Taking Notice: Bloomberg, Law 360, and ATL Report on Brewer

June 15, 2023 – Major legal media outlets are taking notice of Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors announcing that starting salaries for new lawyers are being increased to $250,000. Bloomberg Law, Law360 and Above the Law all reported on the big salary news.

Bloomberg observed that the starting salary for associates now exceeds the $215,000 salary level set under the “Cravath scale” that many major law firms use.

“When you start out in a higher place, you are able to contribute more significantly to the firm, your clients and in community impact cases,” partner William Brewer told Bloomberg. “A rising tide lifts all boats, so when we increase pay at the base level, everyone benefits.”

Law360 reported that Brewer said the firm is launching “the most ambitious hiring initiative in the history of our firm.” He added that “Like all self-perceived change agents, we view ourselves differently than the BigLaw crowd.” Brewer stated, “We believe our firm occupies a unique space in the market, hiring top talent and giving them unprecedented opportunity from day one.”

Law360 also reported that as part of the hiring push, the firm hired Matthew Davis as a Dallas partner. Davis stated that he was attracted to the bet-the-business cases and advocacy that have defined the Brewer firm.

 Above the Law highlighted that the Brewer firm’s news offered a bright spot as other law firms struggle with layoffs. The article described the firm’s “generous compensation scheme.”

Texas Lawyer Report: Brewer Firm Ups Associate Salary to $250,000, Aims for Growth

June 13, 2023 –Texas Lawyer reports that, effective immediately, the Brewer firm has increased first-year associate salaries to $250,000. The firm recently announced the hiring of a new Dallas partner, Matthew H. Davis, and is in the midst of expanding its national platform – adding professionals across various sectors.

Founded in 1984, the Brewer firm has a unique staffing model in commercial litigation. The firm is comprised of several professional groups – financial and management consultants, researchers and private investigators, and public affairs strategists – who work with the firm’s lawyers to develop insights that shape case strategy. All the groups are poised for expansion in the firm’s Dallas and New York offices.

The firm continues to promote one of the most aggressive partnership tracks in the nation. Associates who join Brewer are eligible to be promoted to partner after five years.

Brewer told Texas Lawyer, “We are looking for people who want to get out, have a great career, get involved in exciting things…down at the courthouse.”

Speaking of the firm’s hiring initiative, Davis said, “The idea is to expand the Dallas office and really push to grow the association head count. Our intent is to train them and have them stay at the firm through partnership. We plan to be very aggressive in recruiting.”

Texas Supreme Court Exonerates Partner William Brewer in Pretrial Survey Case

The Texas Supreme Court on April 24 ruled that Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors Partner William Brewer did not act in bad faith when he conducted a pretrial survey in advance of a products liability trial. The ruling reverses a prior sanctions award levied against Brewer by a trial court.  

“We appreciate the attention paid by the court on this important issue. The opinion validates what we have believed all along – that Bill and our law firm acted ethically at all times,” says Michael J. Collins, partner at Brewer. “This outcome underscores our commitment to the highest of ethical standards.”

 Brewer was sanctioned by a trial court in 2014 in connection with a telephone survey that opposing counsel contended was a "push poll" meant to influence the jury. 

However, the Texas Supreme Court's opinion, issued on April 24, 2020, states: "Though the survey Brewer commissioned is not without its faults, the evidence shows he undertook reasonable efforts to secure a third-party industry professional to create a relatively balanced public opinion survey for random administration."

“This is an important victory for every lawyer in Texas,” says Linda Eads, professor emerita, SMU Dedman School of Law, and counsel to the Brewer firm. “It provides protection from unreasonable sanctions imposed by a trial judge not based on facts and evidence.”

Professor Eads continued, “The opinion confirms the Brewer firm acted appropriately at all times, and the survey in question was balanced for random administration. In this instance, the court ruled decisively in favor of Bill and the firm, finding the ‘record bears no direct, or even circumstantial, evidence of bad faith.’”