Key Takeaways
- • Akin Gump's Dallas and Fort Worth offices achieved record-setting double-digit growth in 2026, according to partner-in-charge Scott Barnard, indicating strong market momentum in Texas corporate law.
- • M&A, private capital, and capital solutions practices drove the firm's growth, reflecting robust dealmaking activity among institutional and alternative investment clients in the region.
- • Texas data center work represents an emerging high-growth practice area, with Barnard characterizing the sector as "just exploding," suggesting significant infrastructure investment demand in the state.
- • The firm's performance aligns with The Texas Lawbook's annual Lawbook 50 rankings, positioning Akin as a leading player in Texas's expanding corporate legal market.
Summary
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP reported record-setting double-digit growth across its Dallas and Fort Worth offices in 2026, signaling robust expansion in Texas's corporate legal market. Scott Barnard, the partner-in-charge of both offices, disclosed the firm's strong performance to The Texas Lawbook as part of the publication's annual Lawbook 50 data release.
Barnard attributed the growth to strength across multiple practice areas critical to institutional and alternative investment clients. M&A work, private capital practices, and capital solutions generated particularly strong results, reflecting elevated dealmaking and financing activity in the Texas market. The data suggests sustained investor appetite for corporate transactions and structured financing vehicles in the region.
Most notably, Barnard identified data center work as an explosive growth driver for the firm. This practice area reflects broader national trends of infrastructure investment, cloud computing expansion, and AI-related infrastructure demand, with Texas emerging as a critical hub for such development. For institutional investors and family offices evaluating opportunities in technology infrastructure and real estate, the acceleration of data center legal work signals meaningful underlying investment activity in the state.
The firm's expansion comes as Texas continues to attract corporate relocations and alternative asset managers seeking regulatory clarity and business-friendly conditions. The Lawbook 50 rankings serve as a barometer for top legal talent and firm performance in the state, making Akin's record growth a significant market indicator for sophisticated investors monitoring Texas as an investment and operational center.
Barnard attributed the growth to strength across multiple practice areas critical to institutional and alternative investment clients. M&A work, private capital practices, and capital solutions generated particularly strong results, reflecting elevated dealmaking and financing activity in the Texas market. The data suggests sustained investor appetite for corporate transactions and structured financing vehicles in the region.
Most notably, Barnard identified data center work as an explosive growth driver for the firm. This practice area reflects broader national trends of infrastructure investment, cloud computing expansion, and AI-related infrastructure demand, with Texas emerging as a critical hub for such development. For institutional investors and family offices evaluating opportunities in technology infrastructure and real estate, the acceleration of data center legal work signals meaningful underlying investment activity in the state.
The firm's expansion comes as Texas continues to attract corporate relocations and alternative asset managers seeking regulatory clarity and business-friendly conditions. The Lawbook 50 rankings serve as a barometer for top legal talent and firm performance in the state, making Akin's record growth a significant market indicator for sophisticated investors monitoring Texas as an investment and operational center.
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