For the fourth consecutive year, Haynes Boone has been recognized as a Texas Regional Powerhouse by Law360, which honors firms for their significant impact and achievements in their respective states.
Chair and Firmwide Managing Partner Taylor Wilson and General Counsel Ben Mesches spoke with Law360 about the firm’s continued growth in Texas, including significant wins for energy clients and its work supporting the state’s evolving business landscape.
Read the full 2026 Powerhouse feature here and an excerpt below.
Wilson … said the last year has seen a continuation of the firm's growth, with 85 lateral hires, making it one of the largest firms in Texas by headcount — 433 attorneys across seven offices.
Among its new hires in Texas is Michael Qian, who joined out of the U.S. Department of Justice. He'd been counselor to the attorney general, said … Ben Mesches, and had previously clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
"He's been a great addition to the firm, bringing that incredible and unique experience of having clerked for two different United States Supreme Court justices," Mesches said.
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Wilson said the firm is fortunate to have a broad base of both clients and attorneys, serving the energy, technology, financial services and private equity industries, among others.
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"Matching up with our client demand, our growth has also been a reflection of the growing economy in the state of Texas," Wilson said. "Texas is a business-friendly environment that has attracted a number of large corporations that have moved their headquarters to our state."
Mesches said the firm launched a Texas corporate governance practice and a business courts task force to help businesses navigate the changes associated with reincorporating in the state and to take advantage of the [Texas] stock exchange and new business court.
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Mesches … highlighted some of the firm's successes in the last year, including its work for American Midstream to secure a reversal of a $6 million contract judgment. … He expects lots of growth opportunities and competition for work in the renewable energy and data center spaces.
Wilson [noted] … the firm has always been financially conservative in that it holds no debt, giving it consistent stability and low attrition. He … expects the growth … to continue, and they've looked to get ahead … on AI and data centers, building and expanding the firm's knowledge management regarding AI, including how to use it, what its capabilities are and how it can benefit clients.
