Mayer Brown Adds Six Former McGuireWoods Partners in Houston and Washington to Expand Energy Litigation Capabilities
New lateral group spans Houston and Washington as firms compete for energy-sector work
Mayer Brown has hired six partners from McGuireWoods in a move that strengthens its energy-focused disputes and related practices in Texas and Washington, D.C. The additions were announced March 10, 2026, and include Yasser A. Madriz, who previously served as McGuireWoods’ Houston office managing partner. The incoming partners are Yasser A. Madriz, Meghaan C. Madriz, Miles O. Indest, Jason Huebinger, Gregory J. Krock and Wolf McGavran.
The hires concentrate in Houston and Washington, two markets closely tied to energy production, regulation, and litigation. Houston remains a center for upstream and midstream operators, oilfield services companies, and energy-focused deal activity. Washington is a key venue for federal policy, enforcement, and appellate litigation affecting energy projects and commodity markets.
Who is joining and what they are known for
Publicly available professional biographies indicate the group brings a mix of courtroom experience, technology-driven commercial disputes, and energy-industry fluency.
Yasser A. Madriz previously led McGuireWoods’ Houston office and has been associated with energy litigation and trial work in Texas.
Meghaan C. Madriz has practiced in Houston and has been tied to labor and employment matters in Texas-based work.
Miles O. Indest has been described in prior firm materials as a litigator who works on complex disputes for energy and technology clients, including matters involving investigations, electronic discovery, and trade secrets.
Gregory J. Krock has been identified in prior litigation materials and professional profiles as a trial lawyer representing energy companies in state and federal courts, including appellate matters, with work touching oil-and-gas leasing and related disputes.
Jason Huebinger and Wolf McGavran join as partners based in Houston and Washington, respectively, adding depth to the group’s geographic coverage.
Why this matters for the Houston legal market
The move underscores continued competition among large firms for senior partners with energy-sector client relationships, particularly in litigation and high-stakes commercial disputes. Energy companies face a broad range of potential conflicts that can drive demand for experienced trial teams: contract and royalty disputes, infrastructure and pipeline disagreements, environmental and tort claims, and litigation arising from distressed transactions or operational failures.
For Houston, where many energy disputes are filed or managed even when projects span multiple states, the arrival of a coordinated partner group can quickly expand a firm’s capacity and market profile without waiting for internal growth. For Washington, the addition of senior litigators can support matters involving federal agencies, regulatory uncertainty, and appeals that intersect with energy development and transportation.
What to watch next
In the near term, attention will likely focus on how the new partners integrate into existing Mayer Brown teams in Houston and Washington, and whether additional attorney departures or subsequent lateral hires follow at either firm. In past cycles of partner movement, shifts at the top of a practice can precede broader team changes as clients and matters transition and firms adjust staffing around active dockets.
The six-partner addition is one of the larger same-firm-to-same-firm lateral group moves affecting Houston’s energy bar so far in 2026, reflecting the premium placed on experienced trial leadership and sector specialization.