{{Short description|American law firm}} {{advert|date=October 2017}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox law firm | name = Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP | logo = Hunton logo.svg | headquarters = [[Riverfront Plaza|Riverfront Plaza, East Tower]]<br>[[Richmond, Virginia]], U.S. | num_offices = 19 | offices = {{hlist|Richmond|[[Houston]]|[[Atlanta]]|[[Austin, Texas|Austin]]|[[Bangkok]]|[[Beijing]]|[[Boston]]|[[Brussels]]|[[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]]|[[Dallas]]|[[Dubai]]|[[London]]|[[Los Angeles]]|[[Miami]]|[[New York City|New York]]|[[San Francisco]]|[[Tokyo]]|[[Tysons, Virginia|Tysons]]|[[Washington, D.C.]]}} | num_attorneys = 900+ | practice_areas = General practice | date_founded = {{indented plainlist| *{{start date|1901|11|01}}<br>(as Munford, Hunton, Williams & Anderson, later Hunton & Williams) *{{start date|2018|04|02}}<br>(merger with [[Andrews Kurth Kenyon]] and adoption of current name)}} | founders = {{ubl|[[Beverley B. Munford]]|[[Eppa Hunton Jr.]]|[[E. Randolph Williams]]|[[Henry W. Anderson]]}} | company_type = [[Limited liability partnership]] | revenue = {{increase}} $830 million (2021) | homepage = {{URL|https://www.hunton.com/}} }}
'''Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP''', formerly known as '''Hunton & Williams LLP''' and commonly known as '''Hunton''', is an American law firm. The firm adopted its current name on April 2, 2018, when it merged with [[Andrews Kurth|Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hunton.com/en/news/hunton-williams-and-andrews-kurth-kenyon-vote-to-combine-firms.html|title=Hunton & Williams and Andrews Kurth Kenyon Vote to Combine Firms|website=Hunton & Williams LLP|language=en|access-date=February 21, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.richmond.com/business/local/hunton-williams-law-firm-to-merge-with-texas-firm-creating/article_f3dd6149-1736-54f4-aabc-6abe55cfc131.html|title=Hunton & Williams law firm to merge with Texas firm, creating a top 50 practice|last=Times-Dispatch|first=JOHN REID BLACKWELL Richmond|work=Richmond Times-Dispatch|access-date=February 21, 2018|language=en}}</ref>
Andrews Kurth Kenyon played a pivotal role in representing Texas railroad firms in the early 1900s, and brings a prominent reputation in the global energy industry to the combined firm. They represented both the [[Reconstruction Finance Corporation]] and [[Federal National Mortgage Association|Federal National Mortgage Corporation]] as part of FDR's New Deal.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Group |first=Career Communications |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OjkII5OKRoQC&dq=thomas+henry+ball&pg=PA62 |title=Women of Color |date=2009 |publisher=Career Communications Group |language=en}}</ref> Famous clients include [[Howard Hughes]]. Andrews Kurth litigated his inheritance, [[Internal Revenue Service|IRS]], and [[Spruce Goose]] cases. They also oversaw the public sale of Hughes shares in [[TWA]].
The combined firm has offices in 19 cities, primarily in the United States.
==History== {{More citations needed|section|date=November 2025}} Hunton & Williams (formerly Munford, Hunton, Williams and Anderson) was founded on November 1, 1901, in [[Richmond, Virginia]], by [[Henry W. Anderson]], [[Eppa Hunton Jr.]], [[Beverley B. Munford]], and [[E. Randolph Williams]].<ref>{{cite book|authorlink=Thomas B. Gay|first=Thomas B.|last=Gay|title=The Hunton Williams Firm and Its Predecessors, 1877–1954|date=1971|volume=1|place=[[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]]|publisher=Lewis Printing Company|pages=51–52}}</ref> The firm is focused on litigation, business, and finance law. The firm changed names many times over the years:
* Munford, Hunton, Williams and Anderson from 1901 to 1927 * Hunton, Williams, Anderson and Gay from 1927 to 1932 as Munford dropped out and [[Thomas B. Gay]] joined * Hunton, Williams, Anderson, Gay and Moore from 1932 to 1954 as Thomas Justin Moore Sr. joined * Hunton, Williams, Gay, Moore and Powell from 1954 to 1960 as Anderson dropped out and [[Lewis F. Powell Jr.]] joined * Hunton, Williams, Gay, Powell and Gibson from 1960 to 1972 as Moore dropped out and George Dandridge Gibson joined * Hunton, Williams, Gay and Gibson from 1972 to 1976 as Powell dropped out * Hunton and Williams in from 1976 to 2003 * Hunton and Williams LLP from 2003 to 2018
The firm's most notable member, a name partner from 1954 until 1972, was Lewis F. Powell Jr., who focused on corporate law and representing clients such as the [[Tobacco Institute]] until he became a member of the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] in 1971.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lewis F. Powell, Jr. {{!}} Supreme Court Justice, Civil Rights Advocate {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lewis-F-Powell-Jr |access-date=January 11, 2024 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>
The firm's initial hire of a woman was Elizabeth Tompkins, the first woman graduate of the [[University of Virginia Law School]], who worked as a summer clerk at Hunton & Williams in 1921 and 1922. In 1943, during the Second World War, two women lawyers were hired to work at Hunton & Williams: Sarah Geer Dale and Nan Ross McConnell. Dale's first case involved a labor-law issue for [[Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock]]. She left the firm in 1945 to get married and retired from the practice of law. McConnell stayed on until 1948, when she married.
