Offit Kurman Expands to Texas: Launching Dallas Office with Bankruptcy Expertise from Ross & Smith
On September 12, 2025, Offit Kurman, a prominent Am Law 200 firm, announced its bold entry into the Texas legal market. The firm is launching a new office in Dallas on October 1, bringing onboard a four-lawyer team from the boutique firm Ross & Smith. This strategic move combines Offit Kurman’s national reach with specialized bankruptcy and restructuring talent, positioning the firm to tap into Texas’s dynamic economy. The announcement highlights the growing trend of lateral hires and mergers as law firms chase opportunities in high-growth regions like the Lone Star State.
Offit Kurman, founded in 1987 as a boutique in Baltimore, has evolved into a full-service powerhouse with nearly 250 attorneys across 17 offices. Known for its focus on business law, litigation, and wealth protection, the firm has aggressively expanded in recent years, adding outposts from New York to California. This Dallas launch marks its first foothold in Texas, a state boasting the eighth-largest economy in the world and a hotspot for energy, tech, and real estate deals. By absorbing Ross & Smith’s team, Offit Kurman gains immediate depth in bankruptcy, insolvency, and mediation—areas critical amid economic uncertainties like rising interest rates and potential recessions.
The Team: Bankruptcy Veterans from Ross & Smith
At the heart of the launch are four seasoned attorneys from Ross & Smith, a Dallas-based boutique renowned for its niche in bankruptcy, restructuring, insolvency, mediation, and civil litigation. Led by partners David W. Ross and Robert G. Smith, the group brings decades of combined experience handling complex financial distress cases for creditors, debtors, and trustees.
- David W. Ross: A founding partner of Ross & Smith, Ross specializes in creditor rights, bankruptcy litigation, and out-of-court workouts. With over 25 years in practice, he has represented banks, asset-based lenders, and trade creditors in high-stakes Chapter 11 reorganizations and adversary proceedings. Ross is a frequent speaker on bankruptcy topics and has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America for his work in the field. In joining Offit Kurman, he will serve as the Dallas office managing partner, overseeing the new location’s growth.
- Robert G. Smith: The other co-founder, Smith focuses on debtor-side representations, including Chapter 7 liquidations and cross-border insolvencies. He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has mediated disputes in the Northern District of Texas Bankruptcy Court. Smith’s expertise in alternative dispute resolution complements Offit Kurman’s broader litigation practice.
- Of Counsel and Associates: Rounding out the team are two additional lawyers: a mid-level associate with experience in preference actions and fraudulent conveyance claims, and an of counsel attorney specializing in real estate insolvency. Their arrival ensures the Dallas office is operational from day one, with capacity to handle filings in the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas.
This boutique-to-national-firm transition is a classic playbook for expansion. Ross & Smith, established in 2010, had built a loyal client base among Dallas’s financial institutions but lacked the resources for nationwide matters. “Combining with Offit Kurman allows us to supercharge our practice while leveraging their platform for bigger opportunities,” Ross said in a statement. The move is not a full merger—it’s a lateral hire—but it effectively dissolves the boutique’s standalone operations as the team integrates fully into Offit Kurman.
Offit Kurman’s Strategy: Why Dallas, Why Now?
Texas has long been a magnet for law firms eyeing expansion. With no state income tax, business-friendly courts, and a surge in venture capital (over $20 billion in 2024 alone), Dallas offers fertile ground for practices like bankruptcy amid volatile markets. Offit Kurman, which reported $250 million in revenue last year, has prioritized “entrepreneurial counsel” in emerging hubs. The firm’s recent additions—such as a six-attorney litigation team in New York in 2021—demonstrate a pattern of targeted growth through talent acquisition.
“Dallas is a gateway to the Southwest’s economic engine,” said Offit Kurman Managing Partner Kenneth M. Kurman. “We’re excited to bring our full-service model to clients navigating bankruptcy in energy, manufacturing, and tech sectors.” The new office will occupy space in the Uptown Tower, a sleek high-rise in Dallas’s vibrant business district, signaling a commitment to long-term presence. Initial focus areas include creditor representations in oil and gas restructurings, a nod to Texas’s energy dominance.
This launch aligns with broader industry shifts. Lateral moves in bankruptcy have spiked 15% year-over-year, per Legal Dive data, as firms brace for a potential wave of defaults from commercial real estate woes. Offit Kurman’s Dallas team will integrate with its existing Creditors’ Rights, Reorganization & Bankruptcy group, which spans offices in Philadelphia, New York, and Charlotte. Clients can expect seamless collaboration on multi-jurisdictional cases, from UCC foreclosures to preference defenses.
Impact on the Dallas Legal Scene
The arrival of Offit Kurman stirs the pot in Dallas’s competitive bankruptcy bar. Established players like Haynes and Boone and Jackson Walker dominate, but boutiques like Ross & Smith have carved niches in mediation and insolvency. This hire disrupts that landscape, potentially drawing clients seeking national backup. “It’s a smart play—boutiques provide instant expertise without the overhead of a full build-out,” noted Texas Lawyer editor Emma Cueto.
For the incoming attorneys, the switch means access to Offit Kurman’s resources: advanced tech for e-discovery, marketing support, and cross-practice synergies with IP, employment, and tax groups. Ross & Smith’s clients, including regional banks and distressed asset buyers, stand to benefit from expanded geographic reach. However, the boutique’s dissolution raises questions about smaller firms’ sustainability in a consolidating market.
Industry watchers predict ripple effects. Other Am Law firms, like Troutman Pepper, which bolstered its Dallas bankruptcy team in 2024, may accelerate hires. For associates, it underscores the value of niche expertise in a firm-hopping era.
Looking Ahead: Growth Plans and Broader Implications
Offit Kurman envisions the Dallas office growing to 10 attorneys within two years, with hires in corporate and litigation to round out services. The firm, which serves clients like Amazon and Toyota in other markets, aims to attract Texas-based multinationals facing financial headwinds. “We’re not just planting a flag—we’re building bridges to the future,” Kurman added.
This expansion reflects Offit Kurman’s ethos: innovative, client-focused growth. From its Maryland roots to national stature, the firm has thrived on strategic combinations, much like this Dallas debut. As economic clouds gather, the bankruptcy team’s timing couldn’t be better.
In a landscape where adaptability is key, Offit Kurman’s Texas launch exemplifies how firms can blend boutique agility with big-firm muscle. Dallas clients, take note: fresh expertise is on the horizon.