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Houston Legal Job Market

Houston's market for law firm and
in-house job opportunities

Houston is a vibrant market with an economy operating independently from the rest of the nation. This city’s constant emphasis on corporate growth has provided it with a means of protection from a national economic downturn. Jobs tend to be very plentiful, though because of the large numbers of attorneys in the city, the job descriptions are increasingly specific as to the candidate a firm or company is looking for. Contract positions are more plentiful than in other Texas markets, as firms staff up for specific cases and dedicated clients. In the face of a declining economy and Hurricane Ike which recently impacted the city, Houston is still a resilient market and continues to show steady job growth in the legal field.

Due to local laws and tax incentives attractive to business, a large number of national law firms and corporations are headquartered in Houston. With such a wealth and diversity of corporations, it is no surprise many national firms are opening offices here. As these national firms have grown, partners have broken off to form their own successful boutique firms. Law firms that have opened offices in Houston in the last few years include McDermott, Will & Emery; DLA Piper; Hunton & Williams; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius; Sutherland, Asbill, & Brennan; and Greenberg Traurig.

Houston has long been a strong city with a thriving legal practice in virtually all practice areas. More than anything, though, Houston is known as an energy giant, the gateway to the world’s energy market. There has been concern lately about the decline in energy positions due to the drop in oil and gas prices. However, this has not been a valid concern, as the energy companies remain strong and are continuing to hire, having diversified into alternative energy areas such as wind, solar and biofuels. Other strong practice areas in Houston include Corporate & Securities, Bankruptcy, Environmental, Regulatory, Health Care, IP litigation, IP prosecution, Real Estate, and Tax law.

Regarding in-house legal jobs, only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 and Global 500 headquarters in the city limits. Corporate sectors include energy, manufacturing, aeronautics, transportation, and health care. The corporations include ConocoPhillips, Continental Airlines, Marathon Oil, Shell Oil Company, Sysco Foods, Halliburton, Anadarko Petroleum, Waste Management, Kinder Morgan, El Paso Corporation, BP, Reliant Energy, Spectra Energy, Baker Hughes, Cameron International, Apache, and FMC Technologies.

Being a multicultural city with a large and growing international community, Houston is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits with an active and remarkable museum district. Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene in the Theater District and is one of few U.S. cities that offer year-round resident companies in all major performing arts. The newly renovated downtown area is alive and vibrant at night with several sports stadiums and upscale clubs. Houston’s attractions also include NASA, the rodeo, sports, and phenomenal shopping with one of the largest indoor shopping malls in the United States.

Having the help of Moses Legal Search is integral in Houston because the positions are available but tough to find in a timely manner and are very specific as to needed qualifications. It can be difficult for a candidate to determine if a position is a proper fit, or whether his or her resume is written in a way that will be seen positively by the hiring partner or company. Our legal recruiters meet regularly with clients, including practice leaders and department heads to keep abreast of their current staffing needs and to serve as informed and respected advisors. We streamline the process and explain the specific details of the opportunity, which are integral to getting an interview and offer.