Nine Akin Gump lawyers quit to launch real estate boutique

TEXAS-based firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld’s San Antonio office has been rocked by the departure of nine real estate lawyers, who have left to launch a local boutique.

Partners Steve Golden, Ami Gordon and Andrew Cohen and six associates joined the 14 lawyers at Drenner Stuart Wolff Metcalfe von Kreisler, headed by former Jenkens & Gilchrist partner Stephen Drenner.

The new firm opened on January 1 and will be known as Drenner & Golden Stuart Wolff, with offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas.

Akin Gump’s San Antonio managing partner Michael Elrod remains the only real estate lawyer in the office.

The ex-Akin Gump partners said their departure was amicable, and expect to forward non-property legal work to their former firm.

Golden, 52, told Texan media the move was a lifestyle choice to avoid the bureaucracy of an international firm.

Akin Gump managing partner Bruce McLean said the firm might look to replace Golden’s team with a high-profile hire.