Bressler, Amery & Ross, a midsize New Jersey firm, has moved into Houston and Dallas by acquiring litigation and arbitration firm Ballard & Littlefield, marking yet another entree by an out-of-state firm into the hot Texas legal market.

Bressler Amery, which also opened an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, in June, has long eyed Texas because of work the 150-lawyer firm does for clients in the Lone Star State, managing principal Frank Cuccio said in an interview Monday. The deal was effective Aug. 1, but announced Monday.