Hunton & Williams was the first law firm in the United States to open an office solely for the practice of law [[pro bono]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kira |date=November 30, 2021 |title=Wind of change |url=https://www.virginiabusiness.com/article/wind-of-change/ |access-date=January 11, 2024 |website=Virginia Business |language=en-US}}</ref> The firm has a Centre for Information Policy Leadership, which focuses on [[privacy]] and [[Information privacy|data protection]] work. The managing partner, Samuel A. Danon, has held that position since April 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 13, 2023 |title=Hunton Andrews Kurth Announces Leadership Expansion to Support Firm's Strategic Vision |url=https://www.huntonak.com/en/news/hunton-andrews-kurth-announces-leadership-expansion-to-support-firms-strategic-vision.html |access-date=January 11, 2024 |website=huntonak.com |language=en}}</ref>
==Reputation== Hunton Andrews Kurth is an American [[White shoe firm|"white shoe"]] law firm and according to the [[The American Lawyer|Am Law 100]] is one of the highest-grossing law firms worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.law.com/law-firm-profile/?id=166166&name=Hunton-Andrews-Kurth&slreturn=20230724144518|title=Hunton Andrews Kurth|website=ALM|publisher=ALM Media Properties, LLC|access-date=August 24, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.huntonak.com/en/news/legal-500-us-recognizes-hunton-andrews-kurth-among-top-law-firms-in-2023-guide.html | title=Legal 500 US Recognizes Hunton Andrews Kurth Among Top Law Firms in 2023 Guide }}</ref>
==Controversies== The firm, when operating as Hunton & Williams, employed [[William Wehrum|William "Bill" Wehrum]] as a partner. Wehrum, who as a Hunton attorney represented oil and gas corporations, left his partner role when he was appointed to a top position in the Trump Administration [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA). Wehrum's confirmation hearings resulted in controversy, when Wehrum was asked "Are you familiar with the increasing acidity of the ocean?" Wehrum said this was merely an 'allegation.' Wehrum's answers at the confirmation hearing attracted critical coverage.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 6, 2017 |title=Watch a Top EPA Nominee Embarrass Himself with Feigned Ignorance of Basic Facts |url=https://theintercept.com/2017/10/06/watch-a-top-epa-nominee-embarrass-himself-with-feigned-ignorance-of-basic-facts/}}</ref> Wehrum was confirmed by a party-line vote<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siegel |first=Josh |date=November 9, 2017 |title=Donald Trump |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/senate-approves-bill-wehrum-to-lead-epas-air-office-dealing-with-climate-change-regulations |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820140846/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/senate-approves-bill-wehrum-to-lead-epas-air-office-dealing-with-climate-change-regulations |archive-date=August 20, 2018 |access-date=August 21, 2018 |website=Washington Examiner |language=en}}</ref> and moved from Hunton to the EPA, where he has been described as "delivering for ex-clients." Wehrum's private meetings with oil and gas industry ex-clients, many from his time working at Hunton, have attracted criticism "despite federal ethics rules intended to limit such interactions."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lipton |first=Eric |date=August 19, 2018 |title=As Trump Dismantles Clean Air Rules, an Industry Lawyer Delivers for Ex-Clients |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/19/us/politics/epa-coal-emissions-standards-william-wehrum.html |access-date=August 20, 2018}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.hunton.com/ Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP] * [https://www.informationpolicycentre.com/ Centre for Information Policy Leadership]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunton Andrews Kurth}} [[Category:Law firms established in 1901]] [[Category:Law firms based in Richmond, Virginia]] [[Category:1901 establishments in Virginia]] [[Category:Hunton family| ]]