Ken Bullock, Partner-in-Charge, Frost Brown Todd
In an interview with Invest:, Ken Bullock, partner-in-charge of Frost Brown Todd, highlighted the firm’s dual-track growth amid energy sector volatility — expanding in traditional oil and gas while advancing renewables, AI, and carbon solutions. “Diversification and staying nimble are essential,” he said.
What changes over the past year have had the greatest impact on your firm and your strategy?
The last six months have been fascinating, full of ups and downs in a short span. In the energy sector, we’ve seen renewed interest and development in traditional oil and gas, especially in Texas. Upstream and midstream activity is strong, and we’re hearing similar reports from other states.
At the same time, the change in federal administration introduced some uncertainty around green energy incentives. While a few large renewable projects have faced funding pauses, many land-based wind and solar initiatives continue to advance, and Texas remains at the forefront of that growth.
From a firm perspective, it’s also been a period of expansion and opportunity. Frost Brown Todd LLP and Gibbons P.C. have agreed to combine, effective January 1, 2026. The new firm, to be named FBT Gibbons LLP, will create a mid-market legal powerhouse with approximately 800 attorneys across 25 offices nationwide. This year, we also opened a new office in Denver, grew our presence in California, and welcomed several talented attorneys to our Houston energy team. The year ahead looks promising, and all indicators suggest our momentum will continue.
What makes Houston and Texas attractive locations for business growth and expansion?
Houston is an incredibly dynamic and diverse city, both in terms of population and industry. Besides being globally recognized as the energy capital, the region boasts a rich mix of industries — energy (both traditional and renewable), aerospace, biotechnology, real estate, manufacturing, healthcare, and beyond. High-tech innovation is becoming integral to energy development, whether in hydrogen storage, process chemistry, or carbon management. Proximity to institutions like NASA and Space Force HQ strengthens this innovation ecosystem. Add to that a vibrant, multicultural workforce and competitive cost structure, and Houston emerges as a compelling choice for firms like ours and clients alike.
How are you advising clients during this time of volatility and energy transition?
Volatility is the main challenge, especially around tariffs. We counsel clients to maintain active risk management strategies across their supply chains, especially given geopolitical shifts that affect both imports and exports.
On the energy front, our guidance is dual track. We reinforce confidence in traditional oil and gas projects, especially those tied to U.S. and Texas development. Simultaneously, we support clients in navigating the nuances of renewable projects like wind, solar, and innovative angles such as CCS, hydrogen, and carbon capture. The overarching message is that diversification and staying nimble are essential in this transitional period. We frequently hold policy briefings to keep clients up to date on federal incentive changes and regional infrastructure developments.
How are you approaching talent acquisition and retention in such a competitive legal market?
The legal space here is aggressively competitive. To stand out, we emphasize differentiation — showing candidates a strong mix of meaningful work, client access, advanced practice areas (like data platforming and emerging energy), and clear career trajectories.
For later-stage attorneys, it’s about presenting a compelling portfolio of sophisticated work and leadership opportunities. For law students, we develop close law-school partnerships across Texas and beyond, attending career fairs, offering clinics, and providing prominent visibility at campus events. These efforts ensure a steady talent pipeline. Retention comes down to engagement: mentorship, professional growth, and working on cutting-edge projects in the energy and tech-transitional arenas.
How is your AI data platform evolving, and what has client response been like?
The response has been overwhelmingly positive. We’ve seen strong demand in data, privacy, and security services. FBT has won awards for its AI innovation in client work, and we get excited about collaborating with our clients to explore how we can streamline time-consuming tasks for mutual benefit and leverage new technology to help clients meet their business goals. We partner with clients to better understand and test the ideal use cases for Gen AI and other technologies to ensure we’re aligned with their expectations and policies.
This lets us shift from educated guessing to empirical forecasting when advising on fee structures, case strategy, or risk assessment. Clients appreciate that shift to data-based precision. Distinguished recognitions this year for our data-driven service model highlight our commitment to innovation within a confidentiality-conscious environment.
What are your top priorities and outlook for Houston over the next two to three years?
Our strategy in Houston is tightly focused on three primary industry verticals: energy, industrial and manufacturing, and financial services. These areas not only align with Houston’s core economic strengths but also reflect the broader priorities of our firm nationally.
We’ve underscored our commitment to the market by securing a long-term lease in new downtown office space, designed to accommodate our projected growth. Looking ahead, we’re investing in the expansion of our energy practice to include emerging areas like hydrogen development and carbon markets. We’re also deepening our involvement with industrial clients, especially those in advanced manufacturing and logistics. On the financial services front, we continue to support clients with needs ranging from fintech and regulatory compliance to M&A and capital markets work.
We’re optimistic about the continued growth of our Houston office. The foundation is strong, and our plan is to keep building — through strategic recruitment, deeper industry alignment, and a consistent focus on delivering sophisticated, responsive legal counsel. Success will be measured by our ability to scale with client needs and maintain a high standard of service as the regional economy evolves.
