FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2026
Former USPTO Regional Director Hope Shimabuku to lead new office; former McKool Smith partner and prominent Texas patent trial and appellate lawyer Christian Hurt joins to bolster Finnegan’s trial practice in Texas.
DALLAS—Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP extends its presence with the opening of a new office in Dallas—the firm’s first office in Texas and second new office in five years, following its opening in Munich in 2022.
The Dallas office is led by Hope Shimabuku, who joins Finnegan from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), where she served as Regional Director of its Southwest Regional Outreach Office. A native Texan, Hope brings three decades of experience as an engineer and intellectual property attorney and extensive service to the community, serving as a Community Fellow and formerly sitting on the Emerging Leaders Board for the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, the Chair and ex-officio Council Member for the State Bar of Texas – Intellectual Property Section, and the board for the Texas Chapter of the ChIPs. She is also an honorary member and inaugural member of the Barbara M.G. Lynn IP Inn of Court.
Christian Hurt, a trial and appellate lawyer with more than 200 patent matters and extensive experience in the Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, joins Finnegan as a partner, adding depth to the firm’s existing Texas trial practice. Previously a partner at McKool Smith, Christian is a former law clerk to Chief Judge Leonard E. Davis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (E.D. Tex.) and to Federal Circuit Judges Alan D. Lourie and Kimberly A. Moore. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and also teaches Patent Litigation at The University of Texas School of Law as an adjunct professor and served as a member of Judge Alan Albright’s Patent Working Group in the Western District of Texas (W.D. Tex.).
The Dallas office represents a natural extension of Finnegan’s IP-focused platform into one of the most active jurisdictions for patent litigation in the United States. It positions the firm at the intersection of two structural trends: the sustained concentration of high-stakes IP disputes in Texas courts, and the state’s rapid emergence as a hub for technology, life sciences, energy, and advanced manufacturing.
“Texas is where innovation is being built and where intellectual property is being tested,” said James Barney, Finnegan’s managing partner. “Our clients are actively litigating in Texas and opening in Dallas allows us to serve them more effectively, deepen relationships across the full lifecycle of their IP needs, and add to our national trial bench in a market that will only continue to grow. In Hope and Christian, we have two leaders with genuine Texas roots and the standing to carry Finnegan’s brand into this exciting and growing new market.”
“Finnegan has spent decades building a reputation for technical excellence and integrated IP counseling across every corner of the industry,” said Hope. “I am thrilled to help extend the firm’s presence to Texas, a state whose innovation economy I have championed for years. I look forward to building a Dallas office that reflects the depth of our region’s talent and the ambitions of the companies driving it forward.”
“The center of gravity in patent litigation is here,” said Christian. “Finnegan’s trial and appellate capabilities are second to none. Combining that platform with Texas trial experience creates something the market needs: a full-service IP firm with an authentic Dallas presence, ready to try cases in E.D.Tex. and W.D.Tex. and to serve clients across every stage of the IP lifecycle.”
Finnegan’s chair Frank DeCosta, who helped lead the firm’s Texas Office Initiative, added “Dallas is not a new market for Finnegan, but our next chapter in Texas,” he said. “We have represented clients in Texas for years, and understand the importance of proximity to the innovators, companies and legal venues that are shaping the future of intellectual property. We expect this office to become an increasingly important driver of Finnegan’s future growth.”
The Dallas office will include a team of experienced attorneys and legal professionals and will be supported by Finnegan attorneys and staff from across the firm. It will be a full-service IP office offering litigation, prosecution, counseling, and transactional services across all aspects of IP.
Contacts
Terra Liddell, Chief Marketing Officer
terra.liddell@finnegan.com
Angela Robinson, Director of Branding and Communications
angela.robinson@finnegan.com
About Finnegan
When your most valuable assets are ideas, innovation, and brand—you need the best to protect them. Finnegan, a premier intellectual property law firm, is trusted by global leaders to protect and advance what sets them apart. With 12 offices across the globe, we bring local insight and global reach to every IP challenge. From high-stakes litigation to cutting-edge patent strategy and innovative brand management, we deliver unmatched depth, agility, and results. If it is IP, it is Finnegan. Please visit us at www.finnegan.com or follow us on LinkedIn to see how we’re shaping the future of IP, one breakthrough at a time.
