hartline attorneys

Oaks, Hartline & Daly, LLP focuses on the needs of private clients, closely-held businesses and commercial entities. In 1986 Steven Oaks, Ned Hartline and Bill Honey founded the law firm of Oaks, Hartline & Honey with seven lawyers. Each of the named partners had spent their entire legal career at Butler & Binion, one of the then "big four" firms in Houston. Oaks, Hartline & Honey was designed to develop and service the legal needs of the many private clients represented by the partners. After several years, Daniel W. Daly III, formerly managing partner of Jenkens & Gilchrist's Houston office joined the firm. Steven Oaks was formerly the Secretary of State of Texas and was also chairman of the Harris County Democratic Party. He wanted to more fully develop his political ties and in 1990 the seventeen lawyers that then comprised Oaks, Hartline & Honey entered into a joint venture agreement with the oldest and largest law firm in Austin, Texas. The new firm was eventually named Brown McCarroll & Oaks Hartline, LLP. After Steven Oaks's death, Messer's Hartline and Daly continued to serve private clients. Hartline & Daly have noted the trend for large firms to concentrate and dedicate themselves to serving larger corporate clients. This does not comport with a private client practice. To better serve their clients, they decided to reform the old Oaks Hartline firm into Oaks, Hartline & Daly, LLP to concentrate on the many and varied needs of their private and business clients.