Willkie Adds Two Litigation Partners in Dallas Extending Litigation Practice to Texas

August 3, 2026

New York, NY (August 3, 2026) - Willkie today announced that prominent litigators Grant Schmidt and Andrew Bean have joined the Firm as partners in the Dallas office. Their addition extends Willkie's global litigation team to Texas and deepens the commercial litigation and trial capabilities available to clients across the state and nationally.

Firm Chairman Matthew Feldman commented: "We've invested significantly in our global litigation practice in recent years, which now makes up about a third of the firm's business. We remain focused on expanding those capabilities in key markets. Texas is one of the fastest-growing legal markets in the country and represents a significant opportunity. Grant and Andrew are leading trial lawyers with national practices and deep roots in the region, and their addition further strengthens our best-in-class litigation capabilities and positions us for continued growth."

Grant will serve as Willkie's Chair of Litigation - Texas. He is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and leader with extensive experience representing clients throughout the U.S. in complex commercial disputes, intellectual property litigation, and white-collar criminal defense. Grant has tried 15 civil and criminal trials in federal and state courts and led numerous arbitrations. He has successfully handled high-stakes matters across industries including healthcare, transportation, professional sports, media, entertainment, energy, financial services, technology, and real estate, among others. Grant is a leader in the Dallas legal community and is active in numerous legal and civic organizations in the region.

Andrew focuses on complex commercial litigation and appeals, representing clients across varied industries on a wide range of legal matters. He advises clients on all phases of the process, from pre-litigation through appeal, and has significant experience with discovery, briefing, and hearings on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants. He has been ranked by leading regional and legal organizations for his work.

Together, their addition strengthens Willkie's global litigation team and enhance the capabilities offered by our Texas platform. Hannah Luke also joins the Willkie's Dallas trial team as an associate.

Tariq Mundiya, Chair of Willkie's Litigation Department, commented: "We are delighted that Grant and Andrew have joined our nationally-recognized trial and appellate practice. Our goal is to bring together some of the industry's best litigators to represent our clients in their most important matters. Texas is a critical market for our firm and we are confident that the skill, energy and entrepreneurial spirit that Grant and Andrew will bring to our Dallas office will continue our firm's reputation as a litigation powerhouse."

Holt Foster, Managing Partner of the Dallas office, commented: "As Willkie Dallas continues our successful growth, adding a top-tier trial team to our team's comprehensive suite of legal services has been a top priority. Grant and Andrew joining our team as cornerstones of our litigation practice in Texas is an important milestone in our continued growth in Dallas. Grant, Andrew and Hannah are talented, dynamic and collaborative litigators, and their addition expands Willkie's best-in-class trial capabilities to our clients here and around the world. We are thrilled to welcome them to Willkie."

"Willkie has a stellar global litigation platform and a growing presence in Texas. I am very excited to be a part of that momentum and build our litigation practice in Texas," commented Grant. "We're seeing clients navigate an increasingly complex litigation environment, from high-stakes commercial disputes to IP and white-collar matters. I look forward to serving clients across the Firm as we bring Willkie's integrated, trial-ready approach to the market."

"Joining Willkie provides an excellent opportunity to expand my practice to a broader national platform," said Andrew. "I'm excited to be part of the Firm's continued investment in Dallas and to help our clients navigate challenging disputes."

Willkie's Texas offices include locations in Houston and Dallas. The Houston office opened in 2014, extending the firm's corporate, private equity, and transactional capabilities to clients across the energy, infrastructure, industrial and manufacturing, and financial services sectors. The Dallas office launched in 2024 and focuses on transactional, private equity, finance, restructuring, tax, executive compensation, litigation, and regulatory matters across the energy, aviation, automotive, chemicals, banking, real estate, technology, and retail sectors.

*****************************************************

About Willkie

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP provides leading-edge legal solutions on complex, business critical issues spanning markets and industries. Our approximately 1,300 attorneys across 16 offices worldwide deliver innovative, pragmatic and sophisticated legal services across approximately 45 practice areas. Learn more at https://www.willkie.com.