Craftsmanship and Character: A History of the Vinson & Elkins Law Firm of Houston, 1917-1997This pioneering work by one of the country's leading legal historians is perhaps the most complete history ever written of a major American multinational law firm. Granted unprecedented access to the private files of the Vinson & Elkins firm in Houston, Texas, Harold M. Hyman has crafted a unique and detailed history and analysis of the founding, growth, and operation of a prototypical multinational firm. The history of Vinson & Elkins both mirrors and contrasts with that of many other major American law firms. It began in 1917 with two partners, a handful of clients, and ten thousand dollars. By the 1990s the firm retained more than five hundred lawyers, represented more than eight thousand clients on several continents, and posted multi-million-dollar annual earnings. Craftsmanship and Character serves as a model study of American law firms and opens the door for more explorations of these hugely influential but largely unstudied institutions. |
Contents
Introduction Hell Tell It All | 1 |
Chapter 1 The Beginnings of Our Association | 14 |
Chapter 2 Seizing Opportunity | 35 |
Chapter 3 Not SouthernGentlemenLazy | 65 |
Chapter 4 Building | 93 |
Chapter 5 The Right Thing to Do and the Right People to Employ | 122 |
Chapter 6 VE and the Quest for Oil Money and Power | 147 |
Chapter 7 Burdens | 182 |
Epilogue The Significance of Where We Came From | 521 |
Appendices | 531 |
YearEnd Attorneys 19171946 | 532 |
YearEnd Headcount 19171995 | 533 |
Annual Entries and Departures 19171995 | 534 |
Annual Hiring and Departures 19171995 | 535 |
Interview Schedule 19761978 | 536 |
Results of Interviews and Review of Personnel 7 Hirings by Law School 19171994 | 540 |
Chapter 8 The Remaining Years of Our Association | 220 |
Chapter 9 Life and Some Transfigurations | 252 |
Chapter 10 Stepping Down but Not Out Recruiting and Promoting 19461962 | 282 |
Chapter 11 To Make the Future Longer Than the Past The WhiteSearls Decade of the 1960s | 312 |
Chapter 12 Had They but Time Exit Elkins and Searls Enter John Connally | 348 |
Chapter 13 One Good Visionary A Frank Smith Jr in Charge 19721981 | 383 |
Chapter 14 Thaumaturgist Smiths Pacific Transformations The VE Study Group of 19791980 | 418 |
Chapter 15 Branching Out during Smiths and Attwells Decades The Changeful 1970s and 1980s | 448 |
Chapter 16 Some BranchingsIn during the 1980s and 1990s The AttwellReasoner Years | 487 |
Attorneys by Law School 19171994 | 541 |
Lawyer Net Growth and Attrition 19711979 | 542 |
NonCampus Recruiting and Projection of Attorney Needs 11 YearEnd Legal Assistants 19731995 | 544 |
Hiring by Gender 19701995 | 545 |
New Partners by Gender 19701995 | 546 |
Attorneys Median Age 19201994 | 547 |
Texas Law Firms Performance | 548 |
Notes | 549 |
Index | 645 |
Common terms and phrases
administrative American Lawyer antitrust Attwell Attwell's Austin Baker & Botts bank became Bill Bouldin Brittman clerks Collie Connally Connally's corporate Court Dallas Dan Arnold David Searls decades Dinkins earlier early Elkins's Executive Committee favored federal files finance Firm's founders Francis Frank Smith Gertrude Peddy Cornwall Harry Reasoner Hightower hired Huntsville Ibid IMM Papers in-house interests John Connally Judge Elkins Lamar Hotel later law firms Law School litigation major Management Committee Managing Partner matters McClendon ment noted oil and gas Oil Company partnership passim policies political practice pro bono professional profits Pure Oil Pure's Reasoner recalled recruiting resigned Searls Searls's secretary senior partners shares Shepherd staff Steven Brill Stimley Sweeton TETCO Texas law Texas's tion University of Texas V&E associates V&E attorneys V&E clients V&E lawyers V&E partner Vinson & Elkins Vinson and Elkins Washington Weatherly Weems White