The exit of two Black attorneys in Austin indicates the efforts of Alabama's Balch & Bingham law firm to build a beachhead in Texas are on the verge of collapsing

Kimano A. Edwards and Ikenna Okoro

Two prominent African-American attorneys have left the Austin, TX, office of the Birmingham-based Balch & Bingham law firm, according to a report at banbalch.com, which which operates under the banner of the CDLU public charity and advocacy group.

The most recent moves leave Balch with only two attorneys in Texas, a sign that the firm's efforts to build a major presence in the Lone Star State are on the verge of collapse.

Balch & Bingham has been losing lawyers for months in the wake of scandals involving several clients, including Atlanta-based Southern Company, the nation's second largest utility, and its subsidiary, Alabama Power  K.B. Forbes, publisher of Ban Balch and CEO of the CDLU, reports under the headline "African Americans Flee Balch & Bingham; Austin Office Left with Two Attorneys. Forbes writes:

The death spiral continues.

After much fanfare two years ago, two African American attorneys have left the embattled and alleged racist law firm, Balch & Bingham.

Kimano A. Edwards and Ikenna Okoro, two rising attorneys (pictured above) have dumped Balch.

Both appear to have joined Balch in August of 2022, and lasted about 18 months.

Edwards has joined Morgan & Morgan in Jacksonville, while Okoro left Balch’s Austin, Texas office.

Joining Okoro’s exit out of Austin is Balch Partner Bryan J. Moore who was hired in June of 2022.

Moore’s exit was in the past month and has now left Balch with only two attorneys in Texas, an utter collapse of the once prestigious silk-stocking law firm in the Lone Star State.