practice is largely focused on general business litigation, including suits involving banking and finance, and securities litigation, he said. He declined to identify his clients. He said he looks forward to helping Frost Brown grow its Dallas office and litigation practice.

Dan Novakov, the Frost Brown member-in-charge in Dallas, who has known Guy for three decades, said the two of them have talked from time to time over the last few years, and he knew Guy was facing mandatory retirement.

"We offered him an opportunity to do what he likes to do. He obviously likes to try cases and also likes to train young lawyers," said Novakov, who helped open the firm's Dallas office in 2015.

A spokeswoman for Weil Gotshal did not immediately respond to a request for a comment on Guy's departure.

Frost Brown's Dallas office has added several litigators over the past year, picking up Todd Harlow from Cowles & Thompson, a group from Rose Walker led by Marty Rose, and Sean Whyte, who had been general counsel at a blockchain consulting and services company.

At Clark Hill, Babcock said he was ready to return to the private sector after two years as the GSA's regional administrator for the Greater Southwest Region, where he oversaw GSA matters in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Before that, he was director of government relations at Van Scoyoc Associates in Washington, D.C., and previously served as legislative aide for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. He is not a lawyer.

"I really missed doing government relations and here in Texas, there is a large need for that type of service, particularly at a law firm," Babcock said, adding that what he learned about federal construction, real estate and procurement while working at the GSA will help him at Clark Hill.

Babcock added that he anticipates a lot of cross-selling opportunities in Texas for the government relations practice, and looks forward to working with John Culberson, a former U.S. Representative in Houston who joined Clark Hill in 2019 as a partner in the government and public affairs practice in Houston and Washington, D.C.

Kevin Kelly, leader of Clark Hill's government and regulatory affairs practice, said Babcock is a "hard-charging go-getter" who has the skill set to build the firm's government and regulatory affairs practice in Dallas. Kelly said he and Babcock previously worked together at Van Scoyoc.

Clark Hill is known as Clark Hill Strasburger in Texas following the 2018 merger of Detroit's Clark Hill and Dallas-based Strasburger & Price. Since that merger, Kelly said, the firm has been interested in building its government and regulatory footprint in Texas.

Read More

5-Lawyer Rose Walker Group Joins Frost Brown Todd as Small Firm Closes

Clark Hill Adds Former Congressman From Houston