From a former BigLaw litigator. I've sat in your chair.
I place patent litigation attorneys at AmLaw 100 firms and top boutiques in Austin and across Texas. I was a patent litigator myself, so this is a market I know from the inside.
15 minutes. Completely confidential. Firms pay my fee, never you.
Patent Litigation ยท Austin & West Texas
The Western District of Texas is still a genuine patent venue, but the days when one courtroom concentrated the national docket are over, and filings have spread across judges and districts. The Eastern District, Marshall, Tyler, and Plano, remains the anchor Texas venue, and Austin firms staff that docket too. What Austin adds is its own technology base, the semiconductor, software, and hardware companies here generate defense side work that does not depend on any single courtroom.
I was a patent litigator, so I can tell which Austin groups have dockets built on client relationships and which were built on a venue moment. I'll also gate the conversation by your technical background, because software and life sciences are effectively different markets.
Before I recruited attorneys, I was one, a litigator at Weil Gotshal and Finnegan Henderson. I know what a 2,200 hour year feels like, how partners really size up a lateral, and what it's like to be the one making this call. That's the difference between someone who forwards your resume and someone who fights for your career.
I practiced patent litigation, so I can tell real claim construction and trial experience from document review dressed up as litigation, and I know how to frame your docket so it reads as durable rather than venue dependent.
No blasting your resume across the market. I learn your practice first, then take you to the handful of Austin groups that genuinely match where you're headed.
What we discuss stays between us. Nothing about you reaches a firm until you tell me yes, for that specific opportunity, in writing.
Three steps, no pressure, and an honest read from someone who has been on your side of the desk.
Fifteen minutes to understand where you are, where you want to go, and the things you won't compromise on.
A tight set of Austin patent litigation roles matched to your practice and your life, each one with a clear reason it's on the list.
I take your story straight to the hiring partner, run point on interviews, prep you for every round, and negotiate the offer.
It's structure, not effort
If your firm isn't winning the matters in your practice area, there's no work to hand down, no matter how proactive you are. Months of quiet start to read like underperformance when the real problem is structural. A busier platform fixes in weeks what staying can never fix at all. The answer isn't grinding harder. It's the right firm.
Hear how attorneys made their next move.
"I didn't think this kind of role was possible for me. It was."
"Steven understood where I was trying to go and built a path to it I couldn't have found on my own."
"It felt discreet, thoughtful, and personal. I never once felt sold."
"His read on how to position my experience, prep for interviews, and negotiate the offer was excellent."
Moving isn't disloyalty
Firms expect laterals. They don't take it personally. The attorneys who advance fastest aren't the ones who never leave. They're the ones who move when their firm can't support what comes next. Your career isn't built on loyalty. It's built by being deliberate about where you spend your 2,000 billable hours.
Completely. What we discuss stays between us, and if we move forward your resume doesn't reach anyone until you give me a yes for that specific opportunity, in writing.
It has moderated from the frenzy, but it has not disappeared. The Western District is still real, the Eastern District anchors Texas patent work, and Austin's own tech companies keep generating disputes. The groups that built on client relationships rather than one courtroom are still busy. I'll tell you which ones those are.
Firms pay my fee, not you. There's no cost to you at any point in the process.
No. Most attorneys I work with are exploring, not decided. A conversation costs you nothing and tells you a lot.
Both. Austin has a strong bench of specialist patent litigation boutiques alongside the big flagship practices. The right answer depends on the work and the life you want, and I'll help you compare them honestly.
I practiced in BigLaw for six years before I switched to recruiting. I don't just know the market, I know what it's like to sit in your chair. I won't waste your time with roles that don't make sense, and I'll be straight with you about what's realistic.
Before I recruited attorneys, I was one. Six years in BigLaw gave me a perspective most recruiters don't have. I know how partners weigh a lateral, how firms think about fit, and what it actually feels like to be the one making this decision.
Nine years and hundreds of placements later, I do one thing: help attorneys who've outgrown where they are find the right next role. Associates, counsel, and partners at AmLaw 100 firms and top boutiques. You set the pace, I keep everything quiet, and I stay focused on what's right for you.
"He introduced me directly to people who were relevant to my experience. I ended up with options that made sense for where I'm going."
15 minutes. Completely confidential. Firms pay my fee, never you.
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