Texas Lawyer: Courtrooms in the Office

October 20, 1991 — A growing number of Texas law firms are investing in in-house courtrooms for trial preparation, witness training, and mock jury exercises. Firms including Bickel & Brewer, Gardere & Wynne, Fulbright & Jaworski, Vinson & Elkins, and Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue have constructed facilities ranging from $100,000 to nearly $1 million, often doubling as conference or training centers. Proponents emphasize the psychological benefits of realistic courtroom settings, particularly for witnesses and mock jurors, while designers note the significant costs and space demands. Several firms are also considering similar projects as part of new office expansions.

Texas Lawyer: Zealous, But Not Overly So

September 8, 1991 — In a letter to the editor, a Texas Lawyer reader responded to an August 19, 1991, commentary by John W. Bickel II and William A. Brewer III regarding the Northern District of Texas’s professionalism creed. The letter disputes Bickel and Brewer’s claim that terms such as “courtesy,” “civility,” and “obnoxious behavior” lack clear definition, arguing that lawyers should already understand these concepts without judicial guidance. The writer further distinguishes between “zealous” and “zealot,” contending that attorneys can represent clients with passion while remaining civil and courteous.

Computerworld: Lawyers Take Imaging to the Limit

September 9, 1990 — Bickel & Brewer has become the first U.S. law firm to install a multi-site computer imaging system linking its offices in New York, Dallas, and Chicago. The firm deployed the Wang Integrated Image System on a Wang VS 5000 midrange computer, supported by AT&T Integrated Services Digital Network lines, to streamline research, filing, and retrieval functions. The system allows documents to be accessed firmwide and even transported to courtrooms and client offices. Firm representatives estimate the technology could save clients $100,000 to $200,000 annually in storage costs.

Newsweek: And They Both Speak With Forked Tongue

March 25, 1990 - Dallas law firm Bickel & Brewer announced it would underwrite the adoption of all snakes at the Dallas Zoo, inviting the public to “readopt” and rename them after lawyers. The firm aims to raise $60,000 through the effort, with proceeds supporting a conservation project to protect New Zealand’s endangered tuatara reptile. Bickel & Brewer’s involvement revives the zoo’s lagging Adopt an Animal program, which had seen little interest in snakes compared to more popular species.

Dallas Life Magazine: The Rambo Boys

February 25, 1990 — Dallas Life Magazine publishes an article titled "The Rambo Boys," which states that John Bickel and William Brewer, "proud masters of legal 'hardball,' seem to be toning down the guerilla style that has rankled much of the Dallas legal community." But, the article states, neither Bickel or Brewer are about to "apologize for the tactics that sealed their reputations." 

The article refers to Bickel & Brewer's lawyers as "unyielding" — with the firm taking advantage of "every opportunity to erect stumbling blocks for the opposition. Matters that once were resolved by phone or over breakfast at the City Club now are often handled before a judge." 

The article discusses how the firm burst into the Dallas legal scene in the mid-1980s, assembling a "top-notch legal team" and wooing "some of the most high-profile clients from established firms." Just years later, the firm has branches in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C., and its attorneys are the highest paid in the nation. 

According to the article, lawyers who have gone up against the firm "agree that Bickel & Brewer attorneys are exceptionally well-prepared and adroit in the courtroom." 

National Law Journal: Dallas’ Brash Young Upstarts

January 21, 1990 - The National Law Journal profiled Bickel & Brewer, the fast-growing Dallas litigation boutique founded in 1983 by William A. Brewer III and John W. Bickel II. Known for high associate pay, aggressive tactics, and rapid growth to 41 lawyers, the firm has drawn both blue-chip clients and sharp criticism from Dallas’ legal establishment, earning the nickname “the Rambo firm.” Opponents cite hardball deposition practices and sanctions, while the founders defend their approach as necessary to push cases to trial and resolve disputes quickly. The firm recently expanded to Chicago and is preparing for trial in a multimillion-dollar breach of contract and patent dispute between Motorola and Hitachi in federal court in Austin.

"We introduced a style of litigation to Dallas that was needed by the business community," says Mr. [Bill] Brewer. "They need to know that a lawyer is going to push their case hard and push it to trial. That’s ruffled some feathers. It’s vastly different from the way they are used to practicing around here."

The New York Times Reports on the Firms "Bare-Knuckles" Approach

May 13, 1988 — The New York Times reports on the "back-knuckles" approach of Dallas attorneys at Bickel & Brewer. The article states that lawyers in Dallas say managing partners John Bickel and William Brewer "act like New York lawyers" — commenting on their aggressive tactics. 

"New York lawyers are the sharpest in the country," Brewer said." We want to play in that league."

According to the article, the firm opened its own New York office last year and raised salaries — making them equal to that of top New York firms. Bickel & Brewer also has its own in-office mock courtroom, where "lawyers test cases and prepare witness with a run-through of every major trial."

Read the article, "Bare-Knuckles Litigation Jars Many in Dallas," here. 

Texas Monthly Profiles Bickel & Brewer — the "Most Unyielding and Difficult Firm in Dallas"

December 1987 — Texas Monthly profiles Bickel & Brewer and its representation of Texas Commerce Bank-Dallas in what has become a "notorious" case involving its lease with Plaza of the Americas.

The article, titled "Behind the Lines: The World War I Theory of Law," states, "Bickel & Brewer is known as a tough fighter, perhaps the most unyielding and difficult firm in Dallas. Although just three and a half years old, with only six partners, five of whom are under forty, Bickel & Brewer has attracted a blue-chip client list that, besides TCB-Dallas, includes American Petrofina, the Dallas Market Center, MCI, MBank, the Richards Group, Sentry Life Insurance, and the Trammell Crow Company." 

"We want to try the big cases," said founding partner William Brewer. "If you have two hundred cases in your firm, you're not going to pretend you're going to win them all. We've got about thirty clients, and they are going to pay us several million dollars to win. If you're handling one-hundred-million-dollar cases, you don't compromise for your client even a little bit." 

To access the December 1987 issue, click here.