Texas

  • February 04, 2025

    Greenberg Traurig Biz Pro Joins Holland & Knight In Texas

    Holland & Knight LLP announced Tuesday that it has fortified its corporate mergers and acquisitions and private equity practice with an Austin, Texas-based partner who came aboard from Greenberg Traurig LLP.

  • February 04, 2025

    Veteran Energy Attorney Joins Baker Botts In Austin

    Baker Botts LLP announced Tuesday that an experienced energy attorney who's spent over 30 years working in various government and private practice roles has joined the firm's office in Austin, Texas, as a partner.

  • February 04, 2025

    Steptoe & Johnson Adds Business Duo In Dallas

    Steptoe & Johnson PLLC has bolstered its business department in Dallas with a pair of corporate attorneys, one who joined from Carrington Coleman Sloman & Blumenthal LLP and one who arrived from Cowles & Thompson PC.

  • February 04, 2025

    Pearl Energy Closes $999.9M Fund, Tioga Raises $125M

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP-advised Pearl Energy Investments on Tuesday revealed that it clinched its fourth flagship fund after securing $999.9 million in investor commitments, while Atlanta-based multi-strategy real estate investment firm Tioga Capital closed its fourth fund after raising $125 million in capital commitments.

  • February 04, 2025

    Shell Workers' 401(k) Suit Gets Class Nod, But No Early Wins

    A Texas federal judge awarded class certification to more than 10,000 current and former Shell Oil Co. workers in their suit claiming the energy behemoth mismanaged their $10 billion 401(k) plan, but he declined to grant either side early wins.

  • February 03, 2025

    5th Circ. Panel Split On NLRB Case After Post-Loper Remand

    Members of a Fifth Circuit panel appeared split Monday about whether to once again uphold a National Labor Relations Board decision letting its acting prosecutor pull a pending suit in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last year to scale back courts' deference to federal agencies.

  • February 03, 2025

    Gilstrap Tells Patent Atty To 'Relearn The Fundamentals'

    U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap has decided that a "public admonition" is a more appropriate punishment than legal fines for a lawyer whose client was called a "patent troll" by opponents, ordering the attorney to "relearn the fundamentals of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure."

  • February 03, 2025

    Del. Justices Agree Conduent Fraud Verdict Wasn't Proper

    Delaware's Supreme Court on Monday affirmed a Superior Court judge's ruling setting aside a jury verdict that Delaware-chartered Conduent State Healthcare LLC tried to defraud insurers after paying a $236 million Medicaid settlement in Texas.

  • February 03, 2025

    Texas' Bid To Launch Stock Exchange Moves Forward

    As the owner of the new Texas Stock Exchange LLC gears up to begin trading by next year, capital markets attorneys are closely watching how the company plans to penetrate a market long dominated by two New York-based juggernauts.

  • February 03, 2025

    5th Circ. Won't Revisit HHS Win On Scope Of ACA

    The Fifth Circuit has declined to conduct an en banc rehearing after an appellate panel upheld a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rule that said the Affordable Care Act forbids against transgender bias in healthcare, but one judge argued the court got its analysis wrong.

  • February 03, 2025

    DOJ's LA Fitness ADA Suit May Be 'Inadequate,' Judge Says

    A California federal judge expressed doubts Monday about the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit alleging that LA Fitness failed to accommodate patrons with disabilities and said the court so far finds the pleadings to be "inadequate" in arguing there is a "pattern and practice" of discrimination.

  • February 03, 2025

    Texas Can Help Feds With Noncitizen Arrests, Judge Says

    A Texas federal judge has modified an injunction blocking a controversial Texas immigration law to clarify that law enforcement in the Lone Star State can help federal agencies with initiatives to arrest and detain unauthorized immigrants.

  • February 03, 2025

    CFPB Small Biz Rules Outstrip Authority, 5th Circ. Hears

    The Texas Bankers Association asked a Fifth Circuit panel on Monday to kill the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new small business minority data rule during oral arguments, while the panel questioned what to do with the case given the agency's leadership change.

  • February 03, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Questions Mitek's Fears Of USAA Check Patent Suit

    A Federal Circuit panel appeared skeptical of banking software company Mitek Systems Inc.'s effort to revive a suit seeking a declaration that it is not infringing check deposit patents United Services Automobile Association has won millions from suing over, suggesting Monday it seems like Mitek won't also be sued.

  • February 03, 2025

    USAA Fails To Flip PTAB Loss In $218M EDTX Case

    Federal Circuit judges decided Monday to affirm an administrative board's rulings that wiped out claims in two patents, including one that is tied to a $218.45 million jury verdict leveled against PNC Bank in a patent case in the Eastern District of Texas.

  • February 03, 2025

    Fired SpaceX Workers Want To Know Where Musk Was

    An attorney representing fired SpaceX workers urged a California federal judge Monday to reconsider a previous judge's ruling that the retaliation case does not belong in state court and to allow her clients access to records about CEO Elon Musk's past movements to prove the location from which he directed the company.

  • February 03, 2025

    Texas Appeals Court Wipes Exxon's $2.5M Oil Cleanup Verdict

    A Texas appeals court has wiped a more than $2.5 million verdict for ExxonMobil Pipeline Co., finding that successive owners of its pipeline hadn't agreed to assume the cleanup costs of an oil spill.

  • February 03, 2025

    Jackson Walker Ethics Case Shelved Over Lack Of Authority

    A Houston federal judge on Monday recommended closing an ethics case against Jackson Walker LLP over its supposed knowledge of a firm attorney's relationship with a judge, finding the court lacked the authority to pursue sanctions against a law firm.

