Texas firm Andrews Kurth has hired 55 lawyers from US IP boutique Kenyon & Kenyon, with the smaller firm now set to be wound down.

Kenyon, which has offices in New York, Washington and Palo Alto, was founded in 1879 and boasted some 200 lawyers in total as recently as the early Noughties. However a series of departures over the past decade left it with just over 50 lawyers, who will all now join Andrews Kurth.

The larger firm will market its IP and technology practice in certain offices as Andrews Kurth Kenyon once the deal closes in early September.

Andrews Kurth managing partner Bob Jewell said: “It’s not often that you find a firm that shares a similar culture and core values, and it became clear early on that the Kenyon lawyers were a good fit for us.”

Houston-headquartered Andrews Kurth is best known for its energy, finance and technology practices.

The firm launched in London in 2013 after hiring Ashurst partner Peter Roberts as its first English partner. Roberts subsequently left the firm earlier this year for Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, leaving the office with four partners.