Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr of Dallas is reviving its zoning and land use practice, having hired Angela Hunt as a shareholder. Hunt formerly served on the Dallas City Council.
Hunt said she is excited to work with the "amazing" real estate team at Munsch Hardt. The firm, she noted, has not had a land use section for a decade-and-a-half.
While on the City Council, where she served from 2005 through 2013, Hunt worked on several land use projects, such as the effort to revitalize the Lower Greenville area, and creation of the Trinity Skyline Trail—a path along the Trinity River. She said she understands the political and legal aspects of the zoning process.
Phil Appenzeller, chief executive officer of Munsch Hardt, said the firm has for several years considered adding a lawyer with sophisticated land use and zoning experience. He said Hunt, who joined on May 1, is the right fit.
"Angela's unique background in real estate law and politics, coupled with her reputation for being transparent, accountable and fiscally responsible, makes her an ideal fit for our firm and for our clients," Appenzeller said in a statement.
Hunt comes to Munsch from Farrow-Gillespie & Heath in Dallas. Her clients include Alamo Manhattan, Exxir Capital and Flow-Line Construction, she said.
Other firms in Texas also have made new lateral hires. Gardere Wynne Sewell hired W. Brian Memory as a partner in the firm's banking and finance practice group, and Jason Luter as a partner in the tax practice group. Both are in Dallas. Akerman brought on litigation partners David Jones in San Antonio and Gerard Wimberly in New Orleans.
Memory, formerly assistant general counsel and senior vice president at PlainsCapital Bank, said he is excited to return to private practice. "I wouldn't have gone to any other law firm. This was a unique opportunity to go to the firm that was PlainsCapital's firm of choice," he said.
Luter, who came from Gray Reed & McGraw, said he was attracted to the depth of talent in Gardere's tax practice group. "I really saw ways the existing lawyers here could bring tremendous value to my clients," he said. He declined to identify his clients.
At Akerman, the clients Jones brought with him include CaptureRX, a drug pricing technology company, and several insurance carriers. He said he jumped at the opportunity to join Akerman in San Antonio after working as co-counsel with Larry Kurth, the managing partner of the San Antonio office, on a large commercial suit. Kurth joined Akerman last July in a lateral group from Beirne, Maynard & Parsons.
Jones had been managing shareholder at Jones, Andrews & Ortiz in San Antonio before joining Akerman. He said he closed his firm.
Wimberly joined Akerman in New Orleans from McGlinchey Stafford, where he had served as co-chair of the firm's white-collar/government investigations group.