  • February 03, 2025

    Sidley Adds Paul Hastings Energy, Finance Pro In Houston

    Sidley Austin LLP added a former Paul Hastings LLP partner specializing in energy industry transactions to its energy, transportation and finance team in Houston, the firm announced Monday.

  • February 03, 2025

    Power Cos., States Ask DC Circ. To Dispose Of Coal Ash Rule

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency acted arbitrarily and well beyond its authority when it enacted a new rule to strengthen federal regulations for coal ash, a score of electric utility entities and Republican-led states told the D.C. Circuit.

  • February 03, 2025

    PetroQuest Gets OK For $20.6M Texas Oilfield Sale

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Monday approved the $20.6 million sale of PetroQuest Energy's East Texas oilfields, more than two years after a failed attempt to sell those fields sparked a lawsuit that helped land the company in Chapter 11.

  • January 31, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: Data Centers, Trump, Prepack Bankruptcy

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including the way law firms are evolving alongside the data center boom, immediate reactions to the Trump administration's policy shakeup, and two Big Law real estate leaders' enthusiasm for prenegotiated bankruptcies.

  • January 31, 2025

    Pipeline Inspector Asks Justices To Deem Him An Employee

    A former pipeline inspector for energy industry service provider Killick Group has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Fifth Circuit decision classifying him as an independent contractor not eligible for overtime, saying Friday the high court should resolve a circuit split on the factors determining employee status.

  • January 31, 2025

    Netlist Can't Get Injunction After $118M Win Against Samsung

    Marshall, Texas' U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap on Friday declined to issue an injunction blocking Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. from selling products that use chips tied to a patent infringement case where Netlist Inc. won a $118 million jury verdict. 

  • January 31, 2025

    Small Biz Attys Jump Into 4th Circ. Shell Co. Law Challenge

    A business group has urged the Fourth Circuit to stop the U.S. Department of the Treasury from enforcing a law that requires companies to disclose personal identifying information about their beneficial owners and applicants to the agency, saying the law exceeds the limit of Congress' power to regulate intrastate economic activity.

Expert Analysis

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Misplaced Info, Trade-Offs, Proteges

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    James Tucker at MoFo examines three recent decisions concerning the consequences of providing solicited information in the wrong section of a bid proposal, the limits of agency discretion in technical merit, best-value trade-off evaluations, and the weight of the experience and capabilities of small businesses in mentor-protégé joint venture qualification.

  • Class Action Law Makes An LLC A 'Jurisdictional Platypus'

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    The applicability of Section 1332(d)(10) of the Class Action Fairness Act is still widely misunderstood — and given the ambiguous nature of limited liability companies, the law will likely continue to confound courts and litigants — so parties should be prepared for a range of outcomes, says Andrew Gunem at Strauss Borrelli.

  • Jarkesy Ruling May Redefine Jury Role In Patent Fraud

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    Regardless of whether the U.S. Supreme Court’s Jarkesy ruling implicates the direction of inequitable conduct, which requires showing that the patentee made material statements or omissions to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the decision has created opportunities for defendants to argue more substantively for jury trials than ever before, say attorneys at Cadwalader.

  • 3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture

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    Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents

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    Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • Defamation Suit Tests Lanham Act's Reach With Influencers

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    Recently filed in the Northern District of Texas, Prime Hydration v. Garcia, alleging defamation and Lanham Act violations based on the defendant's social media statements about the beverage brand, allows Texas courts and the Fifth Circuit to take the lead in interpreting the act as it applies to influencers, says attorney Susan Jorgensen.

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.

  • Navigating The Murky Waters Of Patent Infringement Damages

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    Recent cases show that there is no easy way to isolate an infringed patent’s value, and it would serve all sides well for courts to thoroughly examine expert opinions of this nature and provide consistent guidance for future cases, say Manny Caixeiro and Elizabeth Manno at Venable.

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

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    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • 3 Healthcare FCA Deals Provide Self-Disclosure Takeaways

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    Several civil False Claims Act settlements of alleged healthcare fraud violations over the past year demonstrate that healthcare providers may benefit substantially from voluntarily disclosing potential misconduct to both the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, say Brian Albritton and Raquel Ramirez Jefferson at Phelps Dunbar.

  • Opinion

    Congress Must Increase Small Biz Ch. 11 Debt Cap

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    Congress must act to reinstate Subchapter V, which recently sunsetted when the debt threshold to qualify reverted from $7.5 million to just over $3 million, meaning thousands of small businesses will no longer be able to use the means of reorganization, says Daniel Gielchinsky at DGIM Law.

  • How Loper Bright Weakens NEPA Enviro Justice Strategy

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    The National Environmental Policy Act is central to the Biden administration's environmental justice agenda — but the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo casts doubt on the government's ability to rely on NEPA for this purpose, and a pending federal case will test the strategy's limits, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Series

    After Chevron: ERISA Challenges To Watch

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    The end of Chevron deference makes the outcome of Employee Retirement Income Security Act regulatory challenges more uncertain as courts become final arbiters of pending lawsuits about ESG investments, the definition of a fiduciary, unallocated pension forfeitures and discrimination in healthcare plans, says Evelyn Haralampu at Burns & Levinson.

  • Justices' Intent Witness Ruling May Be Useful For Defense Bar

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    At first glance, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Diaz v. U.S. decision, allowing experts to testify to the mental state of criminal defendants in federal court, gives prosecutors a new tool, but creative white collar defense counsel may be able to use the same tool to their own advantage, say Jack Sharman and Rachel Bragg at Lightfoot Franklin.

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