Best Lawyers in Texas, United States for Corporate Law
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Clarke represents a wide array of businesses in many different types of business transactions. For more than 40 years, he has successfully negotiated commercial leases for tenants and landlords, formed venture capital funds for institutional investors, represented management in various transactions involving employment agreements, separation agreements, and various types of equity and phantom equity compensation arrangements. He is committed to providing cost effective, high quality legal ser...
Patrick Hayes' practice focuses on commercial real estate, and assisting clients in acquiring, disposing, capitalizing and forming companies. Patrick’s real estate practice covers all aspects of commercial real estate, including acquisition, development, capitalizing, financing, leasing and disposition of all product types of commercial real estate. His corporate/commercial practice centers on the formation and restructuring of commercial entities, including corporations, partnerships a...
Thomas Laughlin is one of the founding partners of the Dallas office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Thomas regularly represents clients in mergers and acquisitions (including controlling investments, preferred equity and other minority investments, and SPAC transactions), divestitures, joint ventures, debt and equity financings, restructurings and other corporate matters. Thomas has broad experience across many industries, but in particular, he has focused his practice representing clients in t...
Billy Murphy is an experienced business attorney representing growth companies and investors in venture capital transactions, private equity financings and mergers and acquisitions. Billy also frequently advises start-up and early stage companies with respect to initial formation and financing matters. Billy co-founded the corporate law firm Dwyer Murphy Calvert LLP in Austin, Texas in 2006. Prior to co-founding Dwyer Murphy Calvert LLP, Billy served as the General Counsel of TippingPoint Tec...
Philip Dunlap represents clients in mergers and acquisitions transactions across all industries. He counsels private companies, private equity funds and their portfolio companies in connection with strategic investments, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, as well as on general corporate matters. Philip also serves as outside general counsel in matters including finance transactions, employee compensation, commercial contracts and employment agreements. He has represented ...
Gary Miller’s practice includes extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, capital formation, contract negotiation/documentation, lending, factoring and day-to-day representation of corporations and other business entities. He frequently participates in the organization and financing of business entities, as well as the negotiation and documentation of complex transactions. Special components of Gary’s practice include the representation of United Kingdom-based companies in...
Fred Fulton focuses his practice on the representation of public and private retail and distribution companies in connection with such general corporate matters as corporate governance, disclosure, and contract negotiation. He represents both purchasers and sellers in numerous industries in mergers and acquisitions and other significant transactions. Fred also represents issuers and underwriters in initial public offerings and other public and private offerings of equity and debt securities.
Bill Benitez is a partner in the Houston office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, equity investments, recapitalizations, joint ventures and corporate governance, with a particular emphasis on the energy and infrastructure sector. Clients have described Bill as a “great practitioner” who provides “incredible client service” in connection with his recognition in various industry publications, including Chambers Global, The Wor...
Gemma L. Descoteaux is a partner in the Corporate Practice group in the firm's Dallas office. She is Chair of lateral partner recruiting for the Dallas office. Gemma represents buyers and sellers in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; participants in complex domestic, international and cross-border joint ventures and partnerships; providers and customers of outsourcing services; and companies who are in need of sound corporate commercial counsel in a wide range of industries, including te...
Tim Strother is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Tim, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Tim is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Samantha L. Elliott is an associate in the Corporate & Securities section of the firm, focusing on private equity business. Ms. Elliott earned her Juris Doctorate from Texas A&M University School of Law, with a concentration in intellectual property. During law school, she worked as a research assistant, focusing on intellectual property. She was also a teaching assistant at the Texas A&M Trademark and Copyright Clinic. Additionally, Ms. Elliott served as a summer extern at the Un...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.