History
The firm traces its history to 1840 in the Republic of Texas, with the beginning of legal practice by founding partner Peter W. Gray. Gray represented the Allen Brothers, founders of the city of Houston. Confederate Colonel Walter Browne Botts (from Fredericksburg, Virginia) joined the firm in 1865, and it became Gray and Botts. In 1872, James Addison Baker (a.k.a. Judge Baker; 1821–1897; from Huntsville, Texas) joined the firm and the name was changed to Gray, Botts & Baker. Gray left the partnership in 1874, to join the Supreme Court of Texas, and the two remaining partners, Walter Browne Botts and James A. Baker, renamed the firm Baker & Botts. Peter Gray also died in 1874. Judge Baker's son, also James Addison Baker (a.k.a. Captain Baker and James A. Baker, Sr.; 1857–1941) joined the firm as a clerk in 1877, a lawyer in 1881, and became partner in 1887, at which time the name became Baker, Botts and Baker.
In 1896, Captain Baker, personal attorney for Texas millionaire William Marsh Rice (Rice became a client of Peter Gray in the 1850s), drew up a new will for Rice and was the will's executor. In 1900, Rice was poisoned in his bed by his valet, Charles F. Jones, and his New York City lawyer, Albert T. Patrick, a sensational crime that made national headlines. Captain Baker was a key witness and helped investigate the murder after Patrick produced a will that gave him control of the 5 million dollars in 1904. Baker got the will he drew up entered as evidence in the case, and it was subsequently proved that Patrick had forged Rice's signature on the will he submitted. The case was not settled until 1910, and by that time the estate had grown to almost 10 million dollars. When the intent of Rice's will was finally executed, it led to the establishment of the William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Literature, Art, and Science, which is now called Rice University. Captain Baker was the first chairman of the Rice Board of Trustees. Rice University has maintained ties to Baker Botts since that time.
Jules Henri Tallichet joined the firm in 1909, bringing with him Southern Pacific Railroad, his major client at Sam R. Fisher in Austin, Texas.
Captain Baker's son, James Addison Baker, Jr. (1892–1973), also joined the firm in 1919 and his classmate and friend Henry Malcolm Lovett (son of the first president of Rice University, Edgar Odell Lovett) joined in 1924. Walter H. Walne served as managing parter from 1926 to 1933.
After leaving public service, former Chief of Staff in President Ronald Reagan's first administration and United States Secretary of State James Addison Baker, III (a.k.a. James Baker) joined the firm as a senior partner in 1993. He maintained two offices in Washington, being also affiliated as a partner at the Carlyle Group (with the title of senior counsel). Prior to government service, Mr. Baker had worked for the rival Houston law firm Andrews & Kurth to avoid suspicions of nepotism.
In 2000, the firm renamed itself Baker Botts.
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“Let it suffice that in the light of these two facts, namely, that the mind is One, and that nature is its correlative, history is to be read and written.”
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