125 YEARS | HUNTON ANDREWS KURTH

While Hunton Andrews Kurth has been proudly serving clients for 125 years, the Richmond-based law firm probably takes just as much satisfaction in its 32-year streak of meeting or exceeding the American Bar Association’s challenge for law firms to dedicate at least 3% of billable time to pro bono services.

“We’ve done incredibly sophisticated work for clients who span the globe, but we continue to take a look in our backyard for opportunities to help the marginalized in our community through pro bono services,” says Rudene Haynes, managing partner of Hunton’s Richmond office.

This balancing act illustrates how Hunton — born out of a 2018 merger between two century-old firms — focuses on anticipating the challenges and needs of both its clients and the communities it serves, Haynes says. With 900 employees across 17 global offices, the firm has maintained client relationships that date back to its 1901 founding in Richmond. Its earlier incarnation, Hunton & Williams, produced U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr.

Over time, Hunton has expanded into new practice areas, building upon its strength and heritage in sectors like energy, financial services, real estate, and technology. While client needs guide its evolution, the firm holds true to a culture that’s seen it make history.

When John Charles Thomas became a partner in 1982, he was the first African American attorney to ascend the legal ladder to partnership at a major Southern law firm. Haynes made history, too, when she became the first woman to serve as managing partner of the firm’s Richmond office in 2025.

The firm strives for excellence in all that it does, including making an impact beyond earning a paycheck, Haynes notes. There’s a reason why there’s a “legacy of lifers” at the firm who have, like her, been at the firm since their days as a summer associate. “That says a lot about Hunton.”

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