Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP promoted 16 lawyers to partner on 1st April, opening a new fiscal year that marks 125 years since its oldest predecessor firm first opened for business.
The milestone arrives eight years after the 2018 merger that created the firm in its current form. That combination brought together Hunton & Williams, an East Coast institution, with Andrews Kurth Kenyon, a Texas-based outfit known for energy sector work.
The result: nearly 900 lawyers spanning the United States, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
“As we celebrate 125 years, we recommit to the core values that serve as our guiding principles: exceptional client service, commitment to our communities and our people, and delivering trusted world-class legal counsel,” said Managing Partner Sam Danon. “Inspired by this tradition, we look forward to providing practical, business-oriented solutions to clients around the world for another 125 years.”
The firm’s latest partner class spans six practice areas: capital finance and real estate, corporate, energy and infrastructure, labour and employment, litigation, and tax and ERISA. Their elevation reflects what Hunton describes as strategic investment in core industry sectors—energy, technology, financial services, real estate, and retail and consumer products.
Mergers between established law firms accelerated through the 2010s, as practices sought scale and geographic reach to serve multinational clients. The Hunton deal united two century-old brands, each carrying distinct regional strengths and client relationships built over decades.
Since 2018, the combined entity has maintained offices across three continents. The firm positions itself as a transactional, litigation, and regulatory practice with particular depth in industries where compliance demands and deal complexity require specialised counsel.
Beyond billable work, Hunton has sustained a pro bono programme that consumes more than three per cent of its US attorneys’ time. That threshold matters: it’s the benchmark set by the American Bar Association’s Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, which Hunton has met or exceeded for 32 consecutive years.
“Pro bono participation reflects who we are as a firm,” said Randy Parks, partner and chairman of the executive committee. “For 32 consecutive years, Hunton has met or exceeded the ABA’s Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge by providing more than 3 per cent of its billable time to pro bono services. That commitment, which is in Hunton’s DNA, has a tangible impact on individuals and communities that might not otherwise have access to legal representation. For the past nine years, our partner Kim MacLeod has led our pro bono efforts and we thank her for her extraordinary service as she passes the baton.”
The pro bono docket addresses housing disputes, immigration cases, civil rights matters, and veterans’ issues. MacLeod, who steered those efforts for nine years, is stepping aside as the firm enters its 126th year.
The anniversary arrives as the United States prepares to commemorate its own 250th year in 2026. Hunton framed its milestone within that broader context, drawing a parallel between national endurance and institutional longevity.
What the firm didn’t disclose: revenue figures, client wins, or specific growth targets for the years ahead. Those details remain internal as Hunton navigates a legal market where technology adoption, pricing pressure, and competition for talent continue to reshape how large practices operate.
The 16 new partners will assume their roles as the fiscal year begins, joining a partnership that has expanded steadily since the merger. For a firm built on the foundations of two separate legacies, the promotions signal continued appetite for growth across practices and geographies.
Whether that trajectory holds through the next 125 years remains an open question. For now, Hunton is marking the moment—and banking on the idea that institutional memory, paired with fresh talent, can carry a practice forward even as the profession itself transforms around it.
