Our Culture

At Pirkey Barber, we’re redefining the practice of law through a culture rooted in collaboration and respect. Our clients remain central to our mission, benefiting from our low turnover rate and the consistent, high-quality service it enables. However, our team-centric philosophy goes beyond client service; it’s also about ensuring work-life balance and mutual respect among attorneys, paralegals, and staff. We believe that a satisfying and fulfilling legal career shouldn’t be an aspiration but a standard. Whether you’re a potential client or a prospective team member, Pirkey Barber offers an environment for shared success.

Pirkey Barber prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion in its hiring. We actively recruit from HBCUs, HSIs, and other diverse institutions to widen our talent pool. Our internal hiring policies hold us accountable and focus on increasing diversity at our firm. We love to discuss these with candidates and invite questions concerning our practices during the interview process. Here are a few statistics that highlight our success in creating a diverse work environment.

 

At Pirkey Barber, we want to take care of our employees. While our standard benefits package is exceptional, we take pride in offering incentives that truly set us apart. We offer paid leave to both primary and secondary caregivers. Many of our employees enjoy flexible work schedules to help maintain work-life balance while excelling in their roles. We’re also committed to helping our employees secure their future and reach their long-term financial aspirations. Additionally, our retirement plan offers a generous match. Pirkey Barber is invested in helping our employees have a better future, a balanced life, and peace of mind.

As legal professionals, we understand that we are uniquely positioned to advance equity by increasing access to legal services and justice. Whether it’s partnering with nonprofit organizations, mentoring students, or advocating for those in need, we are deeply committed to providing pro bono services, both within and outside of our specialty areas of practice. Here are some of the ways our team has made an impact:

• In collaboration with Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, a non-profit dedicated to serving low-income individuals. We’ve helped survivors of abuse escape violent relationships, connected people with disabilities to essential medical and financial benefits, and stood up for individuals and families facing wrongful evictions and foreclosures.
• Our partnership with the Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law has enabled us to mentor students while assisting small businesses and non-profits in safeguarding their intellectual property rights, particularly in trademark and copyright matters.
• We played a pivotal role in guiding Every Texan, a nonpartisan non-profit committed to expanding opportunities and equity, through a successful rebrand.
• We’ve represented an indigent client in a federal lawsuit alleging constitutional violations stemming from a police shooting of a client’s German Shepherd.
• Our team has guided indigent clients through the complex legal probate processes, making critical decisions to minimize the impact on government-provided benefits relied upon by close family members with disabilities.
• We’ve worked alongside a non-profit organization that provides children in domestic violence shelters with essential items, such as toys, hygiene products, clothing, and more.
• Our firm provided comprehensive trademark counseling to a company that helps impoverished women in Ethiopia gain financial independence by selling their jewelry in the United States.

We are dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities where we live and work. We support both local and national organizations that are at the forefront of advancing equity through volunteer efforts, monetary contributions, and in-kind donations. We have supported organizations like Dress for Success, the Rebekah Baines Johnson Center, and Baylor Scott & White hospital. Additionally, we take pride in our partnerships with forward-thinking organizations that are leading the charge to increase opportunities, representation, and employment for diverse individuals, especially within the realm of intellectual property law. We actively engage, lead, and contribute to organizations such as the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, the Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law, and the Youth Justice Alliance, working together to eliminate barriers and reshape the legal landscape for the better.

Pirkey Barber’s diverse workforce is rich in culture and innovative thought. We honor that diversity with our Inclusion Calendar. Every year, we survey the firm to learn what events and engagements are most important to our current employees. Using this data, we build a calendar that focuses on these engagements and cultural celebrations, which can rotate from year to year, to be as inclusive as possible.  We challenge ourselves to act inclusively as we all learn and embrace the diverse traditions, cultures, and backgrounds that make us who we are.

At Pirkey Barber, our “town hall” meetings are where action meets education. Multiple times each year, the firm holds firm-wide meetings, offering our employees opportunities to increase their knowledge and engage with members of diverse communities and one another in open, impactful dialogue about actions, practices, and strategies to advance inclusion, equity, and diversity. Previous town halls have consisted of inviting expert speakers, interactive workshops, or reading and discussing books, articles, or documentaries. We pride ourselves on fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth, where these meaningful discussions lead to concrete actions that further our commitment to building a more inclusive and equitable legal community for all.