Shearman & Sterling Hires Haynes and Boone Group in Houston

Shearman & Sterling has grabbed a group of four lawyers from Haynes and Boone for its recently opened Houston office including Bill Nelson, who was co-chair of his former firm’s capital markets and securities practice.

The hire of Nelson and his colleagues, announced by Shearman Monday, underlines the increasingly competitive legal market in Houston, which is being revived by oil and gas activity.

Shearman’s office in the city opened last May with six partners. The new office, which follows the firm’s opening of an Austin outpost last March, is an expansion of Shearman’s existing global energy practice, which is focused ...