Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson has joined Locke Lord’s Dallas office as a partner in the firm’s Public Finance Practice Group. On June 17, 2019, Johnson became only the second elected African American mayor in Dallas history. Before becoming mayor, he served nine years in the Texas House of Representatives. During his tenure in the Texas Legislature, he served on 20 major legislative committees and as the chairman of the Dallas Area Legislative Delegation. Johnson most recently worked at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, and prior to that at Andrews Kurth Kenyon, where he helped establish both firms’ presence in the North Texas public finance market. He received a bachelor’s degree with honors from Harvard University, a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University and a juris doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. In addition to his role as mayor of Dallas and a partner at Locke Lord, Johnson is the regional chairman of the Princeton Prize in Race Relations and serves on the board of the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. “I have long respected Locke Lord, its lawyers, its public finance practice, and its deep ties to the Dallas community,” Johnson said in a statement. “To Dallas’ residents, I want to say that my duties as mayor will always come first. As a practicing lawyer in my early forties, however, it is also important that I maintain my law license and continue to practice law as time allows,” Johnson continued. “And I will always do so in accordance with all applicable laws, as well as the ethical standards of the legal profession, with respect to conflicts of interest.”

Partners

George Hinchey has rejoined Haynes and Boone as a partner in the firm’s San Antonio office. A San Antonio native, Hinchey represents private and institutional parties with the acquisition, disposition, leasing, financing and development of commercial properties. “I am excited to return to Haynes and Boone, where I have many close colleagues,” Hinchey said in a statement. “The firm has a phenomenal real estate practice that is competitive in the Central Texas market and has the bandwidth to serve clients nationwide.”