K&L Gates has seen its head count dwindle by 220 lawyers since 2015. But you wouldn’t know it by looking at the firm’s offices in Texas lately. The Pittsburgh-based global giant has been busily expanding its claim in the second-most populous state in the union, with nearly a dozen additions in the last five months.

This week brought another five new Texas hires, including Houston energy attorney Jon Vicklund and Austin’s Stewart Mesher, who led the litigation group at Texas IP boutique Conley Rose.