Ken Bullock, Office Partner-in-Charge, FBT Gibbons

In an interview with Invest:, Ken Bullock, office partner-in-charge at law firm FBT Gibbons, discussed the firm’s continued expansion in Houston, the strategic value the recent merger, and the growing role of AI in legal services. “AI is only part of the equation. You still need an experienced driver behind the wheel,” Bullock said.

How would you describe Frost Brown Todd’s position today, particularly following its merger with Gibbons?

Since we last spoke, Frost Brown Todd has continued to grow with new attorneys joining across several offices in the United States. One of the most significant developments has been our merger with Gibbons, which took effect on Jan. 1, 2026. That added roughly 150 lawyers to the firm and significantly expanded our footprint, particularly in the Northeast Corridor.

The combination has been a natural fit. Gibbons brought strong client relationships and deep experience in markets where Frost Brown Todd previously had less presence, while we brought significant capabilities in places such as Texas. We are already seeing opportunities emerge from that broader platform.

Existing Frost Brown Todd clients now have added support in Northeastern markets where we previously may not have had the same reach. On the other side, former Gibbons clients now have access to stronger representation in Texas. That ability to serve clients across a wider geography has made the combined firm stronger and better positioned for continued growth.

From a broader industry perspective, what trends are shaping the legal sector, particularly in Houston?

One of the biggest issues shaping the legal industry today is the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and data-driven tools. Like every other industry, law firms are trying to determine how technologies such as large language models and agentic AI can affect day-to-day work.

There is real potential for these tools to improve efficiency, streamline research, and support legal workflows. However, law firms have to be especially careful because confidentiality is at the core of the profession. Protecting client information is fundamental, so any adoption of AI has to be matched with the right safeguards, firewalls, and internal controls.

That balance between innovation and responsibility is going to remain a defining issue for the legal sector. The technology is changing quickly, and every firm is trying to understand how best to incorporate it while still delivering the level of advice and judgment clients expect from their attorneys.

Frost Brown Todd has developed data-driven tools within the firm. How are clients responding to these innovations?

We have done a good job as a firm in capturing useful data about our work, particularly in litigation. That includes where cases were filed, how long they took to resolve, the claims involved, and the defenses asserted. Having that information organized allows us to answer client questions with much greater precision.

When a client asks whether we have handled a similar matter before, we can point to specific examples and explain how those matters progressed. That gives clients more confidence and helps them make more informed decisions.

On the AI side, we are seeing growing client interest in whether certain legal workflows can be handled more efficiently with the right technology in place. That might include reviewing information, identifying patterns, or helping organize legal work in ways that save time.

However, AI is only part of the equation. You still need an experienced driver behind the wheel, because the real value is in determining whether the information generated is useful, accurate, and applicable to the client’s situation. That judgment remains essential.

Where are you seeing the strongest demand from clients in Houston?

In Houston, the strongest demand continues to come from our core industry areas, particularly energy, manufacturing, and technology. Those sectors remain central to the local economy, and Houston continues to generate substantial legal work related to them.

Our firm focuses on energy, manufacturing, financial services, and life sciences. In Houston specifically, energy and manufacturing remain the key growth drivers. We continue to see demand tied to disputes, transactions, and broader business activity in those sectors.

The merger with Gibbons has also strengthened our capabilities in financial services and life sciences. That has created additional opportunities for the combined firm and expanded the range of clients and matters we can support.

Texas has seen an influx of national law firms in recent years. How does FTB Gibbons differentiate itself in such a competitive market?

The Houston legal market has become more crowded, and many firms would probably say differentiation is one of the hardest questions to answer. Legal services can appear interchangeable from the outside, especially when firms often provide similar categories of work.

What sets us apart is our focus on industries first. Many law firms still organize themselves primarily around practice areas such as litigation, tax, or transactional work. Those capabilities obviously matter, but our approach is to lead with industry depth.

We focus on the opportunities and challenges within industries such as energy, manufacturing, financial services, and life sciences. That allows us to bring clients not just legal knowledge but also an understanding of the business environment in which they operate. Having a clear industry focus and strong people within those areas is our primary differentiator.

As the firm continues expanding nationally, how do you maintain a strong local culture and presence in Houston?

Growth has to be intentional. Over the past decade, Frost Brown Todd, and now FBT Gibbons, has expanded into markets such as Houston, Dallas, Denver, California, and Washington, D.C. That kind of growth only works when there is a clear plan behind it.

We are not trying to grow just to add numbers. The goal is to identify specific opportunities where we can better serve clients and deepen our capabilities in the industries we focus on. Internally, that also means finding people who share common values about service, collaboration, and how we work together.

That cultural alignment was a major reason the merger with Gibbons has gone well so far. There was a strong overlap in what both firms did and in how they approached clients. Having that kind of shared foundation makes growth more sustainable.

Looking ahead over the next two to three years, where do you see the greatest opportunities for growth?

From a macro perspective, energy and manufacturing will remain two of the strongest areas of opportunity. Those sectors continue to drive activity in Houston and across the country, and they are influenced by major global and national issues.

Energy, for example, continues to be shaped by geopolitical conflict and broader questions about supply, access, and how energy moves around the world. Those challenges create a need for new solutions and ongoing legal guidance.

Manufacturing is also being affected by trade questions, tariffs, and uncertainty around how policy decisions impact clients. As those conditions evolve, businesses need advice on how to respond and adapt. For us, those are two of the clearest areas where demand and opportunity will continue.